|
Post by Dead Sidekick on Oct 22, 2009 17:42:13 GMT -5
ooc: Karma Awards for Chapter Four
Shockwave:
Starting total: 101
Defeating BDK #3 and #4: +20
Not blowing BDK #8 / Detective Jones' cover: +100
Prevent violent crime / forcing Solo's retreat: +30
Roleplay: +15
Shockwave's current Karma: 266
-----
Oldschool:
Starting total: 147
Saving police officer #1 from burning car: +5
Rescuing bus passengers: +100
Prevent violent crime / forcing Solo's retreat: +30
Roleplay: +15
Oldschool's current Karma: 297
-----
Flashdance:
Starting total: 57
Leaving Solo to kill BDK #5: -20
Defeating BDK #2: +10
Rescuing bus passengers: +100
Prevent violent crime / forcing Solo's retreat: +30
Roleplay: +15
Flashdance's current Karma: 192
Though still a bit sore, in the hour and change of standing around talking to cops after the driveby shooting, Flashdance has recovered the 10 Health points he lost in the bus crash.
All characters are now at full Health.
|
|
|
Post by Dead Sidekick on Oct 22, 2009 21:06:29 GMT -5
Shockwave, Oldschool, and Flashdance pile into the Met Museum Jeep Cherokee as Felicia takes the driver's seat to head to the Celestial Temple of Pizza, an internationally renowned pizzeria with the advertising tagline "When angels want good pizza, they leave Heaven and come here."
The digital clock in the dashboard reads 8:10pm.
As Felicia starts the car, the radio erupts with local news of the recent driveby shooting. In a huff, Felicia switches the station to talk radio and pauses at the broadcast...
"...to counter the danger mutants pose to national security. That is why I am pleased to announce my whole-hearted support for my good friend Senator Kelly's Super-Human Registration Act, and I hope Republicans and Democrats in Congress will give bipartisan support to this action and send President Obama a bill to sign before the Christmas recess."
"Mr. Luthor, isn't it true that your corporation stands to make lots of money from contracts equipping the nation's law enforcement community with mutant detectors?"
"Charming as ever, Ms. Lane. My support for this bill has nothing to do with financial gain and everything to do with national security! These mutants are dangerous threats to society, many of them are living weapons of mass destruction. After last month's so-called 'Contest of Champions' in New York City...."
Felicia sighs again and switches the station...
"Try Fight Hard deodorant, strong enough for Booster Gold! Now in a 8 ounce hero size can!"
She switches the station again...
"...and that was pop sensation Alison Blaire with her hit song "Let Me Dazzle You." Now here's Lady Gaga with..."
Felicia makes a feigned gagging noise and switches the station once more...
"...Markovian embassy. Wayne Enterprises stocks rose today after Chief Financial Officer Lucius Fox announced..."
Finally Felicia settles on a rock station playing Eric Clapton's "After Midnight" as the car passes Avengers Mansion and she makes a right turn on the 72nd Street Transverse Road heading west through the south quadrant of Central Park on the way towards Times Square.
Felicia asks, "That psycho that was shooting people could teleport. Do you think he stole the book?"
|
|
|
Post by shockwave on Oct 22, 2009 22:01:51 GMT -5
"It seems to fit. However, I don't know much about this kick drug. It's plausible he or anyone else could learn to teleport by using it, even if it's just temporary. In the meeting, it was suggested that someone could teleport past security...I haven't heard anything more likely than that. I've only seen two teleporters in the area, and I'm not sure one of them can read...err I mean he probably doesn't read witchcraft books."
|
|
|
Post by Dead Sidekick on Oct 22, 2009 23:04:34 GMT -5
Felicia giggles at Shockwave's dig at Flashdance then she looks over at Shockwave and playfully slugs him in the shoulder. "Maybe you don't read or watch TV. 'Kick' is some new designer drug. It's been all over the Hero Network. Allegedly, somebody in Eastern Europe came up with it. First hit on the West Coast. It's a shock that it's here in New York now. It amplifies the powers of superhumans and sometimes temporarily gives normal people superpowers. No two doses ever give the same powers, even to the same user. Completely random. It's supposedly derived from attempts to make artificial Kryptonite. Can you believe people actually smoke that stuff thinking they'll become invincible?"
[ooc: "The Hero Network" is a cable TV channel dedicated to popular superheroes. Think a combination of E! and Spike TV]
|
|
|
Post by Dead Sidekick on Oct 24, 2009 17:36:27 GMT -5
Felicia turns the radio down as her cell phone rings.
[ooc: Oldschool may eavesdrop with a hyper-hearing FEAT. Everyone else in the car hears...]
Felicia says to someone on the other end of the line...
"Hello? Tommy! Where are you?"
[...]
"Yes, I'm alright. I haven't seen you in days, Tommy..."
[...]
"Please, Tommy, go home. Promise me you'll go home and wait for me."
[...]
"Listen to me. I am your mother! Go home!"
[...]
"Don't hang up on me! I..."
Felicia curses under her breath as she puts her cell phone back in her purse. Then she looks up at Oldschool and Flashdance in her rearview mirror and over at Shockwave in the front passenger seat. "I'm sorry about that. My son is a constant source of drama. Looks like I won't be joining you for pizza. I'll go inside the pizzeria and start a tab for you all on the museum's expense account. I've got to get home and try to track my son down." She gives a saddened glance to Shockwave.
|
|
Flashdance
In(40) Member
![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star.png)
'Let's Dance!'
Posts: 236
|
Post by Flashdance on Oct 24, 2009 20:50:20 GMT -5
Feeling a touch overwhelmed, Flashdance is thinking about the battle, listening to the radio (man - there is not a single country station - what a backwater city!), and to Felicia and Shockwave.
"Well, we don't know for sure that that armored rambo on steroids couldn't read, so I'm guessing we shouldn't count him out"
OCC - yes, I know ;-)
"One things for sure, I'm feeling like when I was a kid and brought my "Billy Raye Cyrus" action figure to school for show and tell... just like the kid did right before me - man; can everyone in this town teleport?"
*just then the phonecall comes in*
"Uh, Felicia, um, I hate to ask this, but do you have a picture of your son? I have a bad feeling we are going to come across the gang again. It sure would make me feel better knowing we aren't kicking the tar out of your son. And if psycho boy turns up again - protect him."
"and one last important question - does this pizza place have "PBR" on tap?"
" **grumble** my teleports are SO much cooler than his" Flashdance mumbles to himself as they drive
|
|
|
Post by TasK on Oct 25, 2009 0:37:00 GMT -5
Oldschool was quiet and pensive. He had found out from the police that an innocent had died. He hoped that his intervention had not somehow contributed to the death. Everything had happened so fast,
He wondered how many lives the partner of the police officer he had saved, saved. Maybe if he had stuck around to help, innocent people would have not died.
The police thanked him for ripping off the front end of the bus to save people, but Oldschool was observant enough to know that Flashdance had had the situation well in hand. He probably should have tried to assist the officer.
Oldschool continued to mentally berate himself as Felicia was on the phone. He smiled when people joked and nodded when he thought people expected him to, but his thoughts were elsewhere.
He didn't get into this business to lose lives. As soon as he had a job, he'd sign up into a First Aid course. He had taken a little in the military, but it was so long ago, he couldn't remember hardly any of it.
He did perk up a bit when Felicia suggested that the museum might pay for their pizza. He hadn't had a decent meal in weeks!
Food would be good. Being half-starved definitely didn't help his mood. Perhaps that's all he needed. That and kicking someone's ass. The next bad guy they faced was going to pay for the innocent lives lost tonight.
It was a war between good guys and bad. While the next bad guy might not have had anything to do with deaths, he'd pay simply for choosing the wrong team. There'd be some justice handed down...
Oldschool justice.
|
|
|
Post by Dead Sidekick on Oct 25, 2009 4:34:31 GMT -5
Felicia looks up in the rearview mirror at Flashdance and says "Yes, I have a picture of Tommy. I'll show you when we get to the restaurant. If you see him tonight, tell him to get home!"
Then she looks over at Oldschool. "You're not much of a talker, are you?"
She laughs at Flashdance's question about "PBR" and says, "they've got all sorts of beers, imports and domestics. Why settle for Pabst? I'm a Heineken girl myself."
She pulls the Jeep into a three-story parking garage, across the street from a beautiful 19th Century seven-story tall marble and brick church, complete with five-story tall stained glass windows and belfry.
"We're here." As Felicia parks and turns off the car, the dashboard clock reads 8:41pm.
As Felicia leads the heroes across the street towards the church building, the smell of freshly baked pizza wafts through the air. Other than the smell, from the outside there are no signs that this church is a pizzeria. A cornerstone reads "Erected 1824 AD." But once inside, the interior is a lavish, upscale restaurant, with stairs leading up to additional seating areas on two upper levels. Upon the high ceilings are old painted religious murals.
Customers and waitstaff gawk at the costumed heroes. You hear someone say "Those guys were on the news earlier."
Felicia approaches the greeting hostess, an extremely attractive girl with fiery, shoulder-length red hair and green eyes, and they hug like old friends. She introduces the heroes to her friend. "Shelley is in my Cultural Anthropology class at CUNY. Shelley, this is Shockwave, Flashdance, and Oldschool. Is Giovanni around?"
Shelley presses a button on her podium and in a few moments, a well dressed dark haired man comes out of the dining area, and hugs Felicia and kisses her on the cheek, then warmly greets the heroes with a rolling Italian accent, shaking their hands. "Welcome to the Celestial Temple of Pizza, gentlemen. Prepare to eat the best pizza in the galaxy," he boasts. From the mouth-watering smell of coal fire-baked pizza in the air, he may just be right.
Felicia asks Giovanni to treat the heroes well. Giovanni teases Felicia about coming back to work for him and she swats him playfully on the forearm. "Oh stop it, Giovanni." He laughs heartily and says "we are so proud of you, Felicia. Assistant Curator of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. We should be seating you in the VIP section."
Giovanni then turns to the heroes, "Just one moment please," as he walks back into the dining area.
Felicia digs in her purse and produces a picture of her son, Tommy Bifrost, a brown-haired kid with bright blue eyes, wearing a NY Giants jersey. "That's my son Tommy, in 8th Grade, a couple of years ago. I'm afraid that's the most recent picture I have of him."
Felicia waits for the heroes to look at the picture before retrieving it and putting it back in her purse.
A few moments later, a spunky raven-haired girl arrives, carrying three menus. "I'm Greta. I'll be your server tonight. Right this way, gentlemen."
Felicia says goodbye to everyone and departs the restaurant.
Greta leads the heroes through the restaurant, and up three flights of stairs to the uppermost balcony, reserved for VIPs and private parties.
"I'll be back in a few moments for your order. May I get you started with drinks?"
The table is large, and surrounded by comfortable leather chairs. On the wall hang several framed autographed photos of celebrities. One picture is of the Avengers members Thor and Hercules, hoisting huge mugs of foamy beer as they stand on either side of Giovanni. Handwritten on the picture is "Thou hast slain my hunger with the finest pizza in Midgard - Thor"
The menus hold very delicious looking photos of fire-baked pizza, at a steep price. A simple 16" cheese and sauce pizza is nearly 30 dollars.
|
|
|
Post by shockwave on Oct 25, 2009 10:46:38 GMT -5
As Felicia shows the picture and prepares to leave, Shockwave says, "Wait. What was the tavern the Flashing Blades can be found at? You said it was near here, and I want to check it out after we talk here. Hopefully we can find Tommy there."
|
|
|
Post by Dead Sidekick on Oct 25, 2009 18:42:17 GMT -5
Felicia tenses at Shockwave's question in front of the other heroes, obviously embarrassed that her son is involved in a gang. She replies, "Hank's Tavern, on 7th Street, in the first floor of the old Schweineger's Furs building. They usually gather there around midnight. If he's there, make him go home. Please."
Felicia leaves the restaurant, looking over her shoulder at Shockwave.
As Felicia leaves, her friend Shelley the red haired greeting hostess leans close to Shockwave and whispers, "Always the exciting mysterious ones. I think she likes you."
=====
At the VIP table, the dark haired waitress Greta brings each of the heroes a very tall mug of beer, setting them on the table. "On the house, from Giovanni," she says. From her apron she produces silverware wrapped in fine linen cloth napkins for all three heroes. She then produces a small remote control from her apron pouch and presses a button and all of a sudden the clang and clatter of dishes and silverware and the din of restaurant conversation below drops to a low, barely intrusive background noise. She says "Captain America likes to eat in peace when the Avengers meet here for dinner. This upper section of the restaurant has a white noise generator installed, from an old Stark Industries factory. You can barely hear the restaurant, and they can't hear you at all. Perfect for privacy." Leaving the remote control on the table, she explains the functions. "This button turns the white noise generator on and off. And these," as she pushes a button a panel in the wall slides open, revealing a large television monitor, "controls the satellite TV. We have every channel. VIP restrooms are there on the left." She pushes another button and a red light on the stairwell begins flashing. "Push this button if you need me for anything."
She then produces a folded black cloth and hands it to Shockwave. Unfolding it reveals it to be a full head mask that ties in the back, like a luchador wrestler would wear, with eye holes and a wide open mouth hole to facilitate eating. "Iron Man used to use these," she says with a giggle.
"Now, can I start you all off with an appetizer or are you ready to order? I highly recommend the 42" Thorbuster."
|
|
|
Post by shockwave on Oct 25, 2009 21:11:01 GMT -5
Once Felicia is out of sight, Shockwave begins making a quick search of his bag, trying to see if anything is obviously missing or tampered with.
OOC: Intuition Role at Ex, just in case it's needed. [attack=645514181356492]
He is only half listening to the waitress as she starts into getting everything ready, until the white noise generator is mentioned. "Hmm, white noise...that is something I'll have to thinking about."
When the waitress reveals the cloth, Shockwave hesitates, confused until he realizes what it's purpose is. "You've really thought about everything haven't you. And I'll go with whatever is recommended. I'll be back in a moment. Oh, is there any kind of internet access up here? This will be a working meeting." Barely waiting for a response, he takes his bag and the mask and heads for the VIP restroom.
A couple of minutes later, he emerges with his armor replaced by a non-descript grey sweatsuit and the mask provided by the waitress. He carries a laptop under one arm and the duffel bag, open with the helm of the armor showing under his other. "I hope you all don't mind, but I'm going to need to do some cleanup and adjustments while we eat as well. I want to make sure everything is working again before heading to Hank's at midnight. I have a bad feeling something is going to go down there."
|
|
|
Post by TasK on Oct 25, 2009 21:23:56 GMT -5
Oldschool orders the Thorbuster and takes a deep drink of beer. He wipes the foam from his moustache before sighing contentedly.
"Been awhile since I had a beer..."
When Shockwave returns he shakes his head, 'no', that he does not mind. In fact he's more than a little curious about Shockwave's armor.
"Since it looks like were going to be working together, I thought it might be prudent to discuss our various skills and powers to work on some sort of game plan for our next encounter. I think we'd be a lot more able if we supported each other a little better next time, instead of acting like individuals... which was expected..."
"I can lift atleast ten tons and I've tested my skin to resist equal pressure, so I can take physical punishment. My health seems to regenerate, too. I'm an accomplished combatant and gymnast, believe it or not, though it came with my powers and not the result of any real training. Oh, I also have some serious eagle-eyes going on and heightened hearing, which is hilarious because I couldn't help but notice that both of your guys powers are related to causing me headaches! Heh. "
"On a non-power note, I'm a Mechanical Engineer with some skills in Weapon Design and I've spent some time in the Military, though most of it was in Weapon Development and not in the trenches. I've seen just enough death to know I don't like seeing it... hence, the hero activities, hoping I'll make a difference in someone's life one day..."
|
|
Flashdance
In(40) Member
![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star.png)
'Let's Dance!'
Posts: 236
|
Post by Flashdance on Oct 25, 2009 22:27:58 GMT -5
Flashdance looks at the mask that Shockwave recieved and comments "I wonder if they keep a supply of Aquanet on hand? All that fighting made my "doo" start to droop."
Seeing the "Thorbuster" show up, he eyes it hungerly and says to the waiter - "tell the owner thank-you! I was going to spring for the food, but do you have any idea how hard it is to get your wallet out of a skin-tight latex suit?"
He take a long, statisfying swig of the beer.
"Oh man... you have no idea how good that tastes. Seriously - make my next one a PBR, but this hits the spot."
After listening to Oldschool, FD says
"You sound like you can kick some serious butt, man! I am glad to be on your side. I'm afraid I don't have to much in the way of book skills. I did a couple semesters at a Big Ten college on a football scholarship, but getting a party education didn't seem to agree with getting a college education. So until *this* happened I worked a factory job. No regrets though. Factory work is good, honest labor, and until they started shutting plants down, gave boys like me a good shot at a living.
As far as my powers go, I can teleport. Maybe not as far as some of those more famous heros you see on TV, but what I lack in distance I make up for in speed, and of course the Flash thing. One cool trick I can do to is teleport others without having to go with them. It's easier if they want to, but hey - I can force it to. I'm still working on teleporting people without their stuff just so I can zap some bad guy into a crowd buck-nekked. Haven' figured it out yet, but I am getting closer...
Beyond that, I'm your basic run of the mill physically enhanced dude. I'm pretty strong - not as strong as you - but I can push up about a ton. Where I shine though, is I am really agile, and can outfight about anyone. It's hard to explain, but it's like those things were hardwired into me. Other than lot of bar fights I never had any formal martial arts. I can just do it now.
Oh yeah - I can stick to walls, and jump really far; both a by-product thingamajiggy that goes along with the teleporting.
In a fight I can do the front line thing but tend to get really good at the suprise ambush to soften people up for the heavy hitters. Oldschool; it sounds like you've been around the block. If we team up I'll take your lead in combat. Much respect for vets! By the way - you're both good people in my book. Call me Leroy."
|
|
|
Post by shockwave on Oct 25, 2009 23:24:00 GMT -5
Shockwave feels a bit uncomfortable with the mask, but is glad that it will at least give him a chance to eat. He takes a glance at the beer, but decides he'd better not in case there is trouble later at hanks. Those two probably have the constitution of a horse, and won't have a problem. I'm not so lucky.
He sets up away from the table in a corner, and begins laying out some parts of the armor, starting with the helm and gauntlets. "I'm going to work over here. I don't think the mud caked into this thing during the battle will mix well with that Thorbuster. I'll join you at the table as soon as I make sure this checks out alright."
He begins examining the helm of the armor, cleaning out caked in mud with a mix of paper towels, q-tips, alcohol, and a can of compressed air taken out of his computer maintenance kit in his bag. "Well, I'm..." Hmm, I guess I need a heroo name of somekind. Sound Man? No, that sounds like a techie working with a band? Sonic Warrior? Doesn't really roll off the toungue. Soundwave? Makes me think of old kids toys and cartoons. Shockwave...that might just work. "...you can call me Shockwave."
"As you've probably seen, my armor includes a sonic generator, which allows me to do a number of things, with a lot more theoretically possible. Using a sonic burst at specific amplitudes and frequencies it physically can damage objects or beings. It works on what I call the MATTER princicpal... Molecular Agitation Through Tone Enhanced Reverberation. Adjusting the frequency and wavelength, it can be used in a much more non-lethal manor, overloading the vestibulocochlear nerve and knocking someone unconscious without doing any more permanent damage. I've experimented with more broadband frequencies, allowing me to give a burst in all directions at once. Although it's not as intense as a focused wave and it's range isn't as good, it would allow me to affect everyone or everything nearby. In theory, that should also work with the overload signal as well, although I haven't had time to test that combination. The flight system is something I came up with as an alternate use of the generator. By projecting a constant high intensity sonic force, it actually can be used as a propulsion system. I have it set to use a high frequency projection of sound so that it's out of hearing range, but it's actually sound propelling the armor. Theoretically, the thrust should be enough to propel someone of my weight around 150 miles per hour, although I've never tested it anywhere near those speeds."
|
|
|
Post by TasK on Oct 25, 2009 23:59:28 GMT -5
Oldschool's eyes lit up with... Shockwave's description of his armor's capabilities. Shockwave sounded knowledgeable. He wasn't just a 'suit-jockey', he was someone who at the very least put the suit together. He tried to think of people he knew in the scientific community who were experts in the field of acoustics, engineers at least, but couldn't think of any off-hand.
Still, what Shockwave had done was impressive. More than impressive. He wondered how they had managed to keep that story under wraps. It was almost too significant of a scientific advance to go unnoticed. It smelled of heavy government cover-up, maybe even bigger.
He used to work for that government. There wasn't much they didn't know about. He wondered...
"If only Dr. James Lighthill could see you now, hey? As long as you aren't researching the 'Brown' note, I'm glad to have you around. You seem to have a real knack for taking theory and making it reality. A good man to have around... in fact, both of you are. I seen your work on the bus, Flashdance... quick, concise and to the point with an exclamation point. That thug looked like a bug hitting the windshield."
"Hey, looks like the grubs here!"
|
|