Freedom City Issue #2: Time of Vengeance

[fireinthedust]

((The colors tint darker as we set our scene))


The Large screen in Freedom Hall's meeting room is split into a dozen or more smaller boxes, each its own news feed. The main image blinks between the smaller ones, various news stories heard in brief:

"Freedom City's Jewish communities observed special prayer services today in recognition of the Passover holidays, Which begin tonight at Sunset. Most of the city's Synagogues reported large turnouts, including the West End's famed Temple Ben David. Channel 5 WXAD is marking the occasion with its traditional airing of Cecil B. DeMille's the Ten Commandments, starring Charlton Heston as Moses, tonight at 8pm."

*click*

"If you blink, you'll probably miss Freedom City's newest super-powered resident. The Freedom League's very own Johnny Rocket has been seen speeding about town in the company of a red-and-gold costumed young woman who was keeping pace with the fleet-footed Rocket stride for stride. No word yet on who the Lady Speedster is, but keep your eyes peeled for a crimson comet on your way to work today!"

*click*

"There's new Freedom League in town! Only a week after their daring rescue of the city from invaders from outer space, Freedom Hall is under new management from relative no names. A man from the future, a sorceress, a speedster, a sword-wielding vigilante, and an alleged norse deity have come from seemingly nowhere to take up the mantle of the world's mightiest heroes, Freedom division, and they're doing it in style. Freedom Style.
But while the new team may have a handle on the city, the real question that's one everyone's mind is simple: where is the original League? Over a week since their mysterious disappearance to South America, and still no word from the League or sign of where they vanished to. Panamanian and American sources alike have no leads as to their whereabouts.
While this is not the first time the League has vanished, never before has such an inexperienced group been left behind to pick up the pieces. Does the new League have what it takes to carry on in the absence of truly able members? Will the League, or Freedom itself, survive without its champions? Only time will tell."

*Fizzzz*

The screens continue to cycle through the channels until the computer shuts them off.
The last week has been... intense. At first, celebrations for being the new Freedom League were fun. The attention was good. Realizing that the Freedom League you'd hoped to learn from was gone, and you were not only new heroes but suddenly scrutinized by the public to live up to their expectations of the team...
Added to that was the failure of your team to find any leads on the Freedom League. They have vanished, as has any sign of the meteor shower they'd gone to investigate. Nothing, not a blip on the radar, be it technological, psychic or magical.
The city has been relatively quiet, but it's the calm before the storm. While you meet every day to discuss the changing situation, there is a growing sense that something is about to break.

So there you all are: again in the seats once used by your own heroes, unable to find them or any sign of them, while still charged by them to care for the city you all love.

((okay, you're all at the table. You're super heroes discusing the situation, the city, whatever. Go.))

[Green Bean]

((Wait, so is Johnny Rocket in Freedom City or wherever the League is? ))

Tempo had spent the past week making frequent high-speed patrols of the city. While he hadn't actually thwarted that much crime (a random assortment of muggers and bicycle thieves), he hoped to reassure Freedom's citizens that the new League was working as hard as they could.

Tempo sits at the table, watching the news reports for any updates. While he knew they'd probably be the first to hear about any leads, he wished they could be doing more. Tempo makes a mental note to pick up some matzo bread for dinner, and speaks up. "City's still pretty quiet. Not much metahuman stuff happening, either. It's eerie."

[sun_tzu]

"Well, it's not like these things have a set schedule" Soul was quick to point out. "And quite frankly...at the risk of sounding cowardly, the later we have a supervillainous crisis, the better. We don't have the numbers and experience of the regular League. I've been trying to fight the League's enemies in the simulator...and the victory ratio isn't satisfying yet.
But, yes, general quiet. Though I probably patrol less than Tempo. I've been working on a little project back home..."

For Soul, the past week had been a long exercise in time management. Between her duties to the League, her duties as a teenage girl in high school, and her intention to keep that duality secret, things hadn't been easy. In fact, working on "Project Perpetua", as she had nicknamed it, had by this point become her way of relaxing. Of course, if it works...well, well see about that.

"No new developments with Eric Masterson. No recent visit from Mother Aurora, either" she added as an afterthought.


((Project Perpetua is Soul's idea for civilian application of her abilities...but we can let it be a while before it pays off, if at all.
I'll assume here that by this point, Soul has told the other PCs about her rogue gallery, as well as Aurora. Heck, I'll try to RP it in the old thread.))

[SuperMuldoon]

Apex had spent the week, in between his patrols and other heroic duties, learning about the history of the city and the Freedom League. He sat himself in front of one of the base's computers and tried to learn as much as possible about all the different people of note who have come and gone in Freedom City. He also managed to watch a little of Doctor Who that Soul lent him, once he figured out how to use the "DVD" player (the discs are just so damn huge!).

"My scanners haven't been picking up much of anything since we took care of Captain Kraken and his goons, and most of what I come across during patrols is already being handled by local law enforcement. While it's nice to have some downtime, in my experience its always the calm before the storm, and things can get real ugly, real fast. I know you all know this, and I don't need to say it...but just stay prepared."

[Green Bean]

"Yeah, I guess I should be grateful that nothing's going on. I just didn't expect to spend my first week here running an anti-jaywalking campaign. Besides, I just can't shake the feeling that something big's going to happen. Tempo leans further back in his chair, scratching his head. Abruptly, his stomach rumbles. "Oh yeah, that reminds me. Since it's my last real meal of the week, I'm buying you guys lunch. What do ya'll think; Italian, Chinese, maybe Thai? I know a great place in Bangkok."

[SuperMuldoon]

"Oh yeah, that reminds me. Since it's my last real meal of the week, I'm buying you guys lunch. What do ya'll think; Italian, Chinese, maybe Thai? I know a great place in Bangkok."

Apex looks confused. "Tie? Do they serve...uh...knotted foods?"

[Green Bean]

Tempo gives Apex a funny look before he remembers who he's talking to. "Er, no. Thai food is a specific type of cuisine that came from Thailand. They use a lot of fish sauce, but it's quite good."

[SuperMuldoon]

"Oh...I see...well if you say it is good..." Apex feels his face turn hot with embarassment. Gah...I haven't gotten to read about other parts of this world besides the city yet...I will have to make a note of this "tieland" and look more up later...

[fireinthedust]

The computer blips a red light on the console, and a small screen lights up with a message coming through.

Anyone reading it:

Spoiler

Show

Freedom League:
My name is Nurse Jenny.
Come find me at Trinity Hospital.
I need your help. Please come!

[sun_tzu]

The computer blips a red light on the console, and a small screen lights up with a message coming through.

Anyone reading it:

Spoiler

Show

Freedom League:
My name is Nurse Jenny.
Come find me at Trinity Hospital.
I need your help. Please come!

"Huh."
Soul looks around. "Oookay...Want me to open a portal to Trinity?"

[Green Bean]

Soul's communicator beeps, and Tempo's voice comes through. "Sounds like a good idea. I'll meet you out front."

Tempo arrives at the hospital, circling it a few times to make sure it isn't under attack by creatures from Dimension X or superintelligent apes before stopping at the front entrance.

[SuperMuldoon]

"Yeah, open up a portal, lets go check this out!" Apex stands up and notices that Tempo is gone. Sometimes I wish I were that fast...

[sun_tzu]

"Well then," Soul gestures as a portal opens, "all aboard the Shortcut-Through-The-Spatial-Continuum-Express."

[fireinthedust]

ooc: I'm going to assume you port to the exterior of the hospital, to where Tempo is(?)

IC:


The front of the hospital is, as always, busy. Right now, however, the street is lined with police cars. Squad cars, with officers going in and out the doors. Obviously something happened inside: this has the look of a police investigation.

no fire trucks or ambulences, though, just police cars.

[Green Bean]

"Wow. This definitely looks like something we should look into."

Tempo walks into the hospital, looking for whoever is in charge of all the police.

[SuperMuldoon]

Apex uses his sensors (enhanced vision and infra-red) to see if theres anything out of the ordinary going on in the hospital.

((No ambulances? at the hospital? ))

[sun_tzu]

All right; the police know me after that last stint with Downfall, not to mention Kraken...Probably the fastest way to figure out what's going on.
Soundlessly, Soul floated up to the nearest policeman. "So - " No, wait. We're the Big League now - they might find that reassuring. "Freedom League reporting. What seems to be the matter, officer?"

[Nerd-o-rama]

Fireblade has been following along with the group, deciding to play brooding supporting character ((while his player's been buried in a deluge of work, sorry guys)). He steps through the portal, and is about to ask the cop in charge the same question (albeit not as politely) when Soul beats him to it. So instead, he surveys the police line and the hospital for anything that catches his eye.

Notice (1d20 10=24)

Well, it's a nice change from all the training and mugger-frightening, Fireblade observes to himself. Still, trouble at a hospital's no fun for anyone.

"Hey Apex," he asks the strange battlesuited man next to him. "Anything strike you as odd about that distress call?"

[SuperMuldoon]

"Hey Apex, anything strike you as odd about that distress call?"

Apex turns to look at Fireblade and jumps as his face is 1000x bigger then it should be. He fumbles with the controls to his sensors as he returns it to normal settings.

"Yeah, something just doesn't sit well with me about this...she didn't try to tell us at all what the problem was, just a plea to find her here at the hospital. Could be anything in there, hostage situtation, infestation of centipede ninjas, Gravulaxian Grenadiers...I wish we had something more to go on..."

[Nerd-o-rama]

"Especially since the police were already on the scene. You'd think most people would be satisfied with that...unless there's a supervillain type in there, in which case you'd think the cops would have called us, even if we are the newbie squad."

[Da Beast]

"Whatever's going on, lets handle it quick" says Aesir, visibly uncomfortable with his surrounding.

((Sorry about the absence. I've been working overnights every day since friday, the same day I finally managed to track down a Wii with Brawl. Between the two my free time just disappeared))

[fireinthedust]

As Soul asks the question of the officer, a trench-coated detective moves between him and the heroine.

That's enough, Constable; go inside and finish up in there.
Yes, Detective Boyce

the detective is a thin man, tall, balding and over-worked. He glares at Soul with rings under his eyes, and when he speaks there is the thick smell of black coffee on his breath. He doesn't look happy to see you.
That's far enough, Freedom League. This is FCPD jurisdiction, not something you Capes need to dirty your hands with. Us little folks can take care of a missing persons report just fine. So why don't you kids go chase a space monster or monster or something?

Apex: ((you do mean with x-ray vision, right? Infra-red won't go through building walls; I'm thinking that's a good pp buy for you if you don't have it; if you don't want to buy it, don't read the following))

Spoiler

Show

scanning the hospital nets you no real results. The police are crawling around the inside, asking questions of hospital staff while nurses and doctors go about their business.
There is something, though... you can see someone on the third floor, by the desk of the hospital mortuary. It's a woman, late twenties, dressed as a nurse, standing there. She's holding something in her hand, it looks like a fax

((brennus: if you mean smash bros. brawl, color me jealous!!! I'm going nuts with the gf all week for the regular game cube version. I've gotten pretty good, actually. Wii looks good!))

[sun_tzu]

As Soul asks the question of the officer, a trench-coated detective moves between him and the heroine.

That's enough, Constable; go inside and finish up in there.
Yes, Detective Boyce

the detective is a thin man, tall, balding and over-worked. He glares at Soul with rings under his eyes, and when he speaks there is the thick smell of black coffee on his breath. He doesn't look happy to see you.
That's far enough, Freedom League. This is FCPD jurisdiction, not something you Capes need to dirty your hands with. Us little folks can take care of a missing persons report just fine. So why don't you kids go chase a space monster or monster or something?

Soul looks at the detective, then, still hovering in front of him, turns aside, raises her hand in mock hello, and says: "Why hello there, miss Soul. Pleasure meeting someone else who's trying to keep the city safe. And since we care more about protecting civilians than about our little ego, we'll welcome any help we can get." Turning back to the officer: "Okay, that'll fill my sarcasm quota for now. Seriously though, we got a request for help from a "Nurse Jenny" asking to meet us at this hospital. So, I repeat the question: What. Seems. To. Be. The. Matter. Officer."

[Green Bean]

Tempo appears next to Soul, and tries to manoeuvrer in front of her. "Er, I think what my friend means is that we're all here to help protect people, so it's in the best interests of whoever's missing if we work together."

[Da Beast]

"Fine, let him take care of the hospital work. I'll be at home not catching malaria or something like that."

[Nerd-o-rama]

Fireblade watches the confrontation between Soul and the officer with amusement.

I've thought it before, but I like this girl's style.

He calmly walks up and nudges Aesir, pulling him out of earshot for a whispered conversation while the detective was distracted by the irate mage. Pst. Aesir. Let's just teleport in by ourselves while Clouseau here isn't looking. Then we can figure out what's really going on."

[Da Beast]

Aesir seems to wrestle with the idea for a few seconds before responding.

"Alright, but I'm not going into any room with a patient."

He tries to move out of the detective's field of vision before grabbing Fireblades arm and teleporting to Nurse Jenny (if that's too vague for his teleportation power then I'll just move us into the lobby).

[Nerd-o-rama]

"Wait one sec."

Over his fancy new communicator, Fireblade calls up Apex and, sotto voce, lets him know to discreetly join him and Aesir as they teleport in. Soul and Tempo, he figures, can make their own way once they're done distracting the detective.

[fireinthedust]

Outside:

Det. Boyce: Yeah, right. I know all about you glory hounds, and I also know about a little thing called Due Process. This is a police investigation, a missing persons report filed by the hospital administration with the Freedom City PD, with no need for tights and capes. I don't know who this "Nurse Jenny" character is, but for right now this hospital is my collar. You wanna meet your fan club and sign some autographs? Be. My. Guest. But stay out of our way and out of my investigation.

With that (unless there's something else?) the Det. moves back to the officers, yelling for things like coffee and what have you.

Lobby:

((Aesir can teleport (let's say) only if he knows where he's going to. Think DnD: as far as I know, you have to pick a spot (you're at least generally familiar with), rather than "take me to the secret leader of the beholder cult".))

The teleport brings Fireblade and Aesir to the lobby. There are a few officers and hospital staff, including an elderly nurse. She points at a dispenser on the wall, and you see purrel hand-sanitizer with a sign about keeping infection out of the hospital.

There's a desk with nurses doing office work, as well as admitting patients into the hospital.

[Green Bean]

"Wow. He sure wasn't very nice. Tempo turns to Soul. "Though the sarcasm probably didn't help much. Anyway, what now? And where did everyone go?" Tempo rapidly looks around the outside of the hospital. "Uh oh. Whatever happened to the missing person must've happened to them!"