ic Heavy Decisions

[Brown Dynamite]

GM
 
Leaf Fields Inc.

Hanover, Freedom City New Jersey
Monday,  June 23, 2014
8:48 PM
 
 
Leaf Fields Inc was far from an industry leader in any field.  With the only real significant technological advancements they have made being found on television ads.  The sheer number of products that LFI was able to engineer had at least made their profit margins very profitable.  Then came their first real breakthrough.  The Gravimatrix armor.  A power armor that was designed to allow the wearer to manipulate gravitons to control the force of gravity within a limited radius around the suit.  
 
The potential applications were numerous.  LFI would have been put on the map.  If only the suit hadn't been stolen two weeks ago.  There wasn't a single shred of evidence of whom the thief was.  And they had made sure to completely wreck the R&D lab in the process of stealing the suit.  The Freedom City police were on the case of course.  Ever vigilant in their search.  But, no one had so much as found a breadcrumb leading back to the robber.
 
Then the robberies started.  Several members of Freedom City's morally questionable yet sufficiently affluent elite found their homes broken into.  The signs of a tremendous force ripping even the most tremendous safe apart as if it were thin sheets of paper.  Anything stolen could not be reported to the police, thanks to the legal ramifications that the owners would face.  Those with the right ear to the ground noticed a sudden influx of anonymous donations to the Freedom City orphanages and various charities after every robbery.  The LFI only focused on the fact that they could easily recognized the signs of their own technology at work.  With the police at a dead end, they began to seek assistance elsewhere.  Letting it be known through more unsavory elements that they were willing to pay for the return of their suit.  
 
Whereas, those whom had the insult of being stolen from had more ruthless intention.  Going so far as to hire out criminal elements to eliminate the thief and any competition in the pursuit of recovering all their profits and sending a message.  The situation soon became hard for AEGIS to ignore tasking a field agent on to the case.  Samantha Vance, otherwise known as Kit, had found out.  And Nevermore had come upon the knowledge while making a grown man realize the forgotten sensation of pure terror from several stories above the pavement.

Edited June 28, 2014 by HG Morrison

[KnightDisciple]

Nevermore crouched on his rooftop perch, a small ledge at one corner of the roof opposite the main Leaf Fields Inc. building. It wasn't a gargoyle, but as perches went it wasn't bad. He had his cape mostly tucked behind him, to prevent it from fluttering too obviously in the breeze. His dark suit helped him blend into the shadows, though in the back of his mind he wondered if he and Boss Lady could tinker up something even better...

 

The whole affair had him frowning. On the one hand, a Robin-Hood-esque attempt to "steal from the rich and give to the poor" had a degree of appeal if one was not already endowed with financial resources, but possessed of skill and power to take money. 

 

But the problem was, this wasn't just "the rich". It was "the rich people who stole and murdered and pimped and dealt drugs and had no problem murdering anyone and everyone they had to to get their money back". This thief was clearly rather short-sighted; if Nevermore had been the one to do this (if being the operative word), he'd have run the money through at least a dozen back-channels and cleaners, as well as giving it months between thefts and donations. While he and Boss Lady prided themselves on being excellent detectives, it didn't take much effort to connect this particular set of dots. Meaning that meat-headed mafia could probably make the same leaps.

 

Meaning that now not only was the thief in danger, so were the orphanages and charities. 

 

Maybe if this amateur had targeted one or two groups at a time and worked to systematically take every single financial resource they had? Then at least the likes of Nevermore and his Boss, as well as their compatriots in the shadows (and even the ones who preferred daylight), could undertake an efficient cleanup in the aftermath and chaos. But as it was? Too many leads, too little time. Criminals were going to slip through the cracks, justice wouldn't be served, and Boss Lady was cranky.

 

Which meant that Nevermore was cranky. Now he just needed a target for that crankiness.

[EternalPhoenix]

Why was it that Robin Hood types were so...stupid? Terrifica mused as she stood in an alley across the street from the LFI building. Up against a wall, with the sunset providing excellent shadow, she might as well have been invisible. She'd worn the long coat this time around. Robbing one of the criminal elite was survivable. Robbing most of them was suicide by another name, and some of them could be less than scrupulous about getting their investment back. She shook her head. The theft had made the news in Freedom City, if somewhat quietly. The robberies didn't make the news, but Twitter was another story. Rumors and innuendo, naturally. Little more than idle gossip...except for the few details matching the stolen technology to a T. Most wouldn't be looking that closely, but Terrifica? Certainly. The police had made little progress, and criminal types aren't known for their patience. A few purposely overheard conversations in dark places, and she learned there was a price on the tech thief's head. Two, mostly likely. One, so LFI can get their technology back. Two, so the underworld can make an example out of this idiot. However, before I find him I need to know what that suit of his can specifically do. Hence, why I'm missing cheesecake night. How bothersome. More bothersome was the gossip she's overheard more recently of certain charities getting a sudden cash influx. Less than scrupulous indeed. Enough. Time to get to work.

[Brown Dynamite]

Argonaut was floating over the LFI building.  Making no attempt to conceal herself or her questionable choice in armor design.  Such regret would require actually worrying about the consequences of flying around in a noticeable Omega Drone armor.  AEGIS information on the string of robberies was as far behind as the FCPD.  Internal pressure, and a jurisdiction contest with local government the meant her superiors really wanted credit for the collar now.  Personally, Yves wasn't horribly invested.

 

That was until the bounty rumors started flowing around.  That meant civilians could be caught in the crossfire, just so this adrenaline chasing junkie could continue playing their game.  She was prejudging.  There was no evidence that leaned to the thief's motivation yet.  Other than the charitable donations.  However, if they didn't want the money they likely were getting their kicks some other way.  It was a cynical viewpoint to have.  Not that it was too surprising.

 

But the thief obviously didn't think far enough ahead to protect the people whom were receiving the money.  All in all, it was a problem that needed to be solved.  And she was a problem solver, unfortunately her methods weren't always pretty.  Despite the large A on her chest, the extent of her investigative experience was still basically old cop procedural reruns and hoping criminals peed themselves at the sight of an Omegadrone.  It had worked out well thus far.  

[Blue Rose]

Old man Gruder. There's someone she hadn't heard from in a long time. Not since his retirement when she was still a kid. He must be pushing eighty by now, but he always was a sharp one, and it seems he still has his finger on the pulse of things. But for him to call her for some 'work?' That's a blast from the past. Then again, it's just a charity case from an old man for a 'jewel of a girl' like her to 'get that kid's head set straight.'

Some new thief from off the grid. Knicked some supertech and is using it to put crimelords' cash to use for charity. Heart's in the right place, but this is clearly an amateur who got some power, then dived in way over their head. Can't really fault the thought; she may have ended up living a similar life, had AEGIS not forced Miss Vance to take guardianship. Of course, she also has the skills to make it work as a long-term lifestyle choice. Best someone in the know had a word with 'em before he ends up in AEGIS custody, then shortly after ends up dead when some bought-off AEGIS guard looks the other way as some mob hitter slips something in this rookie's dinner.

But he's not a good thief. That makes him unpredictable. It'll be a lot harder to guess his next target; too much randomness, his calls aren't sensible... so, best to start at the source. Sam looks over the LFI building through a pair of binoculars. Time to give her resume...

[KnightDisciple]

Nevermore had had to actually stop and blink when Argonaut came on-scene. Then he opened his mouth, as if to say something, before closing it again. He closed his eyes for a moment and sighed.

 

"Typical AEGIS. Maybe one day they'll figure out subtlty. Then I'll owe Boss Lady five bucks."

 

With that quiet proclamation, he did a slight hop backwards onto the roof proper. He turned and walked several silent steps to get several feet away from the edge of the roof....before turning and sprinting across that distance until he ran out of rooftop. His legs propelled him into the air, and his cape snapped into place, forming a glider. It took him but a few moments to move silently through the air, though he was likely visible to, at least, the slim Omegadrone-wannabe.

 

He made an 8-point landing on the roof and immediately went into a crouch, before turning to face the hovering "agent" and giving a few basic hand signals that amounted to "please come down here so we can talk".

[EternalPhoenix]

Terrifica started to take a step, but stopped as Argonaut arrived on scene. Well...that's...subtle. Perhaps cheesecake night doesn't have to... Her train of thought paused as Nevermore glided over the street. Oh, this is interesting. Two heroes on scene already? She smiled. Cheesecake is fattening anyway. She reached down to her belt, pulled out her grapple gun, and fired it directly at the LFI building. It gripped and pulled her upward rapidly. At the top, a quick flip and a flick of the wrist left Terrifica on the roof a short distance away where Nevermore had landed. First, let's hear what these two have to say. Second, get the intel I require.

 

She crouched down behind one of the A/C units, as Omegadrone-lite took note of the crime fighter. Hmm. Perhaps I'm being too cautious. These two could be of use should things go sideways, as happens with depressing regularity. She stood up and rapped on the A/C unit, just loud enough to draw attention. She walked around it and gave Argonaut a wave. "Evening. We're here for more or less the same reason, so I thought why not? After all, two heads are better than one. Or three, as it happens." They'll be slightly suspicious, but that can be worked past. I'm more concerned about having to explain everything to them. A small price to pay for dealing with hit squads easier. Honestly, the mafia can be such a pain in the neck.

[Blue Rose]

Crap. The capes are gathering already.

With this much interest, this is time for a choice. Race, join, or trail? Hrm...

Supertech ain't really her thing, but it looks like at least that omegadrone knows a thing or two on the topic. And with a pair of the broody types at his back, this is a race she can't win. And if she shows herself now, there's no going back on that one. Time to bide her time. Follow along, observe, and see if she can't give Robin Hood a second chance before this squad takes 'em down and locks 'em in a box for the next twenty years.

[Brown Dynamite]

Argonaut descended after being beckoned by the masked figure.  Is this one of those 'thief always returns to the scene of the crime sort of thing'.  That would be convenient.  There were only two sorts that would wear that type of costume as far as she was concerned.  And the heroes tended to be a bit less social.  When her jet boots turned off there was an audible thud on the roof.

 

Before she could speak there was yet another figure in the immediate area.  Ruling out an ambush by the fact that she hadn't been impaled or ensnared by something.  But there was still time for things to get grim.  "I did not expect such a gathering.  It seems the information is behind yet again.  I was expecting to wrap this up before word could spread."  She then turned her attention back to Nevermore.

 

"So, you wanted to discuss something?  Or was it to share the same three heads line?"

[Brown Dynamite]

GM

 

While the trio was conversing privately, Sam's private vantage point had provided her with certain angles.  Amongst those had been the blurred sight of a camouflaged group of five mean scaling down the side of the LFI building.  The team moved with the efficiency of a trained special ops group as the rappelled down the side of the building.  Stopping all of a sudden three of them would pull out small black boxes with circular protrusions on the end.  Pressing the boxes on the side of the building's glass plane they wasted no time in getting to work.

 

The boxes punched into the side of the windows.  Immediately the glass shattered silently.  Leaving behind only the solid circular pieces still attached to the boxes.  Sam recognized the concept of releasing the kinetic energy to shatter the glass silently.  It was an exploit meant for reinforced glass that normally didn't extend past car burglaries.  Unless someone did their research and knew exactly what the sort of glass the building was tempered with.

[Blue Rose]

If there's one thing Sam misses about The Trade, it's the constant influx of new toys, and new uses for old toys. Though there is a certain artistry in remembering the old fashioned way. She remembers her first window-cracking kit; a sheet of fly paper and a screwdriver. And it worked just as well as the fancy black boxes.

Still, that crew can't be up to anything good. Gotta stop 'em, and find out what they're up to, but it wouldn't do to blow her cover right now... then again, with three sets of fists up on the roof, why should she get her hands dirty?

She reaches out for the minds of the trio on the roof, altering their perceptions. The image of an arm reaching up from the same side of the building as the burglars, holding a mirror. Toss in a sudden gleam, and you have the presentation of someone trying to spy on them discretely with a hand mirror, only to catch the light in a moment of incompetence. The job done, and hopefully having gotten some attention where it needs to go, the arm withdraws and she ends the image.

But the master thief always has a contingency plan.

She reaches out to the mind of one of the tail-end thieves and calls up some of the more monstrous creatures she'd seen in her time on Dis, distorted into even more grotesque form from over a decade of nightmares, filtered through the overactive imagination of the five-year-old girl who saw them in the first place into truly horrifying beings, and forces those images along with that same five-year-old girl's reaction of pure, unadulterated terror into his mind.

This would be a good time for a scream.

[Brown Dynamite]

GM

 

Reflected on the surface of one of the glass windows came this creature made of magma and rock.  Its large fearsome form bearing down on the man steering upon its vicious visage.  Every step rocking the foundation of the building.  Then came the roar.  A roar that the man felt in the core of his being.  Pieces of glass sent flying into him.  Flames spitting out of his rocky jagged teeth.

 

So he did the only thing a reasonable person would do in such a situation.  He screamed.  Curling up into a frightened ball of fear his rappelling line still attached as he swung back and forth.  The rest of the crew had ventured forth into the building, turning around decidedly confused by what was going on with their partner in crime.  To them there was no broken glass.  No creature of fearsome lava and stone.  There was only the cover of night, that had just been abruptly shattered by their compatriot's panic attack.

 

The sound carried easily within the reach of the trio of heroes and the one overlooking from the distance.

[KnightDisciple]

Nevermore blinked a few times as he thought he saw light reflecting into his eyes. It made him move to the edge of the roof and look down...

 

Right as a man inside the window screamed his lungs out at something only he could see. Nevermore's shoulders tensed.

 

"Prowlers. Besides us. Guess it's time to move inside."

 

Without waiting for further notice from the others, he turned, fired a grapnel anchor onto a part of the rooftop, and swung out into the air away from the building. Those few seconds of "hang time" were enough for him to spot the openings. He adjusted his arc, swinging into one of the openings and landing with a crouch. He stood slowly, simply standing there for the moment. Glaring, with those glowing eyes of his.

 

"Gentlemen."

[EternalPhoenix]

Terrifica could have been right on Nevermore’s heels, but that wasn’t her way. Instead she waited, watching and listening as he leapt into action. She had caught that brief light herself and heard the scream. When Nevermore’s voice came out of the building, she glanced around to find a good spot to place her grapple. Having found an acceptable one, she fired the gun and leapt off the roof at an angle. The grapple caught and held. Terrifica literally ran along the side of the building until the gaping hold of the missing window all but invited her in. With a flick of the wrist, she disengaged the grapple’s hook at the same time she entered the window. She landed in a sliding crouch and stood up. Well. Never doing that again. She adopted a smug, mocking tone of voice.

“Oh, that wasn’t a woman being murdered? It was thieves? My, my. What a world we live in, where the darkness of an office building can make a grown man scream like a girl.â€

She stood there with a smug smirk on her face, long coat swishing slightly in the night breeze. I bet I look so incredibly cool right now. Maybe I will try that maneuver again someday.

[Brown Dynamite]

Argonaut slid her Power Pike from beneath the comfort of her shield the moment she heard the scream.  She hadn't even turned the direction it had come from before her helmet was tilted towards the scene.  Her Jet Boots made a loud 'pop' sound before the sky was set alight with the effulgent blaze from her flames.  There was little need for quippy banter as the two before her had already begun.  A lack of necessity didn't stop her, after all the case didn't have stakes as high as another Terminus related one.  "It's a bit rude to start the screaming before I have the chance to impale you."

 

The words escaping through the radio transmission came off metallic and staticy.  All on purpose the increase the fear factor of the blue tinted Omegadrone bearing down on the thieves.  Argonaut wanted to present herself an imposing figure as possible.  The AEGIS field agent preferring to avoid a fight if at all possible.  It was easier to just have them surrender and call in a backup team to take them in.  The sooner we wrap this up the better.  Less chance of getting blamed for property damage.  Really wasn't my fault this time.

[Brown Dynamite]

GM

 

The thieves, aside from the one whimpering to himself were surprised by the timely arrival by the three heroes.  Not so surprised so as to be caught completely off guard.  One of the men directed the others with hand signals.  All of a sudden a pair of flash bang grenades were lobbed in the air.  Exploding in a short burst near the trio.

 

The thieves made no intention of waiting to see if the heroes had been delayed.  Immediately taking off in hurried sprints.  Those not blinded or deafened by the burst of light, including the girl looking on from the outside, would be able to note that they were moving with clear intention.  The professionals clearly knew the layout of the building well enough to grant them a sense of confidence in their approach.

 

As opposed to the chicken with its head cut off sort of run that would normally give way for an amateur thief in the midst of a pursuit when caught off guard.  With that in mind, they did also happen to leave their ally behind.  Openly discarding him the moment he faltered.

[Blue Rose]

What is it with capes and banter? If you're gonna beat up bad guys, beat up bad guys. If you're gonna nab the score, nab the score. And if you're gonna try and negotiate, well, diplomacy tends to imply being at least a little diplomatic. Quipping is for stalling, not making a pointless dramatic entrance.

Eh, whatever. The soon-to-be-shootout seems like a good time to slip in unnoticed. Sam slips into a shadow, and then over to the next building for a new angle, and then inside the building proper, behind a piece of furniture, where she huddles down for the moment it takes to resume her cloak. This isn't her fight. Besides, the bigger, burlier heroes with flashier weapons are surely more than suited to taking these guys out.

She can just follow the one real thief in the group who has the same ideas about cover, and follow him when he goes for the score or the escape. One of the two. Which they pick is sure to be telling.

[Brown Dynamite]

GM

 

The trio were quick to turn their heads away before the flashbangs went off.  Unfortunately that was also enough time for the masked intruders to begin covering some real distance.  Sprinting along the corridor they began to descend as soon as the nearest staircase made it's way into view.  Sam had been able to follow along from the outside.  But she too lost her line of sight as the staircase wasn't exactly within view of an open window.

 

However, it was clear that there was no looking around for the staircase.  They knew exactly where they were headed.  Some level of research had gotten into making sure they knew the layout of the building.  Enough to not waste any time in their movements.

 

The sole remaining masked bandit whom had found himself in the fetal position was frantically rocking back and forth at the trio's feet.  Just repeatedly saying the word "No." over and over again.

[KnightDisciple]

As soon as the sneakthieves started moving out, Nevermore chased after them, his cloak streaming through the air behind him. He moved with an easy grace, like a trained runner, every stride bringing the perfect mix of speed and efficiency. It was almost mechanical in precision. He reached the stairs quicker than even the masked thieves had, though they were still ahead of him. 

 

He took just a moment to somehow hop up on the railing, perched there like some strange bird, before he pushed off and spread his cloak wide...where it almost instantly snapped into a pair of flexible cloth wings, which he used (combined with judicious kicks to the walls to correct course) to glide down to a spot a few feet in front of the intruders on the stairwell, where he landed in a crouch, his eyes never leaving them. 

 

"Stop and surrender."

 

He straightened up, his body shrouded in the folds of the no-longer-rigid cape. 

 

"Now."

[Brown Dynamite]

Argonaut launched herself forwards.  Acting after Nevermore had already taken the initiative.  There wasn't much room to fly around indoors.  But she made do.  Using the speed of her rocket boots to cross the distance in moments.  She stayed above the thieves on the stairs.  The AEGIS agent taking advantage of the fact that they were so well positioned for a pincer.

 

Instead of making any further demands she simply stood there.  Letting Nevermore do the talking.  The imposing figure looming from above.  The Omegadrone's skull like helmet further emphasized in the darkened lighting of the stairwell.  What words could actually add onto the already looming intimidation factor that was.

[EternalPhoenix]

Terrifica watched both Nevermore and Argonaut go. Heroes are so…predictable. She strode calmly over the thief left behind and knelt down to speak to him. Her voice was soft and gentle, like the mother she was. “Hello. My name’s Terrifica. What’s yours?†No reply. The only thing that can cause this level of terror is a visual illusion. It is probable there was an audio component as well, if not the full sensory experience.“Whatever you saw, it wasn’t real. I promise.†Or at the very least, not something that will ever set foot on this world without my permission. Honestly, is this sort of psychic damage necessary? There is healthy fear, but this is too much. “I know it was scary, but it was only a waking nightmare. If you talk about them, you’ll see they weren’t so scary to begin with.†She laid a hand gently on over his. “Tell me about it. I can help. Look at me. Come on, you can do it. Just look at me. I’m not scary at all, am I?†You can catch more flies with honey than vinegar. There are ways to win without fighting. Now, if he’ll just listen to me.

Edited September 7, 2014 by EternalPhoenix

[Blue Rose]

And... two immediately go the route of abandoning the whimpering bag of intel.

Well. Whatever these guys are trying to steal, even that much will prove enlightening. Kit isn't exactly giving the two who just bolted off the best odds on stopping them.

Though, this Terrifica. She's already making herself a problem. You play up the fear to get information out of him. Like this...

From the ceiling, slowly lowering from above comes an upside-down creature that only the crook can see or hear. A skeletal form in ragged purple pinstripes and a tophat, whose face could just as easily be a mask as flesh, sporting the broadest cheshire smile. "My, how rude of her. Calling our neighbors fake."

The creature clicks its heels, body rotating from feet-on-the-ceiling to something a little more normal, only to fade into nothingness. And reappear crouched down lower than a human body could manage, "Wouldn't you agree, Gentleman Robber?" The thing suddenly leaps backward at the edge of the thief's vision, flickering out of existence for another moment, before reappearing sitting cross-legged atop a filing cabinet, arms folded neatly across a scrawny, emaciated chest, long limbs and nigh-nonexistent frame leaving the display spindly, insect-like. "After an insult like that, I fear we shan't grace her with our glorious presence. Don't you think that's fair, Gentleman Robber?"

Edited September 7, 2014 by Blue Rose

[Brown Dynamite]

GM

 

The robber with a multitude of voices whispering in his ear was being thrown for a loop.  He had plenty of reason to doubt what he was seeing.  Strange creatures don't just pop up out of nowhere.  And yet...they looked so real.  They kept whispering in his ear.  And it was terrifying.

 

Rocking back and forth he would begin to whimper.  "You're not real.  You're not real.  Please, go away!"

 

The men that had been cornered by Argonaut and Nevermore didn't even think twice about their course of action.  Jumping over the railing they would fall straight down the stairs.  The distance to the ground level would have been enough to break their legs, had they not each pulled out a strange metal disc that stopped their descent before impact.  Leaving behind a visible electromagnetic field.  Making it very clear they were not lacking for technology.

[KnightDisciple]

Nevermore just tilted his head as they jumped, gazing down as the men arrested their falls with some sort of force field or anti-gravity technology. Which certainly made one question their apparent need for the tech housed in this building...Still, they were interesting little toys.

 

Nevermore himself had some toys as well. With a flick of his wrist, a grapnel anchor was wrapped around the railing, and he himself jumped into open air before beginning his descent. He didn't have the luxury of stopping on a dime, so he lost a couple of precious seconds applying the internal brakes on his grapnel mechanism. Still, it was a smooth dive that left him ready for action as he stopped just behind where the men were gaining their footing again.

 

"I can do this all day."

 

His cape settled around his shoulders, his figure a bit more menacing.

 

"Surrender."

[EternalPhoenix]

Terrifica was slightly annoyed. However, there were ways around interference such as this. “Why are you interfering? I told you I would handle it. We agreed on this.†She paused as if waiting for a reply that did not come. “Just because I cannot see or hear you does not mean I don’t know you’re there. The effects of your presence are obvious. Kindly don’t insult my intelligence. It’s in very poor taste.†She took the man’s hand again and spoke to him softly. “There’s nothing to worry about. I admit, I lied earlier. There are such things as monsters in the world, and some of them are very scary indeed. I won’t pretend to be scarier than they are, because I’m not. I won’t lie to you and say that I can protect you from them, either, because I can’t. However, I can tell you that if you tell me what I wish to know and get into a more honest line of work…than there is a very good chance that you will never see them again. Do you believe me?†Honestly…this method is despicable. There are better ways than this. Intimidation is one thing. Intentionally causing mortal terror is quite another. I will have words with whoever’s responsible for this.