Sharkguard: The Sea-Roaring Defender IC

[Starsign]

Sharkguard gives a nod and a smile indicating interest in the lighthouse as he decides to change courses from the edge of the peninsula to the lighthouse entrance. The door would be too big for him to get in without crouching down, so he lets Alyssa get off of him before heading in with her. As they enter, he places a hand gently on her shoulder as he apologetically responds to her hesitant words before. "Sorry if I sounded a little worried back there. It ain't like me to be like that. I... can be a typical overprotective dad at times..." He lets that last line drag out a bit as he gives a sigh. Even as a superhero, he can't help but sometimes fall into the attitude of a typical parent. However he can guess that it is natural of one to think that when they have an attachment to someone. His job is to protect others firstly and formally; failing one close to the hero would be a very dire fall. The shark-man just hopes that won't be the case anytime soon.

Smiling again to keep the mood of today positive, Sharkguard bends down to his daughter. "But I can't let a worrying feeling keep one from doing what they want to do. You want to be a superhero? I won't try to stop you when you're older. Besides, I wouldn't let you get hurt even if you tried." He looks up the lighthouse stairs as he begins ascending it to the top. "Now how about you tell me what kind of superhero name you have in mind? Some superheroes do have identities in the same way I keep my parenthood for you secret. I think you gotta have one too as a superhero, aye?"

[ripleycat]

The lighthouse is open. Getting through the door proves a tight fit, but the inside is slightly better, allowing you to at least stand up straight. A metal spiral staircase winds its way up to the top of the lighthouse.

Alyssa smiles as she clambers up the steps ahead of you. "It's OK. I know you're only trying to look after me." With the change of thought that only a kid can have, she switches gears to the prospect of her superhero name. This, more than what powers you want, more than what her costume should be, was the most important part of being a superhero. What to call the invisible sidekick of a sharkman? Hmm...

After a couple of minutes, she triumphantly announces "The Sea Spirit!" with a big grin, obviously quite proud of having come up with that on her own.

[Starsign]

Sharkguard slowly climbs up the stairs with Alyssa, making careful sure that the steps won't collapse under his weight. He waits patiently on Alyssa's decision about a name. He did have a difficult time himself when he was to decide on his superhero name. He had simple ideas such as Phalanx, Guardsman, and The Shark; more exotic name ideas included Jawstrike, Mako Man, and the Great Silver. In the end the name Sharkguard works best, fitting both traits of the superhero side of himself. Alyssa decision of "The Sea Spirit" flashes a great smile on the shark-man's face, being a great name that he would never have thought about. "That's me daughter! Yarr make a great first mate, I be sure of it." Whether Alyssa actually gets powers or not, it'd sure be a dream she'd love to dream of.

As they get up to the top of the lighthouse where they could get a real good view of Lonely Point, Sharkguard thinks to himself quietly for a moment. The great vastness of the sea reminding him of something he had forgotten long ago. Quietly he tells Alyssa, "I don't think I ever told you of a dream I once had long, long ago. You wouldn't mind listening about it, would you?"

[ripleycat]

The stairs groan a bit under your weight, but the lighthouse was built to withstand the worst weather the sea could throw at it and it's made of sturdy stuff. The huge, slowly spinning Fresnel lens sends out its beam of light every few seconds. The cupola is surrounded by a walkway with a guardrail so people can safely go outside and enjoy the view from the top. The peninsula's already the highest piece of land for miles, and from up here the view is spectacular, stretching across the entire bay, from Freedom City itself out across the deep ocean. If you squint, you can even make out what looks like the little island Arachne got moved to. There are no city-sized spiders on it. Yet.

Already pleased as punch after your ringing endorsement of her superhero name, the Sea Spirit Alyssa stares out at the view and whispers "Wow!" under her breath. "This is amazing." She looks up curiously at your question. "You had a dream? What about?"

[Starsign]

Up on the walkway that surrounds the cupola, Sharkguard looks out to the seas as he gently leans on the guardrails. "Heck of a view it is," he comments in great respect for the lighthouse. "No ship will get you to see across the distance like this." It had been a long time since he has been at the top of a lighthouse like this. The view that it offers is something he knows to savor for a long time; someone who can't fly won't get a view any better than this. He squints as he sees the island Arachne is on; without a word he is reminded of the decisions he made back then. It isn't something that bogs him down but the thought of it always does spring back into mind every now and then.

After a good minute at looking out at the island, the shark-man looks to Alyssa to mention about his dream he once had in the past. "Well Alyssa, it wasn't so much a dream as it was a wish. See..." He pauses, going into contemplation for a bit as he speaks calmly. "When I was a child, I once thought that the sea was endless. I never actually went out to the ocean when I was young and I had always wondered what it'd be like to see the unknown. When I got older and learned of other continents across the sea, my interests only slightly changed. Now that I knew the unknown, I wanted to see it. I had thought and imagined what it would be like to see and learn what other cultures are like. I saw the sea originally as sort of a challenge to surpass, which was one of the reasons that I chose to become a sailor in the first place."

He chuckles quietly. "Funny how it turns out; originally the sea was my rival, then I came to think of the sea as a friend before being a superhero. By the time I arrived here I hadn't thought of traveling to different continents. I found more important things to do instead." He takes a look at where Freedom City is from the lighthouse. "Can't be a hero here if I'm off venturing somewhere in Europe or Asia... Perhaps I ought to be a world traveler when I retire from being a superhero. I could see the rest of the world with my own eyes, swimming across the oceans to each continent and country; might even take pictures too. Would be a productive way of spending the retirement years." His smile rises a little as he closes his eyes and shakes his head as if he thought he is going senile. "Bah, listen to me I sound like an old man! I've no interest in retiring anytime soon and I enjoy this too much to even think about calling it quits." He takes a look at Alyssa, looking to see her opinion on his dream and what he has told her.

[ripleycat]

Alyssa listens quietly as you reminisce, staring out at the sea herself. When you finish, she pipes up with "Why don't you just travel while being a superhero? I bet there are all kinds of people all over the world who could use your help. You're famous! People would be really excited to see you!" She leaves the "I'd get to come with you" part of this plan unsaid, though from her face it's certainly crossed her mind.

[Starsign]

Sharkguard brings up a happier smile to Alyssa when she mentions about traveling the world as a superhero. "That might actually be an idea," he responds in the more positive manner he prefers to be in. "I think it'd be great to do that one day... But not now. I like the city I protect and I'd prefer going off to see the world when I'm older. I haven't even starting learning other languages yet. I think that would help in learning and understanding other cultures, aye?"

He winks to his daughter afterward, knowing how badly she'd love to come with him when or if he does go. "...And I know what you're thinking, but it definitely ain't a trip that can be completed in a few days. But how's this? When I do decide to travel the world as a superhero, how about I bring back plenty of pictures and souvenirs for you to have? Even if you might not be able to come I know you'd love to see what I'd accomplish." He folds his arms as he looks out towards the sea. Without a map of the world currently available he can't imagine where he'd end up if he chose to swim out to sea in one direction. Japan? Australia? Taiwan? Those were all guesses, but guessing is part of the fun when, or if one finds out whether they are right or not.

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I think I'm ready to move onto the next scene. This RP'ing bit was definitely fun though.

[ripleycat]

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Hmm. That god-awful roll presents an opportunity. Needless to say, you notice nothing out of the ordinary.

Getting back into town without anyone noticing you and Alyssa presents something of a challenge. Going through Lake McKenzie State Park is definitely the "long way around." It's several miles of walking added to what is already not a particularly short trip, and Alyssa may not be up for all that. On the other hand, it is remote- you're not likely to run across anyone but a camper or hiker or two, and it's a very pretty hike to boot.

Swimming back across the bay is a shorter distance, and one you can cover quickly. It'll be quiet to start, but that'll vanish quickly when you get into the frantic activity of the waterfront, and it'll be much harder to stay out of the eye of fans and the press.

Of course, if you want to bite the bullet and show off your family life for all the city to see, there is a ferry that goes back to Freedom from a dock in the State Park every couple of hours. It's a nice relaxing ride. Popular with the tourists.

[Starsign]

As the day begins to wrap up and the two decide to get a move on home, Sharkguard comes to realization of one of the reasons why he and Alyssa don't come around Lonely Point frequently. Getting back home is usually a pain. He doesn't mind the long way around but Alyssa isn't the most fond of it even when she can simply be on Sharkguard's shoulders the whole ride home. Swimming is his preferred way, even if it may be difficult to not get spotted. However the idea of going on the ferry was... tempting. He'd love to show off to the people. However Alyssa might not be up for that and considering Rosie, it might not be time yet for that.

As he begins descending down the lighthouse with Alyssa, he carefully asks, "So how shall we get home? We can go through the State Park or across the bay." Last time they were here, they went through the State Park at the shark-man's hesitance in wanting to avoid the reveal of his family life. This time he's a little more open to options. "I think I knew what you would prefer however," he says with a bit of excitement and a kind wink.

[ripleycat]

Alyssa considers the options you've listed. After a moment, she asks "So we could swim home? That'd be really cool, but I thought you didn't want to make a big deal about our family? It's gonna be really crowded."

[Starsign]

Sharkguard chuckles to Alyssa when she asks him about the idea of swimming home. "Well I did think a lot on it, especially with Rosie at home right now." He looks out to the sea again once he is out of the lighthouse. "I feel confident today. I think we'd be able to get back to the city from sea without being caught together as family." He brings out his grin as he imagines how it would go. "Besides, the sea is more exciting anyway. I'd go insane if we always had to walk through the park to get here and back, aye?"

In truth, Sharkguard is tempted to go out in the crowd and take in the fame after avoiding it during the whole incident involving Arachne. Back then he knew that such an incident was best remained isolated from public eyes. Now he has a better chance here, hopefully without Alyssa being caught up in it. Going by the bay may allow for him to drop off Alyssa while he can be with the fans and press for awhile. The two can then reunite and head on home without anyone knowing. Hopefully the best of both worlds. With a little luck there won't even be something unfortunate to interrupt it.

Sharkguard bends down by the seashore and waits for Alyssa to come on. He seems clearly enthusiastic about his idea. "I can see about dropping you off near the harbor while I go distract the press, then we'll be home early without anyone noticing!" He waits to hear Alyssa's acceptance or concerns/worries before even thinking about heading off swimming back across the bay.

[ripleycat]

"OK!" Alyssa enthusiastically climbs up on your shoulders as you head into the water. Once you get a few hundred feet out into the water, beyond the surf crashing up against the rocks of Lonely Point, the sea is fairly calm, allowing you to cruise along with Alyssa on your back without any real trouble.

The sealanes are busy, with boats and ships both large and small criss-crossing the bay, but at sea, even at eight-foot sharkman with a small girl on his back is a small target, and the most you get is a couple of puzzled double-takes from the decks of far-off ships.

Even though it's the shorter route, being shorter than a seven mile hike isn't much of an accomplishment, and it'll take more than a few minutes to get across to the inner harbor- or more, if you want to do anything more than swim in a straight line while you're out here.

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You, once again, notice nothing out of the ordinary.

[Starsign]

Sharkguard enjoys the calm sea while it lasts. It isn't always that he is able to ride on calm seas when there isn't someone in need of saving or when he has a villain to beat up or defend himself against. Swimming across the sea is more fun than usually any other way of travel for him; he actually prefers the very chaotic waters that rile up in a storm, but it makes ferrying people or letting others ride him very difficult; he's glad today is a good day to let Alyssa ride him across the sea.

As he approaches the sealanes, the shark-man slows down and investigates the area near the harbor from a distance. He also looks to see if there are any good places where he can drop off his daughter while he heads to the press and fans. Excited to head to the harbor, he turns his head as best as he can to look at Alyssa. "Alright, see a place I can let you off at? The S.S. Sharkguard will be docking shortly and you can come to the harbor to watch me so long as no one notices we came in together."

[ripleycat]

Alyssa scans the bay from her perch on your back and points out a spot. "Over there!" There are a few small docks in the western end of the harbor, where dozens of little boats belonging to normal people are stored. Even on a busy day like this, they're pretty quiet. Nobody goes out on them but the boat owners.

As you drop Alyssa at the end of one of the docks, she turns to look at you, then frowns and points at something. "Dad? Are ships supposed to do that?"

At the mouth of the harbor, a massive oil tanker has joined the parade of ocean-going vessels coming and going from Freedom City's waters. It doesn't take the eyes of a veteran old sailor to see that something is very wrong. The ship is listing heavily to starboard, the entire port side lifted up out of the sea. It's plowing through the water at full speed, scattering the ships in its path. You can see at least one smaller vessel has run aground getting out of the way of this behemoth. You see no signs of crew on board the oil tanker, and the inner harbor seems blissfully unaware of the onrushing giant.

What do you do?

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[Starsign]

Sharkguard swiftly swims across the sea to drop Alyssa off at the western docks. He does a quick underwater somersault to "lie" on the water with his head pointed upwards to the sun. One hand is placed behind his back as if he is relaxing while the other waves to Alyssa. "Well I'll be at the main harbor. Will try not to be-" He gets cut off by Alyssa, who happens to point way off in the distance.

The shark-man turns around to take a look at the oil tanker rushing inward to the harbor. The sight of it leaning starboard is minor compared to how recklessly it's charging. Obviously it crashing into the harbor would be nothing short of a horrible mess, before one factors in whatever that tanker is holding. Sharkguard couldn't guess whether the crew went overboard or if they're held hostage on the ship like it's some sort of deathtrap. Regardless of the reason, he isn't going to let the tanker stay on it's "intended" direction.

Acting as confidently as he usually does in action, Sharkguard winks to Alyssa with a smile as he tries to make her lose that frown. "I be bettin' that ta ship be missin' her crew. But yarr got nothin' to worry 'bout. When comparing ta metal giant to this sailor, who do yarr think is stronger?" He flashes his brave, toothy smile before swimming off as fast as he can towards the tanker, not really wanting to mention that he spoke out of confidence and a need to be a bit of a show off. While swimming, he keeps his underwater senses up and ready; he'll be aware of anything if there was something or someone of importance that fell into the waters. Would be best to make sure that no one went overboard before the tanker decided to go full-steam ahead towards the harbor.

[ripleycat]

Alyssa stays out on the wooden dock, watching you swim into action. Unless something goes terribly wrong, she should be pretty safe here. It's a fair distance from the industrial piers the tanker is pointed at.

As you swim out towards the stricken ship, you see that people have begun to take notice of the situation. The local Coast Guard cutter has deployed, but they're occupied trying get the crew off of the ship that ran aground before it sinks. A closer look confirms your earlier suspicion. The tanker has no crew, at least, none on deck.

Underwater, Sharkguard doesn't sense or see anything other than the usual sea life, but from down here you can see what's caused the tanker to list to the side. A great hole has been torn in the side of the ship, causing the sea to pour through. It makes the situation even more perilous; there's probably no more than an inch of metal between the harbor and the thousands of gallons of crude stored in the tanker's hold. In fact here and there you can see little streams of black oil seeping from seams and tiny cracks in the metal.

[Starsign]

Swimming outward, Sharkguard notes the situation around him and the tanker, then sees the giant hole torn into it. It's easy to tell what would happen if the tanker hit the harbor. The spill caused would be nothing short of a mess that could make him, among others, very ill in a literal sense. He doesn't need a moment to know what to do; keep the tanker from crashing into the harbor and figure out how to safely get the oil out without having it leak all across the harbor sea. All in a day's work as they say.

Sharkguard decides to get the tanker to stop charging first and he knew the best way to do it, if "best" was read from his own dictionary. The shark-man swims to directly intercept the metal ship, directly being in the way of it and it's destination. Up at the surface of the ocean, Sharkguard wouldn't lie that he's not doing this underwater so those on land can watch him.

With his trademark grin, Sharkguard goes and gives off a boisterous cry so that those at the harbor knows he's here, "Alright yarr metal beast! I be teachin' yarr ta captain's punishment when yarr try to rule over me waters!" He grabs hold of the ship when it threatens to crash and run him over. Once held, he uses his strength and swimming speed to try and slow down the ship's dash towards the harbor, if not outright halting it. As a long-time sailor however, he keeps his ears open in case of any tearing that his strength may be doing to the ship. He'd need to let go quickly in the case that this will just cause the metal to break and the oil to burst out to sea.

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Sharkguard will be using his strength to try and slow or stop the tanker from reaching it's destination. Changing it's direction will be the next step depending on how well this works.

I'll make a Strength check if it applies here: (1d20+29)[35] If Swimming can also apply then I believe +4 can be added to the roll, but I'm not holding my breath on that.

[ripleycat]

The mighty hero meets the out of control ship head on with a mighty cry!

...And barely slows the titan down at all. Sure, it doesn't speed up or anything, but there's simply to much mass moving forward too quickly for the ship to be stopped dead in a few seconds. A supertanker like this can weigh well over 300,000 tonnes, several times what even a powerhouse like Sharkguard can lift. It continues to plow through the water, and the hull groans a bit under the strain of your tremendous strength, but remains intact for the moment.

[Starsign]

As much as he wish he could, Sharkguard's brave attempt to slow down the oil tanker fails to do much effect. He was a little confident that he'd be able to pull it off and was excited to prove that to those watching. However being denied such a opportunity feels like such a letdown to him. He had often bragged about how his strength being the mightiest in the sea, and he always makes sure to back it up whenever possible. This is one of those cases where he wishes he could back it up.

He looks out to the harbor for a moment, remembering that the people there are watching them as well as that the tanker is moving towards colliding with it. The shark-man has no idea how long it would take, but simply slowing it down wasn't going to work. He knew there are other ways, like entering the hole that was made in the tanker or climbing up to the bridge where he may try to gain control of the tanker's direction.

However neither of those plans lacked the sort of adrenaline Sharkguard enjoys. Using his muscle has always been something he prefers over a more stealthy or evasive solution. With Kim, Sharkguard took the persuasive path because he found it preferable due to being a silent operation that the city was better off not knowing. Here, there are people watching and a time where he's at his best environment; he isn't yet going to pass up the chance to show off his strength. Perhaps it's a bearing sense of pride to make him act as such, but he rarely lets his might fail him in the open waters.

Sharkguard swims slightly over to the port side of the bow, this time now using his strength to change the tanker's direction away from the harbor instead of trying to stop it altogether; in theory it would be easier that way. This time the shark-man puts more physical strain in his muscles as he pushes the ship away from the harbor; a teeth-gritted look dons on his face as he does so. Such effort is something he doesn't put in a lot but he does his best to make it count when he does. All this while he tries to take care of the hull, but hopefully the fact that he's simply changing direction will offset the greater pressure he's applying.

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I know that there are more ways Sharkguard can resolve this can simply using his strength, (and he will be using more than just that of course, considering the tanker hasn't stopped and there hasn't yet been sight or notice of crew or what had happened) but I wanted to try playing up some of his traits/flaws.

Using Extra Effort to give Sharkguard another 2 ranks in Super-Strength, taking it up to 14 ranks. (taking his Heavy Load up to 183.5k tons and his Push/Drag up to 917.5k tons) Using strength to try to push the bow of the tanker so that it's no longer moving towards the harbor. If you'd like a strength check, here you go: (1d20+31)[48]

[ripleycat]

The engine that powers a ship like this is the largest internal combustion engine in the world, a behemoth so large that the ship must be built around it, because no crane in the world can lift it. It finds an equal in Shakguard's titanic strength. The ship continues to plow forward, but has slowed significantly, no longer in danger of smashing headlong into the harbor in a few minutes time. The hull itself screeches under the pressure. It dents and buckles under Sharkguard's hands, but holds- for now.

[Starsign]

There is a lot Sharkguard can thank his strength for; this is one of those occasions. He finds that the ship's significantly slowed movement is a better tradeoff for his now-sore muscles. Pushing himself like that is not always the best of ideas when it doesn't completely resolve the problem, but the shark-man was stubborn and always liked showing off his strength in such a way. Seeing the tanker slow down puts his smile back on when he finds success in his actions. The screeching hull however blasts his ears that he'd better not continue putting pressure on the hull like that. Any sailor on board never wants to hear something like that, especially if they are unable to do anything about it.

Easing up, Sharkguard slides over to the other side of the tanker where the hole is to get another look at it. He swims into it while the tanker is slowed down; making use of the time he had brought is always a critical thing. The shark-man booms his boisterous voice as soon as he enters, expecting that whoever caused the hole might still be in here for whatever reason. "Ahoy yarr sea-farin' ruiner!" While loud and upbeat, his tone definitely speaks intent of hostility towards the arsonist if he or she is still here. He would need to see if there is anything or anyone of note on deck as well, but if there is someone here Sharkguard will not want to miss him or her.

[ripleycat]

Swimming around to the hole is easy. Getting through the narrow gap between the outer hull and the battered interior tank is significantly more difficult, and it's a very tight fit for the oversized sharkman to squeeze through.

Once Sharkguard does emerge into the interior of the ship, several things become apparent. The ship is listing so severely because of the hole, or more accurately, the water pouring through the hole. The hold is awash with seawater, in places 10 feet deep or more, easily enough for you to swim in, and more is flooding in every second. Even if this ship doesn't hit its intended target in the harbor, it'll start to sink in earnest in an hour or two, tops.

You can't see or hear anyone down here, which isn't all that shocking. Despite their massive size, tankers like this are heavily automated, and their crews are actually pretty small. What you can see is a better view of the hole torn in the hull.

The huge gash in the ship's side is jagged and uneven, the metal pushed and strained in places, simply ripped away in others. There are strange scratches and grooves in the steel. The pattern is familiar to you, perhaps uniquely so, as you are one of the only beings on the planet who can do what's been done to this ship. This wasn't caused by metal fatigue or normal wear and tear. The tanker didn't hit something or run aground. The hole wasn't caused by an explosion or a ram or anything else manmade.

The hole in the side of the ship was bitten.

[Starsign]

Sharkguard never really tried to figure out what or who had caused the tanker to end up with that hole causing it to sink. All he knew is that it couldn't have been an accident by the fact that there's no apparent crew and that it's gunning straight for the harbor. He guessed it would just be some arsonist with big firepower that took over the ship. His mind however goes into a state of thinking when he sees how the ship was torn open. Biting through the ship is something many heroes can't do; usually one would tear the metal open with their hands. If the ship was bitten through then it had to have been some sort of super-strong aquatic creature like himself, whether it'd be another shark, an alligator, or something else.

Unfortunately no sign of the perpetrator means that Sharkguard won't be getting any answers. The whole situation could have been done to frame the heroic shark-man, or maybe it was done out of selfishness or... a reason he can't figure out right now. Whatever the case, this ship is sinking quickly and heading for the harbor even quicker. Instead of pondering how and why the shark-man did a quick swimming sweep through the flooded areas and it's nearby locations of the tanker. He'd either need to find any surviving crew, the arsonist responsible for the damage to the tanker, or for anything he might be able to use to help steer the tanker away from the harbor. Checking the flooded areas first means he won't have to backtrack back down here if he has to, which would waste precious time.

The shark-man is more focused now, intent on using his less-preferred puzzle-solving skills over his strength and diplomacy to get this situation resolved. He continues giving his voice out to the ship, hoping to attract someone, whether it'd be a civilian or villain. "Anyone be here? It's Sharkguard! Tis be a good time to give ta sailor a sign if yarr can hear me!" He knew bellowing out as such could help him find the sailors sooner, or warn the villain or villains of his coming; he preferred taking the risk though.

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Lemme know if I need to make a Notice check. Also is it too late to use an HP to remove the fatigue from Sharkguard's prior Extra Effort action?

[ripleycat]

As expected, there is some debris bobbing in the water, some of it fairly waterlogged, showing that the hole wasn't just torn in the side a few minutes ago. This was probably planned, not some spur-of-the-moment attack by a mindless creature. Your call for attention gets no response, either positive or negative. If anyone is still on board the ship, they're probably up in the bridge at the aft end of the ship, several decks above the hold.

[Starsign]

Finding nothing but a more detailed idea of what occurred regarding the hole, Sharkguard gets out of the water onto the cold steel of the tanker. At the very least, he can say that he won't need to get back into the flooded areas to find something he missed.

The shark-man starts his way up to the bridge, using whatever knowledge he has of ship design to guide his way up, though a map if he can find one won't hurt either. He remembers the last time he had been in on an oil tanker before. It was a good number of years back in Portfall, before he had first "retired." He was working small amounts of time as a sailor by that point, balancing his time with that and his crime-fighting hours. His time on the tanker back then was pretty normal, helping with heavy lifting and the moving of cargo out of the tanker. It wasn't like here where he's on a slowly sinking tanker attacked by someone who is doing this for a reason. Time sure has changed things, in a way at least.

Sharkguard doesn't let the flashback memory forget his direction however. The present has a job for him that he can't ignore as he makes his way to the bridge. Often flashbacks accompany him when he finds nothing to immediately focus his attention on, sort of like a hobby to pass the time. Such a hobby won't be happening however when he does find something or someone of note, which will probably be soon.

[ripleycat]

As you climb the steep and cramped stairs up out of the hold, you do spot something of interest, though it's not good news. There's a tell-tale smear of rust-crimson on the handrail and wall of the stairwell. There's no need to taste or touch or test to figure out what it is. Even out of the water, your shark senses know blood when they smell it. This particular streak isn't fresh, but it hasn't completely dried, either, likely putting it at several hours old.

The stairs lead up to a narrow hallway, where the galley, a storage area, and a passage to the engine room can be seen through half-opened doors, creaking and swinging with the rhythm of the sea. At the far end of the hallway is another flight of stairs, rising up to the next deck. You find the ex-owner of all the blood as well. A sailor is slumped against the wall partway down the hall. He's not in bad shape- you've certainly seen worse in your time as a hero- except for his left arm, which has been completely bitten off at the shoulder. It's certainly a horrible way to go, though he probably bled out quickly, given how much blood has soaked into the carpet underneath his body. You can hear faint movement from inside the galley as well.

[Starsign]

It really tells how much things change when one grasps a glimpse of something peculiar in a situation. For Sharkguard's case, it's the sailor with the lack of an arm, completely bitten off. The sight was appalling to the shark-man, not just in the way that it's gruesome but that it's very likely there aren't any survivors left depending on how long the predator has been scouring the tanker for. Whatever did this really is not putting in a good word for aquatic creatures like himself. Sharkguard never has had anything called a bloodlust, but the sight of blood always clicks some sort of neurotransmitter in his brain that tenses him up. It's never a pretty feeling, but it's always one to remind him of what he is dealing with.

After checking up on the sailor, Sharkguard's head turns to the faint movement he's hearing inside the galley. Something was there, he didn't know what, but he's going to find out. He takes a few cautious steps forward, thinking about the possibilities of who might be behind it. After those few steps, he shifts gears, stampeding down the hall into the galley. His footsteps, loud and boding just as his voice is, also heavy and painful to hear as Sharkguard charges his way down to the galley.

[ripleycat]

As your thundering steps carry you through the door and into the galley, you hear a loud, pained noise, something between a groan and a scream, and the deafening clatter of pots and pans across the metal floor. A smeared blood trail leads across the room towards a large cabinet, which is the source of the noises you heard. Another sailor was trying to hide inside it. Like the corpse in the hallway, this guy is in bad shape. His torso and legs are covered in long lacerations, and there is a deep and nasty bite wound across his side, exposing his ribs, but he's still alive and conscious.

When he hears and sees you coming through the door, he freaks out, weakly trying to scrabble away under a table. He screams in terror, trying to "Get away! Oh God, please don't eat me!!!!"

[Starsign]

Many times has Sharkguard glad that he never tells Alyssa the more grisly side of superhero life; to say that it can be "ugly" is an understatement and he'd bet his daughter would have nightmares if he told her even one example. The badly wounded sailor in front of him is a definite "no-no" to mention. The morbid look of those injuries made the shark-man squirm a little inside. He can't imagine what it must be like to have those injuries himself; he's tempted to simply look away from the sight. Of course, that isn't very heroic of him to do so.

With the sailor's terrified expression, Sharkguard tries to be cautious when nearing him. Slowly he takes a couple steps forward, showing a small, teethless smile expecting that the sailor hasn't met him before. "Ahoy, sailor, listen I ain't be here to eat people. Might be confusin' me with someone else." He bends down, almost a little sick as he seems to stare at the bite wound with a great deal of worry underneath his smile. Even if he can live with seeing most injuries, a bite mark coming from a possible aquatic creature comes off as uncomfortably galling at best. "I be Sharkguard, fellow sailor to Freedom City. Tis' tanker be unmanned right now and yarr be in need of a medic. Know of a medical bay or kit I can get to help heal yarrself?"

He felt like an idiot right now not bringing his first aid kit along with him. He never brought it to Lonely Point with Alyssa before, thinking that it wouldn't be needed for a simple time of relaxing. He didn't think that he'd end up on a tanker on the way back, and for that he's regretting not being fully prepared for anything. A medical bay or aid kit has to be on the tanker though; all ships should have something like that on board. Its just a matter of where it is.

Spoiler

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I'm pretty sure I'd need a Diplomacy check to try and calm this sailor, so here you go: (1d20+5)[17]

If possible I'd also like to make a Diagnosis on the sailor's injuries: (1d20+10)[19]

[ripleycat]

It takes a few moments for the sailor to stop trying to crawl under the table and actually process what you're telling him. In a pained stammer, he says "You... you're not him. Another sharkman. Crazy town." he mutters half to himself. "He... it? c-came up from below. Never seen anything like it before, but well, you. He looked kinda like you, only... not. Longer, leaner, not as big, deeper shade of blue. It was smart too, like human smart, I m-mean. Never said nothin', though. Just started after us, tearing everyone up. After he took th-the big chunk outta my side, I went out cold. He musta, musta thought I was dead. The boat's unmanned? Th-that makes sense, yeah. Anyone who didn't get chewed up probably jumped for it, or made a run for the lifeboat."

He thinks for a moment about your request for the first aid kit before nodding weakly.

"Ye-yeah, upstairs, in the bridge. Emergency stuff's all in the big locker along the back wall. Easy to spot. P-please hurry."

Spoiler

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Diplomacy check succeeds.

Diagnosis check also succeeds, so you get the +2 to any Medicine checks you make on this guy.

Results: The long slashes are nasty-looking, but probably not life-threatening, unless infection sets in. Some of them run parallel to each other, so they were probably made with claws or talons of some kind. The bite wound is a different story. It's bad, and this sailor will probably bleed out unless he gets medical attention soon, and even then, getting him to a hospital will need to happen quickly.