Ari

GM The arrows from Quarrel's bow whistled out of the clouded night sky, slamming into the unaware guards with tremendous force. The shafts hit four of the guards roughly in the head and stomachs, and sent them to the ground, gasping for breath in pain. Two of them were luckier, however, and the arrows struck them in the shoulder and sternum respectively. Thus more lightly discomforted, they let out the fatal shots, yelling for their comrades to come to the rescue and try to keep clear a path for the delegation to escape through. It was about then that the gas grenades had struck the ground, clattering in their roll along the concrete alleyway before that sound was drowned out by the hissing of the rapid escape of their contents, the dark fog that soon covered the alleyway, sending the guards into a rather restrained panic, calling out for each other's help as they tried to escape the obscuring cloud and get to a defensible position.

supersheep, sorry for getting to this so late. IN THE SURPRISE ROUND. Anyway, Quarrel hits every single last one of them. Damage save vs DC20: 6, 20, 6, 21, 14, 18. So 4 down, 2 withstood it.

The question hung in the air for almost a full minute before captain Mirta's reply. In the interim, her now-steely face showed not the slightest hint of what was passing through her mind, her earlier casual demeanor now seeming almost a kind of front or disguise. After what felt like around ten minutes, she said at last "We have no idea" Resting her chin on her knuckles she continued "There is no sign of energy build-up that would signify it was going to fire some kind of weapon, there's no distortion around it that would indicate it was warping space, there isn't even a change in the drift of nearby asteroids or meteorites. Nothing it is doing can be interpreted as being offensive in any way. But the simple fact is that we haven't a clue what it would look like if it was. It follows no known pattern of construction that the we know the Preservers used, only the materials used and the technology used by the security systems. As far as we can tell, they have an incredibly rudimentary AI for most of the facility that we can overpower in the unsecured regions of the complex, which that energy thing seems to be able to override. It shows no sign of understanding the idea of attacking, it just locks doors it doesn't want you to go through and kills you if try to deviate from the course it sets" she threw up her hands in exasperation "There is no way we can discern to defeat the energy source, only work around it, and that leaves us with a frankly sub-standard planet-side base with minimal amenities or resources worth stationing a research team there" Her dark orange eyes flicked between display and the semi-circle of heroes "Preserver technology is actually fairly easy to use once you learn the programming language, and I've been authorized to give each of you one of these" she took a sleek white briefcase-like object out from under the table and placed four small rectangular objects on the table, one in front of each of the heroes. "These will allow you interact with the complex's computer system, just insert it into the slots you'll find at about shoulder-height, they have a blue ring around them, nowhere else is that color used for some reason. They will, if you use them right, bring up a holographic keyboard and monitor that you can use to input commands in English that will be translated back into Preserver. Please keep in mind that it is a very stupid AI, and will do ANYTHING you tell it to immediately, so make sure to ask for the go-ahead before doing anything like turning off life support" An abrupt jolt in the very bones of the four seemed to be felt by the captain too, as she stood up and tapped a yellow button on her belt. A short burst of beeps seemed to satisfy her and she said simply "We've reached Neptune, if you have any further questions please ask them, I'm wanted on the bridge" the sight of the blue giant out of the nearby windows seemed to bear her words out, as did the distant gleam of two other Lor starcraft.

Checks out. The boards are made of wood, so they get a +3 Toughness save.

Alright then, so the order is: Omen: 31 King of Suits: 28 Guard#9: 21 Quarrel: 20 Guard#7: 18 Guard#11: 12 Guard#10: 11 Guard#8: 7 Guard#12: 6 Begin Round One.

The shot struck El Heraldo fairly well, leaving a light bruising in it's wake and sending him a few inches back through the air. Gritting his teeth, Subito glared at Looking Glass, more out of irritation that she'd pull a trick like that than at the negligible hurt the well-aimed shot had managed to do. The act had fooled him too, which was an embarrassment Thank you for your protection, Blue Dame he sent his grateful message as he always did when his powers rescued him. Think nothing of it, merely doing as we must came the usual reply. Then the shots echoed through the mall, and his anger(and the usual feelings of injured pride that accompany a sneak attack) was pushed aside to be replaced by horror at a possible death! He soon saw the tableau left by the shot placed by the thug(Really, I must find out who these men are and where she hired them. Might help forestall future occurrences he thought, wondering vaguely if that was the right use for the word 'forestall'), the man bleeding from a wound in his leg sent pretty much all thought but 'help out' from his brain. Unfortunately, the Blue Dame had made clear that if he wanted to access the full might available to him, he would have to wait a time to gain the power to heal, meaning the most he could offer at the moment was encouragement. "Fight on, gallant in gray!We'll beat them yet, the battle hasn't even begun!" he hollered, hoping his voice wasn't as recognizable to anyone else as it seemed to him, brandishing the Bandera as it unfurled to its full glory of red and white.

TOU check: 22, 1 Bruise. Going to use Inspire for G-Stunt and Net Fly, spending a HP. Net Fly and G-Stunt each get a +4 "...bonus to all attack rolls, saving throws and checks for the following round" pg.62 Core Rules.

Quite so. The guards are going to be played by the Soldier archetype from the Core Rules with the Profession(Soldier) Skill put in Intimidate instead for a total rank of 6. Their Initiatives: 15, 4, 10, 9, 5, 20, 18, 7, 21, 11, 12, 6. KoS's Initiative: 28.

Nodding firmly the King of Suits whipped smoke grenades from the sleeves in his cape, throwing them with impeccable accuracy at the feet of the watchers below, the canisters, their pins pulled sharply from their fastenings, releasing their cargo of dark smoke into the alleyway for several yards in every direction. As the gunmen coughed and scattered, trying to escape the blanketing mass. While the chaos below slowly escalated, Marceau fired a grapple line to the roof just above the window that was his destination, aiming to catch Omen if the younger man missed his shot. Once he had a secure handhold, he called to the other vigilante "Ready!"

Alright, if we're all agreed on this, Kingy will throw down a smoke bomb onto the heads of the guardsmen on the west side of the warehouse and then make a Move Action onto the warehouse roof of Number 4.

Stunned almost into silence by the baffling sight that met his eyes, El Heraldo just managed to reply "Well, uh...I think the blonde lady is responsible for this. Lemme talk to her" so saying, he floated towards her until he was a few feet from her position and dressed the lovely woman. "Miss, I'm El Heraldo. I'd like to know who you are and why you and your..associates are stealing from this store. Please understand that if you try to keep me from apprehending you for this should you refuse to stop, I will not hesitate to beat you and your entire gang senseless" He then awaited her response, the flag slowly swirling despite the lack of wind.

Okay then, he's going to make a Free Action to speak to Looking Glass, and a Move Action to..move.

GM Fiat times! One HP awarded to each for the setback caused. CAN Fulcrum beat these douches into the ground? WILL they stay still enough to be hit? HOW will El Heraldo manage to contribute after being smacked into the water? Okay, so for now El Heraldo is Dazed. Fortunately, he can't drown, so no fear there. Using the Evil Robot from the Core Rules for the Yellow-Eyed Black Slabs of Armor. with the Skills traded out for Flight 7, and 20 points of INT traded for Concealment 8(Auditory Senses) and Immovable 4.

Subito clutched the prow of the boat, slowly maneuvering around the side to get at the crates containing the captured supers. The going was quite easy due to his flight capability, and it was only the sudden rocking of the boat as the kidnappers raced onto it that stopped him, mainly due to having no idea what was going on. Once the shouted orders made the situation clear, he slipped aboard, ready to fight...and then Fulcrum's freezing breath enveloped the ship in icy cold! Protected by the Blue Dame's power, he was still cold, and hefted the Bandera, ready to bring the kidnappers to justice. It was about then that the fist sent him crashing into the ocean! A cold, harsh fist struck the side of his head with terrific force, sending him crashing from the boat into the waters of the bay. The black armored figure that had committed the assault turned a pair of cool yellow eyes at Fulcrum, and silently floated over towards her, while its compatriot fired a sort of heat ray that melted the ice encasing the ship and kidnappers! Thus freed, the boat's engine roared to life, and was soon racing for the open ocean! The two figures silently arrayed themselves against Fulcrum, their impassive yellow eyes and smooth black bodies betraying no emotion if one was being felt.

"You were punching those arcade cabinets" Subito declared simply, pointing at the dented and bloodied screens "What did you see, and why did you try to punch it? Come on" he said more gently "This is Freedom City, this stuff happens, I'll be happy to help yo-" his words were cut off by the sudden blast of noise from the alarm on the third floor, which slammed into his super-sensitive ears like a hammer. Stepping quickly away, he told them "If somebody asks you what happened, please try to be as complete as you can. It will help 'em a lot" so saying, he stepped into the crowd outside the arcade, gripped the flag he carried hidden in his shirt and asked silently Blue Dame, I need your power to fight something that is a danger to these people The answer was immediate Granted A burst of golden mist burst from the crowd's midst, and as nobody had seen him enter the group, none knew who the young man in the blue and yellow costume bearing the insignia of a ram was, as carrying a massive banner bearing the flag of Puerto Rico he thundered "People of Freedom City, take heart! Not on this day, nor any other to come shall you be abandoned to monsters!" soaring up to level three, he followed his powerful hearing to the jewelry store where the alarm originated. He was deeply frightened for all his loudness. Who was to say that the enemy wasn't impervious to his blows? he could only hope...

El Heraldo's Initiative: 6, dang.

GM The reverberations at Fulcrum's landing sent tremors all along the dock, and that alone would have made a definite impression without the cool menace that followed each word like the drip of poison. Every single grey-coated man stared for about three second. Then they looked at each other. Then they looked back at Fulcrum. Then they dropped the crates and bolted for the boat, Mike yelling into his radio for reinforcements, cursing furiously when he received word that the assistance couldn't get there immediately. Meanwhile, high above the chaos, two sleek, dark figures cruised silently towards the figure crouched at the prow of the boat carrying the flag...

Okay, let's say the Mysterious Agents need to make a Will save to keep from freaking out when Fulcrum shows up, DC is 20: Not a one of them make it. They drop the crates they have left(3)and bolt for the ship!

"They are almost nothing but reactive and organized. Certain sections, even the ones in black, we can move about as we please unless we attempt to interact with the surrounding computer banks and doors. Simply put, it appears to be trying to guide us in every direction except towards the center of the complex. Several teams have reported(and the scanners of our ships confirm)that there is some kind of coherent energy wave that directs the use of the various security measures" another tap of buttons, and the schematic was overlaid with pastel yellow tentacles that pulsated slowly, moving at incredible speeds through the complex, changing the danger-levels seemingly at random as five red dots trekked comparatively slowly through it. "This is a recording being made in real time several days ago. Note," she continued, as the dots moved through a red corridor on the fifth level unhindered in the direction of a strange throbbing purple mass on the very edge of the display "observe what happens when you try to approach the center" The red dots approached one of the doors, and a floating white lock symbol appeared above it. With lightening movements, the yellow tentacles filled the outline of the hallway, and the red dots disappeared. Captain Mirta turned back to the heroes "Those were the first soldiers we lost. The rest perished in an attempt to retrieve their bodies once we learned that the field that protects it prevents us from telelporting things out as well as in. The door to that hallway was locked and they blasted it open. They died instantly, at least" she sighed and sank down into the tall-backed white chair behind her, which activated and floated up against the table "As you can see, the situation is rather beyond us. The field..repulses any kind of attack we could make on it from our ships, and besides, we don't want to risk activating a weapon if that's what this is"

Notice check: 21, passes.

The bar was by now light as a feather, so Subito switched it to twice as much as before, the now-800lbs. of pressure pressing down gave much more encouragement to wandering thoughts. "So, do they ask for viewers to send in requests for match-ups? Because those don't seem all that level. On a different topic, what d'you think of the janitor, Mr. Faulks? Does he seem..creepy to you, or is it just me?"

Subito was well used to making snap decisions that often had regrettable effects. This, however, was something he had never had the occasion to prepare for, and for more than five seconds he stared at the bizarre scene unfolding. At last, however, he mastered himself and said to Serge "Quick! I'll get those two guys away from the cabinets, you deal with that pool and get that guy away from the mirror!" and with that, he flung himself on the two youths, whipped an arm around each of their midsections and pulled them away from whatever terrible vision they were beholding. Once they were nearer to the tables, he turned to them angrily "What were you doing? Why were you attacking the games? What did you see?" he demanded, a feeling in his gut telling him that Whatever-It-Was might very easily be related to some kind of super-villain attack.

"Simple" the King replied briskly, and whipping out a playing card and a pen, he clicked the writing instrument into readiness and scribbled down the following: I am the King of Suits, I have no powers but I do have some experience dealing with armed criminals. The other is called Omen and is associated with Foreshadow, I assume he is a protege of the vigilante. I believe I have a better plan: I and Omen will throw smoke bombs down at the guards, and then swing through the boarded-up window on the side of the warehouse the Mafia people are in- see other side> he flipped it over and continued -adjacent to me and Omen. We will capture the delegates, secure them, and then assist you in apprehending as many of the guards as we can. If you wish to inform us of a better plan, please write it on whatever surface you can fire over with the pen I'll send your way. Regards, K.o.S. That done, he twirled the two items in his hands before throwing them with impeccable accuracy onto the rooftop where the figure of Quarrel could be made out. Turning to Omen he said brightly "Well, now if Archer there-" he stopped, adding as an aside "Who knows? Maybe that's their name. Really, I once met a bow-wielding hero named Archer in regular life" coughing a little he finished "-has a better plan, they'll let us know in a moment" Dropping into a crouch, he observed the stars with a deep intensity. He often wondered if people could really tel the future with them, though that seemed to defy several well-established material principle. He tensed himself as he listened for the whine of an arrow or the crack of a gun.

At the motions the archer made, Marceau glanced sharply down at the regularly-spaced thugs. Glancing over to Omen he muttered "I think they want us to make a sneak attack on those guys down there, lure them away and subdue them quietly to make gaps in their lines while that archer weakens them further by drawing them off himself. That sound like a good idea to you? Because I think it might be better to just throw some smoke bombs down there, grapple into the building through one of those boarded-up windows, and attack the delegate parties that way while the archer deals with the guards int he confusion" he looked at Omen "What do you think?" He personally didn't want to have to be anywhere near people using guns, but if he had to he knew he'd feel better about it if he was at closer quarters, as that meant he would be in the chaos of close-quarters combat, and wouldn't be hindered by his absolute terror and possible flashbacks. In fact, sometimes the sheer chaos had helped him, by removing him from abstract fears like failing missions and giving him the immediate goal of getting that gun out of that guy's hand. He had to admit though, that he was slowly getting more and more comfortable around firearms, and could now spend more than three minutes being shot at with little ill effect. That aside, there was important work to do, and he eased the boomerangs and smoke bombs in his belt in case they needed to be used instantly.

Blinking in surprise(with a slight flash of disappointment at learning the nigh-legendary Foreshadow wasn't attending), the King of Suits shrugged, and cheerfully thrust forward his gloved hand "The King of Suits, at your assistance Omen! I take it you already know about the reason for the meeting? About Oliverti and Driogano trying to patch things up and all that?" he scanned the rooftops and stiffened when he saw a hooded and masked figure holding a bow. "Hmm. I think we might have another party here Omen. Would you like me to talk to them, you want to go or should we proceed as a company to propose an alliance? I doubt he's int he pay of the Mob, they'd never let an agent of theirs wear a mask like that"