KnightDisciple

GM Dragonfly's search lead her towards more ruined cameras, and a few unconscious guards. None of them seemed seriously injured; despite the travesty of attacking an occupied and active hospital, these two weren't out to specifically cause harm. They hadn't tried to simply shut down the power yet, either. Clearly, their objective was not to cause chaos or injury. At least, not yet. ********************************************************************************* <Come on, Katkvinna! Just let me port us in there! I thought someone said there were heroes in this place!> The man who had created the doorway into the hospital looked around nervously. The woman in the bodysuit, on the other hand, just rolled her eyes as she poked and prodded at the door to one of the main labs of the hospital. This one in particular held samples and data on a multitude of cutting edge pharmaceuticals, as well as a few other, more esoteric items. She finally managed to get it open. <You can be such a baby, Valvportmann. We're in and out quickly. It's not like we're really hurting anyone, besides the guy who owns the place. Well, Rogue might, but she'll probably get stopped quicker than the rest of us.> Her distaste for the likely not-sane computer person was fairly evident. <Now come help me sort through these things; we have a shopping list, you know.> <Yeah yeah, I'm coming.> With that, they were both inside the lab, walking around, placing various selected samples into a large duffel Bag.

First things first, mostly for my purposes (and probably AA's), we have our cast of villains: Cat Burglar Sneak Thief Tronik Villain Portalist So! Currently, we have Citizen vs Rogue, Dragonfly looking for Cat Burglar and Portalist, Sneak Thief...sneaking, Miss Americana running the operation, and Fenris still a bit away from getting in on the action. AA has said he'll handle the virtual combat. But I'll be running Cat and Portal. I think we'll go ahead and roll inits for them and Dragonfly (that's your cue, Fox). And what we'll do is I'll make an IC post for them, then in Dragonfly's next IC post, she can run into them. Probably two rounds later, I'll bring Fenris in (to kind of even things up). So! Katkvinna (Cat Burglar) goes on an 8. Valvportmann (Portalist) goes on an 8 as well. Katkvinna has Dex 20 to Valvportmann's Dex 14, so she goes before him. I need an Initiative Roll from Dragonfly!

Baron Magnus had, at first, been curious, then shocked, then fearful (likely for Eira), then, finally, furious. But now, his face was like stone, displaying no overt emotion. He dragged a nearby tech over and whispered at the man for a moment. Considering how the tech's face whitened, there was likely some dire threat involved; nevertheless, the tech immediately took over the Baron's position at his console as Magnus began to march towards the door. "Miss American, Dragonfly, Sharl, I cannot order you to help repel these...ingrates. But I can ask that you assist our security forces. I fear I am needed elsewhere now. I must go to, ah, help coordinate the security effort. I will stay in contact as best I can." Without waiting for a reply, he jogged from the room, heading for the private elevator around the corner. However, he wasn't heading for the security center. Instead, his destination was buried near the bottom of the hospital, well inside the mountain itself. The area was incredibly restricted, to the point he was essentially the only one allowed in there. It had not been breached. It was a little over a minute later that he stepped from the elevator into the...well, the best word was "armory". It was a room whose central piece was an imposing suit of armor, albeit with a couple of side-rooms. It was to one of these side-rooms that Magnus power-walked into, the one with an upright "exam bed" with a half-dozen injectors on mechanical arms surrounding it. He began stripping off all but his most basic underclothes, pulling out several innocuous-looking bands that quickly revealed themselves to be containers for a morphic molecule undersuit. "To think. All this time...If only I'd had more. But now? To protect Eira, I will give myself any advantage, no matter the pain." With that, and a few barked commands to the computer, he stepped up and positioned himself on the bed; restraints popped in place, and within thirty seconds, the hypo-injectors were pressed against bare skin. Plungers depressed. And those near the elevator shaft might hear the faint echoes of the Baron's howl of sudden pain.

GM The procedure had been going almost better than expected, with everything staying exactly as it should for the hours of grueling work. Everyone involved seemed tense, but the positive progress had slowly but surely made them feel at ease, or as much as they could considering. Sometimes thing just don't go as planned. Today is one of those days. At first, those in the delicate operation will notice nothing amiss. However, it doesn't take long before a member of the staff comes in and whispers to the Baron. "Sir, we have a problem." Another staff member, this one dressed in a security outfit, came in and began entering codes into the computer systems. "Initiating lockdown; in 15 seconds the only thing this room's computer network will be connected to are the secondary command center and the waiting room. And...locked down. Everyone, please stay calm, but we have intruders in the hospital. They seem to be targeting our computer network and our various high-tech pieces of equipment. Industrial espionage, or something to that effect." He pulls out a tablet PC and brings up security footage on it. Any of the various individuals in the room who look are treated to a series of short surveillance videos. The first shows an empty section of hallway, suddenly bisected by a blue glowing circle in mid-air. Out of that circle step several figures: first is a woman dressed in a form-fitting bodysuit with a belt full of small tools; next is a woman dressed in a similar manner, but with two handguns strapped under her arms; finally is a man wearing a full-body suit with a blue "whirlpool" on his chest, and orange glowing eyepieces. The male figure seems to be the rear-guard, while the first woman slinks (there is not other word for how she seems to move) up to where the images are captured; in short order, the feed is static. Subsequent shots are much shorter, as the women seem to alternate, disabling any cameras they come across. At some point, the woman with the handguns is suddenly missing from the group; only the male who seemed to control the blue portal and the woman who looks to be adept at breaking and entering are left. "And that's our status. Three hostiles, though they don't seem to be aiming to kill anyone. They're here for information and technology, nothing else." But what a time to come here! "Right now the two we have some measure of lead on are five floors down. We're still trying to track down the third one."

Cobalt Templar nodded as Trevor, Rick, and Erin filled him in. "Thank you for the information. So. We've got four worlds. One set in the future. One run by freaking Nazis. One that's nice on the outside, but pretty bad underneath. And one that's a dead world. But no real heavy-duty Terminus activity. Probably." Suddenly, a somewhat manic grin spreads across his face. "High-risk mission. All of existence riding on the line. Well. What are we waiting for?" His ring hand clenches a bit, fire flaring from the seemingly-simple magical device on his hand. Cobalt Templar was ready.

Gabriel had finished his as well, though he experienced no noticeable symptoms. And as he was about to fly, he'd burn off what little effect he had within a minute or so. He gave Supercape an offhand salute as he straightened up from where he'd been leaning against the counter. "It has indeed been a pleasure. Good to meet another "friend of a friend", you know? Hope you feel better after your nap. And I hope you get to enjoy a couple of excitement-free days. Beyond the excitement of your science labs, that is!" He gave the other man a conspiratorial wink before he headed for the exit; it had been a pretty straightforward path, and he ought to be able to handle getting out on his own. "Have a good day, and God bless!" With a final wink at Nurse Critchley, he entered the elevator to go to the ground floor. From there, he'd exit through the lobby and quickly rocket straight into the air. He figured a couple high-speed high-altitude laps along the coast should get him in perfect patrolling shape again.

When Oliver had first revealed himself to the group, Corbin's eyes had gone wide. 'A psychic talking cat super-genius who's been planning to save all of reality with Rick Lucas for a while. Sure, why not.' The astonishment slowly bled away, left only with cold resolve. When they were asked if they had questions, he waited until Erin's question had been answered, then spoke up. "Two things I wanted to make sure I was clear on. First, should we expect any direct intervention from Terminus forces on our mission? And second...could somebody explain what Erde-J-Nazi-1, Earth-M-Lucas-1, Earth-C-Future-2, and Earth-Z-Omega-1 are? I mean, I guess the first one, shockingly, involves Nazis somehow, and that Earth-C involves "the future", but..." He gives a helpless shrug. "Maybe it's a stupid question, but I haven't had any classes that cover inter-dimensional travel yet. I would really, really like to have a quick Cliff's notes on what each of these places is like, so I'm not going in blind. That way we all have at least the basics down."

Baron Magnus Katastroff nodded to Miss Americana as he entered the room. "Good. I do not have anything, no. It sounds like you have everything where it needs to be. Is she in position? And Magda and Bernhard, they are in the waiting room, correct?" While he was clearly in better condition due to his rest, the Baron had an almost manic energy about him, though it appeared he was keeping excellent control over it. A nearby technician confirmed the answers his questions. "Good. Shall we begin, then?" Everything rested on these next few moments...

Sharl's timing proved to be imperfect, but not disastrous. The Baron had clearly just taken a shower, and was currently wearing pants and shoes, but no shirt (he'd just picked one up off the bed). He turned in surprise as Sharl came through the wall. He gave a slight yelp of shock, but quickly recovered, pulling what looked to be a long-sleeved plain shirt on. "Sharl! Um, thank you. I was actually going to be headed up that way in just a moment anyways. I slept a bit longer than I thought I would, so I'm still sort of playing catch-up. Give me just another minute or two here." The Baron, dressed in rugged chinos and his simple shirt, gathers his wallet, phone, and one or two other nondescript items into his pockets before ducking into the bathroom to run a comb over his mussed hair and swish some mouthwash around. Once done, he power-walked out of the suite and to the elevator, pressing the button for the floor that contained his niece. He'd waited for Sharl to keep up, if the intangible hero had not left immediately. "Right then. Hour of truth, I suppose."

GM Post Eira seemed to be enjoying the discussion, but was clearly getting a bit worn out. Still she smiled at Sharl all the brighter. It was only another five minutes before the little girl yawned and started to drift off to sleep, a smile on her face. Her parents sat there, most of their attention focused on their little girl. Still, they answered any questions the two heroes in the room might have ********************************************************************************* Several Hours Later The equipment brought in by the Freedom City heroes had been delivered, and setup had been completed less than a quarter of an hour ago. At this point, everything seemed ready to move on to the procedure. Eira was in her medically-induced coma, and her parents had been guided to a waiting room, to keep them out of the way of the delicate procedure. Of Baron Magnus Katastroff, there was no immediate sign. It was likely he was still resting...

Corbin had taken a couple of extra moments to gather his wits, the tears of flame slowing, then stopping. Ponderously, he stood to his feet, taking a few deep, calming breaths. He crafted his expression into something that mostly resembled calm. He looked at Eve, but couldn't think of anything to really do or say. He sent what feeble vibes of friendship he could over the quivering mental link she'd formed with the group. As he followed the others into the twisted study, he was taking in the increasingly-bizarre surroundings. He stood there as Rick Lucas explained what was going on, Wander erupted in (in his might, righteous) anger, and as Rick explained further. Finally, he spoke, his voice a pale shadow of his typical booming self. "Right, so I'm a bit newer to the group, don't know a whole lot about you beyond what little I've heard; none of it was very flattering. I mean...I guess I'm glad you saved us. Especially since it means we have a chance. But...was this the only way? There was truly no other way to prevent everything from crumbling away? Now we have to pin our hopes on what sounds like time and dimension hopping? I mean, how do we get there? Then? Whatever. What do we do when we get there? How do we know this works? And...I don't even know what those world-labels mean. I'm just really confused at this point. Well, mostly in barely controlled anguish at the loss of nearly everything I ever cared about at all. But confusion's sort of at the front of my mind right now." The tall boy's rambling was a clear sign he was fighting to stay in control; he simply had no real experience with events of this magnitude. Not until today, at least.

CT stared at the finger in front of his face, going cross-eyed despite the grin. "Oh. Pardon me. Doctor Jill. Hm. That sounds almost like Doctor Phil. No mustache, though. So Doctor Jill it is." He was clearly enjoying the witty back-and-forth, even if he was on the losing end. "What Jill here has failed to mention, is that while she may have more volume, I have more finesse and style. I hear tell blue flame is "in" this year." He shook the British hero's hand rather firmly, though it was apparently a result of his generally strong nature, rather than some odd contest. "Now hold on a second there, Supercape. While the historian in me accepts the "colonist" label, I have to correct you about "Philistine". I can't trace my lineage back to ancient Canaan. Though I have visited there. Fascinating place, really..." He shook his head with a smirk. "Well, we wouldn't want to get soccer confused with football. Glad to hear I'm "spiffing" nonetheless." He pondered some of the man's odder quirks as he sat there. 'This guy is like one of those old BBC movies or something. He's "classically British"? I hope "full of beans" means something different than what it does back home. I'm not full of any food right now...' He glanced towards first Push, then Blake. "Hey Push! How long 'til grub's done? Blake, don't get too distracted from your grueling work over there. Don't want her calling in the second string or anything." The last was spoken with a mischievous grin.

Gabriel shrugged and sipped at the cider in his hand. He was perhaps halfway through the bottle at this point, with no visible ill effects. "Doesn't seem like a list of contradictions to me. Nothing in the Good Book against alcohol necessarily. Just drunkenness. Goes back to that idea of moderation. As for coming from a different angle...Well, that's why they coined the term "worldview", I suppose. Not that I see any inherent conflict in faith and science; each is simply part of a greater whole, a way to view the totality of existence. One answers "Why", the other answers "What", you might say. But you're correct. That we both protect those who need it, and keep the world safe, that's the important thing. Philosophical differences are just a sign we're human. Maybe I'm aberration in some ways; after all, I've never used my considerable social skills to forcibly sway someone's worldview long-term. It doesn't seem right, you know? Forcing someone to believe what you do, no matter the belief, is wrong. Free will is key in the decision. And that's another reason I fight against the dark agents of the world. So people have the chance to choose."

Gabriel's smile fell just a touch at the "Irishness" comment. "i was born in the sovereign country of Ireland, yes. I'm afraid I won't say anything more specific in that regard. I wear the mask for a reason, after all. My family is still living in Ireland. I myself came over...well, I'll be vague and just say "more than a year ago". Again, that whole "secret identity" thing." He'd noticed the head-scratching a moment ago. "You seem a bit confused. Something wrong?"

Eira smiled a bit wider, even as her parents fought back tears of joy and fear in equal measure. She waved a thin little hand at the armored form of Dragonfly, even as the heroine walked out of the room. She gave curious looks to the assembled group. Magnus stepped forward a bit, running his own hand over her hair. He fought back tears as he noticed how thin it was. <Later today, little Eira. We simply need to get all of our machines set up, then make you ready. It will be a few hours yet, though. I think your Uncle Magnus will be taking a short nap; I feel quite tired at the moment. Do not worry, little one. You are in the best of hands.> He leaned down and gave the young one a quick kiss on the forehead before stepping over to give Bernhard and Magda a brief, muttered update. He turned to Sharl and Miss A, giving them a slight smile as he walked out the door. <Do not let the little rascal's curiosity keep you too occupied. She will ask a million and one questions on everything, given the chance.> Said "rascal" gave an exaggerated pout. Magnus winced at the nickname. <Hn. I thought we'd gone past that little nickname? No matter, I suppose. I shall see you soon, little one.> And with that, he strode from the room, before he made a beeline for a nearby elevator that took him one floor up, to the suite he'd commandeered for his own use. He definitely needed sleep.

On the far wall, Cobalt Templar started to stir. His fingers flexed slightly, his feet twitched, and his eyelids fluttered. He uttered a low, pained groan. Suddenly, he "sat up", which propelled him into a jumble of arms and legs on the floor. He managed to position himself on his hands and knees as he began to utter...choked sobs? Slowly, CT lifted his gaze to take in the others. Instead of normal tears, drops of blue liquid fire ran down his face, sizzling into nothingness before they could hit the floor. His expression was one of utter loss. "She's gone! She was right there, I felt her, and then nothing! Oh god, Quo-Dis!" He slammed his left hand against the floor, cracking the wood as he continued to sob. "They're all gone, aren't they...Gone! Just like that!" Blue flame rolled over his body in tiny spurts, flaring up and down with his sobs. It was clear that an event of this magnitude was nearly too much for the young ring-wielder.

Almost before Trevor was done handing out orders, Corbin was suddenly Cobalt Templar, in all his shining, armored glory. He blurred through the air over to the crowd, hovering about 10 feet above them. His voice bellowed out, trying to drown out the sudden storm noises and panic from the crowd. "Everyone! Please start moving inside! Freshmen, sophomores, head in with them and guide them to the shelters! Go for the nearest shelter to your position! Juniors! Play rearguard and help make sure everyone makes it inside!" At the moment, CT had generated several large, glowing "arrows" of blue flame, to help guide the not-yet-full crowd inside. While he was bellowing out orders, he was sending thoughts directed towards his lover. ~Get inside with the rest of them, Quo-Dis. You and the other juniors are going to be our best line of defense inside.~ He didn't "verbalize" it, but her pyschic senses would likely pick up the fact he was scared. Not for his own sake, but for hers. He was scared of losing her.

"You know us kids from Missouri; nothing but pancakes, steak, cornbread, and apple pie." He chuckled, though it was a bit forced as Travis mused on the headmaster's chemistry skills. "But yeah. I just lucked out in the genetics department, I suppose." Corbin nodded at Sage with a smile. Of course, his smile was bursting as he heard her talk. "So that's what that was? Don't sweat it, Eve. I wasn't doing much at the time, and if it means you can talk however you want now, it's worth it in my book." He glanced at Travis, and then his fellow teenagers as a very light blue glow surrounded his body. "Hang on just a sec, I'll go get the presents." He suddenly flew off, skimming the ground on his way to his dorm room. In less than 5 minutes, he had returned. His arms held six picture frames, 18 x 24 inches. He handed one each out to Wander, Edge, Sage, and Midnight. The pictures turned out to be identical hand-drawn mini-posters of the "classic" Young Freedom lineup; it had Edge, Wander, Midnight II, Psyche, Phalanx, and Sage, all in costume, all in various poses that captured the spirit of each student perfectly. Slightly closer inspection revealed they were, in fact, excellent digital copies. Corbin stood there, shyly holding the last two pictures. "I guess I'll hand these off to Mike and Alex when I see them. I tried to do you guys justice; I hope it's alright. I've got the original tucked away in a secure location, along with any other prints like that that I produce." Corbin's face was colored by a slight blush; the large student was clearly a bit embarrassed to present classmates he saw as inspirations to him with such "measly" gifts.

CT breathed easier as Jill held him no ill will. "Fair enough. I figure I don't have to worry about either of you stealing Quo-Dis, either. Makes it all nice and fair, then, Nurse Jill." Not the most brilliant of nicknames, but CT wasn't one for making up such things anyways. He barely restrained his laughter as Jill complained about cricket, and Supercape extolled its virtues. "Ah, Mister Supercape, sir. While we all appreciate that cricket is a time-honored game with a great degree of subtlety, the beach seems a less than ideal location for it. If we do decide to have any sports, I suspect it will be quicker, simpler games, such as frisbee or volleyball. Really though, I think today's about as few plans as possible." CT gave the older superhero a smile. "I'm Cobalt Templar, by the way. Nice to meet you." He turned for a moment to face the cooking area. "If someone skimps, throw an extra slice of cheese on mine!" He returned to the closer conversations. "We have sun, sand, surf, food, and friends. What else do we need?"

"No, that's fair. And you're right about Sharl, and Eira, being alive. It's...it's just the ponderings of a man facing the death of a child in the family. Best not to dwell on it. Today holds only good things." He took a moment to pull out a handkerchief, dab his eyes dry, and take a few deep breaths. Then, he put a smile on his face and opened the doors with gusto. <Where is little Eira, hm? There you are, little baroness!> Indeed, Eira, barely conscious but still smiling as her beloved uncle came into the room, was on a bed half-surrounded by life support machines (along with redundant backups). A scattering of wires and tubes ran to the emaciated girl's body. Her parents, eyes a bit red, sat by her side. They put on large smiles as well, though Bernhard's expression was clearly more forced. The young one spoke. The child was grinning as much as her face would let her these days. The sight would have been more heartwarming, had they not all known the risks this day carried.

Gabriel shakes his head in the negative. "Didn't so much mean alcohol, at least not exclusively. Even the soft drinks over here are different, you know? Not entirely bad, but one misses home." He raised an eyebrow at the "moderation of moderation" comment. "Seems like a bit of an endless loop, saying you should take moderation in moderation. Never did get the saying myself, not really. Morals? Yes, rather. I'd think the reasoning would be somewhat obvious, between the symbols on the coat and the being who gave me my powers, hm?" He grinned a bit wider as he took another sip. "I mean, a good portion was my family; that sort of thing, done right, gets passed down to each generation. But I've taken that faith and made it my own. After all, not every member of the Church is flying about fighting super-villains, eh?"

Fenris smiled a slightly wolfish smile as he laid down his two pair. Not an earth-shattering victory, but it was still something. "Yes, a bit of food does sound rather nice. I'm actually enjoying this; solidly trouncing an opponent is all well and good, but I rather like the tension of a close match. As for being stuck here waiting for the police...Ugh. I'm all for catching the crook, understand. But being stuck out here even longer? I've always preferred my trips being as efficient as possible. Nothing efficient about cold murder, though, I suppose. And I'd hope there's at least some proficiency..."

Gabriel gave a mock-depressed sigh. "I suppose scrumpy will have to do in lieu of real drinks. And careful moderation is the key with such things, Supercape. Careful moderation is the key. Sort of applicable to most all of life, really." He accepts the drink when offered, taking a few sips. "This stuff is light enough my metabolism ought to burn it off in no time. When your body has to generate all this extra energy, it takes a bit of extra food. I've made poor Fleur de Joie jealous of how much I can eat while retaining my same level of fitness. Call it a miniature blessing, I suppose. Yeah, I fly fast enough I might as well be able to teleport back home once in a while. We're clear? Excellent."

Ramstein was a canny player, but Fenris was no slouch. Sadly, his lack of practice playing any sort of card game made him comparatively easy to read, even as he got a decent read on his opponent. Currently, he had a pair of Jacks and a pair of 10s, plus a Queen. "Indeed, first class. Such as it can be on a transport such as this. And it's a bit of both; I don't flock to large groups with the regularity of some of the more "social" ladies in our circles, but I also got on just a few stops ago. Terrible indeed. Personal tragedy for those involved, but seems like a bit of a national one as well. I'm not actually from Britain, but I mourn with them in losing so great a mind. I have enough interest in the sciences to feel sadness that a mind like his will never postulate, theorize, and experiment ever again. How do you mean, stuck? They're not going to keep us on the train longer than our destination, are they?"

Fenris notices he has hands that are holding these funny-looking cards. :oops: