Bug Hunt (IC)

[Moira Morley]

February 23rd, 10PM

Providence Asylum is home to many mentally unstable people. One of these people is Samantha Cline. Miss Cline was known as Luna Moth a few decades ago. A scantily clad girl using stolen property that gave her powers over the minds of men. She was beautiful and terrible to behold back then. Her criminal career saw her indulge her every whim, getting everything and everyone she wanted. That was nearly 40 years ago. Though what drove her to this god forsaken place was not what she had, but what she couldn't have. The mind of one man: The Raven.

Samantha Cline has many fears, though one sticks out in her mind tonight: her mortality. She's 60. Even though she's aged well, she dreams of her younger days of chasing The Raven. In 20 more years she'll be a husk. She wishes on a star to have her young body and her sanity back. She doesn't want to care about a man that probably died 30 years ago. But it haunts her.

And some where some how her petty wish is heard by an entity that grants many petty wishes. Though there's always some bit of a catch to it. Samantha Cline wanted her youth and sanity back. That's all well and fine. She would get them both, but in doing such she would have to go through a rebirth. A chrysalis, if you will. While she slept that night, alone in her cell, she woke up as if possessed. The guards watched their monitors very closely as Miss Cline walked into the middle of the room. When she stopped, they sent a few guards to check it out. The guards on the monitors and the guards once they got there couldn't believe their eyes! Samantha Cline was being covered by what looked like a cocoon! They radio'd the doctors and they too could not believe what was happening. They had no idea what to do. And that's where they went blank. When they all awoke. Samantha Cline, her cocoon, and a chunk of the roof that the cocoon attached itself to were gone. The police were called. ASTRO Labs was called. Anyone who could make sense of it.

ASTRO Labs, while sending scientists, sent their resident hero: Gossamer. The police quarantined off Port Regal until they escapee was found. Mongrel Angel happened to be one of those residents that they were detaining. Geckoman had contacts with the police. His informant relayed the news to him. Jester, being strange as well as lucky was in the area at the time.

[Heritage]

Dr Estelle de Havilland, aka Gossamer, stood in the middle of the patient's room, her eyes scanning the scene while fine tendrils of amazing golden hair gently scoured the various surfaces in search of clues. Since her run-in with powersuited thugs a few months back, Goss had upgraded to a newer suit of her own, dark metallic blue and silver which hugged her graceful form like a second skin. A combination computer and com unit covered most of her left forearm, small colored lights blinking on and off.

"Hmm...well, this is unusual, even for Freedom City." She stepped back out into the hall to speak with the guard. "Who was the first person into the room, who discovered she was missing?"

[Geez3r]

"An inquisitive mind, that's quite a start. Says a voice from around the corner of the cell. Stepping into the light is a very strange sight. There appears to be a clown dressed like Sherlock Holmes, pipe and all. "But tell me, my dear, how do you intend to solve this mystery without the slightest spot of Earl Grey? It's simply barbaric." Stepping into the room, the clown blows some bubbles from his pipe and withdraws a stupidly oversized magnifying glass from his coat pocket (which was coincidentally too small to hold it).

[Heritage]

"An inquisitive mind, that's quite a start.

Despite herself, Gossamer felt a small twinge of pride, and smiled shyly at the compliment...

"But tell me, my dear, how do you intend to solve this mystery without the slightest spot of Earl Grey? It's simply barbaric."

Until she saw the fellow who made it, and was suddenly taken aback. "I, uh..." Her hair retreated into a nervous coil that hung loosely down her back. It took her a few moments to recover her composure, but finally she managed to extend a welcoming hand and a tentative smile. "Hello, I'm Dr. de Havilland, but you can call me Gossamer. And you are...?" :?

[Geez3r]

Sweeping his hat off his head to reveal the shockingly bright blue hair underneath, Jester walked into the room and shook Gossamer's hand. "'Have-a-Land' was it? I would inquire as to the size of the tracts, but it seems the D was an appropriate measure." Resuming his investigation, and getting out of smacking range, Jester answered Gossamer's question "I am Sir Pip de Mongro Poppergotten, but you may call me Raymond Luxury Yatch if you so please. Now so that our investigation isn't reduced to utter lunacy, why don't you bring me up to speed on what your investigation has uncovered?"

[Heritage]

"'Have-a-Land' was it? I would inquire as to the size of the tracts, but it seems the D was an appropriate measure."

Estelle's cheeks went bright pink, and her hair unfurled itself to partial cover her curves, oddly reminiscent of Botticelli's Venus; while her hair was most expressive, the rest of her was nearly struck dumb.

"I am Sir Pip de Mongro Poppergotten, but you may call me Raymond Luxury Yatch if you so please. Now so that our investigation isn't reduced to utter lunacy, why don't you bring me up to speed on what your investigation has uncovered?"

Despite having a Harvard degree and a three digit IQ, the most the well-bred scientist could muster was to point up at the ceiling and stammer out, "Hole...up there..." :shock:

[Geez3r]

"I see that Harvard education simply pays for itself. Truly a wise investment." remarked Jester wryly. "I thought it was a hastily completed skylight." Jester blows a few more bubbles from his pipe, popping them before they hit the ground. "Perhaps further investigation of the hole would garner further insight into the mystery of the disappearing luna-y."

[Heritage]

"I see that Harvard education simply pays for itself. Truly a wise investment.""I thought it was a hastily completed skylight."

The blonde heroine's cheeks got even pinker, though now her embarrassment was colored with a bit of anger, which felt rather odd; it was so rare she broke her cool.

Who does this clown think he is? :evil:

"Perhaps further investigation of the hole would garner further insight into the mystery of the disappearing luna-y."

Without saying a word, Gossamer sends a number of tendrils out to grasp the irritating stranger under the armpits, hoist him off the ground, and thrust him up into the hole to get a better look.

[Geez3r]

"Oh my, so forward!" says the astonished Jester as he is lifted skyward. "And I didn't even have to buy you dinner." he adds with a shrug. Once he's up by the hole, he pulls out his magnifying glass, looking at the edge of the hole intently. "Hrmmm, yes... just as I suspected." he returns the magnifying glass to his jacket and looks down at Gossamer. "It is as I feared; I have no idea what I'm doing."

[Heritage]

"Hrmmm, yes... just as I suspected." he returns the magnifying glass to his jacket and looks down at Gossamer. "It is as I feared; I have no idea what I'm doing."

Somehow this comment bypassed all of Gossamer's layers of uptight, hidebound breeding and professional pride, and hit her square in the funny bone. The heroine started to laugh, just giggles at first, but soon it has full belly laughs, loud and unrestrained. She gently lowered the odd clown to the ground as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Well, that's a relief; I thought I was the only one." She held out her hand again, a straight up 'howdy do' grip, with a big silly grin on her face. "Let's try this again. Hi, I'm Gossamer, and I have a huge bug up my ass. Very nice to meet you." :D

[Ecalsneerg]

Geckoman strode up the corridors, chewing on his sandwich as he went. Mmmm... eggs. AND HAM! He'd been too busy to catch lunch, so had 'appropriated' one from the guards. He finished it just as he arrived in the cell to see a laughing woman and... a clown?

"Mmfrwrfl..." he gulped down the rest of his impromptu meal. "Sorry, start again. What have you touched? Did you disturb anything? Seriously, don't contaminate the locus. Not cool."

[Nyrath]

"Sorry, start again. What have you touched? Did you disturb anything? Seriously, don't contaminate the locus. Not cool."

"Well, I guess it's good I stayed on the outside." Came a voice from the other side of the cell's tiny window. Mongrel Angel had figured she might as well check out what was causing the police to be so jumpy, not that they'd be able to detain her in any case. "No visible damage to outside structure. If you want my opinion whoever did this either got in and out the usual way, possibly invisible, or teleported in and out."

[Moira Morley]

The guard scratched his head as Gossamer questioned him. "That's the weird thing about it. We all discovered she was missing. We were looking at this giant cocoon one minute and then it seems like we all blacked out where we stood! When we came to the cocoon was gone."

Jester, while examining the roof hole did manage to find something. In his eyes it was large quantity of gooey substance around the hole, but in reality it was just a small amount. It appeared to be part of the cocoon. What he really noticed was a trace bit of energy that was mixed in with it, like it was cut with a lazer, like someone was very careful about cutting around gooey substance.

[Geez3r]

Before Jester could respond, there were two more heroes on the scene. Apparently, this breakout was pretty big news. Doffing off his hat to the newcomers and bowing deeply Jester amended his introduction to include everyone. "My name is Jester ladies and gentleman, all around wacky man by profession and exterminator by necessity."

He dons his hat again, and takes a drag from his pipe, forgetting for a moment that it was a bubble pipe. After a coughing fit, Jester hiccuped a bubble before continuing non chalantly "Based upon witness testimony, it appears as though she wrapped herself in a cocoon somehow. Someone then proceeded to remove the cocoon from this facility. Early signs point to mole people."

[Ecalsneerg]

"I'm going to say no to mole people. See, the hole's in the ceiling. Unless... the moles are above us!" Geckoman stopped to ponder this awful possibility for a second. "The real question is... why was there a cocoon in the first place?"

[Heritage]

"Sorry, start again. What have you touched? Did you disturb anything? Seriously, don't contaminate the locus. Not cool."

The company at Providence just kept getting stranger and stranger; they were were now joined by an apparent angel and a student from Claremont, who somehow still managed a commanding air despite the fact that he was wolfing down a breakfast sandwich.

"Well, perhaps more heads put to the task will aid this rather unusual investiagtion." She inclined her head annd smiled at the teenaged crimefighter."Geckoman, it's a pleasure to finally work with you; I'm Gossamer, from ASTRO Labs. How do you do? And I have touched nothing with my bare hands, though a few of my hairs have admittedly been probing about; I don't think they'll be confused with any other fibers, though."

Looking outside, she waved at the young winged woman. "And hello to you as well, Miss...?"

"I'm going to say no to mole people. See, the hole's in the ceiling. Unless... the moles are above us!" Geckoman stopped to ponder this awful possibility for a second. "The real question is... why was there a cocoon in the first place?"

Tugging at her lower lip, Gossamer nodded. "Indeed! The patient calls herself Luna Moth, but has she ever exhibited such behavior before? We also need to determine how the guards were subdued so quickly; was it a chemical agent, some sort of mental effect, or something else entirely?"

[Nyrath]

Looking outside, she waved at the young winged woman. "And hello to you as well, Miss...?"

"Mongrel Angel is what I've been going by." said the dark-skinned angel returning the wave.

"Indeed! The patient calls herself Luna Moth, but has she ever exhibited such behavior before? We also need to determine how the guards were subdued so quickly; was it a chemical agent, some sort of mental effect, or something else entirely?"

"A chemical agent would leave something behind wouldn't it? A mental effect whether psychic or magical or whatever in nature wouldn't, most of the time. So we test what we can test and work from there right?" The winged lady thinks for a moment, trying to recall what she knows about Luna Moth. "Didn't Luna Moth use chemicals or pheromones herself back when she was an active villain?"

[Geez3r]

"Perhaps a residual effect from being exposed to so many chemicals over the years is the culprit. It was slowly changing her DNA over all these years. Lord knows chemicals can really mess with a guy. Heh heh heh heh hehehehe hahahaha HAHAHAHA!!!" Jester just stares around the room, his eerie smile on full display for a few moments after his little outburst.

"But before we begin jumping to conclusions, we should try to determine how the cocoon was made. Now if only there was a trace of the cocoon left. Like a little piece of the cocoon that got separated from the rest of the cocoon when it was removed from the room by a series of fricken laser beams. Like a piece of the cocoon that was left on the edge of that hole up there that I was examining just before the rest of you showed up. Like a piece of the cocoon that was placed in this little plastic baggie here." Says Jester as he holds out a plastic baggie with a bit of white cocoon in it. "Shame we don't have anything like that. The trail's gone cold I'm afraid." Jester blows a few more bubbles on his pipe.

[Ecalsneerg]

"Analysis time!" said Geckoman, snatching away the bag and opening it. "Let's sniff out the problem!" Stretching his powerful sense of smell, he inhaled deeply...

"Ole! Or au lait! With milk! Hey, why are you all blue? Wait, green? Purple? Heliotrope? STOP CHANGING COLOURS!" He turned and pointed at Jester. "See, you are a man I can take seriously." He went up beside him and whispered audibly. "These other guys dress like clowns."

[Heritage]

""Ole! Or au lait! With milk! Hey, why are you all blue? Wait, green? Purple? Heliotrope? STOP CHANGING COLOURS!" He turned and pointed at Jester. "See, you are a man I can take seriously." He went up beside him and whispered audibly. "These other guys dress like clowns."

Gossamer quickly stepped back and covered her mouth and nose with her hand. "Be careful, it may be psychotropic! Jester, would you be kind enough to reseal that bag? Somehow I don't think you're particularly at risk."

Speaking through her hand, she turned to the guard. "Did the patient have any access to chemicals while she was here, or access to a lab or medical facilities?"

[Moira Morley]

A few of the guards jumped to attention at Gossamer's warning. They watched Geckoman. The doctor answered her question, "We only give the patients necessities. So, no, Miss Cline wouldn't have access to chemicals. The only 'chemicals' we give Miss Cline would have access to is her medications. Those wouldn't turn her into a giant cocoon! As for her biology, Miss Cline is perfectly normal. We have to check for that. If she were a powered individual, she would be sent to Blackstone Prison. They handle what we cannot. Finally, we are examining everyone who was affected by the blackout separately. Though it's too early to tell, it looks like their was a bit of mental and physical effects. Whether it was Miss Cline or not remains to be seen, we'll have full analysis in the morning."

[Heritage]

Gossamer stroked her chin thoughfully as her hair slowly swayed back and forth, a sign that she was in deep thought. "At this point, it seems likely she had some sort of outside help, unless she quite suddenly developed powers of her own. Is there another cell above this one, and if not, what function does that room serve?"

[Ecalsneerg]

"Powers? Oooh, powers! Chemical exposure gives superpowers! I'm proof! Chemicals, sweet, sweet, heliotrope chemicals... or is it mauve? Prolongeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeed.... heh, proloooooooooooonged. Prooooooooolooooooooooongeeeeeeeeeeeeeed. Exposure! Yes, exposure!"

"Prolonged exposure could grant superpowers! I mean, reeeeeeeally long-proed. Or prolonged. Longed-pro?"

[Moira Morley]

Th guards were confused but the doctor understood Geckoman's rambling. He shook his head, "No, she hasn't had her equipment since the eighties. Unless it's been gestating for almost thirty years. Though you might have something there. Her criminal career lasted twentyish years." The doctor scribbled something on his notepad and gave it to a guard to deliver.

Turning to Gossamer the doctor nodded, "We haven't ruled out outside interference. Though we haven't figured out who. The floor above us is another floor where we keep inmates. We have thoroughly checked and all are present and accounted for. We don't keep them stacked directly on top of one another for these reasons."

Jester noticed something with his newly hyper-investigative skills. There were TWO types of composition here! One being obviously bug like, but the other being more... alien. Geckoman began to wind down and he to noticed two different smells.

[Geez3r]

"Ho diz iz very intereshtink." Pipes up Jester, now looking like a full on quack. "Hy believe Hy hef found found our culprit." He elaborates "It appears dot diz cocoon here has tvo different types uf compositions. The firsht iz mosht obviously uf bug origin. There vasn't moch need for Science! to determine dot. Bot de odder composition, em entirely unfemiliar vit. Thiz iz beyond de simple vork uf Mole Pipple. It iz my vorsht fear become realized; ve are dealink vit Space Mole Pipple."