Royal [IC]

[Business Scrub]

Everto pops a charge out of his glove, which hisses angrily as it falls to earth. He scowls at Malice as he sidesteps with ease around the acid.

"Wait your turn. I'll deal with you once I've put your friend in his place."

Hourglass casts his gaze towards the brutal fight, which has carried itself over to the manmade river. The agents are keeping their ranks tightly, but the haphazard array of abilities is proving a bit difficult to handle.

@Hourglass: You look with new eyes on the people fighting. So many lives, stretching in endlessly weaving trails above and around them. You reach up and grab one in each hand, pulling hard. In an instant, two of the agents let out a low moan and simply fall apart. Their armor, and the bodies inside, blow away like dust.

[obilisk260]

Perceptus looks over his shoulder at the ensuing battle. "Damnit, they aren't retreating, and Cory is getting his ass kicked. They don't stand a chance as an unorganized mob." He glances back at his illusion. "Maybe there is a way I can use my power to help direct them. But first, I need to get rid of my current illusion..."

The illusion starts to flicker and fade, and a horrified look appears on his face. ****, no! Not again! HELP ME! The illusion quickly fades completely. "There we go, lets hope that keeps them convinced for long enough."

After double checking himself to make sure he is still invisible, Perceptus flies back to the dome, and hovers high enough to have a full view of the battle.

He creates a blue flashing light about 30 feet behind the lines of metahumans. He then projects an illusion sound in the ears of all the metahumans, including Axon, Malice, and Hourglass. "All ranged units converge on the flashing light! Hit them from there! Healers behind them. I want tanks and shields to hold the enemy where they are. Don't let them advance an inch. Fast melee units, maneuver to the flanks and hit them hard. Slow melee units stay in front of the ranged units and take out any enemies that make it past the tanks. We can win this if we work together people! LETS MOVE!"

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charisma check: (1d20+4)[20]

[Business Scrub]

Everto looks down at the stuggling Axon.
"For the record, I didn't want it this way either."

Again with the red pointer, he draws a ring around Axon, which explodes inwards.

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Dodge check DC 11; Toughness save DC 23

Perceptus shouts down to the assembled metahumans to form a plan, and gives them something to focus on. It seems to work, for the moment anyway, as the metahumans that are fighting reorganize themselves a bit, finally communicating. More agents fall, and more meta's are dragged off. But this time the odds are more in your favor.

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Agents remaining: 15/25 (Including the two Hourglass killed)
Metahumans conscious: 53/72
Cages filled: 18/60

The floors above you shakes, suddenly, and a loud roar can be heard echoing down. Whatever is going on up there, it doesn't seem good.

Meanwhile, Eric continues to concentrate, making each breath for Axon harder than the last.

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Axon, make a DC 11 constitution check vs suffocation

The female agent looks panicked, unsure of what to do about the suddenly dissapeared Perceptus.

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Round 4
Axon
Don
Mark
Rich

Everto
CloseOps
Soldiers
Other Flocks
Eric

[pyrefiend]

Axon struggles to remain conscious.

This can't be happening. I need to get out of here.

He is rocked by the force of the explosion as he is simultaneously choked of life force.

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Toughness: (1d20+1)[4] Fortitude: (1d20+4)[23]

[pyrefiend]

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Whoops, forgot this part.
Defense: (1d20+4)[16]

Axon dives away from his attackers, towards the metahuman resistance on the other side of the river.

"He's too strong! We can't fight their leader alone, we'll have to either come up with something fast or get out of here!"

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Just a move action because I'm stunned. If I'm remembering the rules correctly.

[El Zombi]

Richard gets more and more frustrated with his lack of control of his new powers, seemingly unable to effectively hit anything.

He heads in Axon's direction as he continues to fire blasts of acid at his foe.

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attack (1d20+4)[8]
SERIOUSLY?!?! (my average roll is a 4 right now, btw)

[swrs3d]

They just fell apart...no don't think about that now, focus!

"Hey Eric! 2 on isn't quite fair!"

Spoiler: Disintegrate

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Targeted on Eric, spreading to any agents it can reach (shape-able + 2x progression)
Ranged attack 1: (1d20+4)[21]
Ranged attack 2: (1d20+4)[10]

[Business Scrub]

@Axon: You dodge Everto's explosion with relative ease that time. Perhaps he wasn't expecting you to move.

@Malice: Everto turns and looks at you. His eye, you can see, has a lens in front of it, focusing closely on you.
He dashes to the side once again, as your acid bomb goes wide, and seems amused.
"Hah! You've barely even tapped the surface of your powers, boy. If you would come quietly, we can change that."

@Hourglass: Taking Erik by surprise, you push him well through the fourth dimension. You can see no change, since his purple and black suit hides his face. But you can hear it, as he speaks.
"*Huff, huff* Everto sir. I- I can't. I feel... tired. Give me a moment."
He bends over, catching his breath heavily.
"You fool! Does this look like a time for a break?"

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Erik was struck both times. Currently at -8 (Not including his save bonus) to toughness. Erik is staggered and stunned.

@Axon: A breath of fresh air, as you can feel Erik's mental influence around your throat lift.

[obilisk260]

Perceptus creates a gl9wing red targeting reticle around Erik, and again speaks to the metahumans through an illusion-sound, "Fliers, hit the designated target, now! He is severely weakened. Teleporters, get behind the enemy lines. I want to hit them with total envelopment, like Hannibal against the Romans. We will crush them in our grip! "

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charisma check: (1d20+4)[9]

[pyrefiend]

Axon breathes(?) a sigh of relief as he flies towards the opposite side of the dome.

These guys aren't going to be as easy to put down as I'd thought. And while we're fighting, those soldiers in the camouflaged armor are getting the run of the building...

He flies over toward the double doors that were blasted in when the dome was first breached.

If I can't beat them with force, maybe I can ruin their plans while they're distracted.

He tries to see if he can spot I mean notice the cloaked agents somewhere near the door.

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Notice: (1d20+4)[19]

If he can, he blasts them with neural energy, trying to catch as many as possible of them in the blast. Otherwise, he blasts the treshhold of the door anyway, hoping to reveal the hidden soldiers.

[Business Scrub]

Everto looks a touch relieved as Axon flies towards the door.

"Leave him! Erik, switch to that one!" He points down towards Hourglass. "Take that one out now."

For a third time, his glove glows red, this time levelling on Hourglass, drawing a small triangle on his chest that explodes inward.

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Dodge DC 21; Toughness save DC 23

@Axon: You fire your many synapses towards the doorway, sending shocks of electricity splayed out in all directions. Yet you hear no shouts of pain. If there is anyone there, they're keeping quiet.

More noises from up above you. You hear something huge slam into the ceiling, and a dent appears in the dome.

@Perceptus: You summon a massive red cross-hair on Erik, who looks up confused. Not your most impassioned speech, but you get the point across. Energy of a wide range comes spewing from the people as they throw what they have at him. Even in his weakened state, he avoids most of the pain. still, he looks up just in time to see a ball of fire barrel into his chest. His armor aflame, he takes a wrong step and a crack of lightning makes his arms and legs seize uncontrollably and lifts him into the air. A razor sharp spear, seemingly made from bone, comes whistling towards him, finally impaling him to a tree through the throat. Blood seeps from under his mask, he coughs once weakly, and hangs still.

For a moment, Everto and the agents are still. "Monsters." He says. "We've bred monsters."

Erik seems to be defeated, but at what cost? The agents seem to get to their senses, and attack with renewed vigor. With the surge of metahuman attacks redirected, the agents take their chance, stunning and dragging off more of your peers with little opposition.

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Agents remaining: 15/25
Metahumans conscious: 43/72
Cages filled: 28/60

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Round 5
Axon
Don
Mark
Rich
Everto
CloseOps
Soldiers
Other Flocks

[El Zombi]

Jesus Christ that was brutal. Those cages are starting to fill up though, should probably do something about that.

Malice moves over to one of the wheels of the drilling machine and begins to spit acid in an attempt to incapacitate it.

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Power check (1d20+4)[19]

[Business Scrub]

@Malice: You spit a glob of acid towards the wheels of the machine. Shockingly, it lands seemingly on thin air a good foot above the drill, suspended by something. However, as fate would have it, your acid finds its way through the barrier regardless, dripping down and starting to eat at the tires.

[pyrefiend]

Axon stares down the tunnel, oblivious to the brutality occurring in the dome behind him.

Damn. Must have missed them. Well its not too late yet, I doubt they can be faster than me in this form.

Axon shoots down the hallway, attempting to spot I mean notice the agents. If he does, he attempts to blast them as before.

[swrs3d]

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Dodge Roll: (1d20+4)[19]
Toughness Save: (1d20+4)[24]

The explosion punches Hourglass square in the chest, but he was ready for it and stopped time around the explosion before it seared through anything more than his shirt.

[swrs3d]

"Is that the best you can do? I didn't even feel that!"

That...was probably a dumb thing to say. Time to tone it down a little before I get myself in more trouble.

Spoiler: Paralysis attacks

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Two paralysis attacks on as many agents as possible, its area so I don't think I need to make an attack roll? (Shapeable progression 4x)
Will save DC 14

[Business Scrub]

@Hourglass: you call down many gaps in space-time, trying to freeze the agents in place. It is met with some success, as you see three of the agents stop moving altogether. Three more continue on, but seriously slowed.

@Axon: Deciding to come at this siege with a different approach, you soar quickly down the hall. A grisly scene: the shattered body of many Royal guards lie to the sides of the hallway. The walls are riddled with bullet holes and scorch marks. Though, perhaps the most unnerving sight, is three great claw marks on either wall, dug through the metal (and into the rooms of the various patients here). At the end of the hallway, one poor guard has been messily ripped open at the foot of the stairs.

Near the end of the hallway you came from, you see one of the agents' purple suits, apparently discarded.

Pressing on (should you choose to), you fly up the stairs, and through a bashed in doorway. At the top, you see the source of the noise: Two massive animals, for lack of a better term, stand locked in combat. Though they look like no animal you've ever seen. One resembles a giantic bear, but nearly the size of the hallway. It digs it's three clawed hands into something that looks like a big cat: more graceful, but still quite large. At the end of it's tail, a stinger like a scorpion whips around, jabbing again and again into the bear like creature. If you had to guess, it looks like the scorpion-cat is winning, but who can really say? And whose on which side? They both seem far to preoccupied to even notice you.

You know there must be more things here than these two, simply because you saw more of the operatives enter. Do you stay and help one animal, continue on, or turn back before you are spotted?

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Axon has a standard remaining, or another move action. (I didn't have him zap any one, since it's not obvious who to hit.)

Just waiting on him and Perceptus.

[pyrefiend]

Holy ****. I knew Royal was a pretty messed up organization, but I didn't expect this sort of mutant freakshow...

Axon freezes, at first too shocked to do anything.

Well, I don't know who to root for here, but it can't hurt to get them both a little friendlier...

He drifts forward and attempts to catch them both in a bioelectric blast.

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Emotion Control (love) + Wisdom Drain area attack, DC 14 Reflex for easier saves.

(DC 14 Will save for those effects)

[obilisk260]

"Oh my... Did they just... No, I didn't want them to... I can't... But they need help... "
Perceptus stares at where his transparent hands are help up, conflicted.
Finally, he decides to bottle it up, and deal with it later.
"Refocus on the agents! Fliers, initiate strafing runs."
Perceptus then creates an illusion of three metahumans who come charging through the wall near the tank. One of them yells "ATTACK!" They all run up to the tank. Two of them start blasting at the the wheels, while the third slips through the armored side into the tank, disappearing. Perceptus simulates damage to both wheels being attacked.
"Hopefully that distracts someone, maybe even Everto."

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charisma check for speaking, hopefully inspiring, to metahumans: (1d20+4)[9]
Not the best, but they should still get the message

[Business Scrub]

@Axon: You fire carefully charged elericity at their bodies. Both creatures, exhaused from the fight, are struck. The cat-scorpion shakes it's head, it's fur standing on end. It gives you a look, and pounces upon the bear again. The other, you can see, faired considerably worse. It blinks blearily, not really sure where it is. Though it continues its fight, it's strikes don't have the same angry strength behind it.

It takes a swipe at the cat: a blow that surely would have taken the cat's head off, had it had the same rage behind it. Apparently, this was all the edge the cat needed. It grabs the bear creature's head beween it's paws and jabs away with its tail. One, two, three, four stabs into the bear. The massive creature looks around dazed and confused, then lets out a low moan and slumps to the ground.
The cat, victorious, jumps atop the pile of muscle and fur and looks at you for a moment. Then it turns, and bounds off towards the end of the hallway with purpose. One thing is clear: things aren't moving slowly up here.

@Those in the dome: Everto grits his teeth: clearly his short fuse has just run out.

"This squabble is over! Over! Agents, back to the drill! We're leaving."

He points his glove again at the concrete ceiling, drawing a hasty, crisscrossed pattern. In the same motion, he reaches for a small metallic orb in his pocket, and tosses it into the air where it hangs, before going back to the drill himself.

The agents, getting the message, take a few last pot shots at the remaining metahumans but mostly disengauge, running back and taking seats anywhere on the drill and throwing the last metas into cages. Most of them, anyway: two still stand in the center, locked in time.
The agents seated on the drill look sadly at their unconscious comrads on the ground, but say nothing.

The metahumans take a few shots at the agents as they leave, but most are too distracted watching the ceiling, and starting to disperse in panic.

Suddenly, the metal sphere booms, pushing a shockwave across the open dome and threatening to shove you to the back of the room.

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Opposed strength check DC 26, or be pushed to the far end of the room and be bruised. Anyone flying takes a -10.

Everto looks all of you, then Erik's body as the ceiling begins to crack and crumble.
"Erik's death is your doing. You will share his tomb."

The drill reverses into the tunnel and perpares to leave.

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Agents remaining: 13/25
Metahumans conscious: 40/72
Cages filled: 31/60

As it is, the ceiling will fall in 2 rounds. The drill will escape in 1 round (thanks to Malice's acid).
The hallway on the side of the dome should be safe, but it's about 120 feet away to those pushed. Alternatively, the tunnel that the drill dug out is closer (60 ft) and should be safe once the drill moves out of the way, but might trap you if the ceiling collapses on the entrance.

The metahumans are working on getting themselves out of there. 5 quick or strong ones have already gotten to safety, but another 30 are getting up from being pushed. One metahuman is unconscious on the ground, but was blown to the back of the room as well.

Two guards are paralyzed but very much alive in the center of the room. Another 10 are various states of unconscious or dying on the ground, also blown to the back.

[pyrefiend]

Ugh, dammit. Well, I hope that was the bad one. Based on the claw marks from before, he at least wasnt on the side of the angels.

Axon looks down the tunnel, watching the fleeing beast. He braces himself and shoots down the hallway again, determined not to let it get away.

Perhaps a less direct approach is a better idea...

He flies towards the creature, then passes underneath the floor as he catches up to it. (Assuming he can catch it, of course.)

Then he tries to tackle the creature from below, through the floor, hoping to catch it unawares.

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Possession again. I can't make text red from my phone, but I will edit it later.

[Business Scrub]

@Axon: The thing is fast, but not that great at turning in these tight corridors. And compared to someone who can phase through walls, not nearly as mobile. At the bottom of the stairs, you grab ahold of the creature, much to its surprise.

It bucks its body beginning to force you away, but your tendrils have dug in too tightly. You enter the cat creature through a million tiny gaps, wrapping your nervous system around its.

What a rush, you feel, as your senses become the creatures. Its vision leaves something to be desired, but a keen hearing and powerful nose more than make up for it. You take in the mixing pot of scents: First, blood. That much is obvious, as you look around at the destruction and death. Second, man smell. This place is crawling with humans. You can smell a great many further down, and more much higher up. Third, burning. There's a fire upstairs. Fourth, perfume? It's a fainter scent, but definitely there. In fact, the only reason you pick it up is because this thing's mind recognizes it. Unfortunately, you can't access it's thoughts like this, so the scent still means nothing to you.

You twitch its tail, bouncy with energy and ready to run. But, where to?

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Axon will be in different initiative than the others if he joins a fight, unless he returns to the Dome area. For now Axon, you can act out of initiative.

Also, some specifics on the beast:

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Strength: 18
Dexterity: 24
Constitution: 16

Melee Attack: +6
Defense: +7
Toughness: +5 (Currently +1)
Reflex: +7
Fortitude: +4

Powers: Alternate Form (Human)
Strike (Linked) Drain Constitution (Rank 6): Free action (no more than 4 per round).
Speed (Rank 5)
Leaping (Rank 4)
Immunity (Cold, Aging)

Feats: Evasion (x2)

[El Zombi]

Spoiler: ROLLS

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Strength(1d20+4)[18]

Damnit I can' let them get aw.. oughff

Malice gets pushed back to the other wall with a heavy thud. He shrugs it off and attempts to shoot out another one of the tires, while making his way towards the nearest exit

[El Zombi]

Spoiler: Attack!

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Attack roll (1d20+4)[22]

[Business Scrub]

@Malice: You spit another globe of acid onto the tires of the drill. Like last time, it's briefly stopped by some kind of wall. Unlike last time, your acid can't eat through the shield, and it slowly slides off the side of the bubble. Though it didn't hit the drill, you can see it weaken the shield around it.

[El Zombi]

Malice yells over to Hourglass

"Do you think you can do some time shenanigans to help me break through that shield?"

[pyrefiend]

Axon stretches out in the new body.

Ahhhhh, now this is nice. Feels like driving a Ferrari except... except I am the Ferrari. Hm.

He flexes his tail and looks around.

I can't get distracted. There's still something going on here that I need to thwart. But then again... I smelled fire and more people upstairs. That's not a great combination.

He looks around, excruciatingly aware of every passing moment.

Ughh damn damn damn damn! I've got to find the people upstairs. I'll have to figure out what is going on with the other agents later.

He sprints away and tries to find the route up.

[Business Scrub]

The route up is straightforward. Ahead of you is the same elevator you came down on, what seems like weeks ago. However, slightly to the side is the far more practical staircase. You charge up it and round the corner, taking the stairs four at a time.

This next floor, 5BW according to the sign, is much like the others. Though it lacks the gigantic claw marks from below, there are several unmoving Royal guards here as well. Of the labs that line the walls, one of the windows has been smashed in, and is billowing steam into the hallway. But your keen senses tell you this is not where the people are. You head up further.

On 4BW, there seems to be no sign of a fight. The same goes for 3BW, and 2BW. Even the cat, injured as it is, is starting to breath heavy after charging up four flights of stairs to 1BW, the top of this staircase. Here is more destruction, as well as that fire you could smell from so far away. The entire hallway is in flames, unnatural and black. Though the extinguishers try their hardest, they do nothing to put it out. You watch a man, smoldering in the same black flame, stride confidently up a staircase at the far end of the hallway, whistling. However, you're distracted by a familiar voice. Beneath the smoke, your senses tell you that the source of the familiar perfume is here as well.
"Clint? Oh Jesus. You scared-- hnng. You scared the **** out of me." It's Rachelle, apparently badly injured, breathing heavily, and struggling to speak. Next to her, one of the purple armored agents lies face down. "The bastard... *hah* shot HTE. Right out of his goddamn fingertips. I need you... please. I need you to get down to *ach* three BE Medical. The Hydrexaline. Please... quickly."
She promptly vomits in the center of the hallway and lays her head back. The rooms and hallways seem to be labeled reasonably enough that you figure you could find 3BE. But doing so would almost certainly let the man in the staircase get far ahead. Which will it be?

[obilisk260]

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strength: [roll]1d20-10[/roll]
I don't know why it isn't diplaying the result, but even if I crited it, I'd still fail the check, so I don't think the result matters too much

Perceptus gets blown back against the wall by the blast force. Dazed, he stands up and looks over at the drill. "****, my ride is leaving. It's probably too late to get inside, but maybe I can still follow it. ."

Perceptus flies over to the drill, and prepares to follow it.

He sends out one last message to Malice and Hourglass, "I'm going to follow them, and if I can, I'll try to infiltrate them. Meet me at the city center in a few hours. If I'm not there go back this time tomorrow. If I'm still not there, then chances are that I've been captured."

[pyrefiend]

Axon bolts back to the staircase as soon as Rachelle tells him where to find the medication. Half out of a sense of urgency, half out of undirected anxiety and fear.

This is place is so messed up! The people trying to kidnap us, the mutants, the black fire and dying people and corpses everywhere. It's too much! I feel like I'm going to be sick. I've got to get out of here. I've got to--

Wait a second. Why am I upset now? I was pretty much calm before, even when I was getting attacked by those metahumans, or those people trying to capture us. Are my powers messing with my emotions or something?

Axon is still straining his surrogate body to move as quickly as possible when he realizes what's going on.

No, it's just the opposite. My powers actually aren't messing with my body all. I don't have any... glands or anything when I'm like that. So when suddenly I do have a body again, it feels overwhelming. Great. That will take some getting used to.