Still Not Safe [M&M 2nd ed]

[Drascin]

Andy gets near Omoikane and looks at it intently. He doesn't trust this. The thing had fallen far too quickly - he's half-expecting it to suddenly rise again and attack the distracted humans.

"...Commander, this seems too easy. I would recommend caution for at least the following five minutes - or better yet let's just nuke it whole just to be sure. It might have just fainted from the blows, and I wouldn't like it if it got up when we turned our backs" Then something strikes him.

"Hey, Lorne, was it? You had sensors, didn't you? Does this thing still ping in your radar?"

And then, of course, there's the other one. These always came in pairs, but nobody had detected it yet. It couldn't be coming through the ground, could it? They were supposed to be unable to go through the earth for some reason.

[Haven]

"We shouldn't let our guard down yet. That was far too easy."

Lorne is incredibly skeptical of the thought that the SE is destroyed. He first looks at it, attempting to discern if there are any, say, infrared point sources crawling beneath its surface or something, followed by aerially surveying the area within his visual range to make sure there aren't, for instance, any monsters coming at them. Failing that, he descends to within 20 feet of the SE to use his armor's chemical analysis suite (("analytical smell," awesome)) on the target to see if there are any anamolies there. And keeps his body-tight corrosive aura up, in case a giant tentacle lunges out of the carcass at him.

[kamikasei]

Cat lets out a long, misting breath, looking uncertain.

"Is it really down? Did we do it?" She sounds less surprised that it was so 'easy' than questioning what they should do next. She remains in armour, though the standing wave at her feet flows up and freezes into place around the plates of her armour.

Standing in place, she scans the area. "Do we need to dispose of it before the Earth-based SE shows up? Is there still a risk if they touch?"

[Tengu_temp]

Emi lets out a sigh of relief, and takes several steps towards the Bravo group - the first time she moved significantly from her spot after the combat started. She doesn't go very far, though, as she starts to hesitate - those people might need her healing powers, but what if some of them are...? She's too nervous to finish the though.
"Damnit!" Emi shakes her head, trying to gain confidence, and speaks on the radio. "Emergency response squad, do you need help with the wounded?"

[Fri]

"...Commander, this seems too easy. I would recommend caution for at least the following five minutes - or better yet let's just nuke it whole just to be sure. It might have just fainted from the blows, and I wouldn't like it if it got up when we turned our backs" Then something strikes him.

"Don't mind that now. Let's help Emi to evacuate the wounded."

[ChronicLunacy]

Ben Brooks

Ben stood up from where he had landed in the middle of the ruined remains of SE 01B. There was that clear gunk from the inside of the creature, most likely its blood, all around him, but any that touched Infernal Requiem sizzled and burned right off in a cloud of foul-smelling steam. With the temperature radiating outward from Ben's armor, those looking at him could only see him as if he was standing far away on hot pavement, with waving lines of invisible heat obscuring and distorting his form. The only thing they could see clearly was the t-visor on his helmet, which glowed a burning crimson color. Looking disdainfully at the disgusting remains of the shifting entity, Ben began marching back toward the others. The fire weapon that had been in his hand had disappeared on impact with the creature, but any nearby flames that had survived the low temperature outside of Ben's immediate vicinity were drawn to him as he passed, swirling around him in a vague orbit.

[Cubey]

Lorne's analysis shows that 01B was made from unknown substances. You detect traces of Sophium, mostly in the central crystal - but it doesn't help that it slowly disintegrates before your very eyes. The shard that Todd holds gets visibly smaller every second. The rest of the body decomposes slower, but the process is still there.
Other than that, all hints you managed to collect point to one conclusion - the beast is dead.

"Our current theories say that both SEs have to be conscious when they make contact. This is no longer the case, so we have an excellent opportunity. We can observe what does 01A decide to do after it appears. When detected, we will perform observation rather than interception - unless it deliberately acts against the human population." The Commander answers all voices of concern, after giving it a short moment of thought.

The response team quickly runs towards the fallen troopers. "Open the suit!" "Hello? Can you hear me?" "There is a response here!" "What a mess..."
Someone stands in front of Emi, and whomever else decides to help as well - the leader of the Bravo team, in her mark II suit with a lowered visor.
"Our response squad are pros, they know what they're doing. You really shouldn't be here..." She turns to look at the resulting chaos, with people trying to turn over the seemingly lifeless Alloy Suits and retrieve bodies from within them. "I'll be straightforward. You won't help, you'll only puke. Sorry."

"Hey, this guy's alive!" "Urgh, that arm's a mess..." "We need to get them to a hospital immediatelly!" "Stay with me, soldier!" "Most wounds are from crushing. These monsters weren't able to cut through the suit, only squeeze it." In the distance you can see that the squad managed to open up all three suits and extract bloodied (no details can be seen unless you come closer - maybe it's for the better) people from within, putting them on stretchers and applying all kinds of medical procedures. There is already a medical chopper above them, preparing to land.

"Reporting." You hear a voice in the radio. It's the Charlie squad leader. "All three casualties are alive. Tough guys, huh? But it won't last if they don't get life support. We're getting them out now."

Some medical personnel get on the helicopter, as well as obviously the wounded. It takes off, but when it manages to move less than 100 feet away from the place of action...
"Warning! SE detected!" Mission control suddenly announces!

Something starts to happen, right between you and the whole group of SECT members who helped with the wounded. A huge... thing... leaps out of the pavement! It resembles a giant spider, 4 meters tall and at least just as long. Except that spider limbs do not resemble very thin and long human arms, down to the hands. An unnerving grimace of pain is visible on its face all the time - a face that is almost human, save for spidery eyes. Doubly unnerving is the fact that the face, and the whole being in fact, seems to be upside-down by default.
The SE faces you and screams horribly. The scream carries emotions of pain, longing and absolute loss.

Spoiler

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DC 25 will check or you feel depressed - Shaken for a failed save (-2 to attack, defense and checks), absolutely hopeless if you fail by 10 or more (cannot take actions at all). Fearless doesn't help against it - it's not fear but despair.

Lorne: (1d20+8)[23]
Ben: (1d20+5)[10]
Todd: (1d20+5)[8]
Emi: (1d20+10)[25]
James: (1d20+0)[5]
Andy: (1d20+11)[24]
Cat: (1d20+10)[22]
If you don't like the roll, you can reroll with a Hero Point - if you have any left.

As for other people, the scream works quite well on them - most of them seem so overcome with despair that they cannot act to do anything... this includes not only Laura Ericks, but also the helicopter pilot - the machine cannot fly and crashes to the ground. It doesn't explode, but it still looks very dangerous.

The spider... thing... screams a second time as something that looks like large shards of glass slash into its flesh-colored carapace. They come from a direction away from the parking lot and the highway - where, at the edge of your visibility, a lone black figure stands.

(Roll initiative, you can make your actions for this round - those of you who aren't left in despair.)

[Fri]

*Ba-Dump*

No...

Just as James turned to help Emi, he falls to his knees.

*Ba-Dump*

Supernatural feeling of despair overtaken James.

"Everyone..."

[Fri]

Spoiler

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Flaming Chicken Courage!

(1d20+10)[16]

But despair can also be a source of power...

"Sarah..."

In the darkness of the night, it stands. Its red scarfs flutters against the cosmic horror's scream, its beak glitters like a beacon of hope, its plumage rises like a striking red flag. It slowly moves toward Ben.

"Everyone! On me! We can stand this!"

(Emotion: Hope! Burst centered on The Grey Fowl!)


If a chicken can stand this, everyone can.

[Haven]

Lorne is incredibly disturbed by the thing's appearance and its screams, but not so much that he doesn't react to its appearance. He shifts his armor's focus to it, and...

Initiative: (1d20+2)[6]

((OOC: Would I have a chance to react to the helicopter losing control? If so I'll switch to Telekinesis and use that to try to at least cushion its descent. In any case, analyzing the SE, switching it to my Nemesis, and what I do in the round depends on what power I get. Also, can I see what the lone figure with the glass shards is? I should be able to since my vision is ten times normal.))

[ChronicLunacy]

Ben Brooks

"YYyyeeeaaAAAGh!" Ben cried out in pain as his head throbbed and twisted, foreign emotions spiking into his brain and overwriting his normal mental activity. He fell to one knee, clutching at his helmet with both hands. "No...NO! I can't...AAah!!" He pounded his gloved fists against the ground, crackng it explosively, then put his head against the pavement and tried to cover his helmet with his arms.

Spoiler

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No Hero Points left, so just let me know when I can act again.

[Matar]

((I take it we are in no turn order still?))

"I feel your dispair! I feel your suffering! I feel your sadness! However, do not think for even a moment that you are the only one here who feels that way! The pain you feel now is only a small taste of what your kind has brought upon humantiy!

For a moment it would seem that Todd is overcome with dispair, however even with tears streaming down his face, he knows what must be done. He charges at the beast, and when gets close to it he reaches out and grabs it, using all the force in his body to bring it down to the ground.

"Know that what you feel now is what we fight against, and know that what we fight for... IS HOPE!"

Spoiler

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Grappling/Pin: [roll]1d20[/roll]

+10+9-2

[Cubey]

Lorne receives Emotion Control (Area - burst, Extended range x2) 2 and Enhanced Feat - Evasion x2.
You can try to cushion the helicopter's fall with Telekinesis.

(everyone acts in roughly the same time in this round, but since round 2, initiative will come into play. So everyone, roll for it)

[Matar]

((Rolling...))

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Ini: (1d20+10)[27]

[Haven]

Enhanced Feat - Evasion x2.

((Well that's good news.))

Upon seeing the helicopter begin to fall, Aeolus' arm cannon quickly retracts, and an aperture appears on the palm of the left hand. Holding it out, Lorne telekinetically cushions the helicopter's fall.

"My analysis suggests it has some sort of area attack, so spread out. W-we can beat this thing!"

He takes to the skies a hundred feet above the monstrosity, and continues to scan it for weaknesses.

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((While I'm at it, I'll make an Intelligence check for a Master Plan to be deployed after we get rid of that pesky despair.))

(1d20+7)[12]

[Cubey]

Lorne tries to cushion the helicopter, and is only moderately successful - your telekinesis is not strong enough and it still crashes. But you know that you reduced its acceleration somewhat, so the damage would be worse if you didn't do that.
Your analysis on the human-spider SE brings results: not only can it manipulate others' emotions (which you felt already), it has lots of long range area attack abilities. Its offensive and defensive capabilities are balanced - and way stronger than those of a single Shifter.
The black PSA you noticed has next to no features, except for carapace-like armor placed on random parts of the body. What parts are not covered by armor seem to visibly bulge out in flesh-like texture, but they're still uniformly black. Your keen senses allowed you to notice that the whole pattern of armored and fleshy parts seems to slowly change at random. The silhouette of this Shifter is tall and very thin.

Todd tries to wrestle the SE down, but it jumps back before he has a chance to grasp it with his arms. It's fast!
(There are OOC discussions on what exactly should James do, so I won't post the result of his action yet.)

[kamikasei]

Cat takes an involuntary step back, shuddering. The warped touches of near-humanity visible in the new SE are much more disturbing than the simple alienness of the Kraken. That had been a monster - this was a horror.

Her gorge rises in her throat and tears bead and freeze, unnoticed, in the corners of her eyes. Even if they can beat this thing, will it matter? Isn't it bad enough already that such a twisted mockery can exist at all? Haven't the Entities - a face seen through ice-covered glass flashes across her mind's eye - haven't they taken enough from them already?

"Gaaaah!" she cries out, slashing her arms crosswise at the creature in an emphatic gesture of rejection, eyes tightly shut. Ice forms around its feet, attempting to freeze it in place.

Spoiler

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Initiative - (1d20+18)[20]

Attack - (1d20)[3] - +8, presumably, unless something lifts the Shaken effect first, in which case +10.

Attempting to Snare the SE.

[Tengu_temp]

Emi lowers her head.
"If they need immediate medical attention, I could help them at least somewhat...", she mutters. Once again, she feels unneeded - even though the part about barfing probably was true.

And then the other SE appears!
Initiative - (1d20+9)[29]

"Aaaah! No!" Emi bends over from hearing the howl, clutching her head.
"I... I..." With effort, she manages to look up at the horrid creature... And then something inside her changes. "I am not afraid of you!" Standing up, she points her hand at the SE, and a variety of irregular shards of green and blue crystal - pointy and sharp shards - appears in the air around her. And then they rush forward, towards the monster!

Attack - (1d20+10)[17]

[Cubey]

Unfortunately, both Cat and Emi miss horribly. This one is much more agile than the previous, which was a barely moving behemoth.

[Drascin]

Andrés is completely surprised by the sprouting of the SE, and doesn't have time to steel himself before the wave of despair rushes him. He falls to one knee, clutching his head, as the tendrils of despair attack him.

However, the thing has made a slight error. Some people, when faced with hopelessness, react with apathy, sadness, or fear.

Adrés's instinctive reaction to hopelessness, to something in which he has problems to believe, is pure, simple, primal rage.

"Ah... ah... ragh... rrrrrraaaaaAAAAAAAAAH!" he screams, most of his rational mind gone, as he punches the ground with enough force to create a crater. But something in this, somehow, revitalizes some people. It's subtle, and nobody notices, but he hasn't given up yet - and as long as a hero doesn't give up, hopelessness is just a coward's excuse! "GET... THE ****... OUTTA MY HEAD!" he keeps screaming as he runs forward towards the spider, steps sounding like an avalanche going down a mountain. His attacks are uncontrolled and clumsy, his martial abilities completely forgotten.

Spoiler

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Initiative - (1d20+0)[12]
Attack - (1d20+13)[32] (Strike 1 Mighty + Linked Stun 10)

He's still shaken, but, in Andy tradition, he tries to fight it off by getting really, really angry. Still have the -2 to everything, though. C'mon Fri, let the **** sing a song of hope!

Those asterisks are obviously a male chicken, by the way. Stupid word filter.

[Cubey]

Andy's furious charge is surprisingly effective - the SE was too busy avoiding others' attacks and it was caught totally off guard. His blind hits cause cracks on the carapace to appear, and the SE tries to cover its head in pain. (1 injury + stun)

Suddenly, the aura of lingering despair disappears! Everyone is able to act and think normally again!
(Round 2 starts now) 01A seems to shake the stun off, and the cracked carapace slowly reforms.

The black figure jumps a few feet into the air and flies into melee with incredible speed, changing direction and spinning to confuse the opponent. It charges into the enemy with a powerful uppercut, followed by more mighty blows - kicks, punches, even powerful headbutts. 01A cannot withstand this assault and falls to the ground - the figure immediately acts on that, as its hands start to shine with bright white light. Both of them punch the Shifting Entity's thorax - causing the shine to move into 01A, and causing a devastating effect. Whole areas of the SE's body turn into glass, and immediately break into millions of small shards. All that is left is several seperated bodyparts that twitch spasmodically for a second, before stopping any movement at all.

The figure's face is fully concealed by uniform black, but it looks in Andres' direction. Wordlessly.

(Everyone can see how this new Shifter looks like now, not only Lorne.)

[Matar]

Todd walks over to the shattered body and picks up one of the glass like shards, hoping that this one won't just vanish like the others. He doesn't seem amazed or confused by the new comer at all.

"So, that was a huge let down. I was hoping for something a bit more explosive... but this works."

[Tengu_temp]

That was so quick...
Emi looks at the newcomer.
"Who are you? Are you Devon?"

[Drascin]

With a huge headache left by the excess of adrenaline used to fight off the SE, Andrés looks at the newcomer. She seems familiar, he's read the description somewhere... His rattled memory throws him a name.

"The famous Devon, I presume?" he holds the gaze pretty well - or so is to be presumed, since the God's helm doesn't really have an eye slit as much as carved statue eyes through which you can't really see Andy's. "Thanks for the help. It caught us completely unaware. Miss Ericks was asking for you earlier, too.". He sounds slightly tired, but otherwise pretty calm.

[Cubey]

"I was tracking this." The figure speaks - the voice is female, and also completely devoid of any emotion. "You wouldn't be able to kill it as easily as I did."

"Devon...! You came!" Laura confirms your speculation with a desperate, but somehow relieved exclamation. There is no reaction other than Devon turning her back on you and slowly walking away.

"Do you do this because you want to, or because you are told to?" She says, not even bothering to face you.

Some of the MSAS troopers have regained their senses, and are commenting on the situation. Some wonder what exactly happened, but you can capture a quiet: "Wow, she's still a total pain in the ass..."

Others quickly go to the fallen helicopter. Some inside it might need help - badly.

"SE... 01A has been neutralized." The operator finally announces.

[Drascin]

Andy is rather taken aback by the manners (and lack thereafter) of the newcomer, but still answers.

"Who, me? Because I want to, obviously. I happen to have a power that can be used to help others. Hence, I do" his voice is a bit garbled by the rumbling of the God, but it's still easy to perceive the "duh" tone. Surprisingly enough, this seems to be the voice of a man who isn't just doing such thing because of duty, but of one who honestly can't really fathom doing anything else under the circumstances.

[Matar]

"Oh come on man!"

Todd pokes Andy in the side a couple, seemingly annoyed by his simple response.

"Put some more power into it! Fill your voice with passion! What would the great hero Kamina say if he heard such a simple answer as to why you fight?!"

Todd gives your head a friendly thump.

"I need to help you work on that man, like, badly."

[Tengu_temp]

The battle is over now, but Emi does not feel satisfaction or relief - her fatigue has finally kicked in, though. She sits down underneath the closest wall and pulls her arms around her knees.
"She came in, stole the show and defeated that thing effortlessly - why are we even needed here? I can't even help with the wounded because I'm not a trained professional and would only puke. Yay."

[Fri]

Dusting his armor, James stands coolly.

"That was quite...."

The Grey Fowl combs its plumage backward.

"quite an anti climax."

[Cubey]

"Don't say that." Commander Clayton's voice sounds over the radio, coming from your amplifiers. The voice is harsher than usual, but it soon mellows down to his normal, empathic tone. "You all performed excellent today - if it was not for you, the mission would fail for sure. Two SEs could even join and create another catastrophe - 01A was closer than we speculated... it emerged from the Earth itself, that's terrible news for us. Ladies and gentlemen - the strongest are those who know when to ask for help. Everyone has their job to do - only fools try to do everything themselves. Devon... doesn't understand that."
"A transport will arrive soon for everyone of you. A team will remain on the area to secure the terrain and search for knowledge we might use against further attacks - it seems we need it badly, with the amount of surprises we had today. I have decided to move you, as members of our best Shifter squad, to our new headquarters. When you arrive home, prepare personal belongings that you want to take with you - you will be transported to the HQ in..." A pause. He might be checking his watch. "Less than 54 hours. SECT will take care of all the official paperwork. This is all - Richard Clayton out."

Surprisingly, nobody tries to stop Devon. Some SECT operatives look like they wonder about that too, but everyone just lets her go into the darkness.

"I..." Laura looks quite shocked by everything that happened recently. But she snaps out of it. "The helicopter! What happened with the wounded?"

"Don't worry." A calm voice comes from behind her. She almost jumps nervously, then turns around to see who said that - it is Frank Symes, still in his suit. He doesn't seem to have even a scratch on himself.
"Everyone inside survived. The wounded, too. Nobody received a serious injury - I do not understand why, but we have your powers to thank for that." His gaze falls on all of you, one by one. Finally, he nods in approval.
"If our plan went well, I'd be a crisp now. But the SE knew where you were hiding. We must discover why. But it's not my job - I am only a soldier."

"When they fought these giant flowers... The Great Pretender fortified their physical endurance... so they won't get wounded." Laura's explanation seems directed to no one, maybe it was just a thought said out-loud. "I'm so glad!" For the first time since you met her, her smile looks sincere.

(You can talk with yourself or the others, or try to search around for clues. If you want the time to progress further, say so.)