Defenders of the District (MSH) IC

[BananaPhone]

Lisa/Fury


In her phase of recovery after spending some time flying inside a hammock and with no phone reception, oh em gee, Lisa stretched her back and shoulders, looking around at the two more perceptive companions as one uses his flying powers and drones to scan the surrounding area and Bolt uses good old fashion elbow grease.

Lisa, however, had only the senses of a mortal. Show her some tracks she could uncover by punching something and she was good. Give her something harder to find and Hugh Glass she was not.

"Yeah, find anything?" she asked, approaching the other two from behind, cracking her back and sliding her phone back into her pocket.

[paradox26]

Bolt looks at the other two heroes, then gestures at the tracks. He carefully removes the branches that were laid over the top of the tracks, then crouches down to examine the boot prints.

"I have found some boot prints, or at least, what look like boot prints. I am not an expert tracker, but they look pretty unmistakable. And it looks like whoever made the tracks also made an attempt to hide them. Lacking any better options, I suggest we start following them and at least see where they go," he says.

He rises to his feet, and places his foot beside the track, to try to judge its size. Then he starts to follow the tracks, moving fairly slowly to make sure he doesn't lose the track marks on the ground.

[Phantom Genius]

The boot prints seem to be moving around the hatch and then leading into the forest, where they are lost in the pine needles blanketing the ground. (The snow is mostly in the trees, not on the ground under the trees.) Bolt would guess they are a men's snow boot, sized 12-13. Not a small person, but not a Hulk either.

The hatch has a wheel for opening, but does not seem to have a lock. It appears that it would keep out animals, weather, and maybe even nuclear fallout, but not someone looking for shelter.

[BananaPhone]

Lisa/Fury

Rolling her shoulders and nodding with an exhale, Lisa falls in line. She takes in a lungful of natural air and follows along behind the two trackers, acknowledging the limit of her expertise.

[MutantDragon]

AGR-01 kneels down next to the hatch and glances towards the others for confirmation that he should open it and see what lies within.

[MutantDragon]

After easily lifting open the hatch, AGR-01 begins slowly climbing down the ladder within.

[paradox26]

Bolt is relieved that the boots were not Hulk sized, as he would stand no chance at defeating a foe of that size and strength.

When the door is opened, Bolt starts to carefully climb down the ladder, as he realises that there is not enough room for him to fly down the hatchway. He peers carefully as he works his way downwards, looking for some signs of life, or maybe even what remains of Bug.

[BananaPhone]

Lisa/Fury


Lisa, on the other hand, doesn't seem too phased by the ladder. In her human form, she topped out around 140 lbs or so of fit human; no slouch, but not enough to warrant too much concern for load bearing purposes.

Waiting until the two fellows proceeded, Lisa turned herself around and descended down the ladder...

[Phantom Genius]

At the bottom of the ladder there is a hard concrete floor and a tunnel leading straight ahead into the darkness beyond where the light shines down from above. AGR continues leading the way until stopping very abruptly outside a metal door, causing Bolt to almost crash into the drone, rather comedically. When Bolt speaks or taps AGR, he gets no response.

Spoiler: For Mutant Dragon only

Show

AGR you have lost all contact with the drone and radio contact with Bolt and Fury.

[paradox26]

Bolt uses his fire powers to create just enough flame to create light. But when they crash into the door, he is a little flummoxed. He can use his flames to try to melt through the steel, but if Bug is on the other side, then he could destroy his companion. Besides, he isn't even sure if his flames would be hot enough to melt steel. He notices that AGR seems to be halted, and he waits for his comrade to speak up, figuring that such a pause must be caused by deep thought and hopefully a solution to the problem. While he waits, he looks for a handle or grip of some sort, to try to allow them to simply open the door.

[BananaPhone]

Lisa/Fury

Above, Lisa exhaled as she had her hands about herself, almost giving herself a hug across her abdomen as her eyes swept her surrounding area, waiting patiently for Bolt to either return or check back in over the comms.

[Phantom Genius]

Lisa sees a small flicker of flame appear in Bolt's hand and they both see AGR completely paralyzed in place standing a few feet back from the metal door. It has a handle-opener that just needs to be rotated 90 degrees for the door to open.

Spoiler: For MutantDragon only, again

Show

AGR is aware that someone is outside the door of the headquarters, attempting to batter it down.

[paradox26]

Bolt checks on AGR to make sure they are okay. Then he very carefully, keeping the flaming hand free, opens the door handle. He rushes through the door, in case it creaks and ruins any attempt at stealth, at least he might have surprise on his side if the room is occupied.

[Phantom Genius]

AGR doesn't seem damaged, just not moving at all. Any lights or gears seem to be operating. (The lights are on, but nobody's home?)

The handle opens easily and the door can be pushed open with effort. There's a room beyond it with a stone floor and stone walls that seem to have been treated with something shiny. Not decorative, but chemical. At the edge of your firelight a skeleton leers at you from a sitting position on the floor, against the wall.

[BananaPhone]

Lisa/Fury

Having no medical or mystical knowledge at all, Lisa narrows her eyes at the sight of AGR's paralysis, as Bolt goes ahead to open the door and head in.

"Hey...hey you okay?" she'd ask AGR, approaching from behind and whispering quietly.

[Phantom Genius]

"Hey...hey you okay?" she'd ask AGR, approaching from behind and whispering quietly.

There is no response.

[paradox26]

Bolt makes his way carefully into the room, and approaches the skeleton. He doesn't expect it to revive and attack him, so he crouches down beside it and inspects it very carefully for any form of identification or anything similar.

[BananaPhone]

Lisa/Fury

There is no response.

Lisa furrowed her brow. Nudging her compatriot once more, she circled around him to face him from the front, bringing her right hand up to cup his cheek.

"Hey, hey! Ay-gur?" she asked, visibly starting to worry as she gave him a light slap.

[MutantDragon]

Spoiler: Phantom Genius

Show

AGR-01 sends out a call to 911 imitating a random passerby seeing the break-in.

[Phantom Genius]

Spoiler: Phantom Genius

Show

AGR-01 sends out a call to 911 imitating a random passerby seeing the break-in.

Spoiler: For the one and only MutantDragon

Show

Does it have a name ready for when the 911 operator asks? What does it say if she asks if they are armed?

[Phantom Genius]

Lisa furrowed her brow. Nudging her compatriot once more, she circled around him to face him from the front, bringing her right hand up to cup his cheek. "Hey, hey! Ay-gur?" she asked, visibly starting to worry as she gave him a light slap.

There is still nothing. The drone seems undamaged but unaware. Lisa feels a tickle in her throat and coughs.

Up ahead, Bolt approaches the lifeless skeleton. Crouching down, he finds a note with block printing. It might be hard to read, but the flame in his hand grows brighter and brighter as he reads, eventually causing concern.

Here Lies Bug
Squashed Like a Bug
Left for Dead
In his suit of red
This can be his pyre
As you die in a fire
Flammable gas
Will choke your ass
You'll all perish
And the computer I'll cherish

Bolt quickly figures out that the flammable gas mentioned in the note is why his flame continues to grow brighter and why Lisa is starting to cough in the hallway. He also notes that the skeleton is a plastic Halloween decoration and is starting to melt in a creepy way. (Have you seen Raiders of the Lost Ark?)

[paradox26]

Bolt feels a surge of fear run through his body. "Get out, now!" he yells. He immediately drops his flaming hand, and starts to run to the exit and to the ladder, which he tries to get up in the darkness, lit only by the light coming from the top of the ladder exit.

[BananaPhone]

Lisa/Fury

Lisa coughs gently, still trying to shake AGR out of his stupor, before Bugs sudden alarm rips through her sense of quiet.

Eyes widening, sensing an explosive trap, she grabbed AGR and swung the machine over her shoulder and bolted for the exit, her panic remaining under control - for now.

[Phantom Genius]

Bolt quickly extinguishes his open flame and you both notice that you are now in complete darkness. (There had been light coming from the vertical shaft with the ladder up to the surface, but something has changed.) Lisa can scoop up the drone by feel, but Bolt blindly crashes into her and sends the drone sprawling to the floor. Bolt and Lisa's throats are beginning to burn and talking becomes difficult. What actions do you try next?

Spoiler: AGR-01 if you're monitoring the police bands

Show

The 911 dispatch reports a false alarm and possible SWATting at your address. There seems to be no urgency. Let me know OOC if you don't know what "SWATting" is.

[MutantDragon]

Spoiler: Phantom Genius

Show

Lacking other options, AGR-01 calls back with a short string of profanities and exclamations of distress, demanding that someone be sent to provide assistance.He once again repeats the address and stresses quite plainly the urgency of the situation. Should his second plea be similarly ignored, he tries to hack into neighboring businesses' systems to try and trigger their alarms.

Spoiler: Rolls

Show

(1d100)[90]

[paradox26]

Bolt staggers to his feet, and tries to feel his way back to the ladder, where he climbs carefully to the top. He assumes that because the light from the top has disappeared, that the entry is being blocked by someone or something, so he prepares to throw flames from the top of the ladder.

[BananaPhone]

Lisa/Fury

Lisa, carrying AGR over her shoulder, scrambled towards the ladder, using her free hand to free at the walls as best she could so that she could guide herself in the darkness. This left her mouth vulnerable, forcing her to inhale, though she kept such imbibement to a minimum.

When she reached the base of the ladder, she looked up to see the area illuminated by Bolts flamethrower, as she brought up her free hand to shield her face and eyes from the sudden burst of heat.

When able, she'd start to stagger up the stars - holding Agr over her shoulder while drawing herself up the ladder with her natural strength.

[Phantom Genius]

(Lisa, Bolt is only "preparing to throw flames." It's still completely dark.)

Bolt works his way up the ladder with Lisa scooping up AGR-01 a second time and following. At the top, he finds that the hatch has been closed... AND LOCKED. The air here is a tiny bit fresher but is getting worse. He could choke out a few words to his teammates, although only one is listening.

[paradox26]

Bolt desperately tries to tear the door open. "Lisa, you are stronger than me. Get up here and try to tear the door open. I am not strong enough, and it has been locked from the outside," he yells, trying to not to cough.

[BananaPhone]

Lisa/Fury


Feeling the abrasion of the gas compressing upon her mind, and sensing the desperation growing in her companions voices, Lisa reached within.

She gently set AGR down as she inhaled, exhaled, her eyes closed, her mind filling with images from times when powerlessness halted her movements and things she hated seemed to keep getting away with it, the dollar signs and monthly bills for her Washington DC apartment searing into her brain...

Bolt wouldn't notice it at first, but he'd hear it. Lisa's haggard breathes become...deeper, heavier, more sonorous, carrying as much force as a mild breeze, from all the way down there.

The next thing he'd feel is vibrations through the ladder, as something large, powerful and angry was swiftly scaling the ladder to smash the door off its hinges...