Spacefurry

@Avenger Assembled sorry for the delay Lets say a Survival vs DC15 Succeed = the wild life in the lake are agitated, even more so then just by Sea Devil’s presence. Notice vs DC20 Succeed = Sea Devil notices another corpse. The remains have been underwater for some time and have been subject to the damages that would come with it except for the neck which have claw like damage that look like torn large chunks from it.

Chimera She gave Blowfish a dubious look when he mentioned pulling the poor young man back into a life of questionable legality. But she held her tongue and looked out the window again with a noncommittal. “Hmm.” Hopeful he could keep himself out of trouble this time. When they arrived Chimera sat up straight and watched as the guard looked the other way at Blowfish’s silent insistence. Almost people couldn’t afford the trouble of standing in the way of men like him, so the yielded rather than sticking their necks out. She could hardly fault the guard. Stepping out the opposite side of the car her attention snapped around at Blowfish’s exclamation. “What the-?” Chimera stared up at the huge black shape against the night sky as it circled and landed on the ship’s deck. “You have got to be kidding me!” She hesitated for a moment before stepping forward. “Stay- stay back.” She tried to sound calm. ‘I need to get up there.’ She thought to herself. Hopping up onto the hood of the car, giant sliver-grey wings grew out of her back and opened with a snap. And with a leap she was airborne.

Leon grinned and stood. “If you insist.” He turned to face the man. “Look, we’re not looking for trouble, well not right now.” Leon smirked. “We just popped in for lunch. So, if you wanna shuffle off back over to the bar and go back to drowning your mid-life crisis with your friends that be real friendly of you.” He made a small shooing motion. “And if you need me to explain this again, just let me know if I need to speak slowly or just use smaller words so you’ll understand?” Sometimes his roommate really shouldn’t let him talk to the general public, let alone try to defuse a situation.

Chimera The car wasn’t large, but neither Blowfish nor Chimera were all that big. She shared the backseat with him as the car sped along the dampening streets. Streets that werent all that empty at this time of night on a weekend. A portion of her attention was on the driver and the road. The man didn’t hesitate at the wheel. She was no granny behind the wheel, but he was the kind of driver she both hated and envied. Aggressive, but able to to back it up. She had to resist rolling her eyes when Blowfish refers to her as his ‘old buddy’ and she hardly felt all the ‘cool’. “I don’t look forward to having to standing up to you either.” She had to admit. “But the odds aren’t exactly in favor of peaceful coexistence forever.” She glanced down at the antique submachine gun laying across the gangster’s lap. “Like last time…” She trailed off, looking out the window. “How is Stringbean?” She asked after a moment.

Chimera Yes, she would agree, zombies would be ‘bad for business’ if one wanted to understate it. Chimera sighed and tapped the table with a finger. She nearly asked while he hadn’t gone to the authorities with this information, but after a second of thought she could probably guess the answer. She couldn’t just let people get hurt, even if they were of ‘questionable moral choices’. She made a conscious effort to ignore his lamenting of the ‘good’ol days’ and focus on the current threat… Geez, she was using a lot of ‘quotation marks’ in her thoughts… Chimera shook her head to clear her thoughts. She looked at Blowfish then nodded. “Fine. I’ll go with your men.” She stood up from the table. “But just to keep anyone from getting hurt. If this turns out like last time, I will call the police myself.”

Leon chuckled as Luke ordered two burgers just for himself. He knew the look the server was going to give them. He smiled up at Lacey and nodded. “And one for myself, please. Just the fries and a… cola.” He gave Luke a smirk. He was sure their IDs would pass, but there was no need to invite trouble. The tanned skin of the biker was leathery looking at a glance, and the smell of dust, asphalt, and beer clung to him. Leon looked up at him with a raised eye brow. The man was too busy glaring at Luke. “Grandpa here a friend of yours?” He asked with a smirk and teased his friend. “Or is this just your wondrous people skills at work again.”

Chimera Earlier Surprised. Yes. Confused. More so. What was she doing here? She wasn’t even close to being a big hero. Just about nobody even knew her ‘hero’ name. So image her surprise when a young man walked up to her the night before, after she had stopped a mugging not far from campus. The woman had thanked her for returning her purse and ran off. Chimera was considering what to do with the would be criminal when a nervous teen approached her. At first she had thought it might be an accomplice, but then he had nervously apologized for bothering her and handed her a note before running off himself. Confused, she had read the note and been very surprised. Dear Miss Cape, It would be most agreeable if you would do me the solid of coming to my totally legitimate business establishment on the night of the Saturday to discuss a mutual problem. Gratefully, Blowfish There’s no way he could have known where she’d be. How many kids did he have running around with invitations for her? Now Chimera stood outside The Pasta Palace and hesitated. The silver-gray tendrils snaked around her limbs and chest, covering the blue jeans and and canary yellow blouse she wore. The techno-organic matter also covered the lower half of her face to hide her identity. The building was closed but there was still activity inside. Taking a deep breath she walked up to the doors and tested them. They opened and Chimera entered into the dimly lit interior. She was hardly through the doors before Blowfish was call her over. The staff looked like they just wanted to go home and she felt sorry for them. Blowfish himself looked harried as she approached the table. She had planned to stand (that was heroes did, right, stand stoically), but one of the staff pulled out a chair for her. She was about to decline but didn’t want Blowfish to take his frustration out on the staff so Chimera moved to take the offered seat. She hesitated in the motion of sitting when the gangster mentioned the Yardie. She finished sitting and regarded Blowfish. If she had to be honest with herself, it wasn’t a name she wanted to hear again. “The docks?” Chimera politely declined the offer for food. “What could he possibly want…” She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter I guess. What he did at the graveyard was in the news for days.” Which considering the news cycle in a city full of superheroes and villains, was something. “How reliable is this information?” She asked, remembering the ‘it’s cybernetics’ from last time. “Because, if it’s true this could be a big problem. Someone should look into it sooner, rather then later.”

Predator The armored figure of Predator entered the room behind Echohead. She was silent aside from her steps. Given his abilities and the fact he had copied an experienced officer with Captain Scarlet, she let him take the lead. Besides, she knew from her own experience, her silent presence could sometimes be intimidating. It had actually been somewhat entertaining back when she first started and people thought she was a robot of some kind. She chuckled to herself inside the helmet, though nothing was heard externally. Outwardly, Predator stood like a silent sentinel behind Echohead and to the side. Internally, she was watching and recording everything from the moment the door opened.

Blackstaff Blackstaff wasn’t fond of the idea of another boat in the mix, but if it was better equipped to remove the wreckage it was probably for the best. He was glad the crew was dealing with everything calmly and rationally, even if a select few seemed disappointed. He watched Torch take off towards the Shadowcaster. He didn’t think tech would sway them, but he couldn’t help but chuckle at the captain’s estimate of the volume of fish possibly required. Blackstaff stood to follow the captain. “The Longarm, how long do you think until it can ge-“ His question was cut short as the boat rocked from an impact. “What in the nine hells?” The wizard swore as he grabbed the railing to steady himself. Then he saw it. Something large and menacing was heading directly towards the Shadowcaster. It cut through the water at a speed the belated the mass he was sure was hidden under the waves it created. Blackstaff swore again in several languages. “Did they get tired of waiting already?” He growled and turned on the captain. “Call the Longarm and tell it to steer clear. Then keep yourselves at a safe distance.” He yelled back as he ran to the bow of the ship. Not bothering to take a second to catch his breath Blackstaff’s voice rumbles deep, but melodically. “S’queth Cyclis Stourbreze” Sudden winds whip up around him like a tiny storm. They grab at him. Pluck at his clothes and hair. A whisper thin giggle flutters on the breeze as Blackstaff pours magic out into the wind, securing it, taking control of it. He knows this is a fleeting gift, but as long as they come when he calls he will thank them. One hand gripping his staff, the wizard pulls a clenched fist from his jacket. Into the whirling winds he thrusts his fist and opens it. A rainbow of glittering confetti follows his magic and the giggle echoes on the winds. The price paid, Blackstaff leaps from the rocking bow of the ship. The winds grabbing and lifting him, and at his command the carry him aloft, racing against the sea beast.

Predator With the guests removed, Predator joined the others by the remains. She crouched beside them examining the exposed bits as her computer ran comparisons against know technologies. She had spent many long nights since her arrival learning what she could of this world’s tech as well as common alien ones. Even a quick glance told her this was Terran in origin. And old… She plucked a less damaged gear set from deeper within the cavity. Holding in front of her helmet she turned it this way and that. “Not old.” She commented out loud without context. “But built to look like it.” Setting the piece down a blade extended from her arm and with precision Predator cut open the rest of the chest to get a better look. “Hmm.” She managed to sound thoughtful, but disappointed. Finally she picked it up by the head and examined it. Again she cut into the synthetic flesh to peel it back. After a few more moments she set it down and turned to regard the men. “Agreed. This woman may have answers we need, possibly to questions we don’t know we have yet.” The armored helmet tilted towards Cpt. Scarlet. “Please request to copy of your consultant’s report for my own files. And let me know where they move the remains to.” She looks towards Lawrence. “I have reason to suspect your charge may still alive, if not in immediate danger.” She acknowledged with a nod at Echohead. “As far as I can tell this stand-in was not advanced enough to be an independent entity, merely a puppet drone.” Predator shakes her head at any questions. “I’m afraid I don’t have the necessary equipment to fully analyze the remains here.”

Looks like Blackstaff is going to have to stunt to get himself over to the Shadowcaster. I’m thinking his Move Object magic to lift and fly himself over to the other ship with wind? Would you like me to write the power out?

Leon laughed as Luke excepted the challenge. The engine purring low under the music as the car continued down the blacktop. It wasn’t long before the small building came into sight. There was little to it, small and somewhat forgettable. Old fashion pumps decorating the frontage which was flanked by a gathering of Harleys. Leon gave smirk as they slowed and turned in. River Cuomo was leading the chorus as Weezer gave their blessings to the rains down in Africa. They were cut off as Luke killed the engine and the two teens climbed out. A bell jingled as the door to the diner opened and the teens entered. The smell of smoke and grease (both cooking and engine) assaulted Leon’s nostrils and he knew his roommate was having it even worse. Heads turned in their direction, with most of the bikes giving the duo dismissive looks before turning back to their beers. Dusty patches of a flaming bull skull emblazoned on the backs of their jackets. The drawl from the jukebox was unidentifiable to him, and he was sure to Luke as well. The tired looking server smiled politely and waved the two towards a little table with a… “Make yerselves at home.” Leon smiled back and thanked her. A few stray eyes still followed them as they sat. It didn’t take her long to finish pouring bears for the bikers at the counter, then the server came over with menus. She introduced herself as Lacey and Leon ordered an unsweetened tea. “My friend here’s trying to put on a little extra weight.” He chuckled but smiled. “What would you recommend?” Lacey eyed the two but rolled with it. “If that’s what ya want, it’s the Big Willie ya’ll be want’n.” Leon bit his lip as she continued. “It’s three patties, six slices of cheese, onions, mushrooms, slaw, and and a whole pickle. It comes with a whole order of fries. You can add chili to both for extra.” Leon looked at Luke with a grin and raised an eyebrow. “Think you can handle that?” He joked knowing full well Luke could probably eat two of them and still have room for dessert.

Craft, Mechanical: 28 Craft, Electronics: 21 Knowledge, Technology: 25

Predator The now armored hero does what she can to help herd the guests out of the hall without further problems or panic. She opens a comm line to their Talon liaison. “Mister Lawrence, I’m afraid I must ask you to join us at the podium as soon as possible.” Switch to another line she calls Captain Scarlet next. “Captain Scarlet, I’m afraid I must request you join us at the podium in the presentation hall as soon as possible.” That done she looks over to see Echohead and what she could only assume was some form of manifestation of Mirror Knight’s creation keeping watch over the remains. She nodded to herself and turned her attention back to the guests. Predator would feel more comfortable continuing once the guests were secure elsewhere and the reps from both the Talons and the local PD were present.

GM Diamondlight The young officer scratched his cheek nervously for a moment. “ I don’t know. I, ah,” He hesitated, looking over his shoulder. “We’re not supposed to..” He trailed off, obviously unsure before biting his lip and looking back. “Who am I kidding? People like you know people way above my pay grade.” He didn’t sound accusatory about it, more like stating a fact. “If you want in, someone would have my butt in a sling if I told you to take a hike.” Officer Haynes shrugged. He glanced one way, then the other before he gave a small sigh and lifted the bright yellow and black tape. “Just, ah, try to keep out of the way, sir.” He tried to make it sound official. ++++++ Sea Devil “There’s a comforting thought.” Detective Pascal grumbled as he pulled a small plastic object from his pocket and clicked it. At her query, he caught another officer’s attention. Pulling the unlit cigarette out he called out. “Bring me the file on this one.” The officer nodded and hurried over to a nearby folding table. The set up obviously meant to be a central area for the search. The detective put the cigarette back between his lips and clicked his little object again as they waited. A moment later the officer returned with a plain Manila envelope. “Thanks.” He grunted as the uniform retreated to his duties. Opening it, Pascal pulled a handful of large photographs from it and handed them to Sea Devil. “These are just from the last victim, but they’re pretty much the same as most of the previous ones.” He commented, giving her time to look through them herself. In the photos Sea Devil can clearly see the wounds on the body. Numerous scratches and lacerations are visible on the corpse, but the bite marks are what the photos focus on. To her experienced eyes, the bites are vicious and obviously lethal. They appear precise, but hasty. Like what ever made them knew exactly where it wanted to bite but couldn’t wait to dig in. They’re singular but deep, like it wanted something buried deep in the flesh and only have one chance to get it. ++++++ Nightscale Luke dodged the few stragglers still loitering to reach the spot he saw the woman. Looking around he can see no sign of her now though. Standing there, the distinct scent of old blood filters through the background smells of city park and people. There was something about her that he couldn’t put his finger on. As he contemplates, the young dragon spots the uniformed officer nervously lifting the police tape for the man remembered from the casino. Further in, he can just see Sea Devil through the other officers.

Predator Checking attendees Jean was glad she could find no serious injuries, but tensions were still on edge. When Echohead began call for people to clear away from the podium and the remains of Mr Cardenas because of a bomb she cursed under her breath. “Calmly, people!” She tried to call over the noise before giving up and deciding it was time to dress for work. There was a shimmer of translucent light around Jean and those nearby could feel the sudden distortion of space as the Predator armor materialized around her. A small buffet of displaced air ruffled clothes and she stood straight. Internally, Echohead’s call came through. Predator growled to herself and switch the external speakers on. They boomed as an amplified voice called for attention. “Please, remain calm! Security will assist you in exiting the hall in a safe and orderly manner!” Switching back to private, internal channels again she replied to Echo’s report. “If he can’t, I suggest covering the remains. Maybe a curtain or something, your jacket if you have to. We don’t need someone getting a look at it and starting another panic, or worse posting a picture before we can investigate it ourselves.”

@Nerdzul just so you don’t have it wait on a reply from me before posting. If he makes the check, Luke can notice a lone woman amongst the civilians. She has a small frame, kinda skinny. Looks rough, possibly homeless, but doesn’t carry herself like one. She catches Luke looking at her then he loses track of her as others pass between them blocking line of sight. Something about her gives off bad vibes.

@Avenger Assembled Nothing with the darkvision or magic. Hearing gets her the mullings and conversations of the police and a few nearby civilians. Nothing with the sonar or tremorsense. Scent does pick up something out of the ordinary. If she’s spend anytime around them, it kinda smells like something from a medical facility. It’s very faint and fading, not something she could follow from here. But distinctly recognizable if she came across it again given how out of place it is in the park.

@Nerdzul give me a Notice check, say DC 25

The sun was high and bright and the wind whipped their hair as the the duo cruised down the country road. The radio was jamming and Leon was leaning into the back seat to grab drinks from a plastic bag. They had been smart and grabbed a few drinks and snacks from the gas station they hit up before leaving the city proper, but with two young men they wouldn’t last long. He passed one to Luke as he settled back into his seat. “I got a great idea.” He said over the Bon Scott’s declaration that there were in fact, no stop signs or speed limits. “Let’s stop at one of those truck stop diners for lunch. Order the greasiest thing on the menu and see who taps out first.” He gave his friend a challenging smirk. They both knew Leon had yet to win an eating challenge against Luke, but as the young thief had explained once before. It was the thrill of the challenge that was the fun. OOC: the usual road trip shenanigans could be fun. I can see them at some point having to deal with some truckers or locals and have to deal with them while keeping a low profile (ie - no flashy powers)

None that I can think of

GM Diamondlight The young officer nodded, chuckling at the ‘bribe’ comment. “Wish my girl thought the same thing.” He gave a shake of his head. “If you could buy us a solid lead, that’d be a big help.” Officer Haynes tries to laugh, but it’s forced and strained. “Honestly,” He says with a sigh. “If you happen to know any capes willing to help out…” He trails off as he glances at a couple of people getting too close to the tape. “Please step back! This is active crime scene!” He yells over at them and the people move away. The officer looks back at August, continuing where he had stopped. “Some of the detectives have said a few capes have poked around, but no one’s found anything.” Officer Haynes shrugs again seemingly unaware of August’s alternate identity. He starts to say something else, but is cut off by the a sudden low, but resounding voice. The artificial buzz of it rumbles from the other side of the scene, closer to the waters of the park’s larger lakes. “The hells was that?” He manages, already reaching for his radio when a voice comes over it. The officer on the other end reassures anyone that the armored individual if here to help. ++++++ Nightscale Luke easily blends in to the civilians that wander within sight of the police tape. As he walks along he can easily spot weak points in the line. Places where anyone with a little practice at being sneaky could slip through. The FCPD have been understaffed for years now. Not too far away he spots a young officer speaking with a good looking man in a light-toned suit. A couple of people wander closer to the police line and the officer takes a moment to call out to them to move back before returning to his conversation. As he watches he can see the people wander off, including a young couple hanging off each other. Something itches the young dragon’s predator/prey instinct. Suddenly, a low booming voice buzzing from across the crime scene. It’s causes a bit of a stir amongst the police, several he can see reaching for their radios. A few moments later they seem to start settling down. But they’re distracted long enough that if anyone, so inclined to do so, could probably slip through. ++++++ Sea Devil FCPD officers gave the black van plenty of room as it drove into the park. When it had stopped to unload its passenger there was an open area for them. The uniformed officers present were obviously tense and nervous. But the detective in charge of the scene was experienced in dealing with capes, or in this case armors. He stepped up as Sea Devil exited the van and stood his ground when she introduced herself. He nodded to her as a nearby officer pulled out his radio and stepped aside to reassure other officers around the park. “We were told to expect you.” He shot the STAR commander a look. “Just not as early as we’d have liked.” “Detective Pascal.” He introduced himself to the armored hero. “I don’t know what you’ve been told. So I’ll give you a quick run down.” He waves Sea Devil to follow him talking as he walks. “Earlier today a body was found in the park lake. Obvious damage suggested some kind of animal attack, but gods know what kind.” He pulls out a pack of cigarettes, putting one in his mouth but not lighting it yet. He leads Sea Devil to the edge of the large lake and stops. “It’s not the first we found in the water in the last few months. But looks like someone finally authorized a, ah, ‘dive team’.” He raised an eyebrow at the armored deep one. “Guess someone is starting to take this serious.”

GM Diamondlight The uniformed officer August addressed as he approached the police tape was young, probably not more the a year or two out of the academy. The name tag on his shirt reads Haynes. When he replied, it was the tired reply of someone who had been repeating himself several times already. *sigh* “Yes sir, very unfortunate.” He started like he was reciting from a cue card, not quite looking at him directly yet. “We are glad that you would like to help, but this is an official crime…“ He trailed off, finally facing him. He gave August an unsure look. “Say, ah, haven’t I seen you on somewhere?” Before August can respond the young man shakes a finger at him. “That’s it! My girl was watching that TMZ or something. Aren’t you that rich guy that owns that fancy restaurant? August something.” He says rubbing his chin.

@Supercape Think I can assume that since you just reactivated him, Diamondlight as a hero hasn’t been very active lately? Maybe August has been focusing on non-hero matters?

No problem glad I can return the favor.