Still Not Safe [M&M 2nd ed]

[kamikasei]

"I'll try to take out some of those tendrils while I get in to position!" Cat radios back at the others. "Ben, let's see if you can fight fire with fire!"

[Drascin]

Andrés says something in Spanish on being startled by the SE - it's obvious by his tone it wasn't something very nice, either. But when the ray vanishes, he's in front of the whole group. He himself hadn't even realized, he just... stepped forward to shield the others, unconsciously. Good thing Laura vanished it.

"Okay, new plan: throw everything at it and **** this thing over really quick! Todd! Throw me to the head!" he jumps sideways to leave open way for the others (and Cat blasts off through instantly, apparently) and runs towards Todd, to give him some extra momentum on throw. If Todd's ready, he will then jump right before reaching him and make himself as much as possible into a spiky ball of doom so he can grab him easier.

[Tengu_temp]

Nobody can see it, obviously, but Emi's eyes widen underneath the helmet once she sees what is going on around here.
So that is what those things were for! Change of plans...

"I won't let you do that!"
She reaches out with her right hand into the tendrils' direction - something starts to shimmer in the air around it, and swirling green and blue energy appears in the air above them, suddenly crystalizing into a huge, rough shape of an open hand, which falls down on the creatures! Emi takes extra care it won't accidentally squash any allies, and it stays there after the fall, so it can grant cover, and its spread fingers guarantee stability so it won't topple over.

(Create object 10, used for attack.)

[Cubey]

A tendril, ending with a "flower bud", blocks Ben's strike. He cleaves the bud into two, getting sprayed with a transparent, colorless liquid for the trouble (but it seems to be harmless). The tendril falls down, lifeless.

The hand created by Emi squishes most of the buds. Some fly out of its way, the tendril propelling them like a flagellum, and one manages to wriggle its way from under the hand for a total of seven survivors. The rest are lifeless, their fluid soiling the parking lot's pavement.

(Drascin: Andy may be able to perform a Standard action after Todd throws him. Probably right after the impact, or maybe during it.)

[Drascin]

(Drascin: Andy may be able to perform a Standard action after Todd throws him. Probably right after the impact, or maybe during it.)

((Do I get a +1 for momentum if I falconpunch on landing?

Nah, but seriously, that was the idea, yeah. It takes a smash from me flying into it, and then I start bashing its theorethical face in))

[Fri]

(sorry for the waiting. Sleepy and too tired for the fluff, maybe later. I guess range isn't important here?)

James jumps and kicks one of the tendrils as hard as he can for the opening show.

Spoiler

Show

[roll0] power attack shattering fowl kick

[Fri]

Spoiler

Show

goddamnit. (1d20)[2]

edit: this is so unfair...

[Matar]

"Okay, new plan: throw everything at it and **** this thing over really quick! Todd! Throw me to the head!" he jumps sideways to leave open way for the others (and Cat blasts off through instantly, apparently) and runs towards Todd, to give him some extra momentum on throw. If Todd's ready, he will then jump right before reaching him and make himself as much as possible into a spiky ball of doom so he can grab him easier.

(Sorry about that guys, I needed sleep .__. Still do >_>. So heh, if this isn't up to par sorreh.)

"That's the spirit! RUMBLING SPEAR OF THE EARTH GOD!"

As Andy ran past Todd quickly grabed him from behind. He used the moment to send himself into a spin. If there were any doubts about his strength they were certainly lifted now. Todd used the extra moment from the spin to send Andy flying like a rocket straight at the SE.

(1d20+10)[18]

[Matar]

((Uh, I guess i'm supposed to say what I am doing in the spoilers before the roll? Uh.))

Spoiler

Show

Throw: Andy, improvised weapon.

-edit: Figured it out >_>.

[Cubey]

Unfortunately, James misses horribly - the tendril curls up out of harm's way.
Todd lifts Andy up and throws him in a powerful toss. Despite having its eye focused elsewhere (on Lorne), the SE seems to anticipate it - the War God's flight path is blocked by all the remaining buds. Andy's momentum is enough to burst two of them apart, but he loses it after that and falls to the ground, not being able to do anything else. At least you could count the remaining (still alive) tendrils - nine of them.

The SE charges up again, unleashing a meltingly hot (although more bearable this time, due to extremely low temperatures around it - it's almost like the extremes cancelled each other out) beam of fiery death. This time it's directed at Lorne though, and deals no damage. He hardly feels anything, too.
"Watch out! Lorne, are you alright?" It's the commander. He sounds incredulous - apparently he gets readings from your amplifiers' life function diagnosis subsystems.

The seven disembodied tendrils crash into Bravo team - the agents were too focused on offense to dodge at all, like if they could in their clunky suits... The "flower buds" open wide and bite into them like maws, accompanied by loud and agonizing human screams. "Send... emergency response... yeeargh!" The female squad leader gasps into her communicator. You can see the only mark II suit grabbing its Hector tracking harpoon - and thrusting it into the flower bud, causing it to fall down to the ground. Three other Alloy Suit operatives struggle as well, but are less successful. As for the rest - one is on the ground, and the remaining two are limp and don't do anything. All of them are being steadily crushed between the buds' petals... or perhaps "jaws" would be more appropriate as a term.

Frank shoots into the Bravo-and-tendrils fray (yes, he's alright), using only one hand and running as fast as the suit allows. Unfortunately, he misses. Charlie squad is close enough to the SE, and so they fire their harpoons - the remaining tendrils block them, so there is no damage to the main body - but two more tendrils are lethally pierced and collapse lifeless.

"Ah... ah...." Laura seems to not take the buds' attack on Bravo squad very well. She moves into their direction, floating above the ground soundlessly. Light mist similar to hers surrounds the struggling agents briefly, but there is no other visible effect.

It is your turn to react now.
The Master Plan's bonus faded to +1. It will disappear completely in the next turn.

[ChronicLunacy]

Ben Brooks

"You'll run out of tendrils eventually, monster." Ben remarked as he shot in again, leaving a trail of fire across the air. At the last second he pulled up above the creature and flipped his fire sword up so he was holding it by the blade and brought his other hand over to grab the hilt. Then he seemed to twist the fire-blade apart into two pieces and the material expanded into a tightly packed firestorm flowing between his palms. He threw his arms forward and pointed his hands at the creature's eye, focusing that firestorm into a searing beam of flame that speared downward at it. The beam didn't stay straight like a spear, but curled into the form of a long, Chinese dragon as it twisted and flowed toward its target, its maw opened in a roar of crackling flame.

Spoiler

Show

Blast 10: (1d20+11)[27]

[Cubey]

It could be that the attack is dealt from too high a position, but no tendril moves in to intercept Ben's fiery blast. The beam hits the SE's black surface - and doesn't leave even a scratch. There is no visible damage.

[Matar]

Todd grunts. The Rumbling Spear of the earth god didn't work?! Blasphemy! He hated having to use this so soon, it took alot out of him and left him off guard. However, the sooner he got rid of all the tentacles the better.

"Guys! Watch my back! This **** takes alot out of me! And get the hell outta the way!"

Todd jumps straight for the underside of the monster, intent on taking out all of the tentacles at once, as well as doing as much damage as possible to the main body as well. His entire body is covered by a blinding green light, and with a mighty shout he unleashes the full force of his attack on the underside of the beast.

"Harlequin Explostion!"

For a breif moment the city was painted green.

Spoiler

Show

Move action: Jumping
Standard action: Corrosion

Fort/Toughness save. If failed, reduce toughness by 10 in 50 foot burst.

Targets in a (Strength bonus x) feet area burst must make a (Reflex = to 10+STR mod) or become dazzled.

Unreliable: May only be used five times before you need to recharge.
Distracing: You lose your dodge bonus until next round.
Fades: After every use you lose one rank, until recharge.

[Cubey]

Small cracks appear on the SE's underside. Translucent liquid immediately starts to drip from them.
(It received 1 injury)
The effect was disasterous for 01B's tendrils - most of them have fallen off, and they lie on the ground, dead. There are only two left, for some reason saved from the attack.

Many of you were too far to be caught in Todd's attack, and others had cover provided by the SE's massive body. But there are exceptions - Andy gets caught in the blast (1 bruise + auditory dazzle - you are deaf, make a fortitude save vs DC 19 each round to fight it off), and the thunderclap reaches Catriona and James (but the reflex save was passed for both of you, so no negative effects here).

[kamikasei]

Cat shrugs off the shockwave from Todd's dramatic attack, entirely focused on the task before her so that the details of her teammates' actions are barely on the edge of her awareness. All her attention is directed towards Bravo squad, her arms uplifted as if conducting an orchestra. Above the melee, water begins to bead, as if condensing on an invisible roof...

"Bravo, heads up!"

With a sweeping downthrust of her arms, Cat turns the gathered water into a swarm of icicles, sending them lancing down among the tendrils below.

(('Blizzard', Area attack (selective) with 50' radius, +10 reflex, +10 damage))

[Fri]

"You're lucky now, cosmic horror tentacle thingyyy..." James said in his deep and cool voice as he flies way, way out of the chart.

The grey humanoid chicken lands and kneel gracefully. With scarf fluttering he springs up, and look at the tentacles with his cold eyes of wild jungle bird.

Ignoring what his comrades are doing now, he focus her mind and stands in a martial stance before running toward the squeamish thingamablob again.

"Crow, Grey Fowl. Let the devil flee from your voice!" the cold tone came from the glittering beak of the grey armor. If voice could have color (or there are people with synesthesia around there), it will be a cold, slate gray of a voice. "Shattering Fowl Kick!"

Spoiler

Show

(1d20)[4] again, shattering fowl kick toward the remaining tentacle

[Cubey]

Cat's icicle rain skewers most of the tendrils. There is only one remaining - it managed to avoid the projectiles, dodging while still carrying a limp SECT member body.
James misses, but for a smaller margin than before.

(I forgot to mention, the two remaining tendrils that Todd attacked are not dazzled. The main body, however, is - it does not act any different because of that, though.
Also note, you can take 10 on attacking minions.)

[Matar]

Todd was on the ground, trying to lift his body up. His breathing was ragged, but he didn't seem to be in any pain.

"Guys! There are cracks on it's underside! ATTACK IT'S WEAK POINT FOR MASSIVE DAMAGE!"

[Drascin]

Adrés lands with a huge CRASH, cracking the pavement around him, and then throws the tendril he had ripped off away without even looking at it. He looks at the SE. His face is obscured by the helm, but if anyone could see it, by now it's an ode to rage and frustration. He was never too good with his temper, and this thing - this damnable, revolting, unnatural piece of **** - was already hurting others, and had completely stopped his attack. And his ears ring like crazy - he was so occupied pulling that he didn't even notice Todd's explosion coming until it was too late. Ouch.

[roll=1d20+11]Fortitude roll[/roll]

Whatever, really. He clenches his teeth and runs forward again, pain only pushing him forward, shouting "Gaia! Heed my voice!" as he raises his hand. There's a rumbling, and he running-jumps just in time to land in the beginning of an irregular rock pillar as it sprouts very fast upward, crashing through the concrete, right below Kraken - and grows very fast towards the crack in Kraken's armor, with one ton of very angry Andy on top of it. If the remaining tendrils don't intercept him, he wil use the upwards momentum and his own huge strangth to deal a shattering earthquake punch straight at it, completely ignoring his own defense.

"Die already! TITAN'S... HAMMER!"

[roll=1d20+11]Attack Roll - All Out Power Attack for 5[/roll]

Spoiler

Show

(Strike 1 Mighty+ Linked Paralyze 10 (Alternate save - Toughness))
Since it's Power Attack for full, Save against 30 for damage and 25 against being rendered unable to act for a couple rounds by the vibratory attack.

[kamikasei]

Cat watches the remaining tendril and its burden as she continues to circle around the SE, before switching her attention back fully to Kraken.

"Is someone in position to help Bravo with that last thing? I'm going to try hitting the main body. Ben, were you able to do anything?"

Water droplets begin to gather about her hands - more, it would seem, than can be accounted for by the reduction in the ice on her armour.

[Cubey]

Andres feels that his fist rips through the outer shell and runs deeper, into something soft... and very hot. Huge cracks appear all over the SE.

And then, the outer shell explodes. Its black shards fly around in a killer rain of sharp, deadly objects. MSAS squads are not in range of this maelstorm - but you all are.

Spoiler

Show

DC 17 reflex save, DC 30/22 toughness save. I've decied to roll for everyone already - if you want to improve any of the rolls with Extra Effort or a Hero Point, please mention that in a post.
Andy shaked off the dazzle, and he regenerated 1 bruise received from Todd's attack. The SE is stunned, staggered and disabled - but not paralyzed.

Lorne
Reflex: (1d20+7)[26]
Toughness: (1d20+10)[24]

Ben (has Evasion 2)
Reflex: (1d20+10)[27]
Toughness: (1d20+10)[24]

Todd
Reflex: (1d20+10)[22]
Toughness: (1d20+10)[24]

Emi (has Evasion)
Reflex: (1d20+10)[11]
Toughness: (1d20+10)[30]

James (has Evasion 2)
Reflex: (1d20+9)[23]
Toughness: (1d20+9)[13]

Andy
Reflex: (1d20-5)[9]
Toughness: (1d20+12)[16]

Cat (has Evasion 2)
Reflex: (1d20+10)[15]
Toughness: (1d20+10)[17]

The SE's shell remains only in fragments, that stick to the outside like black spikes. You can see its inside - a cream-colored fleshy substance that used to held the outside surface in its place. In the center of the Shifting Entity is situated a red crystal, larger than a man and so hot that it is literally burning. The two remaining tendrils have been cut off by the shell's explosion, but it seems there were 6 such additional tendrils inside the SE - they are thicker and do not look like they're going to separate from its flesh, but still end in "flower buds" - although these ones are open. The whole form of the SE is dripping with colorless, translucent fluid.

[Fri]

"Curse you you tentacled monstrosityyy..." roars James as he swished past the monster once again. But as previously, he backflips, land gracefully, and kneels.

As he dances gracefully against the dangerous shards, James quips."By the way, Andres" he says. "I heard that you like mythologies... Any idea what should we call this one?"

[Tengu_temp]

Oh God, no... It's my fault...
After hearing the screams Emi stands there, paralyzed with terror - only getting showered with the rain of shards, which miraculously does nothing to her and only bounces harmlessly off her armor, makes her return to her senses.

"I, I'm gonna do it...!", she answers Cat, raising both hands into the direction of the last bud. Two long, crystalline spears appear in front of her, floating in the air, and rush towards the creature.

Spoiler

Show

Precise Autofire Blast 10, crits on 19-20
All-Out Attack 5
(1d20+16)[24]
Depending on the result I might use Extra Effort to Surge.

[Cubey]

Emi's spears strike unerringly, basically ripping the bud into smaller pieces. The trooper body that it carried falls to the ground - but it's only a few feet so the impact shouldn't hurt the agent inside the suit that much... if whomever is inside is still alive.

[Drascin]

Andy smashes his punch into the SE with a scream of rage, crashing its outer shell and smiling avidly when he feels the squishy stuff inside... and then feels it pulse for a moment, and sees it crack all around. He's seen enough monsters die in series to realize what comes next, but he's too near and too slow and the only thing he has time for is to take the arm back and cross both arms in front of him as an instinctive shield as he goes "Oh, mie-!" *BOOM*.

He, obviously, is blasted away by the strength of the explosion and many shards smashing into his armor at point blank, falling off his pillar and rolling on the ground for a distance before he can manage to stop himself. He gets up slowly, his armor hissing from the heat. "...ouch. Stupid. Shoulda seen that one coming". But at least the hit has cooled him down significantly, and he isn't truly hurt. He looks at the situation.

"Those tentacles look more dangerous than the others. Let's cut them off before..." he then hears James's message. "Uh? Oh, right. Up to now I was calling him Kraken, but with all the autonomous tendrils it's starting to make me feel like I'm fighting a dozen different things and not a huge squid, and then there's the fact its insides seem made in Surt's forge itself" Andy's head is still a bit rattled, and it doesn't quite throw him any valid names. "So for now, I'm going with Omoikane. Take out the fire, and the comparison's pretty apt". His head finally clears a bit and he starts running forward to rejoing the melee.

((Plus that way we honor the Evangelion tradition of giving divine names to murderous aliens .)).

[ChronicLunacy]

Ben Brooks

"Nice work, Andy!" Ben said, impressed, from where he was above the thing. He had managed to slide to the right in midair and pull off a triple aerial in order to avoid the flying pieces of armor that exploded off of the thing, and now he was in a perfect position to attack again. That red crystal in the center looked like a prime target if they were going to finish it off, but he didn't think a blast of fire was going to particularly work this time. Fortunately, he had an idea.

Ben held a hand straight out to his side, perpendicular to the line of his body, and grasped at a section of the fiery aura that had remained flowing around his form. The fire froze for a moment, and then flowed into the shape of a khatar, a punching dagger, around his fist, darkening just a bit where he touched it so it looked like something physical. "Time to end this." he thought aloud as he began sprinting directly down at the creature, like he was running down the side of a skyscraper. He aimed directly for the crystal, thrusting his hand straight at it and trying to add the momentum of his motion into it. He was moving so fast he looked like a bright orange-red dart spearing right into the heart of the SE.

Spoiler

Show

Using Extra Effort to attack twice this round. Spending Hero Point to avoid Fatigue.
Charging/All-Out Attack/Power Attack Strike 10 (-7 Defense[+3], +2 Attack [+12], +5 Damage DC [Strike 15])
Strike: (1d20+12)[29]+1 from Master Plan = 30

[Haven]

That worked? This suit is as amazing in combat as it is in training!

I am unharmed, Commander! Lorne broadcasts, a hint of exuberance in his voice.

After narrowly dodging the thing's exploding shell, Lorne raises his left arm and aims; internal turbines spin and a blast of the air his suit generates fires straight at the red crystal.

(1d20+13)[30]

Spoiler

Show

Assuming the thing still fires heat blasts, I'll use a move action to do the same trick as last round, but taking 10--giving me a result of 21 (+15 acrobatics bonus, -5 for move action, +1 from the commander's master plan)

[Cubey]

Although Lorne's trickery is unsuccessful this time (probably because the SE is too wounded to pay attention), his wind blast allows the crystal to cool a bit. This lets Ben charge at it so mightily that... the crystal breaks into shards.

Without any warning, SE 01B flops down to the ground, lifeless. Whomever is close gets sprayed with its internal liquid - it's not pretty, but rather harmless. As the SE's body quickly cools down, it suddenly becomes really cold around it. Catriona's environmental effect is still working, after all.

"SE 01B neutralized. Congratulations on a job well done." The mission control lady sounds relieved.

"Alright! We did it!" "Kickass!" "Get the emergency response squad here!" A voice of reason strikes through the victory cries of the MSAS squads. But it was unnecessary - several SECT operatives carrying medical and tech equipment already run towards Bravo squad.

"Is it... really over...?" Laura's surprise is obvious.

[Matar]

Todd walks over to the shards and picks one up. 'I wonder if I can make something out of this...'. He's still in his armor, and doesn't transform back. The earth SE hasn't shown up yet, and if Saturday cartoon shows have taught him anything something always pops out after a fight like this.

"I don't trust this..." Todd mutters. He wasn't talking to any in particular, but he wasn't exactly talking to himself either. "That was too easy. Besides, fights with monsters never end like this."

Todd laughs, having obviously enjoyed the fight, if not being a little disappointed.

"Or, who knows? Maybe the heroes are gonna get a break this time."

[Fri]

The Grey Fowl stands and combs its red plumage coolly with his fingers.

"Mission Accomplished..."