Royal [IC]

[El Zombi]

"He said something about "tapping into our latent potential" and "using us for the good of mankind." Sounded like bull to me, but he could be crazy enough to believe what he is doing is for the best, whatever it is. So our best bet to finding him is to locate Perceptus. Hopefully he managed to evade capture and follow the drill, but last thing we heard from him was he was going to follow it with whatever invisibility powers he has and report back."

Malice scratch at his stubbled chin in thought.

"He said to meet him at the city center in a few hours. I have a old place close to there we can crash while we wait."

[pyrefiend]

Axon shifts back into human form and stomachs the increasingly-familiar flood of sensation.

Euchhh, gross. Still, it's an easier transition than crawling inside someone else.

This place must be in absolute turmoil right now. I bet I could walk around here and not even get stopped. Only one way to find out!

Axon retraces his steps from earlier in the day, making his way towards the elevator.

[swrs3d]

Hourglass too, takes a second to think about what he's been told.

Spoiler

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sense motive: (1d20+3)[20]

[Business Scrub]

@Malice: you take a second and gauge whether you're hearing the whole truth: they seem to be honest with you.

@Axon: you slip back into a human form and walk around the lab. It seems to be fairly abandoned, as you might expect, though you can hear voices from a closed door down the hall.

[Business Scrub]

@Malice: Clint thinks it over.
"It's probable he's convinced himself he can help people. Of course the Core could help people. Free energy? That'd be a revolution. The problem is it's too powerful. How would you protect it, yet also give everyone access to it? But why he would need you and the Core is a mystery to me. If your friend went with Voigt, we should assume he's been captured as well."

When you mention leaving, Clint pulls out his phone.
"Obviously Rachelle and I are going to be here doing damage control. Probably overnight. But as we said before, you lot are free to go. Let's give numbers, and keep in contact: nothing you find about the Core is too little to tell us about."
There's a brief moment of Polarus and Scia exchanging numbers with them, as well as you if you choose to. Then Polarus turns to Malice.
"With that nut job put there, I don't like the idea of splitting up. Maybe we can lay low for a bit at your place while we figure things out. I'd just need to grab some things from my house first..."

[obilisk260]

"I need to get out of this room before they close up. I just need to slip out while the doors are open."

Perceptus flies over to the double doors. I need to time this right. He waits until a group of agents walk out the door, and flies above them, keeping his body horizontal and up against the ceiling. He uses his obscure power to silence any noise that might be created as he slides against the ceiling.

[El Zombi]

Malice exchanges info with Rachelle and Clint, then shakes their hands.

"Rachelle, Clint. We won't let you down in retrieving this orb. We'll be in touch."

[swrs3d]

Hourglass quickly exchanges numbers with Clint and Rachelle.

"Axon will probably come back here when he can, have him call us when he does. Alright folks, lets get going."

[Business Scrub]

@Malice and Hourglass: With a bit of nerves, Rachelle and Clint bid you goodbye. As fate would have it, finding Axon would prove to be simple. No sooner do the four of you leave that you see Axon, in human form, wandering the hallway.

@Axon: Suddenly, the door with voices coming from it opens, and four people come out. Malice and Hourglass, but Perceptus is not with them. With them is two women in their mid twenties: a blond haired girl with eyes that shift between every color of the spectrum; and a taller, stockier (though not abnormally so) black haired woman holds a frozen bottle of water, and exhales fog.

[pyrefiend]

Well that was easy. I'm on the right path.

Axon walks over to the assembled metahumans.

"Hourglass and Malice, it's good to see you! What happened to Perceptus?"

He turns to the two women.

"Oh, hello."

[El Zombi]

"Axon! Oh thank god we thought they might have taken you. Perceptivus left with the drill, hopefully uncaptured, to learn information about our enemies."

Malice smiles, then shakes his head.

"Oh, where are my manners? This is Scia and Polarus. They're going to help us retrieve the... uhhh Malice trails off a bit. "Well we'll discuss that later. For now, we are heading back to my place near the center of town to wait for Perceptivus. He said he would be there in 24 hours."

[Business Scrub]

@Perceptus: You squish yourself against the ceiling and fly through, covering yourself in an aura of silence. Luckily you're far enough away and well away from notice as the last agent closes up the garage and locks it. You find yourself in another plain metal room, though significantly smaller. All of the metahumans have been placed in separate clear chambers, and are still asleep. There are three doors in this room, besides the double doors: one on each wall. They stand open, with agents pouring out as a last few fuss with locks on the chambers. As you watch, Everto himself and yet another agent in purple black armor barge into the room. Everto carries what looks like a large doctor's bag, and moves with an upset frenzy.
"Out, out! Everyone out! That's fine, thank you Jackson, now move."

The agents begin scurrying out in a haste, which leaves you with an option: leave with the agents through one of the doors, or stck around and see what Everto and this other figure are up to.

Spoiler

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These doors are tighter, so if you move through a door at the same time someone else does, make a stealth check.

[pyrefiend]

"Pleasure to meet you both. And thank you Malice for letting us stay at your place."

Axon considers Perceptivus' plan.

I'm sure we're meant to work with him, but I don't know if the universe is guiding him to us just yet. It might be that rescuing is something we are supposed to do together.

He addresses the metas again.

"Do we have a plan if he doesn't make it back by the time he says he will?"

[obilisk260]

Now this should be interesting, I should probably stick around. However, I should also check...

Perceptus looks over at the doors, looking for a badge reader or anything else that would indicate he won't be able to just walk out.

Spoiler

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Notice: (1d20+11)[15]

[Business Scrub]

@Perceptus: You decide to stick around, but before everyone leaves, you take a peak at the doors. Unlike the doors at the bay area, these don't all have card readers. Only the north one does.

[obilisk260]

"Excellent, I can still get out of here after they leave. Now, what are you up to, Everto?"

[Business Scrub]

@Perceptus: You stick around and watch the show. Carefully, Everto opens his bag while the figure in the purple suit opens the first cage, and carries an unconscious metahuman out fairly gently. Everto pulls out some kind of scanning tool and waves it over the captive. Immediately, it comes up with numbers: height, weight, blood type, etc. Everto looks at it, pulls a bottle of clear fluid and a syringe out of his bag, fills it to a precise amount, and injects the captive in the arm. The purple suited figure then pats her down briefly, and seems satisfied. She is placed back in her cell gently, and slowly begins to wake up.
With apathetic efficiency, Everto and the purple figure move onto the next.

[obilisk260]

Perceptus edges as close to the agent as possible without risking bumping into him. He tries to read any writing that might be on the bottle of clear liquid.

Spoiler

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Notice: (1d20+11)[12]

[Business Scrub]

@Perceptus: Sadly, the bottle appears to be completely unlabeled. Everto exchanges the head of the syringe and moves on.

[obilisk260]

Damn, I have to try to stop them from getting to all of them. But I can't risk any of them detecting me. I'll have to wait and see if the injection has any obvious effects.

[El Zombi]

Malice addresses Axon. "Alas, we dont really have much of a plan. Hopefully we can form one at my place once we get there. "

[Business Scrub]

@The party sans Perceptus: You briefly discuss the formation of a plan. Slightly distracted during the discussion, Scia starts whistling idly. Polarus speaks up.

"Err, can we fit going to my house in this? I have some stuff I need to grab if I'm not going to be back for a bit."

Meanwhile, you all suddenly feel a presence in your mind: someone or something trying to pry open the surface.

Spoiler

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Will save DC 13

@Perceptus: You watch silently as Everto goes about his work. Towards the end, some of the metahumans begin to blink and get up. Some of them mutter something, but the cells must be soundproofed. Eventually, Everto and the figure pack up, lock the cages again, and leave through the north door that they came in through.

[El Zombi]

Malice turns to Polarus. "Yeah of course, we should have plenty of time to... woah."

Malice fights against the presence in his mind.

Spoiler

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Will: (1d20+3)[23]

[pyrefiend]

Spoiler

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Will: (1d20+5)[23]

Axon puts his hand to his head as he feels the mental influence pass through him.

[swrs3d]

Spoiler

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(1d20+1)[14]

Hourglass lurches as he feels his mind pried open, but just barely manages to force out the intrusion before it get in.

[Business Scrub]

@Party sans Perceptus: You all stave off the mental effect. Polarus, however, doesn't seem to fare as well, as she furrows her brow in concentration, and becomes panicked.
"What's happening? Do you guys feel--"
Scia starts walking a few paces down the hall, whistling. "Oh would you relax? I haven't even gotten to the good bits yet."

Polarus stands openmouthed as Scia moves along.

[El Zombi]

Malice looks at Scia, confused.

"What do you mean the 'good bits?'"

[Business Scrub]

Scia looks at you, a bit distracted, like someone pulling their attention away from the TV.

"Hmm? Oh, Polarus. You all have a stick wedged too far up your butts, but her... Huh, did you know she was captain of the soccer team in high school?"
"Scia! What the hell!"
Polarus catches up to her angrily, while Scia continues.
"Aww, she lives with her grandma. That's kind of swe-- mmph!"
Polarus puts her hand on the other girls mouth to shut her up, and gives her an angry glare.

[swrs3d]

Hourglass whispers to Malice and Axon
"Stay here and keep an eye on those two, just in case they try to do something stupid or are possessed. I'm going to go check on Clint and Rachelle, whatever hit us probably got to them too."

Hourglass goes back to the room and pokes his head slowly around the corner into the room.

"Did you guys feel that too?"

Spoiler: Readied action

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Paralyze on anything that acts aggressively in the room.

[El Zombi]

"Hey Scia, cut it out. What's gotten into you?"

Spoiler

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diplomacy check to try and talk her out of reading people's minds: (1d20)[7]