# Ultimate Thunderbolts - IC



## Dayspire (Oct 28, 2005)

Manhattan, New York
Home of Anthony Scarpetti
September 12th, 2005 10:35 am

Carla Fuentes was a looker.  Nice dark hair, fit body, and a pair of lips that could melt that mutant Iceboy.  Iceman.  Whatever.  The point was, Carla was a beautiful woman, but there was no way in hell Tony was going to touch her.

She was, after all, his parole officer.

“Anthony, look at this place!”  Carla strolled around Tony’s home like it was her own, but he didn’t mind.  Her way of strolling made it worth it.  She picked up an empty bottle of beer and sighed.  The house _was_ something of a mess.  Imported leather couches covered with magazines and newspapers, marble tables littered with a variety of dishes, and there was a slight… odor.  

“The maid has the day off,” Anthony said with wry smile.

“Don’t give me that li-“

“No.”  Anthony’s smirk vanished.  “I’m serious.  She’s off today.”  Carla stopped fidgeting and looked up at him, sensing his mood. “I get bored easy, Carla.  And when I get bored, I tend to make a mess.” Of course, that had many different meanings.

Carla nodded, clearly not getting it.  “The real reason I’m here Mr. Scarpetti - it's about your release.”

Anthony leaned forward suddenly.  “What?  They takin’ it back?? They can’t -"

“No, no.  Not at all!  It’s just… my superiors want to know if this… Ummm.” Carla rooted around in her handbag for a moment, and pulled out a business card.  “… Mr. ‘Clark’ has contacted you yet, and when you’re going to meet.  The provisions in your release guarantee are quite clear.”

Anthony looked out his window that overlooked Central Park.  Five grand a month to stay here, but he was looking instead at his own reflection.  “Tonight.  We’re meeting tonight.” His thoughts, normally disciplined, were in turmoil.  _Can I do this?  Do I _want_ to do this?  What if I get signed up with a bunch of yahoos?_  There was an easy answer though.  Go to the Trisk, or do this.  Not that difficult a problem, really.

Carla walked over to Anthony’s desk and leaned over.  “And the ‘Taskmaster’..?” She asked, her voice low and husky.

Tony's gaze never wavered.  “He’s dead.  Long live… _The Professional._”  His reflection gave back a rare smile.  

Tony's eyes shifted to Carla.  She was leaning over his desk with one of _those_ smiles.  _Crap.  How do I get myself into these situations?”_



OOC:  Let me know what, if anything you do to prepare for your meeting with your new employer, Mr. Henreich Clark.  You’re to meet him – and the rest of your new ‘team’ tonight at 8pm, in lower Manhattan.  Also, please give me a description of what you look like, equipment you have, etc.


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## Dayspire (Oct 28, 2005)

*Fracture*

Sewer System, Upper New York
Morlock Tunnels
September 12th, 2005 2:01 pm

Callisto strode through the sewers with a purpose, and Deckard followed close behind.

“You have to watch ‘em, Deck.  If they find out you’re a mutant, they’ll spit on you and throw you out.  I’m warnin’ you.”  There was little light down here, and it always amazed Deckard how Callisto could navigate so well.  Especially with only one eye.  

“I know, mother.  I _have_ spent quite a bit of time above ground.  I’ll be fine.  But getting that call from that German… Clark… was a sign.  It’s a chance to make things right.  To turn it all around.  No more Marrow.  Just… _Fracture_.  I’m meeting them tonight.”  Callisto turned suddenly, a look of concern on her face.  It was a look that few saw, and never anyone who wasn't a Morlock.

“Yeah, I know Deck.  I also know that %@$*& Kingpin is still looking for you, and he’ll _never_ stop until you’re dead.”

“Or until _he's_ dead.”  Deckard’s voice sounded cold, even to him.

Callisto smiled and patted his face.  “That sounds like something *I* would say, Deck.  But him or one of his cronies might sneak up on you when you’re not ready.  Like now.”  Her smile suddenly became vicious looking.

“What do you mean?”

“You’re not paying attention, m’boy.  Look down.”   Deck looked down to see Callisto’s other hand holding her knife, pressed up against his stomach.

Deckard smiled knowingly.  “I saw you do it, mother.  And if you press just a bit harder you’ll feel nothing but bone armor.”

Callisto scowled and shoved the knife in.  Deckard chuckled.  “You’d have to have a bigger knife to get through that…”  Callisto turned and started stalking off.  “A sword, maybe…”  Callisto’s curses echoed throughout the sewer.


OOC:  Let me know what, if anything you do to prepare for your meeting with your new employer, Mr. Heinrich Clark.  You’re to meet him – and the rest of your new ‘team’ tonight at 8pm, in lower Manhattan.  Also, please give me a description of what you look like, equipment you have, etc.


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## Dayspire (Oct 28, 2005)

*Verdant*

Glenville, Long Island, New York
Residential area
September 12th, 2005 12:21 pm

It hurt to even think about doing it.  Part of him wanted to leave and forget that this house ever existed.  But still he stood on the sidewalk, staring.  A breeze ruffled his trenchcoat, and he pulled it tighter.  It wouldn’t do if anyone saw him.  Not that anyone would recognize him now.

The house was still exceptional.  Three-stories, eight rooms, and an excellent view of the Lakecrest Golf Course.  It probably could go for an easy million, if it weren’t for its single flaw.

Samuel cocked his head and listened.  He heard the song coming from behind the stucco wall.  It was a dull song, a song of mingled pain and hunger.  It was a painful cacophony that only he could hear, sadly.  He moved down the walk and peered in through the gate.  The grounds of the Evans home were still brown, with occasional patches of green here and there.  Several beds of withered flowers lay where he last saw them, with no improvement.  Samuel had been gone for two years and still Morris hadn’t solved his problem.  

Samuel opened himself up to the Green.  He could hear the chorus, and it filled him with a warm glow that transcended anything he felt before his change.  But that brief moment settled it for him.  Despite what Morris Evans had done – or more appropriately, what his daughter’s friend had done – he wasn’t to blame.  Sam was.  His actions – his foolish, foolish actions – had put him in their prison.  And now, literally, it was time to turn over a new leaf.

God, how he hated that cliché.  But it was still true.

Samuel Smithers, once the Plantman but now _Verdant_, slowly raised a gloved hand through the gate.

And the Green answered.

Shoots of grass suddenly erupted from the ground where there was nothing but dust a moment ago.  The quiescent flowers seemed to cry out as color filled them and they straightened and grew.  A withered bush sprouted leaves so suddenly that the song it sang was like a hymn of triumph.  Everywhere Samuel looked, grass and flowers and trees grew with a vigor never seen around here.  Most likely, never seen anywhere.

Samuel drew his hand back, and he smiled.  Morris wouldn’t have any gardening problems for some time.  

Turning away, Samuel began to walk back down the street to the waiting cab.  _Now that final bit of rubbish is done with, I can move on, now can’t I?_ He thought to himself.  _Let’s see what kind of a team this Clark bloke has gathered, hmm?_


OOC:  Let me know what, if anything you do to prepare for your meeting with your new employer, Mr. Heinrich Clark.  You’re to meet him – and the rest of your new ‘team’ tonight at 8pm, in lower Manhattan.  Also, please give me a description of what you look like, equipment you have, etc.


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## Dayspire (Oct 28, 2005)

*Kaiju*

Canton, Ohio
CCF Agency
September 10th, 2005 3:45 pm

Robert peered down at the paper, and chewed on the nub of his pencil.  This test was harder than the last one.

“And… _time._”   Mr. Jenkins voice came from the front of the classroom.  Robert liked Mr. Jenkins.  He was much nicer than Miss Sofia.  She didn’t last long, though.

Walking over to Robert’s desk, Mr. Jenkins gave a smile.  “How did you do, my big friend?”   Mr. Jenkins wasn’t small himself.  Though most of it was the donuts he was constantly eating.

Robert smiled back faintly.  Mr. Jenkins was still wearing the g-counter.  It made him sad in a way.  Made him think of those people.  Why did he have to keep thinking about that?

“I think I did good.  Some of that math gets hard though.”  Even as he answered, Robert couldn’t stop staring at the counter on his teacher’s belt.

“You’re doing fine, Robert.”   Mr. Jenkins paused for a moment, sensing something was wrong.  “What’s the matter?”

“You’re still wearing it.”   Robert tapped the counter with the broken end of his pencil.  “I’m ok, you know.  The doctors said I’m ok.  I’m not giving off rays anymore.”

Mr. Jenkins sat on an empty desk next to his and sighed.  “I’m sorry, Rob.  It’s… well… it’s Mrs. Jenkins, if you want the truth.  She…”   He sighed again, louder this time.  “She wants children, and she made me swear that –“

“Ok.  I understand.”   And he did.  Robert looked to be in his mid-twenties, and even he knew that he was… slow.  But he still understood why Mr. Jenkins was worried.  The rays he use to give off could hurt people.  He had a lot of different ways to hurt people, didn’t he?  It didn’t matter, though.  The CCF said that a man named Henry had asked for him, and that he seemed nice.  Robert was going to be in the Ultimates!  Or rather, something _like_ the Ultimates.  They were all over the television!  Maybe with the new name he picked for himself people would forget about what he had done.  Maybe.

Mr. Jenkins took the test from Robert and placed his hand on his shoulder.  Just as quickly he snatched it back, no doubt feeling a slight tingle that would last for a few minutes.  Robert wanted to say something, let him know that even _that_ was okay, but he just felt tired of it all.  He looked out the window.  Very soon now he would be leaving here, hopefully forever.  Robert smiled.

_No more CCF, no more radiation counters, no more Nuklo.

Just_ *Kaiju!*


OOC:  Let me know what, if anything you do to prepare for your meeting with your new employer, Mr. Heinrich Clark.  You’re to meet him – and the rest of your new ‘team’ in two days at 8pm, in lower Manhattan.  Also, please give me a description of what you look like, equipment you have, etc


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## Dayspire (Oct 28, 2005)

*Twister*

South Bronx, New York
Apartment of David Cannon
September 11th, 2005 5:12 pm

_
Dear Cannon:  How’s it going, man?  I know you’re out of the pen now, that’s cool.  You ever comin back to the UCW?  Man it sucks without you.  Dirty Dog took the title, and I KNOW you could take it back.  So, anyways… Write me back! BOOOOOM!

Teddy Devine
Spokane, WA

***

Dear Piece of Crap: You sucked before Giant Man stomped you into the ground, and you suck even more now.  I heard on www.mutantwatch.com that you are probably some kind of mutie freak, and if so I hope you die, and –_

David stopped reading.  It was pointless.  When he looked at the number of fans he lost, it only made him angry.  So many mistakes were made.  Now he couldn’t get a job flipping burgers.  Too many people were scared off by his record, and those who weren’t might be afraid of him because he was a mutant.  It made him feel… helpless.

The phone rang.  That was a sound he hadn’t heard in awhile.  He pushed the stack of bills that covered his cell and picked it up.

*UNKNOWN NUMBER*

David almost didn’t pick it up.  Most of the bill collectors had unlisted numbers.  But something made him answer.

“Hello?”

“Mr. Cannon?  Mr. David Cannon?”  The man’s voice had a slight german accent that was unmistakable.

“Maybe.  Who’s this?”

“Guten tag, Mr. Cannon, my name is Henry Clark.  I have a proposition for you…”

For over 30 minutes David listened to the offer.  In the end, it sounded like a pretty good deal.  _Maybe even a chance at building a new fan club,_ he thought, as he picked up the latest US Today.  _And I know who just might want to be a member._

The cover showed a distraught Janet Van Dyne, member of the Ultimates.  She looked beautiful.  The title said it all.

WASP LEAVES GIANT!

Things might be coming together after all.


OOC:  Let me know what, if anything you do to prepare for your meeting with your new employer, Mr. Heinrich Clark.  You’re to meet him – and the rest of your new ‘team’ tonight at 8pm, in lower Manhattan.  Also, please give me a description of what you look like, equipment you have, etc


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## Keia (Oct 28, 2005)

*The Professional*

_'Ten-thirtyfive in the morning . . . nine hours and twenty-five minutes to myself . . . no maid, no responsibilities . . . maybe soon - no parole officer,'_ Anthony thought to himself.

Anthony regarded himself in the reflection.  He stood 6'2" with a muscular build that silently spoke of the hours of daily training required to keep his reflexes and skills at peak efficiency.  It was one thing to be able to duplicate someone's skills and abilities and quite another if his body . . . broke because it tried to do something that it wasn't physically prepared to do.  A somewhat handsome face with chiseled features, normal chin, normal nose . . . normal if above average - at least to his own frank interpretation.  Wavy brown hair, kept relatively short - both for style and for efficiency . . . mask and cowl hair is definitely not appealing.

_'Might need to get in touch . . . privately . . . with my equipment dealer.  Who knew what sort of gear would be necessary . . . of course, I could always have Mr. clark supply my gear . . . I would if it would be up to my rigorous standards,'_ Anthony thought.  _'Watching that Japanese swordsmith work on my katana for a week was very informative . . . making my own blades is much more satisfying, though I would have to get near him again to refresh those skills.'_

Hearing Carla's voice behind him sparked his interest, _'Parole officer be darned . . . let's see what's under the hood.'_ Tony smiled warmly and turned to regard her.  He allowed his photographic reflexes to kick in, feeling her abilities wash over himself - or at least prepare to wash over himself. 

"So . . . I've got nothing but housekeeping to do . . . and I don't plan on doing that.  You have anything else going on today other than . . . keeping me straight?"   Anthony asked with a grin. "On the straight and narrow path, that is."


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## Dayspire (Oct 29, 2005)

*The Professional*



			
				Keia said:
			
		

> "So . . . I've got nothing but housekeeping to do . . . and I don't plan on doing that.  You have anything else going on today other than . . . keeping me straight?"   Anthony asked with a grin. "On the straight and narrow path, that is."



Carla returns your grin, though hers looks slightly more impish.  "You're such a _bad_ boy, Mr. Scarpetti."  Walking around the desk, she reaches back and undoes her hair, letting it fall down on her shoulders.

"That's ok.  I've always had a fascination with bad boys.  Why do you think I became a parole officer?"  Carla gives a throaty laugh.  She definitely knows how to work it.  She reminds you of that Eva chick on that _Desperate Housewives_ show.  Beautiful, sexy, and ultimately dangerous.  She sits on your lap and wraps her arms around you and gives off something like a purr.  Slowly she draws back her left hand and traces your abdomen through your t-shirt.  She bats her eyelashes at you for a moment, but it seems somewhat... fake. Just the slightest bit of pressure on the back of your neck from her other hand.  Like she planted something on you.

_Snake in the grass_, you think.


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## Keia (Oct 29, 2005)

*Professional (HP:1)*



			
				Carla said:
			
		

> "That's ok.  I've always had a fascination with bad boys.  Why do you think I became a parole officer?"  Carla gives a throaty laugh.



"Could be the fringe benefits,"  Anthony offered, "Perhaps the feeling of being in control . . . that's a powerful feeling - something I can relate to.  Not to mention . . . very attractive.  I like a woman who knows what she wants and isn't afraid to tell me . . . . So, what do you want?"

Anthony tapped into Carla's abilities, reaching for those charsimatic talents she so recently employed.  He maintained his grin and was truly enjoying himself . . . he no longer had to worry if Anthony would hurt her feelings or overstep his bounds.

_'She's playing me . . . seems only fair that I go along and at least try for the dangling carrot,'_ Anthony thought.

OOC: Nemesis: her bluff, diplomacy and related feats, if any or better than mine.


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## Dayspire (Oct 31, 2005)

*The Professional*

_You concentrate for a moment, and you feel a mental click as some thing she's said fall into place.  Her words, which you took before as a vague come-on, now seem to be a clumsy attempt to manipulate you.*
_
Carla looks at you with a smile that would melt the hearts of lesser men.  She shifts on your lap, and comes in closer.  You can smell her perfume even more now, and it's slightly intoxicating.  "What do I want?"  Carla drags her well-manicured nails down your chest playfully.  "What every girl wants... a bad boy to call my own."  She smiles again and leans back.  "I've always had a certain fascination for men behind masks.  When I was a girl it was Zorro, but he's just a bit too goody two-shoes, if you catch my meaning."  

Carla looks at you and bites her lip as if thinking of something.  But you can feel the currents in the conversation.  How she pauses, twists here and there, and flips her hair back.  It's an act she's done a thousand times before, but you feel that under it all, she's nervous.  "There can be certain... _benefits_... to having lil' ol' me as your parole officer, you know.  And all you have to do is check in, Tony."



* OOC: You now have 4 additional ranks in Sense Motive, and Try Again: Sense Motive.


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## Keia (Oct 31, 2005)

*The Professional*



			
				Carla said:
			
		

> "What do I want?"  Carla drags her well-manicured nails down your chest playfully.  "What every girl wants... a bad boy to call my own."  She smiles again and leans back.  "I've always had a certain fascination for men behind masks.  When I was a girl it was Zorro, but he's just a bit too goody two-shoes, if you catch my meaning."



" . . . and whips don't excite you,"  Anthony quipped.  "That's good . . . quality whip instructors are sometimes difficult to come by.  Glad to see I won't be needing to look into one."



			
				Carla said:
			
		

> "There can be certain... _benefits_... to having lil' ol' me as your parole officer, you know.  And all you have to do is check in, Tony."



"Well . . . I like benefits - I'm certain _you _ do, too, Carla,"  Anthony replied.  "Of course, I don't buy a car without taking it for a test drive . . . ."

OOC: *Current mods: * Skills: Sense Motive +4. Feats: Try Again: Sense Motive.


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## Nuke261 (Nov 1, 2005)

*Twister*

He really wasn't sure what to expect.  The problem was he really didn't care.  It was a job, that was the bottom line.  He kept thinking that way.  He had his doubts that this would pay off.  The German guy he talked to spoke like a salesmen.  A really good salesman.  He actually reminded David of a more upscale version of his promoter.  

"Guess I dress like this is a job interview."   He showered and then got his nice dress clothes out of the back of his closet.  The ones he had worn to the opening of cool bars and movie premiers. _ "yeah, that was a quick 15 minutes of fame."_  Shiny lack dress shoes, black pants that looked like silk and a silk-looking dark green, long sleeve, button-up shirt.  He checked his reflection in the mirror.  "Oh yeah!  I am definitely hot.  Janet might have to fight the Russian chick to get close to me."  He laughed out loud at his own joke.  He studied his reflection while standing there.  

At six foot tall, his large frame filled the entire mirror.  He had kept in shape in the Triskillion slammer.  He had always been athletic, so that was just natural.  He had cut had let his hair grow out from the buzz cut he wore as the Cannon.  It was still brown and short but sort of spikey and bushy, like something Brad Pitt would wear.  He stuck his sunglasses in his shirt pocket.  It was dark out but if he had learned anything as a wrestler, it was that image was everything.  

He walked over and looked over the two duffel bags he had packed and sitting on the bed.  The one held his work out clothes and his outfit he wore as the Cannon.    The other held the costume he wore as Whirlwind.  _"What was I thinking with that dumb helmet!" _  He closed both bags and threw them over his shoulder.  He wanted to get going.  He liked to make a flashy entrance but, the truth was that he couldn't afford to be too cocky.  Whatever this gig turned out to be, he really needed it.  Anything to help get his name in the spotlight and the Wasp on his arm.  "Better to get there early and scope out the others anyway, yeah."


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## Corvus Coronoides (Nov 1, 2005)

*Verdant*

Samuel opened the door and got into the waiting cab. "Manhattan.  No need to rush."

The ride from Long Island to Manhattan was spent in silence.  Two years in prison had hardly affected how Samual Smithers looked.  A few gray strands had appeared in his short, neat-prison-issue styled hair. 

'_Adds a touch of distinction.  With Green hair, anything that adds respectability helps_' he thought to himself.

 He kept his moustache and beard short and neat as well.

'_Right.  New Life.  New Chances.  Time to get things in order.

Checklist.

1 - Find out more about this Clark bloke.  Job offers dont just come out of the blue.
2 - Check up on what the Storm kid is up to.  Isn't he in some kind of super hero outfit now?  Might be a chance to put another bit of ugly history to rest.
3 - Keep an eye on whoever else Clark's hiring.  If they have backgrounds like me, it could turn dark real quick_'

Samuel paid the driver without a word.

'_Hope Clark's offer is good.  Rapidly running out of the 'ready green' here_' he noted after almost emptying his wallet.  Pulling his trenchcoat colar up against the brisk New York wind, he surveyed the street for somewhere to get a coffee and wait for Clark's meeting.


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## lissilambe (Nov 1, 2005)

*Kaiju* 

The young man-child was quite excited, counting down the hours until he could meet the others, and get started on his new road. He was practically giddy as he prepared, doing his best to work up a new costume. Well, a costume. What he wore before...

He squashed the thought quickly and continued with his efforts. When the day arrived and he marched off for his meeting, he had little extra with him but his energy and in costume. The matte black leather and spandex pants clung to his powerful legs, and he wore a sleeveless leather top in the same black, with a high collar. Thick metal bracers bound his wrists, and he wore equallyl thick-looking boots on his feet. He three braided chains for a belt, and he felt quite rightly proud to have done most of the work himself.

His burnished golden skin gave a dull glint under the streetlights as he moved to his destination, a huge smile carved across his face.


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## Gideon (Nov 1, 2005)

*Fracture; 1 HP*

*Sewer System, Upper New York
Morlock Tunnels
September 12th, 2005 2:01 pm*

A sharp bone grew up out of Deckard's back and with a sharp crack it was in his hand and then in the air.  It sailed through the air slamming into the wall past Callisto.

OOC:  Accurate attack and All-out-attack full if needed.

"That one might be large enough to get through."

Fracture stayed close on the heels of Callisto as they snaked their way towards the meeting.

_Walkin me to the first day of school.  How cute._

Deckard's sarcasm rattled in his brain.

_And I look like crap.  Sewer water always makes a good impression._

Deckard was kind of tall standing just about 6'2; weighing in at 208 pounds of muscle and bone.    A messy shock of dark red hair and the beginnings of a redder goatee framed the sharp cheeks and strong chin of Deckard.  The loose black slightly torn trench coat floated around very worn camo army pants and torn plain grey shirt.


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## Dayspire (Nov 1, 2005)

*The Professional*



			
				Keia said:
			
		

> "Well . . . I like benefits - I'm certain _you _ do, too, Carla,"  Anthony replied.  "Of course, I don't buy a car without taking it for a test drive . . . ."



 You spend the next hour getting to know your parole officer better than you've known any other*.  You do indeed have a good time, and thankfully she doesn't seem too clingy when all is said and done.  Carla gathers her things and is preparing to leave.  You see her from your vantage on your bed, touching up her makeup in the bathroom mirror.  She's prattling on about wanting you to wear your mask next time, or something.  You're more concerned with what she put on your neck.  There's definitely something there, about the size of a pinhead.

Carla walks out of the bathroom and waves.  Damn, she's beautiful.

"I'll see you later, Tony.  Let me know how that meeting goes!"  



*assuming here that you go this route, of course.


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## Dayspire (Nov 1, 2005)

*Twister*

South Street Seaport, New York
Industrial Area
September 12th, 2005 7:21 pm

The address you are given is somewhat of a surprise.  The neighborhood appears to have once been an industrial area of some kind.  The skeletal remains of several large cranes are barely visible against the night sky.  Their huge fingers seem to be pointing at the Brooklyn Bridge, though you can only barely see the lights of cars as they pass over it.  As you drive by, you see that some of the buildings are in ruins.  They must have been destroyed last year during the so-called 'alien' attack that the Ultimates were involved in.*  All of the ship wreckage was removed long ago by the SHIELD, probably taken to an abandoned warehouse in Utah, or so the conspiracy theorists say.  It is an example of urban blight, or perhaps a testament to the destructive power of post-humanity.

The building that you arrive at is, thankfully, fully intact.  It appears to have once been a warehouse of some kind, and from the weathered signage you believe that it stored airline engines.  It is a single story, but you estimate the edge of the roof to be at least 20’ from the ground.  The front of the building shows recent work, interestingly enough.  Light can be seen coming from the front and some windows above you.  Several windows near the entrance actually look brand new, and the outer wall is freshly painted.  It's still difficult to believe that this is where Mr. Clark wants to meet.  In the distance you can hear the hooting sound of the harbor patrol.  Otherwise, the night is silent.

* ooc: While much of that took place in the mid-west, some damage did occur in New York.


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## Keia (Nov 1, 2005)

*The Professional*

Anthony knew when a bribe was a bribe . . . and this bribe was definitely better than some others he had taken.  Still . . . it didn't have to be that way, if she hadn't probably done this same thing a thousand times before.  Nice enough girl, though . . . and Anthony wan't about to turn that down . . . the slammer had been a lonely time - and of course she knew that as well.  Anthony took it for what it was . . . and enjoyed himself nevertheless.



			
				Carla said:
			
		

> "I'll see you later, Tony.  Let me know how that meeting goes!"



"Count on it,"  Anthony replied.  "Take care of yourself."

As soon as she was out the door, Anthony quickly moved to the door and looked through the spyhole - seeing if she was doing anything outside his door.  Once he was certain she was gone, he went and inspected the device she place on him.  In the bathroom with a hand mirror and the large wall mirror, Anthony examined the device.  He turned the shower on for cover noise (as well as the exhaust fan).


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## Dayspire (Nov 1, 2005)

*Verdant*

Your list of friends is unfortunately short.  You call up some former aquaintances that might have some inside information, but no one seems to want to give you the time of day.*  A generic internet search doesn't turn up anything, either.  You can't help but feel like something's not right.  Of course, that could just be cynicism.

Your search for information on the Storm kid brings up quite a bit.  Seems he and his sister, along with two of their friends, have become the 'Fantastic Four'.  They've done a lot of so-called 'good' in the last few months.  Johnny's sister - Sue - seems to have become quite friendly with one of their friends, Reed Richards.  That name rings a bell.  He's still very young, but you read an article of his comparing the biological processes of plant life with that of animal life.  The subject itself wasn't groundbreaking, but what his hypotheses came to was that plants do indeed have a intelligence, just a _different kind_.  You could have told him that and saved him a great deal of math and genetic work.  Regardless, they can be found here in New York - at a place called Four Freedoms Plaza, of all things.

Time passes, and eventually it hits the hour where you should head to the south side for your meeting.**

* Gather Information (1d20+1=4)
** Assuming you head there, if so then just do your next move as if you were arriving.


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## Dayspire (Nov 1, 2005)

*Kaiju*

You take a cab to the address you were given, and arrive just in time.  Oddly enough, the cab driver asks if you're going to some type of costume party.  He apparently doesn't recognize that you're a super-hero.  Well, soon enough everyone will.

ooc:  If you go directly to the address given, please see above post for description.


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## Dayspire (Nov 1, 2005)

*Fracture*

As Callisto walks ahead of you, you stop and plant your feet.  You pull a spine out, and with all you have - throw it at the wall just ahead of her.

THUNK! 

The spine hits the crumbling brick, and sinks in half-way.  Cracks jigsaw across the wall, showing the type of damage you could do.  Not that anyone down here doesn't already know.  

"That one might be large enough to get through."

Callisto, normally the dour queen of the Morlocks, barks a short and ugly laugh.  It's rare that you can get one out of her, but when you do it's almost like a victory in the pit.

"You always were a dead-shot with those things, Deck."  She pauses and looks up, not to far from the imbedded spine.  You see a set of rungs that lead up to the surface.  "Well, here we are.  Time to go.  This is what you want, kid.  So don't make this harder on either of us."  Her hard look is a ruse, and you see right through it.  


ooc:  If you go ahead to the meeting, please add your move based on the description above in Twister's post.


----------



## Dayspire (Nov 1, 2005)

*The Professional*

Once you're sure that Carla is gone, you head to the bathroom to inspect whatever it is she planted on you.  With the water running to mask any sound you may be making, you reach behind you and pry it off of you neck.

It looks like a small silver... _dot_.  Just slightly thicker than a piece of paper, and about the diameter of a pencil eraser.  It is definitely metallic.  One side appears coated with a dab of adhesive.  As you're examining it, you realize that the adhesive has a slight numbing effect.  It's surprising you noticed her place it.  You're not entirely sure what it is - but she probably didn't plant it on you for fun.


* Knowledge (Technology): 1d20+3=12 (Used untrained via Jack of All Trades)


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## Keia (Nov 1, 2005)

*The Professional*

Anthony ran through a list of contacts that he knew, wondering if any of them would be able to help with the thing.  If he didn't think of anyone, Anthony decided he was going to remove it himself with a pair of tweezers.


----------



## Dayspire (Nov 1, 2005)

*The Professional*

Thinking quickly, you go through a mental list of some associates with technical know-how.  The list is dismal.

Kyle Merch?  _Serving 10 for fraud._
Micro? _Supposedly died last year, bullet to the brain._
Abner Jenkins? _Missing, no one's seen him since '03._
Norton Ebersol? _Don't know him too well, not sure how to get ahold of him._
Stark?  _Yeah, right._

You look at yourself in the mirror and don't see any answers there, either.  With a shrug, you grab a pair of tweezers and grab the dot with no fanfare.  It comes off without effort, and nothing really happens.  No lights, no sounds, no... _explosions_.  All you're left with is a small silver dot and a mystery.

Oh yeah, and a meeting with some german fellow about a long-term job...

...Who knows, maybe one of them has some technical knowledge?


----------



## Keia (Nov 1, 2005)

*The Professional*

_'Well . . . that was anticlimatic, but in a good way,_ Anthony thought.  _'Who knows, if everything works out, maybe I'll be able to find some associates with technical know-how, that aren't dead . . . .'_

Anthony kept the dot close, and took a shower.  He watched television, especially Jackie Chan movies . . . _'Love that guy'_ Tony thought.  When it was getting close to time to go, Anthony grabbed his gear and put it in a seabag, and tossed on some fatigues and a black t-shirt.  To complete the ensemble, Tony gathered up his i-pod and head phones.  He put the dot on a piece of tape and stuck it to the head phones, placing it a distance away from the ear piece as if it were on his neck. 

Anthony headed out to the meeting point over a half-hour early, but asked the cabbie to drop him a couple of blocks before the place.  In the cab, along the way, Anthony played the i-pod music, but without the headset on his ears, just hanging on his neck.


----------



## Corvus Coronoides (Nov 1, 2005)

Dayspire said:
			
		

> Time passes, and eventually it hits the hour where you should head to the south side for your meeting.




Straigten myself up, and head off to this "Meeting" then, shall we ?!


----------



## Gideon (Nov 2, 2005)

*Fracture; 1 HP*

Walking over to Callisto, Fracture quickly grabs her in a big bear hug.

"You know I can't stay with you mom.  Our people don't need a lard ass to give them trouble.  And you stay out of his way too."  Deckard smiled reassuringly down at Callisto.

She could feel the tremor of anger that ran through Deckard's body.

"At least until he's dead."  All of the kindness that his voice had held was lost, replaced by a cold statement of brutal fact.


----------



## Nuke261 (Nov 2, 2005)

*Twister*

South Street Seaport, New York
Industrial Area
September 12th, 2005 7:21 pm

_SHIELD.  They seem to have their hands in everything.  I wonder if this is some scheme of theirs.  I don't know if Fury would set up a second team,   Nahh.  I'm just getting my hopes up.  Someone is putting some work into this place, though.  Doesn't look to bad, either.  Maybe this gig will pan out and turn into something real.  As long as it's better than that Defenders  group.  Geeze, whata buncha losers.  That was like being at a Star Trek convention for super heroes._ 

David Cannon took in his surroundings as his thoughts wandered.  He would never have admitted it but, the lonely building in the dark, near the harbor, with the smell of the ocean and the freighters, well it felt comfortable.  Like he was going to some back door fight or game.  It actually took some of the edge off, not that he noticed.  He was too focused on what was going on around him, not how he felt.  He walked to the door and examined it briefly.  He checked to see what kind of handle he was reaching for and if it appeared to be part of any kind of security system. _ I guess some habits always stick with you._  He smiled to himself.


----------



## lissilambe (Nov 2, 2005)

Kaiju

The young large man watched the cab pull up to the location, the cabbie looking oddly at him, the site, then back at him in turn. 

"Twelve dollars, mac," The cabbie said, putting a hand out. Robert handed him a twenty, feeling bad and thinking to himself, _I'll pay Mr. Jenkins back, I promise. I had to take it so I could get here, and I'll pay him back._

He left the cab and wandered towards the building, watching with wide eyes, searching and turning about to see it all.


----------



## Dayspire (Nov 2, 2005)

*All*

Twister[sblock]The handle is silver metal, fairly new.  It’s easy to separate what was here before, and what has been replaced – anything old is covered in a fine layer of grey dust.  You see no visible security system.[/sblock]
Fracture[sblock]Callisto returns the hug, giving almost as good as she’s getting.  “Be good, Deck.  Remember that before anything else, you’re a mutant.  You’ll _always _be different than them.”  She breaks the hug and begins walking away.  You watch her disappear around the bend, and never once does she look back.  You glance up at the manhole.  Just above is Clarington Way, one block from your meeting spot.  Time to go to work.

You easily push aside the cover, and see that you’re on a darkened and almost abandoned looking street.  No one is around to see you.  Sure is an interesting spot to meet.[/sblock]

Entering the warehouse, you see that the front lobby has had some work done as well.  A desk with a PC sits here, the screen black and looking as if it has never used.  The air is thick with the smell of paint and cleaning fluid.  A single door that leads deeper into the warehouse is slightly ajar.  You can hear echoing voices, slightly muffled.

Opening the door you can see it is pretty much what it appears to be – a large warehouse.  It is essentially one huge room, with small windows set near the ceiling.  Here and there are piles of what appear to be new equipment, sitting under plastic tarps.  Also on the floor are a variety of cables, most of them snaking from the center of the room, where most of the light is coming from.  There you see what at first you take to be a huge hdtv screen.  But just below that you see it is in fact connected to a small bank of computers.  Lights flash on what you take to be some type of control console, and it’s enough to thrill any techno-geek.  Next to the large central screen are other smaller screens, all extraordinarily thin.  They are connected (and you assume supported) to the larger screen by some type of thin metal.  It almost makes the setup look like a giant web of monitors.  Most of the monitors are tuned into various news sources, however you can see some appear to be feeds from live cameras.  

Just below the monitors is a smiling man sitting in a leather chair.  He is young; perhaps in his mid thirties.  As he stands, you can see he moves with grace and appears to be in excellent shape.  He would be considered by many to be handsome – and there is something about his face that hints at nobility, and perhaps a bit of pride.  His blonde hair is cut almost military short.  He is wearing a white sweater and slacks – no costume in sight.

“Welcome.”  He extends his hand.  His grip, not surprisingly, is strong.  “I’d like to wait for the others to arrive, then we’ll get started.  I would offer you refreshments, but this isn’t that type of get together.”  A smile flickers across his face.  His accent is very German, but you suspect he has worked very hard to shed it.  He sits back down and turns to the monitors.  They begin cycling through various CCTV cameras sources.  You see closed banks, schools, malls… 

Shortly thereafter the rest of the group arrives one by one.  Mr. Clark stands and greets each of you.

“I would like us to get to know each other.  If things go as they should, we should be working very close together, yes?  Please, let us make introductions as is proper.  Then we shall discuss my offer in more… _detail_.”  He motions to the person closest to him to begin.

OOC: Please make your introductions, and if your description differs from above. Also, if you mention your former criminal identity, state what others would have heard of you (crimes you've committed, etc).


----------



## Corvus Coronoides (Nov 3, 2005)

*Verdant*

Lower Manhattan, New York
Warehouse
September 12th, 2005 8:03 pm



			
				Dayspire said:
			
		

> “I would like us to get to know each other.  If things go as they should, we should be working very close together, yes?  Please, let us make introductions as is proper.  Then we shall discuss my offer in more… _detail_.”  He motions to the person closest to him to begin.




The first thing that anybody would notice is the hair.  It may be short and neat, but it's Green.  Anybody who as spent time "inside" would recognise the cut.  The neatly trimmed moustache and beard are also green.

"Looks Like I'm up first ..." he states, adressing the assembled group.

"Smithers, Samuel Smithers.  Pleased to meet you, gents.  Mister Clark.  You may have heard of me previously.  I used to go by the name Plantman.  It's a past I'm not too proud of.  When the situation calls for it, I prefer the name *Verdant* these days."

Smithers is wearing a simple pair of charcoal pants, black leather boots and a white cotton shirt with the sleeves rolled up.  A dark grey trenchcoat is hung over his arm.

He surveys the group.  _Who do we have here ?  Whose exploits have I been reading about for the last two years ?_

"It looks like Mister Clark here is putting together quite a little team.  You all look like you can handle yourselves - especially you." - Smither nods towards the large man with the burished gold skin - "I'm looking forward to hearing what the offer is.  Lets get the intorductions out of the way so that MisterClark can get down to brass tacks."

With that, Smither looks around, awaiting the next introduction ...

OOC: Anybody here I recognise ?

-Chris


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## Keia (Nov 3, 2005)

*The Professional*

Lower Manhattan, New York
Warehouse
September 12th, 2005 7:48pm

Anthony looked around after getting out of the cab.  He tried to find someplace to plant the ipod and headset so it wouldn't get stolen but some that the dot would be entertained away from him.  On a whim, Anthony did one more scan over his body and his items . . . _'Perhaps the little minx planted more than one of those devices on me or my stuff.  One to be semi obvious and a real subtle one . . . .'_  He pulled out a piece of paper and a pen and jotted down some words once he was well away from the dot.

Then it was off to the meeting . . . 

Still wearing fatigues and a black t-shirt, comfortable hiking boots peeked out from beneath the fatigues.  Standing 6'2" with brown hair and eyes, Anthony entered the room scanning the surroundings and taking everything in.

After Smithers finished, Anthony spoke up, "Hello everyone, I agree with Smithers here, quite a group.  Myself, I'm Anthony Scarpetti with a codename of the Professional.  You may have heard of my exploits as the Taskmaster . . . don't think I trained any of you . . . and I don't forget a face."

Making a motion for quiet, Anthony handed the piece of paper over to Mr. Smith.

[sblock=Writing on note]I think I may be bugged or something.  I found one and deposited it a block from here on an ipod.  It might be a good idea to check if there are any others on myself or anyone else.[/sblock]

"Before we get too happy with everyone . . . I think it's time to thank Mr. Smith for these wonderful accommodations, the opportunity to meet new people and new friends . . . _<continuing a speech he had heard a couple of weeks ago while waiting for any action> _ . . . "


----------



## Gideon (Nov 4, 2005)

*Fracture; 1 HP*

Fracture watched the first two speak their piece.

While Verdent spoke, Deckards mind rang with one question

_Mutant?_

While the second man spoke Fracture looked over him with not a small amount of appreciation.  This was certainly a skilled warrior; one that seems to have brought trouble.  Fracture tensed and looked quickly around the warehouse and up at the windows with the strange not passing and speech.  His bones almost ached to be released.


OOC: Assesing the various people at the table.


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## lissilambe (Nov 4, 2005)

*Kaiju*

The large, broad-shouldered  man waved to the others and gave a very friendly smile. "I call myself Kaiju. I get bigger and stronger, and I'm really hard to hurt," He explained. He held a hand out to each person, with an eager look onhis face. "I'm really looking forward to doing some good with all of you guys."


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## Corvus Coronoides (Nov 4, 2005)

*Verdant*



			
				lissilambe said:
			
		

> *Kaiju*
> 
> The large, broad-shouldered  man waved to the others and gave a very friendly smile. "I call myself Kaiju. I get bigger and stronger, and I'm really hard to hurt," He explained. He held a hand out to each person, with an eager look onhis face. "I'm really looking forward to doing some good with all of you guys."




Samuel takes the big mans hand and returns the handshake.

"I'm looking forward to doing something right for once as well.  Taskmaster - I've heard of you, but we've never met.  This could very well be an interesting group to work with"

Samuel then looks over at the young man who is yet to speak ...


----------



## Dayspire (Nov 4, 2005)

Verdant - [sblock]You don't visually recognize anyone.  The name Taskmaster, sure you've heard of that.  Back at the Trisk (the prison you were incarcerated in, also known as the Triskelion) you heard his name from time to time.  Supposedly, he had some type of 'school' for operatives (i.e., thugs/minions/etc).  Kaiju, you haven't heard of.  You find it curious that he didn't mention a previous name.  The other two still haven't introduced themselves.[/sblock]
Gideon - [sblock]One by one, you examine the men you are to work with.  The way they stand.  The way they move.  How they hold their hands.  Where they distribute their weight.

You look over at Kaiju - the golden skinned one.  Moves a bit slow.  Probably good in a fight, but you're fairly sure you're better.  But how tough is that skin of his?  And how strong is he? You wonder.

Verdant.  Green hair, trenchcoat.  About the same as Kaiju.  Somewhat of a fighter, but not someone who's been down in the Pit.  Odd coming from him, considering he looks like a scientist.  But there's something about him that's strange.  Almost like he's not entirely... human.

Taskmaster.  Now here's someone who's fought in the Pit.  Or something as hellishly similiar.  He has grace and balance, and the eye of a hunter. He's a warrior.  Something about how he's standing seems almost familiar.  Too familiar.

Unnamed fellow.  Knows how to fight, sure.  But he's got to have something else going on there.  Some power.  He's not the type to stand there and punch.  Who knows, maybe he can throw fire or something.  

Mr. Clark.  He has a face that has a bit of surface-dweller arrogance you're use to.  And the way he moves?  He's a fighter, too.  Highly trained.  Not up to your caliber, but still someone you don't lightly want to mess with.  Interesting.[/sblock]
During the introductions, Mr. Clark takes a piece of paper from The Professional and reads it.  His face goes quickly from surprise, to anger, and then - oddly enough - to satisfaction.  He gives a nod to The Professional, which seems to say, _No worry_.  Mr. Clark seems to have it under control, or else he believes it doesn't matter.  He motions for the introductions to continue.

OOC:Still waiting for intro's for Twister and Marrow.


----------



## Gideon (Nov 4, 2005)

*Fracture; 1 HP*

Once the Professional had wrapped up his speech Deckard did his introduction

Fracture stood up looking like a really well built hobo.  His muck caked cloathes showed a variety of rips and tears and the smell they produced was only a little better than the sight.

"My name is Deckard and I'll be going by Fracture unless any of you have a better suggestion." 

His shrewd eyes took in everyone individually in the group before he sat down again.


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## Keia (Nov 5, 2005)

*The Professional*

Anthony looked at Mr. Smith, trying to get a read on his emotions and thoughts.  Anthony nodded in return, then listened to the bum make his introductions.  Anthony tried to place all of the individuals her, trying to remember if he had trained anyone here . . . or if they were carrying themselves as though the had been trained.

"Fracture sounds fine to me," the Professional replied to Fracture with a nod of approval.  Turning to Mr. Smith, the Professional mentioned, "I would like to know what that microdot was that I have stowed away . . . if you know of anyone that could check it out . . . it might come in handy."

OOC: Assessment on everyone.


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## Nuke261 (Nov 5, 2005)

*Twister*

David sat at the table watching as everyone introduced them self.  He usually liked to steal the show but really wanted to see who these others were.  _An interesting mix.  Seems like all the groups are._

"Well, I'm David Cannon,  No point hiding that since I've been something of a celebrity."  A smile grew across his face that he could not hide.  "I was 'The Cannon' in the UCW.  Great gig.  Then I got greedy and used my powers to become Whirlwind.  That was actually pretty cool.  Until the Ultimates stomped on me."

His demeanor changed slightly.  However, David had come to grips with his massive defeat.  He decided it was all a learning experience.


----------



## lissilambe (Nov 5, 2005)

*Kaiju*

"I thought you looked familiar,"  Robert said with a look of glee on his face. "That's so cool! Dude, you were awesome! The way you'd 'atomic stomp' people was just wicked!" He sounded so sincere, it was scary. What was worse, this man was clearly in his late twenties, and clearly bigger than nearly anyone David had faced in the ring, but equally clearly was the adolescent glee in his voice at meeting a hero. "Could I get your autograph?"


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## Dayspire (Nov 6, 2005)

The Professional - [sblock]Your gaze flickers over each man standing near you, and without even knowing it you memorize them.  All of them.  The cadence of their speech, the way they walk, stand, sigh, and everything else.  You measure yourself against them, using the scale that worked so well in your school.

Kaiju.  You'd rate him a 4 on agility, and perhaps a 4.5 on fighting ability.  Not much defensively, perhaps a 2.1 or so.

Verdant. Solid 4's across the board.  

Fracture.  Nice.  You could work with someone like this. Hell, you could probably learn a thing from him.  Quite a few 9's or 10's.  He has the look of a predator.  That's okay, you've never been prey to _anyone_.  You realize that you've been unconsciously standing like him, mimicking his stance.  He has good balance, so it's not a bad stance to mimic.

Whirlwind.  Low-level fighter.  Three's, maybe even a 2.5 on defensive capability.  Still better than the average shlub off the street.

Mr. Clark. Whoah.  What's going on here?  Very odd.  Mr. Clark's stance is tough to read.  It keeps... changing.  And his body language is almost random, too.  Very odd.  You've never seen anything like it before.[/sblock]

Mr. Clark listens to the introductions, nodding to each of you in turn.  He smiles at Kaiju when he asks Whirlwind for his autograph.

"Now it is my turn, yes?" he says.  "To begin with, my name is not 'Heinrich Clark'.  I found it vital to create that identity to secure certain... trusts.  Now the time for disguises is past.  Here is the truth."

Reaching around his neck, you see 'Clark' grab a bit of skin around his neck and _pull_.  Suddenly, his face seems to stretch and twist as he pulls it off the top of his head!  What he holds in his hand - the face that you've known briefly as Heinrich Clark - appears to be nothing more than a thin piece of fleshy cellophane. The face below is quite different from the mask.  It is a mass of scar tissue, pink and twisted.  You see a recognizable mouth, and two eyes - but everything else has been presumably burned off long ago.  Small tufts of withered hair stick out in various places on his scalp. 

"Not so good, ja?  I know... it is difficult to look at."  Quickly, he grabs something from his belt and then dons a scarlet mask with a golden diadem near the forehead.  "Ah, that is _much_ better.  Now you have seen my true face, and you should know my true name.  I am... *Baron Helmut Zemo*."  He gives an almost royal nod of the head. 

Baron Zemo.  The name is familiar even to those who know little of World War II.  The original, Heinrich Zemo, was a brilliant scientist who offered his services to the Nazi party.  He invented many weapons for Germany during this period, and this brought him into constant conflict with both the US and Captain America.  During their last confrontation, Heinrich was seemingly killed in a landslide. His son was never heard of until three years ago - just after Captain America's triumphant return from being encased in a block of ice for forty years.  

As it was related by Captain America on the _Today Show_, the new Baron Zemo - the originals' son, Helmut - blamed the Captain for the death of his father.  Using his own skills and technological genius, Helmut captured him and was preparing to dip him into a vat of experimental chemicals. But Captain America was not so easily murdered.  He managed to free himself at the last moment, and overcame Baron Zemo.  Alas - as the Captain told the story - the new Baron Zemo fell into the vat himself, and perished.

Apparently not.

"Ja, I see that look on your faces.  Disbelief.  Horror.  But other than my name and face, I have been truthful with you."  Zemo sits down in his leather chair, throwing the the flexible face of "Clark" on a nearby console.  He steeples his fingers and sighs.  "When I pulled myself from the vat I had fallen into, I saw a reflection of my face in a mirror.  Those chemicals disfigured me.  I was... I _am_... hideous.  And after some time, I saw that my *actions* were as well.  Your Captain America did nothing wrong.  It was my father!  And me, for believing so blindly.  By almost dying, I saw that I needn't let my father's sins blacken my own soul.  I could... instead... _redeem_ the name of Zemo."  He reaches over at a console, and hits a button.  The screens go black, and then begin playing scenes of horror from the past two years.  The Hulk, randomly grabbing a pedestrian and ripping off his arm.  The alien race known as the Chitari, killing over 20,000 soldiers during their attack.  The so-called Sinister Six attacking the White House.  Hundreds of images of various horrors flicker on the screen behind Zemo as he watches you.

"Horrible, no?  I know that these events horrify me.  But most of these are preventable.  All it takes is the desire to fix these things, and - of course - the power.  Power which we have!  The Ultimates have it.  But they must do as their leash-holder Fury commands them to.  The 'Fantastic Four' that have been in the papers?  Bah.  They have power, but they have their own keepers." 

Zemo stands and hits a button, and the screens go black.

"We will be beholden to no man, no group, and no country.  We will only seek to redeem ourselves by our actions."  Zemo begins to pace back and forth, gesturing.  "Yes, it will be under new identities.  Many of us have a past that would jaundice the public eye far too much.  And it is this very same public eye that we must depend upon.  The media shall be a tool of ours, yes?  For we must always prepare for the worst case... that of our true names becoming known.  So, in essence... it is a race, to do more good than any evil we have done before."  Zemo stops and gestures at the warehouse.  "This?  You must wonder about my chosen site for our meeting.  Ahh, it is simple mein freunds.  We must appear _humble _to the public, unlike these other groups.  This site is perfect.  And from this wreckage, we shall rebuild."  Zemo stops and places a hand over his face, lowering his head.  His voice comes out as barely a whisper.  "And for some... perhaps they can rebuild the wreckage of their soul."


----------



## Nuke261 (Nov 6, 2005)

*Twister*



			
				Kaiju said:
			
		

> "I thought you looked familiar,"  Robert said with a look of glee on his face. "That's so cool! Dude, you were awesome! The way you'd 'atomic stomp' people was just wicked!" He sounded so sincere, it was scary. What was worse, this man was clearly in his late twenties, and clearly bigger than nearly anyone David had faced in the ring, but equally clearly was the adolescent glee in his voice at meeting a hero. "Could I get your autograph?"



"Uhh, yeah.  Sure pal.  You know, I still got some connections over there.  A guy your size and uh, color would make a killing in the ring."


> Reaching around his neck, you see 'Clark' grab a bit of skin around his neck and pull. Suddenly, his face seems to stretch and twist as he pulls it off the top of his head! What he holds in his hand - the face that you've known briefly as Heinrich Clark - appears to be nothing more than a thin piece of fleshy cellophane. The face below is quite different from the mask. It is a mass of scar tissue, pink and twisted. You see a recognizable mouth, and two eyes - but everything else has been presumably burned off long ago. Small tufts of withered hair stick out in various places on his scalp.



_Cripes this guy is ugly!_

"So we're gonna build a team of heroes out of bad guys.  And hope no one notices?  We couldn't make it as villains, how are we supposed to be heroes?"

_This could be great!  If Zemo really knows how to pull this off, this is exactly what I've been looking for!  Look out Waspie, here comes your new knight in spinning armor!_


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## Keia (Nov 7, 2005)

*The Professional (Anthony Scarpetti)*

Anthony listened to the words as 'Mr. Clark' spoke, then the transformation into Baron Zemo barely raised an eyebrow.

_'I anticipated something like this,'_ Anthony thought.  _'The 'new face' with the 'new name' . . . and now the new career path.  It has some promise . . . assuming of course that we get paid at some point.'_

"This could work . . . ,"  the Professional said as he looked away in thought a moment.  He gaze returned to the others, including Baron Zemo, and he continued, " . . . assuming, of course, that there was nothing duplicitous or arranged in those events that show that we are heroes."

The earthy, woodsy smell from Mr. Smithers made Anthony look his way.  _'The smell of the great outdoors . . . inside an abandoned warehouse . . . no air freshener required,'_ Anthony thought.


----------



## Gideon (Nov 7, 2005)

*Fracture; 1 HP*

"Do you really think that those with power will let us go unchecked or that our identities won't be given away when we use our powers?"

Deckard's scoff showed his opinion on the matter.

_A damn idealist.  What a load of crap.  But now I know their secret and I can't take all of them at the same time._

Fracture waited in his chair for the others to voice their opinions.  Although he already knew what they'd say.

_The giant toddler will wet himself from the excitement and nature boy likes the sound of atonement.  It looks like it will be four vs one real soon._


----------



## Corvus Coronoides (Nov 8, 2005)

*Verdant*

"It's an interesting offer, Baron.  Might even be what I'm looking for.

So, exactly what are we going to be doing ? Sitting around in this warehouse waiting for your World Crisis Monitor to go off ?"

OOC : Apologies to fans (Myself included) of Greg Proops and "Whose Line Is It Anyway"


----------



## Dayspire (Nov 8, 2005)

Nuke261 said:
			
		

> "So we're gonna build a team of heroes out of bad guys.  And hope no one notices?  We couldn't make it as villains, how are we supposed to be heroes?"



Baron Zemo turns to you and nods.  "I have thought long about that very question, _herr_ Cannon.  Just because we have failed at crime, does not mean we are failures.  I have much faith and confidence in my own intellect and ability.  I know that all of you do as well.  This is essential.  But also, you must consider the fact that we will _no longer be working against the system_.  The system will serve us!  And let us also consider the fact that we know the other side, gentlemen.  We know how the criminal mind thinks!  We know of their plans, their meeting places, their groups!  I say we will be *more* successful than any other post-human group, because of what we were."


> "This could work . . . ,"  the Professional said as he looked away in thought a moment. He gaze returned to the others, including Baron Zemo, and he continued, " . . . assuming, of course, that there was nothing duplicitous or arranged in those events that show that we are heroes."



 Baron Zemo chuckles behind his mask, and he cocks his head at The Professional.  "Your mind is devious I think, ja?  No, I would not do such a thing.  However, I _shall_ use my former criminal contacts to gather information on their activities!  And strike at them when they least expect it!  As a matter of fact, I shall do such a thing, this very night."  Before any more questions about this can be raised, Zemo raises a hand.  "In a moment I shall explain.  First, I wish to make sure - beyond a reasonable doubt - that we are agreeable on this rather dramatic change in our 'careers'."



> "Do you really think that those with power will let us go unchecked or that our identities won't be given away when we use our powers?"



"That is another race, of sorts.  But you do yourself credit by thinking of this, Deckard.  S.H.I.E.L.D. is a large group, to say the least.  It is they who at first will be the most suspicious, the most _curious_ about us.  So the race will be to gain public support and trust before they try to stop us."  Zemo turns to the Professional.  "And if you are thinking that we must manipulate the media to help us with this, you are once more correct.  We must put on the best face for the public, if we are to remain high profile and above all - loved."



> "It's an interesting offer, Baron. Might even be what I'm looking for. So, exactly what are we going to be doing ? Sitting around in this warehouse waiting for your World Crisis Monitor to go off ?"



"Nein, Mr. Smithers.  Nein.  We shall be proactive, on a local and global level.  Primarily local, considering the high population of post-humanity on the eastern seaboard.  There is enough good work here for a group of our size, I think."

Baron Zemo steps foward towards Kaiju.  "And what of you, young sir.  What questions might you have, hmm?  Now is the time to state your worries, so that I might allay them."


----------



## lissilambe (Nov 8, 2005)

*Kaiju*

The large man looked down at Clark, or Zemo, or whoever he was, with concern and confusion. He swallowed as he looked at the others, and chewed his lower lip. "But you're a Nazi. They're the bad guys, it says so in all of the movies and books and TV shows.  How can we trust you to be a good guy, when you're the bad guy?" He looked really upset as he tried to figure this all out.


----------



## Dayspire (Nov 8, 2005)

lissilambe said:
			
		

> *Kaiju*
> 
> The large man looked down at Clark, or Zemo, or whoever he was, with concern and confusion. He swallowed as he looked at the others, and chewed his lower lip. "But you're a Nazi. They're the bad guys, it says so in all of the movies and books and TV shows.  How can we trust you to be a good guy, when you're the bad guy?" He looked really upset as he tried to figure this all out.



Baron Zemo sighs and nods at Kaiju.  He pauses for a moment, as if deciding how best to explain something difficult.

"Yes, you are correct,  Kaiju.  Or rather, you _were_ correct.  I was a member of the Nazi party during my youth, I shall not deny it.  It was a sad and misguided viewpoint that my father taught me, and only with the wisdom that recently came to me have I seen its faults.  In truth, the Nazi way defines arrogance.  Not only to think that your idea is superior, but your own race!  Hah!  In a world with men like Charles Xavier, how can a mere yellow-haired, blue-eyed aryan compete?  He cannot!  It is but a minor flaw in that idealogy, one to which I no longer subscribe."  Zemo punctuates his point with a final nod at Kaiju, seemingly dismissing the matter.  He then turns and addresses the rest of the group.

"So, we come to it.  You must make your decision, and decide if you shall be a part of this... plan."  Zemo begins to pace back and forth, gesturing.  He does indeed have a commanding voice, and his charisma is undeniable. "And ask yourself.  Are you ready to put the past behind you?  Can you live up to ideals that perhaps you once scoffed at?  It shall be difficult.  We shall face many challenges.  But in the end, despite each of our origins, we shall rise above it all.  This I do believe."


----------



## Corvus Coronoides (Nov 8, 2005)

*Verdant*

Samuel Smithers thought for a moment, his hand on his chin.

"What have I got to lose.  Just got out of pokey, so other job offers arent exactly going to be rolling in.

If you're on the up-and-up, then I guess I'm in."

He stepped forward, offering his hand to Baron.

"Looks like you've got your first pigeon"


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## Gideon (Nov 8, 2005)

_Right, cause that explination cleared everything up.  We make buddies to the media.  Cause they'll love me. This guy might be right though.  Maybe I should give it a chance._

Deckard shifted uncomfortably while the green guy did his song and dance.

_Same reason you're here in the first place, Deck.  No where to hid but in the light.  At least they'll have a hell of a fight to get to me._

"Make that two."


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## Nuke261 (Nov 9, 2005)

*Twister*

_This is what I wanted, to become a hero and make it in the big time, for real.  Then, Janet Van Dyne will be all over me.  How could she not?_

This was what David Cannon wanted, so badly that he ignored that voice in the back of his head.  It kept telling him how much Zemo was pouring on the charm and putting on a show for them.  He didn't care.  If there was a chance this could pan out, he was gonna take it.

"All right.  Looks like I'll be sticking around, too.  Just hope we don't make fools out of ourselves.  Besides, what's the worst that could happen, we get our behinds handed to us and thrown in prison?"  The last part was a real question. He looked around for an answer but everyone seemed to think it was a joke.   David did not want to go back to prison, he wasn't sure he would keep his sanity through that ordeal, again.


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## Keia (Nov 9, 2005)

*The Professional (Anthony Scarpetti)*



			
				David Cannon said:
			
		

> "All right.  Looks like I'll be sticking around, too.  Just hope we don't make fools out of ourselves.  Besides, what's the worst that could happen, we get our behinds handed to us and thrown in prison?"



Anthony offered a thin smile at the comment.  He didn't like tempting something like that . . . and he had no intention of going to jail, regardless of the outcome.

_'Everyone seems so eager to do this,'_ Anthony mused.  _'It doesn't even seem like they've thought through all of the ramifications of these actions.  It's not just the heroes we'll be dealing with, but the criminals as well.  Many will think we are betraying them and will come after us . . . and I've trained more than a few of them - not that I couldn't take any of them myself.  Alone, at best disliked from all sides if not downright hated, trying to make good . . . .'_

"Doesn't sound easy, Zemo,"  Anthony offered. "I *like * that . . . redemption isn't *supposed * to be easy."

Anthony walked around the room a bit staying close to the group but reviewing the area, picturing it in his mind for future reference.  

"Alright, Zemo . . . I'm your huckleberry,"  Anthony replied.


----------



## lissilambe (Nov 9, 2005)

*Kaiju*

The overgrown child-man stared at the others as they seemed to jump forward with no difficulties. He still wasn't sure, after all it sounded good, but bad guys could make anything sound good. He learned that from all the movies well. He kicked at the floor with his toe and tugged his fingers as he watched each of the others step forward, and grinned at the Professional's reference.

"That was a good movie,"  He said. "Okay, I guess I'll give this a try. I want to be a super-hero, and someone needs to keep an eye on you, Mr. Zemo. So I'm in."  He looked at the others and tried to give each of them a friendly smile. "And you guys seem pretty cool, so yeah, I'll stick with you all."


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## Gideon (Nov 9, 2005)

*Fracture; 1 HP*

"No ones gonna be redeeming anything if we can't stay alive."  Fracture half mumbled to himself.  He gave a big stretch letting out a series of loud cracks all the way up his back.  With a twist of his neck three more pops sounded.

Deckard walked over and tapped the Professional on the shoulder and then mimiced writing, folding, and passing.  With an over expressed questioning look on his face he gave a shrug.


----------



## Dayspire (Nov 10, 2005)

lissilambe said:
			
		

> "And you guys seem pretty cool, so yeah, I'll stick with you all."



Baron Zemo nods his head, and you can almost hear the smile in his voice.  "Excellent.  Excellent!  I assure you - you will not regret our partnership."



			
				Gideon said:
			
		

> Deckard walked over and tapped the Professional on the shoulder and then mimiced writing, folding, and passing. With an over expressed questioning look on his face he gave a shrug.



Baron Zemo nods.  "Ah.  Yes.  About that."  He turns to his command center and pushes a button. 

"Fixer, please confirm no outgoing transmissions at our location."  There is a brief pause, and then you hear a slightly distorted voice come over a recessed speaker.

"Negative, boss.  Nothing in the immediate area.  Full scramble mode still in effect.  I _do _have something transmitting outside however, on a high frequency.  Micro bursts.  Not nearly sensitive enough to pick up what's going on there."

Zemo nods and turns back to the group.  "Tell me, _herr _Professional.  What do you know of your release?  How was it handled, and by whom?"


----------



## Keia (Nov 10, 2005)

*The Professional (Anthony Scarpetti)*



			
				Baron Zemo said:
			
		

> "Tell me, _herr _Professional.  What do you know of your release?  How was it handled, and by whom?"



"I don't know all of the details, just that the provisions of the release required that I tell them about the meeting and what happened at the meeting,"  Anthony explained.  [OOC: If he did have more details - he'll provide them]  Anthony delivered the information concisely and completely.  He didn't want anything left to chance.

"On top of that - as if they didn't trust me, the parole officer planted a bug on me.  That, of course, made me not trust them - hence - full disclosure to all of you.  I thought she was a bit too sloppy with it and thought there might be a second bug on me,"   Anthony explained.  "The bug is on my ipod a couple of blocks away.  I figured I could retrieve, say I was fashionably late, and whatever cover story we want we can give them."

"I'm open to other tactics, of course."


----------



## Gideon (Nov 11, 2005)

*Fracture(Deckard); 1 HP*

"How we gonna win this race again?  They already got a jump on us."  Deckard leaned on the table watching both Anthony and the Baron.

_Right, so they planted a mole.  Can't be sure this Professional isn't working up right now.  These others too.  Getting sloppy Deck.  Callisto would have had you for dinner by now.  Go for  the stir the nest up approach.  Wait and see who wins then take them out?_

Deckard gave himself the mental nod.  Push a little, maybe they'd play their hand.

"So how do we know you aren't a sleeper agent for SHIELD or any other orginization.  The rest of these guys too.  Even me."


----------



## Dayspire (Nov 11, 2005)

The Professional -[sblock]Your release, as far as you know, was fairly straight-forward.  Your sentence was commuted with a  combination of state and federal cooperation.  This was with the proviso that you join an organization with the purpose of using your unusual 'talents' in the public interest.  During this, your attorney was contacted by one Heinrich Clark - and the fit seemed perfect.  A post-human group modelled after the Ultimates.  What could be better?  Of course, in retrospect - you can see Zemo's hands over all of it.[/sblock]


			
				Gideon said:
			
		

> "How we gonna win this race again?  They already got a jump on us."  Deckard leaned on the table watching both Anthony and the Baron.
> 
> _Right, so they planted a mole.  Can't be sure this Professional isn't working up right now.  These others too.  Getting sloppy Deck.  Callisto would have had you for dinner by now.  Go for  the stir the nest up approach.  Wait and see who wins then take them out?_
> 
> ...



"Because I have spent quite some time insuring that you are not!  Bank records, IRS records, O.N.E. records.  Fingerprint analysis, covert observation, subtle interviews with your 'friends'."  Zemo chuckles for a moment.  "Ja, I even 'interviewed' Callisto last week, asking her questions of you.  Of course, she assumed I was a mutant named _Wretch_, at the time."  Zemo looks over at The Professional.  "Your release I was somewhat more involved in, utilizing a variety of contacts.  In the end, I thought it was simple.  Now we know why."

Zemo leans over his console once more.  "Do you have the trace yet, Fixer?"

"Oh yes," The modified voice sounds smug, oddly enough.  "It's on a frequency that pings back to a transmitter 20.8 miles to the north-east.  Obviously, the Triskelion." 

The laugh that comes from behind Zemo's mask is amused but short.  "Hah!  As I thought.  Your release was, at least in part, agreed to in secrecy by S.H.I.E.L.D.  They cannot know anything as of yet, of course.  I think they were just... _curious_.  I fear your parole officer is nothing more than an agent."  Zemo walks over to a large cabinet, and removes the tarp.  He opens it up and begins removing some clothing.  He continues speaking, even as he changes his uniform.  For a brief moment, you catch another glimpse of his ruined face before he dons another mask.

"This means nothing.  Let them know where we are.  Soon, the whole world will!  They will know where we lair, they will know our 'new names'.  This, I have planned for.  It is... necessary."  Within moments, Zemo steps from behind the cabinet.  He has changed into an unusual costume.  It is predominately red, white and blue.  Very unusual considering his past.  A sabre of some kind is at his side.

"No longer am I 'Baron Zemo' - heir to an unfortunate legacy.  I have taken the mantle of _Citizen V _- and of course, the V stands for victory."  He pauses for a moment, and adjusts his new mask.  "There is a history to this guise.  An unfortunate one.  The original Citizen V was a hero of sorts during the second World War.  He was slain in an encounter with my father.  It is my intent to continue in his name." 

Zemo points over at the cabinet.  "Over there are some costume designs that I have created for each of you.  Or rather, that my erstwhile companion _Fixer_ has created.  They should be sufficient, if you wish to change them later, you may.  You will notice a symbol of sorts on each.  Here."  He points to his own, where you see a stylized red and yellow lightning bolt.  "This, is now who we are.  No longer will we be villains.  Self-styled masters of evil."  He turns his back to you, watching the monitors as they once more spring to life at a silent command.  "As a poet named Thomas Randolph wrote long ago, _'Justice, like lightning should ever appear to some men hope; And to other men fear.'_  We shall be that justice, gentleman.  We shall be... the *Thunderbolts*."

ooc:  The costumes Zemo, err Citizen V has created for you are what you yourself have imagined.  Please describe them - how they cover your features, etc.


----------



## Nuke261 (Nov 12, 2005)

*Twister*

"Zemo definitely has a flair for the dramatic.  I like it."   He spoke to no one specific.

"Where did you say the new costumes were?  I could use a new look."   David glanced down at his duffel bag with his Whirlwind helmet made a noticeable bulge.  _What *was* I thinking!_

David made his way over to the cabinets and shuffled through things until he finds what has to be his costume.  "Oh, yeah.  This is gonna be fun!"  David made his way from the others and changed into his new gear.  The leather seemed to form to his body, just like the real super-heroes suits.  He felt more successful all ready.  Once he was done, he made his way out to the main floor to show off his new look.

"Check it out!  There's a new hero in town, kids.  Meet the Twister!!"  His voice trailed off slightly as he made a dramatic spin, using his powers.  He lifted off the floor by a few feet and then dropped back down in place.  He pulled a pair of sunglasses out of his dress clothes and threw them on.  The actually complimented his dark leather suit.  The costume had dark green trim and no sleeves.  There appeared to be a jacket to go with it but Cannon hadn't bothered to put it on yet.  The Thunderbolts logo was noticeable and stood out quite nicely.


OOC: I was thinking the costume would be similar to Ultimate Hawkeye with Dark Green instead of red.  Different looking enough that it does not look like a total rip-off.


----------



## Corvus Coronoides (Nov 15, 2005)

*Verdant*

"Thanks for the offer, Baron, But ..."

_Creak... Groan .. Crack_

As the other mambers of the newly-formed Thunderbolts looked on, Samuel Smithers began to _Change_.

He grew slightly taller - but that was only the beginning.

Before their eyes, his skin took on a deep brown colour, and then the texture of gnarled wood - a mahogany, at a guess.  His green hair became even more plant-like, growing into vines and leaves on top of his head.  His clothing appeared ready to burst.

His arms lengthened, as did his fingers.  After moments, the tips of his fingers reached the ground.

His eyes turned a brown so dark it appeared almost black. 

His voice took on a deep, moaning tone.

"I dont think I'll be needing a costume."


----------



## Keia (Nov 15, 2005)

*The Professional (Anthony Scarpetti)*

Anthony walked over the cabinet after the Twister and took a look around.  Obviously a skull mask wouldn't work for the new 'Professional'.  Looking at the relative measurements, Anthony pulled his suit out and took a look.  He walked back over to his seabag and gathered some items from it while he changed. 

"Not bad, Citizen V, not bad at all . . . or should I compliment the Fixer?" the professional asked.


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## Dayspire (Nov 15, 2005)

Keia said:
			
		

> "Not bad, Citizen V, not bad at all . . . or should I compliment the Fixer?" the professional asked.



"Ja, although he shall now be use the appellation '_Techno'_.  No longer will he sell his inventions to the criminal underworld.  Instead, it is herr Techno's genius that will insure the Thunderbolts have the technological edge on our foes."

Professional/Verdant/Whirlwind -[sblock]The Fixer (now Techno) is pretty much like Citizen V describes him.  If you ever needed a device to circumvent a complex alarm, he was your man.  Supposedly, he also crafted the suit of armor for the criminal known as The Beetle.  One thing has remained constant about Fixer though - no one has ever seen him.  Ever.  He commonly used drop-offs and unknowing third parties for transactions, and he established a trustworthy reputation in the underworld for both his genius and his dependability.  He hasn't been seen for six months or so.  Perhaps now you know why. [/sblock]
Citizen V turns to Fracture and Kaiju.  "Please, look inside.  I think you will be pleased."  He turns back to his console.  "But please hurry, if we are to make our 'debut', we must not tarry.  There is a crime to prevent."  You cannot help but hear satisfaction in Citizen V's voice.


----------



## Keia (Nov 15, 2005)

*The Professional (Anthony Scarpetti)*



			
				Citizen V said:
			
		

> " . . . There is a crime to prevent."



"That's going to take some getting used to . . . _prevent _ crime," the Profession commented from beneath his mask.  The voice was distorted a bit, deeper and more commanding beneath the mask.

The Professional made certain his sword and guns were at the ready and easily accessible through his new gear.  He loaded his belt pack with numerous little goodies.

"So, what's the caper . . . I mean, who's and where's the threat?"  the Professional asked.


----------



## lissilambe (Nov 15, 2005)

*Kaiju*

"But I came in my costume," He said, putting his arms up. "Don't you like it? It was tough, I had to have Miss Davenport show me how to sew. That's not fun. But I think it looks neat."

(OOC: see description in my opening post; he didn't wear a costume before, just torn normal clothing)


----------



## Dayspire (Nov 15, 2005)

lissilambe said:
			
		

> *Kaiju*"But I came in my costume," He said, putting his arms up. "Don't you like it? It was tough, I had to have Miss Davenport show me how to sew. That's not fun. But I think it looks neat."



Citizen V nods at Kaiju.  "Very well then.  The only important factor is that you appear different than your former identity as Nuklo - which you do.  Indeed, I did not recognize you when you first entered.  I am pleased."

ooc: Waiting for Fracture, then Citizen V will talk about tonight's op.


----------



## Gideon (Nov 15, 2005)

*Fracture(Deckard); 1 HP*

Deckard moved over to the cloathes line and found the section set apart for his uniforms.  

_Well, these first three are a disgusting shade of bright._

Deckard quickly moves past the first set.  Holding up a jumpsuit with dark blue fins leading from each hand that join in a collar at the neck.  Several folds of cloth hang about the uniform.

_No one could fight in this._

Eventually he came to a tight dark green shirt with reniforced shoulders.  A matching set of somewhat looser pants with similarly reinforced knees.  Finally, a mask much like an upside down U with sharp points sticking up near the eyes finished the costume.  It was a darker than some of the other uniforms but managed to carry a sense of nobility with its menace.

Walking back out to the rest of the group.

"Now that we are all dressed up, where's the party?"


----------



## Dayspire (Nov 16, 2005)

Citizen V smiles at Fracture.  "I thought you might pick that one.  You'll note that it is self-repairing.  Rips and tears will grow back within minutes.  Useful with your particular talents."

Verdant -[sblock]Interesting.  There is a song coming from Fracture's uniform.  You listen closer and you hear an unusually ordered symphony - far too structured for normal plant life.  You realize that the uniform is not made of typical cloth, but of a still living plant-like organism that is bred to 'stick together'.  _Very _interesting.[/sblock]
"Now, on to business," Citizen V says.

Each of the screens fills up what appear to be military head shots of a variety of different men and women.  Some of the photos look fairly old.  Intermixed with these pictures are mug shots - some of those very same soldiers lining up with numbers below their profile.

"Two weeks ago, I was contacted by a group that was interested in my... assistance,"  Citizen V says.  "They were after a rather interesting score, and thought I might like to partner with them.  I rejected their offer and blasted them for their presumption in approaching me.  Baron Zemo was never one for common thievery!"

Citizen V turns back to the group, and jerks a thumb at the screen behind him.  "They are a mercenary group of thieves, and they call themselves the _Rat Pack_.  All of them are ex-military.  They are a mixture of special forces, regular infantry, pilots, etcetera.  The only commonality among them is greed.  And a decided lack of ethics." 

Professional - [sblock]Oh boy.  You realize you've trained quite a few of those grunts.  Hell, the Rat Pack even offered you a permanent job.  But it just didn't seem to be the job for you.[/sblock]The main screen changes to that of a single man.  The picture is blurry, but it appears he is getting into a vehicle.  You see black hair and a moustache.  "This is their leader, who only goes by the code name _One_.  In fact, the entire 'Pack use number designates for each member.  Useful for both anonymity and tactics on the battlefield."

Screens nearest the main fill with a hodge podge of data on One.  Criminal charges, supposed sightings, M.O's, etc.  You see approximately ten different military records with different names.  Apparently One has covered his own tracks quite well.

"One runs an effective unit of brigands.  They usually target high-technology firms.  Most of this technology - weaponry, mostly - they use or sell.  Their estimated worth is somewhere in the $40 million range, based upon my own discrete inquiries.  They have been known to target a variety of military branches across the world, but they have never hit S.H.I.E.L.D."

"Until tonight."

The screens change once more.  Now they show scenes you're all quite familiar with.  The so-called 'Day of Aggression'.  The day when the alien race _Chitauri_ invaded, and thousands died.  Not just soldiers.  But many across the United States died, as the alien ships crashed to the ground when the Ultimates finally overcame them.  It was a great tragedy, but one that the Ultimates spin doctors say would have been worse, but for their own heroic actions.

"There is a warehouse, located in a district very similar to this, thirty miles from here.  It is owned by Juniper Industries, but - of course - it is but a front for S.H.I.E.L.D.  At this rather well-guarded warehouse sits the objective of the Rat Pack."

The main screen fills with the grainy image of a Chitauri warship.  It is vaguely cigar shaped, with vanes and weaponry bristling at every angle.  In the background you can see one of the Ultimates - Iron Man - destroying another warship by flying _through _the thing.

"From what I have learned, it is the only functional warship remaining on Earth.  And the Rat Pack wants to make it theirs.  They will attack this secret S.H.I.E.L.D. base at midnight tonight.  They will kill anyone they come across."  Citizen V pauses for a moment, then continues.  "Not coincidentally, the Ultimates are on the other side of the globe.  In Norway, for reasons unknown."

"Gentlemen... We must stop them."


----------



## Keia (Nov 16, 2005)

*The Professional (Anthony Scarpetti)*

Professional looked over the photographs . . . nodding his head as he committed each and every one of them to memory.



			
				Citizen V said:
			
		

> "They are a mercenary group of thieves, and they call themselves the _Rat Pack_.  All of them are ex-military.  They are a mixture of special forces, regular infantry, pilots, etcetera.  The only commonality among them is greed.  And a decided lack of ethics."



"I've trained a bunch of these boys,"  Professional offered.  "They're talented . . . they have a nice skill set."



			
				Citizen V said:
			
		

> "From what I have learned, it is the only functional warship remaining on Earth.  And the Rat Pack wants to make it theirs.  They will attack this secret S.H.I.E.L.D. base at midnight tonight.  They will kill anyone they come across."  Citizen V pauses for a moment, then continues.  "Not coincidentally, the Ultimates are on the other side of the globe.  In Norway, for reasons unknown."



"Seems noble enough for our first venture,"  Professional offered.  "So what's the reason we just happen to be in the area tonight for soon to be failed rat pack caper - in case it comes up."


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## Dayspire (Nov 16, 2005)

The Professional said:
			
		

> "Seems noble enough for our first venture,"  Professional offered.  "So what's the reason we just happen to be in the area tonight for soon to be failed rat pack caper - in case it comes up."



"Good question, herr Professional.  We could simply chalk it up to 'heard it on the streets' - but I think we need something more... _devious_."  Citizen V looks pointedly at the Professional.  "And have I not said that you are a devious man?"


----------



## Corvus Coronoides (Nov 16, 2005)

*Verdant*



			
				Keia said:
			
		

> "Seems noble enough for our first venture,"




"And lending The Ultimates a hand could never hurt our reputation" Verdant added.

"When do we nick off to this warehouse ?  And does anybody have a plan as to how we're going to stop this _Rat Pack_ from getting the spaceship ?"


----------



## Gideon (Nov 17, 2005)

*Fracture(Deckard); 1 HP*

"Do you really think SHIELD is going to be happy we know about their spaceship?  Or is this part of the whole race against time thing?"

Fracture looks over at Citizen V, a half-frown pulling down his features.



			
				Corvus Coronoides said:
			
		

> And does anybody have a plan as to how we're going to stop this _Rat Pack_ from getting the spaceship ?"




"I'll bet there is going to be violence involved."


----------



## lissilambe (Nov 17, 2005)

*Kaiju*

"Um, aren't superheroes supposed to know when bad guys need to be stopped?"  Kaiju asked, looking confused. "Why do we need to have an excuse for being around? Isn't being devious exactly what led us...well you all into becoming crooks?"


----------



## Keia (Nov 17, 2005)

*The Professional*



			
				Kaiju said:
			
		

> "Um, aren't superheroes supposed to know when bad guys need to be stopped?"  Kaiju asked, looking confused. "Why do we need to have an excuse for being around? Isn't being devious exactly what led us...well you all into becoming crooks?"



"Actually, Kaiju, superheroes develop certain instincts about such things from months or even years of patrolling the same areas over an over again.  This, in addition to studying certain tendencies among the criminal element, as well as other modifiers, can make it seem like the heroes are always around when the bad guys need dealt with,"  Professional explained.  He thought a minute,  "You say this warehouse were going to is similar to this one.  We could have investigated that warehouse as a possible base, were turned away for somewhat suspicious reasons, and decided to patrol that area looking for anything else unusual."

"We could start that we don't reveal our sources and drop a contact number to the media to gather potential tips.  Finally, we could just do as Kaiju suggested, be honest.  We heard omsething suspicious was going on, investigated and with great luck stumbled upon a significant break-in,"  Professional offered.


----------



## Dayspire (Nov 18, 2005)

Citizen V listens to Fracture and Verdant.

"We leave shortly, Verdant."  He says.  "As for our plan - we have a limited drop zone.  The Rat Pack will be dropping the aerial based defenses on the S.H.I.E.L.D. warehouse just before our attack.  They have an inside mole, you see.  At that point, we shall ambush the ambushers!"  He turns to Fracture.  "You are correct.  This is a race against time, a race for public good will.    You will soon see when this plan bears fruit."


			
				lissilambe said:
			
		

> *Kaiju*
> "Um, aren't superheroes supposed to know when bad guys need to be stopped?"  Kaiju asked, looking confused. "Why do we need to have an excuse for being around? Isn't being devious exactly what led us...well you all into becoming crooks?"



Citizen V hears this and looks down in contemplation.  He nods at the Professional's explanation.

"True, Professional.  True.  But also what Kaiju says has merit.  And here - shown so quickly and obviously - is my reason for picking our golden-skinned friend."  V steps forward and places a hand on Kaiju.  He doesn't flinch.  "Unlike most of us who knew in our hearts we were criminals, young Robert here has not.  His crimes were accidental.  His heart has remained honest.  And with that comes a type of wisdom I have sadly left behind years ago."  Citizen V pauses for a moment, looking at Kaiju.  He then nods and walks back to his control center.  His fingers press a sequence of keys, and it powers down with a low whine.

Fracture - [sblock]You hear something.  Just the slightest bit of gravel shifting outside the warehouse.  The others appear oblivious to it.  You are about to say something when...[/sblock]"Let us depart.  You may not know it, but our transportation has arrived."

Citizen V begins walking quickly to the entrance.  His stride is that of a man on a mission.  You follow him, weaving through the warehouse.  "Though I have chosen this... _shell_ of a place for our initial base for ulterior motives, I refuse to skimp elsewhere." Leaving through the front entrance, most of you stop in shock at what you see.

The front area of the warehouse is a small parking lot, faded yellow lines marking spots where cars once parked.  Now filling most of that lot is some type of jet.  There is no question that it was not here before.  At some point during your discussion it must have landed, in perfect silence.  

"Behold.  The A42 Mark Three.  It was originally nicknamed the _Storm Chaser_.  Fitting for us, yes?"

It is about the size of a standard F-14, but wider and less aerodynamic.  It's easy to think of it as a cross between a some kind of fighter jet and the space shuttle.  It is burnished silver  in color, with the stylized Thunderbolts sigil on the dorsal fin.*  A hatch descends from the belly as you walk out, hitting the asphalt with a muted _clank_.  This close, you can just barely detect a low hum coming from it.  

"It's best feature is its almost utter silence.  I doubt any of you heard it land!  It came to me through a variety of paths, dummy corporations and such.  I assure you, while it was quite expensive - it was also purchased in a most _lawful _manner."




*ooc: Despite what the picture shows!


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## lissilambe (Nov 18, 2005)

*Kaiju*

"Yes well, thanks a lot,"  The young man beamed at first, his dull brassy skin seeming almost to glow under the compliment. As he listened to the man continue though, he grew more uncomfortable at the praise, and began to get suspicious of what Zemo was saying.

Then he stepped outside and looked at the neatest airplane he'd ever seen, and the suspicion was swept from his mind. "Wow! That's the coolest!"


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## Keia (Nov 18, 2005)

*The Professional*



			
				Kaiju said:
			
		

> "Wow! That's the coolest!"



"Yeah, what he said,"  the Profession commented.  "Beats the heck out of driving in a van to your target . . . err, the place where you're needed."

"Do we have a pilot in the group?"  Professional asked.  "If not, I could work on it . . . ."


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## Gideon (Nov 18, 2005)

*Fracture(Deckard); 1 HP*

Fracture smirked to himself as Citizen V continued to revel in the unveiling of his master plan.

_How long did this guy work on this scheme?  And if he is really that good, how did the good guys ever beat 'em?_

Deckard was happy to have at least that little triump over the ex-Baron.  Fracture hadn't been the one in control for a long time and this just wasn't sitting well with him.

"The jet got here somehow.  But we should let the kid try flyin'."  Deckard smiled over at the Professional as he punched a thumb towards Nuklo.  "I'm sure he'd love it."

Fracture headed up into the waiting jet, eventually setting down in one of the passenger seats.


----------



## Corvus Coronoides (Nov 19, 2005)

*Verdant*

"Looks like this is the way to go.  Better than walkin'."

Verdant climbed the entranceway of the plane, moving with an unnatural, and slightly unnerving fluidity.

-Chris


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## Dayspire (Nov 19, 2005)

The interior of the Storm Chaser is slightly different than what you would expect.  It appears comfortable - with enough room for all of you and your gear.  Interestingly, the interior has  curved walls that don't match the aesthetic of the outside.  Regardless, the control system appears to be fairly standard.  You notice that from the inside, the cockpit window is totally transparent, allowing a view that is colored in blacks and reds.  You surmise that in some way it is showing you the outside in infrared.

Citizen V begins a few pre-flight computations.  His fingers move deftly over the controls, showing some level of experience.

"Professional.  If you would, sit up here in second position.  I'm sure that you'll pick up the flying controls rather quickly." The outside hum begins increasing in volume.  A few lights on the console begin blinking rapidly.  "We shall leave shortly.  Please, everyone - have a seat."

ooc:  Still there, Twister?


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## Keia (Nov 21, 2005)

*The Professional*



			
				Citizen V said:
			
		

> "Professional.  If you would, sit up here in second position.  I'm sure that you'll pick up the flying controls rather quickly."



"Very well," Professional replied with a slight sigh, "This interior seems somewhat odd . . . anything significant?"

The professional sat at the controls and began to look them over, remembering if he had watched anyone ever fly a similar vehicle.  If not, he watched Citizen V work through preflight, memorizing everything.


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## Nuke261 (Nov 21, 2005)

*Twister*

He made his way towards the impressive looking aircraft.  This all moving so fast.  Some of these guys I'm not so sure about.  They seem like they are die-hard villains or just crazy.  Guess at this point I'm stuck with them.  I only gotta stick around long enough to build a rep as a good guy.  Yeah, then I'm out of here!  Sure, that's the plan!

Twister smiled at the group, his showman smile of confidence.  "C'mon guys!  Let's go trash the bad guys and save the day!"  His energy and enthusiasm were at their highest.  "Kaiju, you with me?"


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## lissilambe (Nov 21, 2005)

*Kaiju*

The overly-large man stepped onto the craft and looked around with wide, though blank white, eyes. His smile was broad as he slowly moved towards a seat and almost didn't hear the other man talk to him.

"You bet, Ca--er, Twister! Right?" He shot the other guy a smile as he remember the name.


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## Dayspire (Nov 21, 2005)

Keia said:
			
		

> "Very well," Professional replied with a slight sigh, "This interior seems somewhat odd . . . anything significant?"



Citizen V makes a few adjustments to the control panel before answering.  "No, just some eccentric designers."  He points to a side bank of controls.  "Adjust that knob over there to 2.9, that should keep the fuel-air mixture optimum."

Professional - [sblock]"No, just some eccentric designers." - _Lie_.  It's tough to say through a mask.  And Citizen V is obviously a skilled man with a silver tongue.  But you've watched and emulated some of the world's best liars.  Few untruths get past you.  This one didn't.  (Nice roll there - natural 20)[/sblock]
ooc:  I'm flying out of town tomorrow to... well Canton Ohio, oddly enough.  For about six days.  I'm not sure of my internet access, but I *should* be fine.  But if you don't see me, you know why.  And hey - where's that comic book place that I should visit, Nuke/Keia?


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## Dayspire (Nov 30, 2005)

The Storm Chaser lifts off effortlessly.  As it does so, a clothlike harness snakes out from the countoured chairs and gently secures those who are sitting.  An experimental tug on them shows a surprising strength.  Some type of space-age material, no doubt.  There is an unusual silver disk set into the center of the harness, most likely a release mechanism.

Through the cockpit window you see your headquarters and the surrounding warehouses drop away.  You feel almost no sensation of movement as the ship begins to move forward, and the lights of lower New York fly past you.  It is a peaceful way of travelling - the only sounds are Citizen V and the Professional quietly going over the controls.  

Almost too quickly, Citizen V calls back to the rest of you.  "We're coming up on the base now.  I expect that they will atta-"  Citizen V whips his head around to the controls as it emits a small beep.  "No!  They have already begun!  They must have adjusted their timetable!"

The front of the Storm Chaser dips slightly as Citizen V begins to aim the ship directly at the heart of what looks to be a growing conflict.  Through the infrared cockpit, you can see a  thick cloud of smoke rising from a huge warehouse.  Six military-grade transport vehicles are parked just in front of it.  A number of shapes can be seen moving, primarily on the ground.  Even as you watch, an explosion rocks the front entrance of the warehouse, and the Storm Chaser craft wobbles slightly as the shockwave hits it.  You can see a multitude of tiny muzzle-flashes as the forces of the Rat Pack fire upon the covert S.H.I.E.L.D. soldiers.

Professional - [sblock]Though Citizen V only went over the object detection indicator once, you instantly recognize that there is a single object hovering on the other side of the warehouse.  You glance over at Citizen V, but he is intent on trying to pilot the ship in.  Your finger punches the glowing object on the radar, and a small window appears, giving a tactical readout.  It appears to be a Bell 206-B Helicopter.  Commonly used by corporate companies or the media.[/sblock]OOC: It appears that Citizen V intends upon landing in the middle of the conflict, hoping to give the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents some cover as all of you rush out to attack.  If you wish a different type of landing, now's the time to let him know.


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## Keia (Nov 30, 2005)

*The Professional*

Anthony didn't like this craft . . . there was something about it that bothered him.  He shook his head as the straps bound him to the chair.  It wasn't that he was belted in . . . more that it was automatic that bothered him.



			
				Citizen V said:
			
		

> "We're coming up on the base now.  I expect that they will atta-"  Citizen V whips his head around to the controls as it emits a small beep.  "No!  They have already begun!  They must have adjusted their timetable!"




"We've got a Bell chopper on the radar,"  the Professional offered.  "Most likely the media . . . odd . . . unless . . . ."

"Set us down before both sides are firing on us,"  Professional called out.  "Those of you that can fly, get going.  Stick with ranged attacks on the scrappers and get up close with those that are blasting.  Area attack anywhere there are Six pack scrubs running around."

The Professional went over his battle preparations in his head, preparing himself for the upcoming conflict.  "Let's see what these boys can do . . . ."


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## Gideon (Nov 30, 2005)

*Fracture(Deckard); 1 HP*



			
				Citizen V said:
			
		

> The Storm Chaser lifts off effortlessly.  As it does so, a clothlike harness snakes out from the countoured chairs and gently secures those who are sitting.  An experimental tug on them shows a surprising strength.  Some type of space-age material, no doubt.  There is an unusual silver disk set into the center of the harness, most likely a release mechanism.




_Trapped!  You *&#)$ idiot!  Callisto taught you better!_

Fracture begins to sprout large white bone spurs and flailing around the seat.  But almost as quick as he starts he settles down.

_Wait for it.  He has one holding him down too._

As they decend into the battle Fracture begins to rearrange the bone plates to maximize the protection over exposed spots.

"Are we playing for keeps and is this a team game?"


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## Nuke261 (Dec 1, 2005)

*Twister*

Twister hit the clasp in the center of his harness and moved forward for a better look out the window.  He glanced at the monitors but could not decipher much from there either.  At the Professional's mention of flyers doing just that, a grin suddenly appeared on Twister's face.

"Show time?  Oh yeah, let's do this!"  David made his way for the hatch, his old theme music from the UCW playing through his head.


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## Keia (Dec 1, 2005)

*Professional (HP:1)*



			
				Fracture said:
			
		

> "Are we playing for keeps and is this a team game?"



"Disable the six pack and their crew, Fracture.  No fatalities - we're big damn heroes, remember?"  Professional reminded after waiting to see if Citizn V would speak up on the subject.


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## Dayspire (Dec 1, 2005)

Fracture's spines pierce his chair quite easily.  He struggles for a bit, shredding part of the chair and the restraint system.  With an almost disappointed sounding beep, it retracts back into the lower part of the chair.

"Are we playing for keeps and is this a team game?" asks Fracture.  Citizen V doesn't respond, so intent is he on piloting Storm Chaser.  Professional glances at V, and then back at the group.  "Disable the Rat Pack and their crew, Fracture. No fatalities - we're big damn heroes, remember?"

Suddenly, the dull _pinging_ sound of gunfire on the hull on the ship can be heard.  Citizen V hits a button, and the back hatch begins to lower.  Now outside sounds can be heard much more clearer - it sounds like World War II.  Gunfire, screamed orders, and the cries of the wounded.

"Show time? Oh yeah, let's do this!" David made his way for the hatch, his old theme music from the UCW playing through his head.

Tactical
 The Storm Chaser is in between the two sides - the Rat Pack and S.H.I.E.L.D.  The Rat Pack is scattered to the west approximately 30' away, although some range as far as 60' (there are app. 15-20 soldiers).  They are using their transport vehicles as cover, although one is currently on fire.  The S.H.I.E.L.D. agents are 50' away, taking cover in a small security hut (there are only 5 agents still functioning).  Remember that it is night, and visibility is limited.  Currently, the Storm Chaser is 20' above the ground, but will land on initiative count 5 (so those who want to hold and wait can do so).  Initiatives are:

Professional rolls a 17 (+9) = 26
Rat Pack rolls a 14 (+1) = 15
Fracture rolls a 2 (+11) = 13
Verdant rolls a 11 (+2) = 13
Twister rolls a 10 (+1) = 11
SHIELD Agents rolls a 3 (+1) = 4
Kaiju rolls a 1 (+1) = 2

For combat - please try to be specific on your moves, but flexible.  I'll be doing the rolls through Invisible Castle ( http://invisiblecastle.com/index.py ).  You can roll, or I can.  I ask that if you do roll, you do it under the name of "Dayspire - Professional" or "Dayspire - Verdant" (or whatever your name is).  I'll roll saves and initiative, etc.  If you're curious, you can see the initiative rolls at "Dayspire - Initiative".  Let me know if you wish to use a Hero Point, of course.  Any questions?


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## Keia (Dec 1, 2005)

*The Professional*

The Professional unbuckled from his seat and moved to the exit of the ship, waiting for it to touch down.  As he did, he adjusted his nightvision goggles prepping for the conditions.  Profession used the door for some cover and scanned over the pack participants.

OOC:  Stand, move to door, put on or activate nightvision goggles.


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## Corvus Coronoides (Dec 1, 2005)

*Verdant*

Verdant looks out the window, taking note of the various locations of members of the Rat Pack.

"Those two ... right ..... _There_", he mutters to himself, thinking out loud.

He takes note of a couple of "bad guys" who aren't too far apart from each other.

"Should be able to reach them right quick, and then pin them both if I "reach" far enough"

Verdant then hits the release on the safety harness, and moves towards the Storm Chasrer's access ramp, ready to move out towards the Rat Pack members he's targetted.


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## Dayspire (Dec 2, 2005)

OOC: Oops, Summon Minion creates them in the closest area next to you.  Want to update your move?  Or summon them within the Storm Chaser?


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## Gideon (Dec 5, 2005)

*Fracture; 1 HP*

"Ahhh, that's better."

Fracture stretches high into the air with his arms sending a loud cracking sound through the plane.  Bone spurs quickly shoot out from his body puncturing holes in the strange material of his uniform.

As the rear hatch begins to slide open, Fracture steps up to the opening and with a practiced ease grabs a long bone spear that had grown from his shoulder, snapped it loose and sent it hurtling towards the burning truck.

OOC: Disarm attempt on one of the Rat Pack near the burning truck.  All-out-Attack for 5.


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## Dayspire (Dec 7, 2005)

Citizen V sets the Storm Chaser down gracefully between the two opposing forces.  There is a brief lull in the gunfire - as if the two sides are waiting to see who comes out of your ship.

"We're down, Thunderbolts.  Let us show these vermin who we are!"  Shouts Citizen V.  

Moving quickly, The Professional strides towards the ramp.  He taps a recessed button on an armored part of his wrist, and you hear a low hum for a moment which soon fades.  He takes cover near the exit, trying to get a glimpse of the enemy forces. _It is difficult to see from your vantage - the ramp descends pointing to the south, and the forces are to the west and east.  Literally, you'd have to exit the Storm Chaser to see the Rat Pack (although you do have a general idea how they're laid out already).  Move action to release your restraints, move action towards the exit.  You could totally exit the Storm Chaser, but that would expose you to fire.  A single 5' movement next round would exit the ship._

Citizen V disengages his harness, and moves towards the exit.  He draws his sword.  For a brief moment, he closes his eyes, and salutes with his sword.  _"Verzeihe, mein fuhrer,"_ he seemingly whispers to himself.

Outside, all you can hear are shouted orders back and forth from both sides.  No one has fired since your arrival.  The aroma of burning fuel and cordite is everywhere, however.

Fracture, his seat restraint already shredded, leaps up and dashes towards the exit.  With a crack, he snaps off a piece of bone the size of his forearm, its end jagged and sharp.  He literally jumps out of the ship, his arm already throwing towards a target that he can't possibly see.  He hits the ground and turns it into a roll, coming to his feet instantly.  His eyes are wide with the adrenaline of combat.  The bone spur flies through the air, but it is way off the mark.  It impacts into the side of the burning transport, penetrating the steel armor.  Fracture looks a little stunned at his miss.  _ Move action to exit, standard move to attack.  +10 to attack +5 for All Out -4 for Ranged Disarm +2 for Improved Disarm, no range penalty for 25' away, no penalty for concealment and cover due to Precise Shot.  You roll a 1!  Ugh.  First combat roll and it's a 1._

The Rat Pack are well trained, and difficult to surprise.  As soon as Fracture attacks, five of the nearby foes open fire on the only target they see.  The rest renew their assault on the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, and one goes down clasping his eye and shrieking.  Bullets fill the air around Fracture.  A few miss, some hit the ramp behind him, but one actually strikes the mutant in the chest.  There is a dull wet sound, and Fracture takes a step back.  He feels a thin trickle of blood seep between two bony plates.  _The Rat Pack were Readied, but I'm not going to allow them to combine fire this round.  They don't know what trouble they're in yet.  They roll poorly, however.  The single hit that gets through: Toughness save against +4 lethal, and Fracture fails.  Not a good day for the former Morlock.  He's bruised + injured.  Ouch._

Verdant disengages the safety harness, and moves towards the exit.  He watches as Fracture takes a solid hit, but doesn't go down.  _Half move disengage the harness, half move to the exit.  Like The Professional, you can take a 5' adjust next round and hop down from where you are, and still have a full move._

A wind roars through the Storm Chaser as Twister activates his power.  His lower half is suddenly a twisting vortex of wind, and he flies out of the ship with a roar.  He takes a position above the battlefield and looks for targets.  "You're lucky, punks!  You're witness to the debut of _The Twister_!" he shouts down to the crouching soldiers.

The S.H.I.E.L.D. agents are taken aback by the appearance of the Thunderbolts.  They don't fire on you - they don't know who you are - but they _do_ know that the Rat Pack are enemies.  They return fire, and one of the agents activates a shoulder mounted rocket launcher.  A streak through the night, and then another explosion that lights up the area.  Two members of the Rat Pack are thrown through the air.  One of them begins to scream in pain as all that remains of his legs is a crumpled mass of red tissue.


----------



## lissilambe (Dec 7, 2005)

*Kaiju*

The large man races out of the Chaser and sees the firefight around him. He saw the shot that hit his partner and he screws his face up angrily and races towards the nearest craft hiding the attackers.

"Raaahhrr!"  He screams as he charges, growing in size on the way. "Face power, little men! Face Kaiju! Shoot at me if you want a target!"

::growing to full height after stepping from the ship, and running as far as possible to the nearest group behind one of their ships; not sure if Growth is still instant, so I'm not sure how far I get  ::


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## Dayspire (Dec 7, 2005)

Kaiju almost rips the safety harness and goes to stand next to the Professional and Verdant.  At that same moment, Fracture takes a slug.  Without thinking, Kaiju leaps down next to his teammate.

As you watch, Kaiju's form seems to shimmer with heat.  Suddenly he grows to 12' tall, the top of his head just brushing the underside of the 'Chaser.  His sudden size and the scowl on his face is enough to make several of the nearby soldiers blanch.

"Raaahhrr!"  He screams as he charges, continuing to grow in size on the way. "Face power, little men! Face *Kaiju*! Shoot at me if you want a target!" Half move remove harness, half move to exit the ship.


----------



## Keia (Dec 7, 2005)

*Professional (HP:1)*

In a single motion the Professional stepped from the plane and toward the nearest Rat Pack foe.  As he moved he drew his katana in his hand and struck once he arrived.  He didn't speak, it wasn't necessary at the moment.  _'Let's see what I can use on this one,'_ Anthony thought.

OOC: Move 30'.  Free actions Draw weapon (from Quick Draw), Nemesis. Attack foe with Katana.  If he's not close enough, draw pistols instead and snap off a shot at the nearest, staying near cover.


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## Dayspire (Dec 8, 2005)

Now that you are closer to the Rat Pack, you can get a better idea of what they look like.  Their uniform is predominately gray, with the sleeves and legs a gray camoflage.  Their faces are covered by a high-tech mask that seems to offer both protection and most likely night vision.  The entire uniform appears to be made of some type of kevlar or ceramic variant, offering protection from low caliber rounds. Their own weapons appear to be modified MP5's.

The Professional moves quickly towards the nearest Rat Pack soldier, drawing his katana from across his back with a *_schtuk_*.  Here, in the dark, the eyes on his skull-like mask glow red.  It is not surprising that the hardened soldiers of the Rat Pack begin to back up even as they raise their weapons.  But before they do, The Professional is among them.  His sword slashes once, and a soldier's arm drops to the ground.  Blood pumps from his forearm, and the soldier screams while trying feebly to staunch the flow.  Before he can his eyes roll into the back of his head, and he slumps face-first into the asphalt.  The Professional does a one-handed cartwheel over to another soldier, and uses the momentum of the move to cleanly plant the katana into the mans' chest.  The man looks down at the imbedded steel and croaks out something unintelligible.  There's a sucking sound as the Professional withdraws the blade.  He flicks it once with his wrist, and a spatter of blood paints the door on a nearby transport.  The soldier is hurt, but he's not out.  _Argh.  This Nemesis power is tougher than I imagined, especially since you have virtually all the combat feats as it is!  I just gave you another level of Takedown Attack.  Suggestions for each time you use it are are welcome.   +12 Attack, no concealment penalty for darkness due to goggles.  Soldier #1: You roll a 5, but still hit.  #1 rolls poorly as well on his toughness.  Unconscious+dying.  Solider #2: You hit with a 14.  He rolls ok on his toughness roll.  He's stunned+bruised+injured.  If there were another nearby you'd be able to attack again, but there's not.  Nearby you can see two others within 15'.  You believe there are approximately 5 others competely behind cover (the transports) that are further away, perhaps 30'.  You are in the 'safe zone' where the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents are not firing into due to the 'Chaser._

An amplified voice can be heard from behind a transport to the north.  "RAT PACK - PRIMES ON INITIAL, REMAINDER ON ADDS!"

You hear the shuffle of feet, as some of the soldiers begin to shift targets.  But most get into position to fire upon your group first._

(saving this space for in the morning, feel free to post your moves.  There are enough of the Rat Pack around for anyone to be able to move 30' and hit *someone*.  Most of them are taking cover behind the transports.  The S.H.I.E.L.D. agents are firing on the mass of soldiers to the north and south of your current position.  Any questions?)_


----------



## Corvus Coronoides (Dec 8, 2005)

*Verdant*

Verdant moves purposefully, his already woody skin toughening and becoming rougher ...

"Right.  Lets get this show on the road."

He moves towards the Rat Pack.  As he closes, his left arm reaches out, extending far beyond what a normal arm should.  His gnarled, woody fist attempts to envelop one of the mercenaries, pushing him to the ground. 

OOC: Move out, close toward the Rat Pack, reach out towards a target using Elongation, and Grapple them one-handed (improved Grapple).


----------



## Gideon (Dec 8, 2005)

*Fracture; 1 HP*

Fracture doesn't stay standing still for long.  Getting shot always sucks.  But getting shot some more while you stand around is worse.  As he charges towards the man who shot him, Fracture can see the Prof got to work.

"I thought you said we weren't playing for keeps, champ?"

As he passes by his giant radio active buddy he smiles back "Thanks for caring big man."

Fracture completes his run by leaping through the air at the soldier who thought to shoot him.  Gauntlets of terrible bone blades erupt from Fractures forearms and hands  mixing his blood with that of his victim.

OOC: Charge and Power Attack for 2.


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## Keia (Dec 8, 2005)

*The Professional*



			
				Fracture said:
			
		

> "I thought you said we weren't playing for keeps, champ?"



"He'll live . . . assuming they care enough about him to try and stabilize him before he bleeds out.  Should occupy someone for a bit - if not . . . ,"  Professional replied.


----------



## lissilambe (Dec 8, 2005)

*Kaiju*

Kailju continues to charge towards the nearest vehicle, intent on hurling it towards the group that seemed focus on things other than themselves (as well as expose any agents using it for cover). He spared a brief look over at the Professional and growled, "No fair! You said no gets that badly hurt! You can't change your mind like that! Or else!" And with a heave he throws.

::throwing the vehicle if he can, as mentioned above, feel free to make any rolls for me it will be easier in the long run::


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## Dayspire (Dec 8, 2005)

Citizen V drops to the ground in a crouch, his rapier out and held in his right hand.  He rises and walks through the chaos towards a group of clustered 'Packers.  A stray bullet hits the ground near his feat, but he doesn't deign to notice it.  He stops and points his blade at the attackers.  His voice echoes throughout the battlefield, as if he has some type of amplifier built into his mask.

"Rat Pack!  Here is your opportunity to surrender!  We are the *THUNDERBOLTS*!  And this city is under our protection!"  Without waiting for a response, he rushes towards the nearest soldier.  The man utters a curse and begins to raise his gun, but Citizen V spins about and slams the guard of his sword into the man's head.  There's a sound like a hammer hitting a watermelon, and the man spins and falls to the ground, unmoving.  _Citizen V hits, and the minon is knocked unconscious._

"Tens and fives, fire on the gold tango!" shouts one of the Rat Pack.  It's not hard to determine who they're talking about, as a hail of gunfire suddenly erupts around Kaiju.  Bullets stitch the ground, and quite a few hit the giant, but none do any damage.  All they do is seem to make him angrier.  _Two of the four attackers hit Kaiju.  But nothing gets through.  _

At the same time, one of the Rat Pack jumps on top of a nearby transport, trusting to the 'Chaser to provide him cover from the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.  He raises his MP5 at the back of The Professional, who is readying to attack another target.  He opens fire with a grin.  But he's not called _The Professional_ for nothing.  At the last possible moment he seems to sense another attacker, and he falls prone to the ground, both legs out and horizontal.  Jean Claude himself would have been proud.  The bullets go over his head, and he quickly slides back up to a standing position._ One attack on The Professional, he misses.  Fool.  Went for higher ground but there's no bonus for it!  Ahem._

A Rat Packer a bit to the southwest of the 'Chaser opens fire on Fracture.  A few bullets hit the vehicle just over his head, but come nowhere near him.  The Rat Pack are trained, but it's obvious that they're rattled.  Regardless, one of them has a bit of moxie.  He throws a small oval shaped device no larger than an egg at the feet of Fracture.  One thought goes through his head.  _Grenade._  He moves quickly, trying to jump clear of the explosion.  But he's almost too slow.  The explosion propels him forward, shrapnel flying everywhere.  But Fracture somehow twists in mid-air and controls the jump.  He lands on his feet, none the worse for wear.  _One opens fire on Fracture but misses.  Reflex save vs. grenade fails by one.  Ouch, another bad roll.  Thankfully he has Evasion, so he only takes half damage.  He makes the toughness roll easily.  End of Rat Packs turn._ 

But Fracture doesn't stop.  He continues running and then leaps into the air.  A distinctive _**scrunch!**_ is heard as bone blades erupt from his hands.  One of the Rat Packers sees him coming, and stands - almost as if to flee.  But he is too late.  Two jagged pieces of bone slide through his upper chest, pinning him against the wall to a security hut.  The man shrieks as he realizes his clavicle has been shattered in two different places.  Fracture releases him and he falls to the ground.  Still conscious (though barely), he looks up at Fracture standing above him.  Through blood-stained lips he says, "Who... are... you?" _Fracture easily hits(1d20+12=30).  Rat Packer fails his toughness roll miserably. (1d20+6=11)_

Then Verdant enters the battle.  He calmly surveys the fighting, and picks his opponent with a nod.  He reaches his hand out, and with an odd grinding noise, it stretches and grabs the soldier that fired on The Professional.  The arm itself seems composed of some type of bark-like flesh, with an occasional green vine wrapped around it.  The hand literally dwarfs the soldier.  There's a **crunch** sound, and the soldier begins to yell out something, but it's too muffled to understand.  He's not going anywhere._ Verdant hits easily (1d20+8=28).  Grapple check for Verdant is  (1d20+9=25), and for the Rat Packer it's a 1! Wow. (1d20+1=2).  He's grappled, to be sure.  I'm assuming you're pinning him for now._

_Next up: Twister, SHIELD, and Kaiju.  Feel free to start with round 3 moves.  You've taken out about 1/3 of the forces you know of.  I would write more, but I have to do some work!  Edit - as an aside, Citizen V's initiative is 19._


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## Keia (Dec 8, 2005)

*The Professional*



			
				Kaiju said:
			
		

> "No fair! You said no gets that badly hurt! You can't change your mind like that! Or else!"



"I know, I know . . . it was an accident, the guy stepped into it . . . nobody does that," the Professional replied.  _'Definitely not memorizing his move,'_ he thought.  Looking at the guy he just attacked, Professional said, "Run . . . and you'll live."

Then he moved 30' toward the group of five, attacking when he got there.

OOC: Definitely Move, then attack, looking to redirect if it comes to that.  Remember improved defense when in melee against ranged attacks.


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## lissilambe (Dec 8, 2005)

(ooc: um, I thought I mentioned what Kaiju was doing in my post just above, the one just above your results post)


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## Dayspire (Dec 8, 2005)

lissilambe said:
			
		

> (ooc: um, I thought I mentioned what Kaiju was doing in my post just above, the one just above your results post)



You sure did.  I was just saying that I had to take a break before I finished the move.


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## lissilambe (Dec 8, 2005)

(ooc: Got it. Misunderstood what you wrote, thanks for clearing up...I thought you meant that we were to respond next...been a long day for me too. Thanks)


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## Gideon (Dec 9, 2005)

*Fracture(Deckard); 1 HP*



			
				Dayspire said:
			
		

> Through blood-stained lips he says, "Who... are... you?"




Fracture smiles down at the unfortunate soul.  "The Thunderbolts.  Like the Ultimates only without the presidents hand up our butts."  Fracture ducks slightly as Kaiju sends a flaming truck over his head.  As he looks back down into the pain filled face of his victim he gives his best stare.  "You should run now."

Fracture looks up to the Packers who just lost their cover to the rampaging Golden Giant.
"You should run too.  He don't look happy.  And I'm starting to get pissed too."  A feral grin spreads across Fractures face as teh bones in his face shift to add a darker harsher cast to his features.

OOC: Intimidate all of the rat packers as a move.  With the -5 and skill mastery that is an intimidate of 18.  Standard action to Total Defense.  Defense is now 24.  Evasion and elusive target might apply.


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## Dayspire (Dec 9, 2005)

With a roar, Twister flies over to a huddled group of Rat Pack soldiers who have retreated slightly to hide behind a cement berm.  As their uniforms begin to flap from a sudden strong wind, they all look up with a _"What now?"_ expression.  Twister glances at the nearby helicopter, and then back at the grouped Rat Pack.  He lets the poor soldiers have it.

*BOOM!*

An enourmous column of wind smashes into the group, slamming them into the ground.  The nearby berm shatters into a pile of rubble, and the asphalt cracks.  You can only imagine what it does to the Rat Pack.  Four of them are unmoving, some with arms and legs twisted and broken.  Shockingly, a single soldier managed to leap away from the blast at the last possible moment and landed awkwardly behind another berm.  Twister looks back at the Helicopter and gives a big thumbs up.  _Only one makes his reflex roll.  Area Affect attacks are nasty.  No one but that single lucky 'Packer makes the toughness   roll._

The S.H.I.E.L.D. agents send up a cheer as they see that they have a group of superhumans fighting on their side.  They advance, sending out suppression fire and trying to keep the Rat Pack from fleeing.  One not-so-bright agent shouts out, "It's the Ultimates!"

Kaiju takes a step forward and puts his now huge hands underneath one of the APC's.  With a grunt he lifts it into the air.  Cracks appear in the asphalt around his feet, and something inside the APC makes a loud *CLONK!* sound.  A crouching Rat Pack soldier who was using that APC as cover looks up at the scowling behemoth.  His weapon drops to the ground with a clatter.  He puts his hand forward and all he has time for is one pleading word.
_
"No."_

But Kaiju is no killer.  With a louder grunt, he throws the APC twenty feet, where it smashes into another transport with the sound of twisting metal.  You hear a couple of screams of pain from behind that vehicle, but they are quickly silenced.  A single soldier begins crawling away from the wreckage, leaving his weapons behind.  _Kaiju now uses his 10' reach to grab an APC.  He lifts it and throws (he could throw it 25' total, but he only throws it 20').  I considered it like an area attack with an improvised weapon. He misses both, but one fails by less than 2, and considering the sizethe soldier has to make a reflex save.  He doesn't make it. Damage is +9, +2 for the APC.  Soldier fails, and is probably pinned beneath the wreckage of two APC's._


**********
_OOC: Round Three later today!  Repeating Initiative, so everyone is clear on it.  Interestingly enough, the Invisible Castle was having a problem properly reporting rolls.  Hopefully they'll fix it soon.

Initiative:
Professional rolls a 17 (+9) = 26
Citizen V rolls a 14 (+5) = 19
Rat Pack rolls a 14 (+1) = 15
Fracture rolls a 2 (+11) = 13
Verdant rolls a 11 (+2) = 13
Twister rolls a 10 (+1) = 11
SHIELD Agents rolls a 3 (+1) = 4
Kaiju rolls a 1 (+1) = 2_


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## Dayspire (Dec 10, 2005)

_Tactical:  There are a total of five transport vehicles.  One was on fire before you arrived, and is heavily damaged.  Two others lie smoldering, one on top of the other courtesy of Kaiju.  Hiding behind berms and the remaining two transports are approximately 10-15 more Rat Pack members.  They are spread out, but a half move can get any of you to a cluster of them.  Sorry for the confusion, I'm trying to keep it somewhat abstract.
_
"Run... and you'll live."

That's all the Professional has to say to the wounded Rat Pack soldier.  He drops his weapon with a dull thud, and takes off running.  Ignoring him, the Professional stalks over to a group of three that have been firing on the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents from behind a concrete berm.  As he does so, an explosion goes off from one of the demolished APC's, lighting the scene briefly for a moment.  Professional ignores it.  He brings his katana down in a diagonal stroke, the blade cleanly slicing through the body armor of the first soldier.  A spray of blood covers the blade and part of the Professional's arm, painting it red.  As he brings the blade back, his left foot shoots out and pins one of the soldiers to the berm by his neck.  The katana follows the foot and slides almost effortlessly into the man's chest.  The third soldier begins to rise, but he is far too slow.  The Professional frees his katana and elbows the man in the throat in one smooth motion.  As he stumbles back, the Professional is on him.  He becomes a whirlwind with his katana, leaving a dozen small cuts all over the poor soldier's body.  Even his face mask is ripped off by the vicious attack, showing the wide eyes of a very scared young soldier.  The Professional readies another attack, but the bloody Rat Packer goes down with a sigh.  _First attack on RP#1 is a hit. 1d20+12=21.  #1 fails his toughness roll (1d20+5=7).  Attack on RP#2 is a hit(1d20+12=17), thought it's close. He too fails(1d20+4=12) a toughness roll.  Prof hits on #3 (1d20+12=18), who fails his toughness roll (1d20+4=16).  Trifecta for the Professional._

"Rat Pack!  _Primes cover mousehole_!" says an amplified shout from one of the soldiers.  Almost instantly, most of the Rat Pack ceases fire and begin to retreat.  You see them flee in a variety of different directions, scattering to make capture difficult.  They do leave behind a group of four, who try to cover their unit's retreat with a burst of automatic gunfire.

It looks like you have them routed.

**********
_OOC:  Considering they're fleeing, if you'd like to adjust your move - feel free.  Otherwise, I'll assume that you attack the rear guard._


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## lissilambe (Dec 10, 2005)

*Kaiju*

The huge man will move towards those holding the line for their partners, growling menacingly. Then he will open his mouth wide and release a gout of radioactive energy that tears across the asphalt just deliberately before them, following with, "Drop your weapons and give up now! Or I can't promise you'll survive this!" The atomic steam slipping out between his lips after the terrible blast.

::Moves toward the firing soldiers, and then fires his blast in front of them to intimidate them into dropping their weapons and surrendering; will deduct three points from his defense to add to his attack to make sure he doesn't hit them directly::


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## Gideon (Dec 11, 2005)

*Fracture, 1 hp*

Fracture quickly scans the running Rats for the one who was shouting orders.  A quick flick of his wrist and a bone spear flies through the air towards his target.

OOC:If I can find leader man, he is target.  If I can't then I will hold my attack to see what the rear guard does.  Accurate Attack for 2, and All-out-Attack for 2.  Making an attack of +14 and dmg of +6.


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## Corvus Coronoides (Dec 11, 2005)

lissilambe said:
			
		

> *Kaiju*
> 
> The huge man will move towards those holding the line for their partners, growling menacingly. Then he will open his mouth wide and release a gout of radioactive energy that tears across the asphalt just deliberately before them, following with, "Drop your weapons and give up now! Or I can't promise you'll survive this!" The atomic steam slipping out between his lips after the terrible blast.
> 
> ::Moves toward the firing soldiers, and then fires his blast in front of them to intimidate them into dropping their weapons and surrendering; will deduct three points from his defense to add to his attack to make sure he doesn't hit them directly::




Verdant's arm reaches out toward Kaiju, his massive hand on Kaiju's chest, "holding" his comrade back.

He prompts the stragglers from the Rat Pack - "I'd do what the man says - He's a devil when his temper's up"

OOC: Maintaining the Pin on the Rat Packer that Verdant's grappled, and "acting out" holding Kaiju back - If anything, an aid another on the intimidation attempt.  Kaiju would be able to obviusly tell that Verdant's play-acting - there's no force behind the hand "restraining" him.


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## Keia (Dec 11, 2005)

*The Professional*

Just as the battle starts winding down, Professional spins surveying the scene.  He real intention is to find Citizen V and see what he is doing.  He is also scouting nearby buildings for spotters for the Rat Pack or leader types.

The obejctive achieved, Professional doesn't pursue any enemies.

OOC: full round spot, unless attacked.


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## Dayspire (Dec 12, 2005)

As the Rat Pack begin to disperse, Fracture stops for a moment and cocks his head, as if listening for something.  His eyes narrow at the back of one of the retreating soldiers, and suddenly a bone spear in hurtling through the air.  But the soldier seems to sense the attack.  He triggers some type of metallic device that pops out the back of his uniform.  Twin jets of flame shoot out, propelling the soldier into the air.  "Missed, punk!" says the soldier, who must be none other than the mysterious Soldier One.  Fracture curses, and spins around, looking for Twister.  He can fly, and could probably catch up to Soldier one without a problem.

Except he's busy.

Fracture sees Twister, hovering just next to the helicopter that has been watching the entire fight.  A cameraman seems to be leaning out, trying to frame a shot of the flying mutant.  Just barely over the distance and roar of the helicopter, Twister's voice can be heard.

"*So... Want an interview with a real hero*?"

Fracture looks back at the fleeing leader of the Rat Pack, but all he can see is fading trail of flame.  Any chance to catch him has passed.  _Doing a Notice check for Fracture to spot Soldier One.  -2 for intermittent darkness, -2 for range, and -5 for distraction (fighting). A close  success (1d20+4=14) vs. Soldier One's pitiful stealth roll.  Fracture makes an attack roll, and uhhh... well... rolls a 1 (1d20+14=15).  GM Fiat to have Soldier One flee, Fracture gets a Hero Point.  The rest of the Rat Pack, who are quite adept at fleeing, do so, giving the group a Hero Point.  Now let's see how you handle Twister.  _

Verdant pauses, and watches Kaiju as he begins moving towards the four remaining Rat Pack soldiers.  _Delaying for Kaiju, who I'll wrap with as soon as I get a clarification on his move (see ooc thread)._


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## Dayspire (Dec 12, 2005)

Kaiju steps towards the four remaining soldiers.  One of them targets him with a burst, but the bullets _ping _off of Kaiju's skin without any visible effect.  In response, Kaiju opens his mouth wide and releases a gout of radioactive energy that tears across the ground in front of them.  The asphalt literally seems to liquify from the blast.  The soldiers take a step back, their weapons all but forgotten.

"Drop your weapons and give up now! Or I can't promise you'll survive this!", shouts Kaiju.  Wisps of atomic steam slip from between his lips after the terrible blast.

Verdant, still with one hand wrapped around a struggling Rat Pack soldier, steps forward.  "I'd do what the man says - He's a devil when his temper's up." he says, while placing his other hand on Kaiju.  

The soldiers look to one another, then back at Kaiju.  With an audible sigh, one of them throws his MP5 at his feet.  The other two quickly follow and immediately raise their hands in the air._  Verdant tries an Aid Another for Intimidating, but fails (1d20+1=6).  They're too busy staring at Kaiju, apparently.  Kaiju gets a +2 for a violent act, +2 for his size, but a -2 because they're a group.  I'm also throwing in a +2 because - well, they've been demolished.  Kaiju rolls well (1d20+15=29).  They roll well too, but fail (1d20+1=20)._

Slowly, the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents advance, their weapons out and shouting orders at the Rat Pack soldiers, who instantly comply.  The Agents appear wary of your group, apparently waiting for someone in authority to speak with you.  Citizen V walks over to Kaiju and Verdant, his sword sheathed.

"Well done.  Well done!  They have fled like the dogs they are." Citizen V says.  "Verdant, could you bring the one you're holding over here?  I'd like to have a few 'words' with him."

The Professional -[sblock]You see nothing out of the ordinary (hidden roll).  The S.H.I.E.L.D. agents are 'arresting' those of the Rat Pack who remain.  Citizen V walks over to Kaiju and Verdant, as above.  Fracture is staring up at Twister, who seems to be communicating with that helicopter you saw earlier.  It appears he's giving an interview.[/sblock]Verdant - [sblock]Your hand begins to throb where you placed it on Kaiju.  Looking at it, you can see that some of the barklike material that comprises your flesh seems to have blackened somewhat.  He was extremely hot to the touch.  Looking at your hand, and over at Kaiju, you feel somewhat... nauseous.  An unusual feeling, and one you haven't felt since you joined with the Green.  How unusual.[/sblock]


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## Gideon (Dec 13, 2005)

*Fracture*

Fracture stared up at the whirling base of Twister as he began to do his interview.  Fracture fumed as a streaming mixture of curses in Wakandan and English stream out.  Fracture almost automatically had grown and grabbed a bone spear, ready to let Twister know his displeasure.  Cocking his arm back, Fracture stared up at the sky for a long second before pegging the weapon into a piece of garbage on the street.

_Play nice, Deck.  This ain't your show and for right now you need these losers.    Just make sure you don't leave your back open.  The diva ain't gonna be any good._

Deckard slowly made his way over to Citizen V and Verdent's captive.  _Lost that *$&%^#)@*%_ soldier, the rest of the bums got away and not that jerk is busy looking like an idiot._

His anger was still burning strong.  Deckard hoped he could help make the soldier speak.

OOC: Does Fracture have 2 or 3 HP?  I didn't know if the general Rat Pack escape gave another point to Fracture.


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## lissilambe (Dec 13, 2005)

*Kaiju*

The giant man shrunk back down to his 'mere' normal height, which was impressive to start. He walked slowly to the melted asphalt and stood in the wispy remnants, almost like soaking it in, and he smiled. His skin looked more tarnished than normal as he watched the others get to work on the follow up.

::Kaiju is using his asborption to swallow back the excess radiation he released from the energy blast; I figure it's not enough to actually help him much, not at all, but he enjoys it, and he realizes it helps clean the area up, which he hopes will make him more acceptable in the long run::


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## Keia (Dec 14, 2005)

*The Professional*

The Professional moved to the injured opponents, stabilizing those that he could.  If he could not, he pointed out those that were wounded so they could receive attention - what attention he wasn't certain, just attention.


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## Corvus Coronoides (Dec 15, 2005)

*Verdant*

Verdant lifts the helpless Rat Packer, and keeping him enlosed within his massive fist, carries him over to Citizen V.

"Here you go, Boss"


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## Dayspire (Dec 15, 2005)

S.H.I.E.L.D. agents continue to swarm over the battlefield, arresting the Rat Pack soldiers whenever they can find them.  They are surprisingly few, however.  Their retreat was well-planned and orchestrated, probably due to constant training from Soldier One.  

The Professional walks through the area as well, giving first aid to the foes that have been brought down.  Quite a few have bullet wounds, but more were taken down by the Thunderbolts.  As he is applying a tourniquet to a soldier with a missing hand, a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent squats down wordlessly next to the Professional and begins to help.  From soldier to soldier they go, trying as best they can to keep the wounded from dying.  The Professional's hands move deftly, but not from experience.  Sometimes it pays to watch the Surgery Channel.  After all is said and done, only one of the Rat Pack dies.  _Ok, having Jack of All Trades allows the Prof to use Medicine unskilled.  Therefore he has +2 from his wisdom.  Also, a +2 from the agent if he makes his Aid Another roll.  There is a medical kit, so it's not at a -4.  The agent assists on 5 out of 7 (1d20+2=8, 1d20+2=5, 1d20+2=15, 1d20+2=19, 1d20+2=12, 1d20+2=19, 1d20+5=15).  So that means the Professional is at +4 for those, and +2 for the other two.  I'll allow one retry, but after that - they've died due to blood loss.  Four out of five make it(1d20+4=16, 1d20+4=17, 1d20+4=17, 1d20+4=12, 1d20+4=17).  Retry on #5: Nope. (1d20+4=6) Poor guy.  Other two: Nice! (1d20+2=18, 1d20+2=16) Success on both.  So The Professional only loses one patient._

As civilian ambulances begin to take away the wounded, the S.H.I.E.L.D. soldier that has been assisting the Professional stands and extends his hand.

"My name is Private David Daniels.  You did some good work here today."  He looks over at an EMT covering up the one casualty.  "A lot more would have died if you guys hadn't shown up.  We were pinned down, and probably would have been dog meat before help would have arrived.  So... thanks a lot."

During all this, Verdant, Fracture, and Citizen V interrogate a captured Rat Pack soldier.  He is held in the huge and gnarled fist of Verdant.  He glares at the three of you, but hasn't tried to escape.

Citizen V inclines his head at Verdant.  "Thank you.  Now let's see what we can learn."  He steps toward the soldier.  "I see from your uniform you are Number Twenty-Nine.  A 'prime', as it were.  Now tell us, Twenty-Nine - what were you after here?  How did you know this was a S.H.I.E.L.D. facility?  Where is your regrouping point?"  Citizen V looks over at Fracture, and then back to the soldier.  "I suggest you answer.  My comrade here is not so friendly as I."  The soldier turns and looks at Fracture, his eyes wide.

Kaiju stands nearby, watching this.  He feels something akin to a cool breeze as he spreads his arms and absorbs any excess radiation that he may have expelled.  Some of the nearby soldiers watch, not entirely sure what he's doing.  He is tired, as he always is when he breathes like that.  The doctors use to tell him that he was 'reducing his internal radioactive h-plexes' - whatever that means.  All he knows is that he can do what Godzilla can do, and that's _cool_.


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## Keia (Dec 27, 2005)

*The Professional (Anthony Scarpetti)*

OOC: Was waiting on my OOC question, but continuing without! 



			
				Pvt. Daniels said:
			
		

> "My name is Private David Daniels.  You did some good work here today."  He looks over at an EMT covering up the one casualty.  "A lot more would have died if you guys hadn't shown up.  We were pinned down, and probably would have been dog meat before help would have arrived.  So... thanks a lot."



"Happy to help out, Private Daniels,"  Professional replied.  "Name's the Professional.  Just wish I could have been more help to those that were downed . . . anyone else need looking after?"

Professional observed the field looking for any surprises left behind by the Rat Pack, still a bit tense from the combat . . . even after working on all of those men.  Professional stayed away from the interrogation . . . he was good at it - too good, and he wasn't ready to abandon those methods just yet.


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## Gideon (Dec 28, 2005)

*Fracture(Deckard); 3 HP*

Fracture stalked over to the captive his facial bones pushing themselves into a darker/harder shape.  A deep angry smile played across Fractures face as his teeth grew into sharp points.

"No, Don't answer.  Let me take you back to a nice dark room.  It would be more fun that way, wouldn't it?"  Fracture's voice menaced the Packer who had stayed alive.

As he finished walking up long thin bones pierced his fingers.

"Would you prefer to be peeled or dismembered?"

Fracture stopped barely feet from the captive, a feral smile pasted across his face as he looked expectantly between Citizen V and the cative.

OOC: Every ounce of Intimidate I can muster.  Which is +13 and a skill mastery of 23.  Also, sorry for the delay.


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