Earth-52 IC

[Sophistemon]

Lock-Up

The child's insults wash over the vigilante like a chill breeze - unpleasant, but ultimately not worthy of agonizing over. Instead of replying, he simply leans his bulk against a nearby wall and sighs, releasing the tension brought about by the night's strenuous activities. He needs a shower and a good night's sleep, and he hopes that he'd be able to get both before too long. He does eventually look over at Deadshot. "I've been meaning to ask you how you miniaturized the payloads of your utility grenades. I can't seem to get mine that small; they can't fit on the belt, so I rarely bring them along with me."

[industrious]

Firewall

The kid tenses, hands dropping to a sword (really? Who gives a kid a sword?) on his belt, before he hears an achem from a certain member of the Bat-family. He slinks, off, muttering of the terrible fates that would befall all of them.

"...I despise all of you."

Batgirl watches the kid go, pity in her eyes.

"Be easy on the kid. He...never had a childhood."

"Maybe we should give him a hug?"

"...No. Just...no. On so many levels. He's a creep and a little perv, and an awful person. But you learn who he is...you're kind of happy he didn't turn out worse."

The Spoiler, despite her costume covering everything, gives off the sense of being extremely frazzled and in further awe.

"...I took her for a spin in the Compact. And she drove the way back."

"Dear Princess Celestia," their version of Stephanie states. "Today I learned that alternate dimensions of you who can drive are totally awesome. Also, I learnt that just because the other you can drive really well, doesn't mean that you don't have to practice to get better at it. And that practicing in an armored car is always a good idea."

Batgirl snorts at her counterparts words, then presses a key on the computer, revealing Luigi curled into a ball as panels retreat from his form.

"Lieutenant Walker? I'm going to need to talk to you in the other room. If you please?"

The Question

Renee smiles, the two of their noses almost touching, tells Kate; in broad strokes, and with just enough details that she can fill in the blanks.

The death of her partner by a corrupt cop. Finding the murderer, gun in hand. Quitting the force. Drinks. Despair. Hope in the form of a faceless man. Adventures. The rekindling of a lost love.

A beautiful, fantastic story. And at the end of it, Renee gives her a kiss, and they both fall asleep.

[DeafnotDumb]

Lieutenant Walker

"I still want to give the kid a hug." Katherine says thoughtfully. "His reaction would be so worth it."

Walker gives the Stephanie-Batgirl a look of true pity as she learns of the impromptou driving lesson, and resolves to get her Steph some driving lessons once they get back homne. And she's got a new car. And more insurance. And some armour, and a back-up ambulance, and...would Lock-Up mind if she burrowed his wagon?

But listening to Spoiler talk about Princess Celestia, Katherine knows there is some good news at last: she will finally be able to pin ownership of the DVD collection in her appartment on someone that isn't her, especially if she can get the girl to not blab to all of the MCU about the kind of shows their supeior watches. Batgirl-Stepanie's voice distracts the policewoman from these thoughts, and she nods at the girl and follows her into the other room.
"Don't cause any trouble, Kid!" She yells back to the younger, stupider Stephanine, and follows the Batgirl. It's easier to think of the two as rather separate people, rather than accept the idea that this vilgilante is Stephanie's final fate. She'd like the kid to have ideas other than that.

She doesn't give Luigi's form a second glance. The others can deal with that, and right now any distraction from who he is is good for her.

"What's it?" She says when they're alone.

[Terron]

Luigi uncurls and stands, casually dusting himself off. "Thanks... I guess..." he says. Too late, Batgirl and Lt. Walker walked away already. The inquisitive looks of the others demanded an explanation, and Luigi was not unpolite. He offered one: "I guess I offended her with a bad joke..." and scratches the back of his head.

[industrious]

Batgirl

The two move out of earshot of the other heroes-Deadshot included.

"Not a good idea. He'll try to stab you. Out of habit, not malice."

She looks like pitying the little jerk again.

"Anyway, not why I'm talking to you. I've got a few things to tell you, and I want you to get them. Here goes."

She looks Walker dead in the eye when she speaks. Their Stephanie doesn't do that. Not really.

"I don't like you. I think you're a rude, misanthropic lady who really, really doesn't like my counterpart over there. And that's fine; if you were in this world, I would go one way, and you'd go the other, and everything would be all fine and dandy. But you aren't."

Her gaze flickers back to the Spoiler, who is slightly swaying due to exhaustion and nerves.

"She looks up to you. I don't know why, but she does. And what's more...her mom isn't getting clean like she did in my world. And she isn't going to. I don't like you, but this is important. I want you to take care of her, and support her, and be as good to her as you can, because growing up, nobody did that for me. I didn't have anyone that I could touch to look up to, and I made a lot of stupid mistakes because of it. I want her to be even better than me. Don't disappoint her. Or I'll figure out a way to cross dimensions, and kick your ass. Got it?"

[DeafnotDumb]

Lietenant Walker

"Oh, come on," Walker snaps, a burst of characteristic irritation rising to the surface, "I bloody well told bloody Gordon I'd do it! I keep my promises! Why do people keep on acting like I'm not going to help her?"

Well, some part of her mind supplies, maybe it was all the swearing. And the grouchiness. And the habitual pushing away of anyone who she hadn't known for at least five years, even if they were a damaged teenage girl with enough and insecurities to fill a truck...

Walker covers her eyes and moans softly in realization. She was going to kill Gordon twice over now, she knew. Once for saddling her with Stephanie. And the second time for saddling Stephanie with her.

"Miss.... Batgirl...." Walker starts carefully. "I don't mind Stephanie. I don't mind her stupidity, or her intelligence, or her dreadful cheerfulness, or her courage or even her insecurities, even if being insecure around me is like feeling guilty around a murderer. But nobody ever told me I'd have to look after her, or that she'd be dumb enough to look up to me, the end result being that I have this thing I can muck up a dozen different ways and no idea what to do." She throws up her hands in a mixture of despair and anger. "I'm a cop! I'm not a caretaker or a, a, a people person! When I interact with kids their parents call the other police to come take me away! People tell me I'm doing this wrong. That's obvious. I might be slow to see it, but that's obvious. But it would be nice if someone somewhere could give me a clue as to how to do it right."

It's a request for help. It may be covered in angry words and denial, but at least it's an admisison of imperfection. Walker suddenly deflates, her arms dropping to her sides with a sigh. "Look, just give me a bloody idea of where to start. I've had her a day and already I've blown up at her for no good reason."

[industrious]

Stephanie

"You can start by letting her know that you don't mind her. The way she told me, you think she's a burden that you got handed by your boss. She wants someone to approve of her, at least a little."

And then Batgirl presses a button, and rises on a panel out of view.

((Everybody get a post in and we'll be nearly done with the arc))

[Terron]

Luigi just stands there. Knowing he had followed the path of a criminal in this reality, and that it ended paying off with death, made him more determined about the path he had decided to undertake; even if so far it had paid off with abuse and humiliation.

[Sophistemon]

Lock-Up
Status: healthy.

While the others speak, Bolton excuses himself and follows after the boy. He's an obvious tail, making no effort to hide himself, despite having the skills to make his bulky form less noticeable. He wants to speak to the child, and he wants the exchange to be as open and honest as possible. It's best, then, to refrain from hiding his intentions. Assuming he gets close enough to Damien to speak without raising his voice, he'll say the following: "Don't be alarmed. I just want to talk."

(1d20)[9]

[industrious]

Damian Wayne

The boy glares at him with a skill that Linda Blair would envy. The sword, suddenly drawn and tip pointing in the direction of Bolton's genitalia doesn't hurt either.

"Joy. The criminal wants to talk. From the way you normally are, I can only assume that your version of Brown has made you even more pathetic."

[Sophistemon]

Lock-Up
Status: healthy.

It doesn't matter if you wear an armored combat suit or not, having a sword pointed at your no-no place is disconcerting. In response to this unpleasant stimuli, Bolton raises both of his hands in a placating gesture. "I just want to talk," he repeats. And then, almost reflexively in defense of himself, he says: "I'm not a criminal. My dimension is different from yours. I walk another road than the Lock-Up you know." He lowers his hands. "That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about."

[Bruendor_Cavescout]

The Question

For the first time in many months, Kate slept contentedly. Morning came far too early, and the sun's rays were the bane of every nocturnal vigilante. Kate awoke before Renee, and she winced silently at the light encroaching on their room. She laid there beside Renee for some time, watching her sleep.

You have to tell her. You'll never have a second chance.

She closed her green eyes, and inhaled deeply. She sighed in resignation - it was true. She had something else to get off her chest, and she'd be a fool if she didn't use this time now to do it.

She laid there for sometime until Renee awoke, smiling despite herself as the Hispanic woman stretched from her slumber.

"Renee, you shared something secret with me last night. I want to tell you something as well." Kate sat up in the bed, not really looking at Renee, trying to figure out exactly where to begin.

"I told you a bit about how this all happened, how my Renee's death very nearly pushed me over the edge. There's more to it. The last time we were together - she and I - we had a fight. A big, nasty one. I was pressuring her to come out, and she had some very big problems with that. There was a lot of yelling. Some things got broken.

She ran her hand through her short red hair as she paused to collect herself before continuing. "It wasn't the first time we'd fought, and I figured we'd either make up or decide that it was time to end this thing. I figured we'd decide either to keep working at this, or throw in the towel."

"That was the night she was killed."

Kate stopped for a time, trying to keep herself calm and collected, but it was tough. She'd been bearing this weight for five years, and her voice wavered at the prospect of being freed. Finally, she continued. "To make it worse, I couldn't mourn her, not publicly. Her last wishes to me was to keep her sexuality a secret, and my appearance at her funeral would have raised far too many questions."

"That's what caused it for me. That's what drove me to put on a mask. Things have changed over the last five years for me, but I always wonder what would have happened if I'd had one more chance." Kate turned back to Renee, biting her lower lip. "One more chance to say, 'I'm sorry. Can you forgive me?'"

She rubbed her eyes, which had clearly been staring into the sun too long judging by their moistness, and continued. "I know you're not her, and this....this can't last. Hell, for all I know, she and I might have broken up the week after all of that happened. But I have to ask, Renee. Do you think she would have forgiven me?"

Spoiler

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JIC: (1d20)[2]

[ChronicLunacy]

Deadshot

Deadshot busied himself by alternating between staring at Batgirl's ass-ets, listening to the conversation between her and Walker if his mask's enhanced auditory pickups could make it out, and trying to look up the biography of this particular universe's Deadshot to get some history on himself. If he caught Spoiler giving him the stink eye he just sort of shrugged in a way that said he couldn't help himself before focusing back on the computer terminal in front of him. Luigi had been given access, so he had the idea that he'd be able to just go right into the database, but if not he wasn't above asking Luigi for help logging on.

[industrious]

Deadshot

He reads everything.

The shot that he had made but his counterpart had lost. His brother, now dead.

Being a member of the Suicide Squad.

Assassinating a US Senator.

Having a daughter.

And more.

This is who he is, in this world. An assassin for hire. With, the file on him notes "possible suicidal tendencies."

He isn't sure when he fainted, but he didn't. Real men pass out. They don't faint.

Damian Wayne

"There is a perfectly serviceable database behind you with all the information you need. You'll excuse me if I really can't find any motivation to tell it to you personally."

That kid was going to cause him to bust a nerve. And cause him kneel over like an old man. Or now. The last thing Lock-Up sees is Robin's eyes widening at something behind him.

Kate Kane

"I think..."

She frowns, pensive for a moment.

"That you loved her. And she loved you. Sometimes it isn't enough. Sometimes it is. I can't tell you what she'd have done. I can tell you that she wouldn't want you dwelling on it so long after the fac..."

The door bursts open.

The hiss of gas.

Nothing.

Katherine and Luigi

So caught up in thought, in reflective action that they barely even notice falling asleep until a split second before.

Everybody, Location Unknown

They stir awake at the same time.

The area around them is pitch black, and there is little sound save that of running water. From its echoes, they're underground somewhere. Some sort of cavern. A single, long, tapered candle set in wrought iron provides light in the form of a dim circle, small enough that they can cluster around it and see each other, but little further.

Kate frantically tries to cover her face, only to touch the pseudoderm, and realizes that she's back in her normal guise of the Question. Conversely, Deadshot's infravision, and Lock-Up's nightvision goggles have been gone.

There is blur of motion at the edges of the candle. And then that, too, vanishes.

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Roll initiative, please.

[Bruendor_Cavescout]

The Question

Feeling pseudoderm on her face is in the first moment a relief to Kate, but a concern immediately after that. Whoever did this wants me to be The Question. What the HELL is going on here?

She rose to her feet quickly, and the blur of motion just beyond the range of sight concerned her. "Back to back. There's something out there." She took a defensive pose, and waited for everyone else to find their footing.

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Standing up, readying an action to strike at anything hostile (and possibly lycanthropic).
JIC: (1d20)[17]

[Terron]

Like a spring doll, Luigi's back on his feet in a blink. His hands search for his weapons under his trenchcoat, as he tries to make out where does the sound comes from. "Wonderful..." he mutters under his breath.

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Using instant up to stand up as a free action.
Will make a notice check of 21 to figure something of the figures that blurred out of sight when his turn comes, and if nothing shows up then, he'll ready an action, depending on which weapons he has with him.

[Sophistemon]

Lock-Up
Status: healthy
Hero Points: 2

Robin's eyes widen in surprise, and if it weren't for the opaque lenses that covers then, Bolton almost imagines that he could see the reflection of what caused it. But then he's unconscious, for a while, until he awakens in a dark room just in time for the candle to go out. "Damn," he swears. "Okay, don't panic. I've got night-vision goggles in my..." The reinforced pouch on his belt, which should requires a special signal from his gloves to open, is empty. "...Damn!" He turns his back to the others and stares out into the darkness so that his eyes can adjust to the lack of light. Before too long, he can make out basic shapes. His voice drops to a whisper. "Does anyone know where we are, or what time it is?" Then he gets an idea. "How about a cell phone? Lieutenant Walker, do you have a cell phone? We could use the light to get a look around."

Actions:

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• Standard: I'm going to allocate one of my Polymath points to the Blind-Fight feat. I was considering Environmental Adaptation (Darkness) but I don't know if that would work, so let's stick to the basics for now.
• Skill Check (Notice): (1d20+8)[20]
• Just in Case: (1d20)[14]

[ChronicLunacy]

Deadshot

"My infravision's been disabled, but they left the rest of my equipment. Someone wants to play a game with us." Deadshot commented wryly. The small flashlight on his smart phone came up and added a little to the candle's illumination. He also checked the display on the touchscreen for the time and date. "Someone tear off a piece of your clothes and make a torch. I'd do it, but my armor doesn't burn very well." he said as he started sweeping the room with the phone light. He kept both arms up, one holding the phone and the other pointing his gauntlet gun at the same spot in case anything ran through the light.

[industrious]

???

The blur appears once more, striking out at Deadshot's wrist, and at such an angle that attempting to see anything other than a vague black shape would be useless.

It vanishes shortly afterwords, with nothing to indicate where it would next appear.

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Attack Roll:(1d20+17)[30]
DC 20 Toughness Save (Damage Effect) AND DC 17 Fort Save (Stun)

[ChronicLunacy]

Deadshot
Defense: 22
Condition: Dazed

"Gah!" Deadshot held the wrist holding the phone and took two stumbling steps back, blundering into Lock-Up. "Good news, it doesn't pack much of a whallop...Bad news...some sort of energy field or pressure point whatjamahootzit something...can't move very well all of a sudden!" he managed to breathe out as his muscles visibly clenched, spasming painfully.

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Toughness (DC20): (1d20+8)[28]
Fortitude (DC17): (1d20+8)[13]

[Sophistemon]

Lock-Up
-Defense: DC25
-Status: Healthy
-Hero Points: 2

Bolton twists around to catch Deadshot, arresting his stumble before the gunslinger falls to the floor. "Damn," he swears, again. "Did you get a good look at it? Or any look?" If anyone's going to be tearing their clothes for torches, it isn't going to be Lock-Up. His suit is made up of equal parts Kevlar weave, ceramic plating, and shear-thickening fluid layers. What's more than that, it's coated with fire retardant. Not much good for burning. And then he has an idea. "Deadshot," he whispers, just low enough so that the other vigilante can hear him due to their close proximity. "Do you have any flash-bang grenades?" While speaking, Bolton reaches to his own belt and un-clips his nightstick. He hefts the cudgel in his hand and feels strangely reassured by its weight. Freudian connotations notwithstanding, there's just something about holding a club that makes you feel powerful. "All right," he says, his voice a half-pound of gravel and broken glass held in a bag made of steel wool. "I know you're out there. Deadshot's a distance fighter, and even he says you hit like a child. No wonder you hide yourself in the dark. How about you go toe-to-toe with me for a few rounds? We'll see how tough you are with a few dents in your head."

Actions:

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• Move: None.
• Standard: Using Polymath to acquire the Defensive Attack feat; using it for -5 DMG/+5 DEF. Attacking with the Nightstick is now a DC10. To hit Lock-Up requires a DC25.
• Free Action: Irritating our adversary for gits and shiggles.

[ChronicLunacy]

Deadshot
Defense: 22
Condition: Unharmed

"No, just a blur. I can hear something out there, though...moving real fast. Can't get a bead on it yet." he steadied himself. "Only scratched me. Give me half a sec."

"Negatory, only brought the tear gas. Haven't had time to switch my loadout." he whispered back as he brought himself back to a full standing position using Lock-Up's shoulder for support. He seemed much steadier on his feet now.

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Notice (Extended Sight and Hearing): (1d20+16)[27]
JIC:(1d20)[10]

[industrious]

Spoiler

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Remember that all of you who don't have uncanny dodge or something similiar are considered flat-footed.

???

They kindly oblige Lock-Up; all of them can see a metal pole descend upon the arm clutching the quarterstaff.

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Attack: (1d20+10)[14]
Reroll in OOC thread (29)
DC 21 Toughness Save

Question's Turn

[Bruendor_Cavescout]

The Question

Great, what are we fighting? Some low-level speedster martial artist? Why wait until we're conscious to attack, when they could have easily finished us off when we were unconscious? I'm liking this less and less. Kate grimaced beneath her mask, and crouched in a ready stance. Venturing out of the dim light would be a poor choice, so she waited until she saw another of the concealed assailants before grabbing at him and pulling him into the light.

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Action: Ready action for someone to make an attack within her reach, then grab them and grapple them (however that works in M&M).
JIC: (1d20)[11]

[Terron]

It was pretty clear. No light, no way to tell where the assaliant was, save for the pole that came out of the dark.
He had been in worst than that. Couldn't remember now exactly when, but it didn't matter now. Luigi's trenchcoat flapped open, and the ex gangster had his black ebony crossbow in his hand. With a "thang!" a bolt fly in the direction of the pole, if Luigi's estimation was correct, and assuming a flat surface, the bolt would create an explosion that wouldn't engulf any of his team-mates, while probably catching the enemy in the area of effect, and if it didn't, it would create enough light to at least see what was attacking them for a brief moment. It was also possible that if the attacker was using night vision goggles, it would get flared by the sudden burst of light.

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Using explosive bolt, so that the area of effect doesn't catch any of us, in the general direction of where the pole came.
Burst 10x10 squares, Dmg DC: 25, reflex DC 20 to reduce Dmg DC top 20.

[DeafnotDumb]

Lietenant Walker

"Just static on the comms." Walker says in answer to Lock-Up as she drops her hand from her ear. Even as she does, her mind is ticking. Put them in darkness, but leave a candle? Take away their communications, but leave them their weapons? Their tools? Something was wrong here. She knew it.

Then something attacked Deadshot out of the darkness, or possibly the darkness attacked Deadshot, from how it looked. Katherine whipped out her swordcane, looking around for Stephanie. "Kid!" She yells. "You there?"

Angry and snarling and worried, Katherine slashed blindly at the darkness, relying on her ears to guide her hand. Perhaps her swordstick connects with something, or perhaps it's just her wistful imagination.

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Ineffectually slash at the darkness
Notice roll: (1d20+22)[31]
JiC: (1d20)[15]

---

* post roll count doesn't match database

[industrious]

Unknown Location

Luigi's explosive bolt sails into the darkness. A second. Then another.

BOOM.

All of you can feel the cavern you are in shudder due to the explosion; a fireball briefly blossoms several hundred feet away.

Rocks fall, everyone dies.

Chunks of ceiling are dislodged by the blast, and everyone scrambles to get free of the rock raining down upon them.

[Terron]

"At least we know we are on a cave!" says Luigi, trying to stay out of harm's way, dodging the stones and pieces of crumbling ceiling. He takes two well aimed steps, avoiding a rock that thunders down, and then another step back, as a piece of the roof structure collapses.

[DeafnotDumb]

Luietenant Walker

"How useful! That makes me feel so much better!" Walker snaps as she stumbles to the floor as her leg gives way to the shuddering. There's a sound from above and Walker instictively raises her stick just in time for a rock, about the size of a fist, to bounce off the metal and narrowly miss her head. She stares at the near-hit for a split second before moving out of the way very quickly. A tumble of debris hits the ground where she was lying a moment ago, but Walker doesn't notice. She's looking around for something, trying to see in the light of the explosion.

"Stepanie!" She takes a deep breath, and yells louder, bringing her swordstick up in an agressive posture. "Where in the hell are you?"

[Bruendor_Cavescout]

The Question

In her readied state, Kate's head snapped towards the sudden click of Black Crossbow's...well, black crossbow. Her eyes narrowed, then widened in disbelief as her tattoos allowed her to see what it was that was shot into the darkness.

She went into a defensive crouch as the bolt struck the cavern walls, and she leapt out of the way of the largest of the rocks and debris that fell on them. She dared not look at him, as the men in the dark could leap out at any moment, but she shouted, "Dammit, Crossbow, no explosives in contained areas! You'll get us all killed!"

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JIC:(1d20)[7]