ic Shark Week: Terror Beneath

[Brown Dynamite]

GM

 

70 Miles South of Japan
Monday, October 13, 2014
3:20 PM

 

At 11:00 AM a scientific expedition to the ocean's depths uncovered what they thought was the lost ruins of an abandoned civilization.  They sent two divers to explore the ruins.  What they discovered instead was a dimensional rift to an undersea society of Shark Men.  The Sharkpeople immediately attacked the scientists and stormed the vessel.

 

For whatever reason, the leader of the Sharkpeople broadcast a ransom demand for the world to see.  Requesting a sum of sixty five million dollars.  As well as for the waters surrounding a five mile radius from their rift to be declared foreign lands under their control.  Demanding that even Atlantis had no claim to their waters.  A concession that the Sea King found both odd and insulting before refusing.  Leading the Japanese Government in a bit of a bind.

 

Desperate for a solution the Japanese Government reached out to Glamazon, Temperance, Tsunami, and Myrmidon. Their exploits with the >Sea Cruise Magnificent had given three of the heroes a  bit of a reputation in the nautical community. Myrmidon's own reputation of quality assurance preceded even theirs. Whether well earned or not , the four were eager to help out.

 

Greeted by the locals as they arrived one by one, the Japanese Coast Guard provided a Tsurugi Class Patrol ship as well as a small crew to close the distance.  Trusting that the shark men could not utilize the delicate instruments aboard the ship, the skipper allowed them to get within fifty feet of the much larger ship.  The crew all lined up once the ship came to an abrupt stop.  More than one curious eye glancing with binoculars at the interesting sight in front of them.

Edited November 2, 2014 by HG Morrison

[Thevshi]

Giang Trang stood on the deck of the Japanese Coast Guard patrol ship next to Myrmidon, looking out across the waters as the scientific vessel that had been taken over by the strange shark men the scientists had encountered under the waves. The Asian teen was wearing the costume she wore as Tsunami, given that was whom the Japanese authorities had sought assistance from.

Although she was giving the other vessel, and the surrounding waters, a great deal of attention, in the back of her mind Giang did have some concerns about being this close to Hong Kong. In the two years since Raven had found her and taken her out of Singapore, this was the closest Giang had come to the city from which her father oversaw his criminal empire, or more specifically, the portion of Dr. Sin’s criminal empire her father was entrusted with.

"Has there been any further communication?" Giang asked one of the Japanese officers that was nearby.

[Brown Dynamite]

Thaelia had a pair of binoculars on her eyes.  Pointing them every which way but the direction of the ship.  Bringing a mixture of chagrin and laughter amongst the crew's reaction as they held.  As it was a federal holiday back in Freedom City, Thaelia had wasted little time in crossing the distance once the news broke.

 

The armored dress that made up her hero attire still soaked from how recent her arrival.  Her sightseeing taking precedence until the call to rescue was made.  "The Daughter of the Seas has never engaged in diplomacy with the jade eyed beasts.  My knowledge is cursory at best on their intentions."

[trollthumper]

It still felt weird to Temperance that she was now an international personality when it came to matters of strangeness under the sea. Yes, there had been the thing with the Marines, but that had been relatively local. When someone from Japan sent out word that they were looking for her, that sent a chill down her spine. And she didn't exactly feel the cold.

But here she was. About to talk to men in the shape of sharks. She'd done some reading before she came out; there were similarities to the Samebito, a kindly creature from a short story who took the form of a sharkman. Then again, the translations danced between "sharkman" and "aquatic dragon man," so it wasn't the most reliable resource. For now, she felt the best she could do was turn her eyes to the waters, and see what spirits were splashing about in the depths. Maybe she could get some idea of the metaphysical ecology that would play host to such creatures.

[Semi-Autogyro]

Myrmidon was currently holding a tablet PC in one hand and a stylus in the other as he had been drafting a rudimentary plan of attack. The JSDF was kind enough to give him the layout of the scientific vessel to which he was grateful. They had also requested that the creatures be subdued non-lethally at this point in time, which made things a bit more difficult on their end. Still, he knew from experience that his teammates could and would easily adapt to the situation, barring the need for any subversive tactics which tended not to work when Thalia had all the subtlety of a brick to the face. But it was a straightforward assault in this case: take out the shark-men and secure the vessel and the hostages.

 

So the best plan of attack would be a simple pincer maneuver. He would have the others attack head on, while he would sweep and clear the ship from the other side. Once that was done, it would be time to focus on the rift which was not his area of expertise and he would pass the reins to his capable teammates. "If their physiology is like normal terrestrial sharks, aim for the eyes, gill slits, or other sensory organs to maximize damage and disorient them." He said aloud while glancing at the other ship, his helmets' heads up display forwarding him more pertinent information. "I have an idea on how we can board the vessel, however." He flipped the tablet around so the others could see.

[Brown Dynamite]

GM

 

"None."  Ensign Kurokawa answered gruffly.  His tanner complexion told of his Okinawan residence.  "Makes no sense.  They asked for money.  And some independence talk.  But, after that nothing."  The scowl on his face was a mixture of concern for the Japanese citizens captured and a palpable level of frustration.  Cooling somewhat as one of the others tried to guile the group into some sort of tactical approach.

 

Water Spirits and Anger Spirits made up the majority of the water.  But they were not alone.  Coupled with Death, War, Joy, and even sadness the ocean was running the emotional gamut.  Some of the spirits were simply there to commune.  The region had no shortage in the activity of local spirits.  The congregation of the ethereal would make things murkier to get a clear picture.  However, Temperance's eyes were privy to fact that the spirits were at least making sure to avoid the barge which the Samebito currently occupied.

[trollthumper]

Seeing a bunch of anger spirits in the general vicinity of what had been described as "shark men" did not exactly fill Temperance with good tidings. But they were just one part of a greater spiritual spectrum... a spectrum that seemed to be taking pains to stay away from where the Samebito were gathering. That was interesting. Spirits usually flocked to the site of places where they could draw resonance and duty. Fire spirits would show up to an inferno, and the water spirits would show with the firefighters. So, for spirits to stay away from an area would mean a number of things...

 

"The barge seems to be void of spiritual life," she said, "by choice of the spirits. Could mean a few things. The sharkmen know how to place up wards against the ephemeral, have a natural effect that makes spirits want to stay away... or may even have a reputation as predators of the invisible." A thought crossed her mind. "Though now, I have to wonder: what do shark-people want with millions of dollars?"

[Thevshi]

"We shall have to keep one conscious to ask it." Tsunami replied with a small smile, which then faded and was replaced with her more typical serious expression. "But in any event, we shall find no answers to any of our questions over here. Which means we need to get aboard that vessel." She stated, making a small nod toward the other boat. The Asian teen then turned to regard Myrmidon. "What did you have in mind?" She asked, although she had little reason to doubt whatever plan the clone hero had come up with.

[Brown Dynamite]

"The distance is within a single bound."  Thaelia commented from behind the binoculars.  It was true that with her leg strength she could easily cross the distance by jumping.  It wouldn't be subtle.  As things hardly ever were with Thaelia.  But, it was one avenue of approach for her at least.  She could not even begin to postulate on what their plans with the currency was.

 

The demigoddess knew how to get the answers though.  A whole lot of punching.  Making her way over to the table, she readied to listen to the plan of attack.    

[Semi-Autogyro]

"You and Lady Temperance will attack the ship from the forecastle with Princess Thalia while I use your considerable distraction to sweep the ship and secure the prisoners from behind. This should have the benefit of minimizing civilian causalities and allowing me to be the anvil to your proverbial hammer."  Three arrows indicated this on his display. "I would also suggest trying to single out any of the opponents who are distinctive in some way, as they may be of higher rank and therefore more useful for information gathering."

[Brown Dynamite]

Thaelia clapped along in appreciation of the plan.  It was simple and involved smashing things and punching sharkpeople in the face.  Exactly what her idea of subterfuge amounted to.  "What manner shall we use to breach the forecastle?"  Thaelia questioned.  Not wanting to execute a method that would fail to provide the adequate distraction.

 

Or frankly, she could have just wanted to make a dramatic entrance.  It could have really gone either way when it came to her brick in the face like methodology.

[Thevshi]

Giang studied the schematic of the ship and John's notations carefully for a few moments before giving a small nod. "Very well, sounds like an effective approach." The Asian teen then looked over to her former roommate with a small smile. "We won't need to be breaching anything, our attack will just be to come at the front of the ship, dealing with any of the sharkmen that are up on deck. With luck, this should bring out more of the sharkmen from down below, leaving John with less to deal with."

"We will just need to make sure we enter the water and close as quickly as possible, to ensure the sharkmen are not ready for arrival." Giang added, as she moved over toward the edge of the coast guard vessel that was away from the captured ship.

[trollthumper]

Temperance studied the ship from afar, trying to figure out the best way to get over, bringing as many as she could without alerting the sharkmen to their presence. "I could make a larger ice-sled," she said. "One big enough to support the weight of all of us. It would also give us the aerial advantage for ranged attacks. Of course, if they have ranged ordnance, then they may end up targeting the sled... in which case, we would likely end up falling prone to the deck." She paused, measuring the wind and trying to make out shapes on the distant barge. "But it would be one hell of an entrance."

[Semi-Autogyro]

John handed the tablet to one of the nearby sailors. "The main drive is to drawn them towards you since the forecastle of the ship is the biggest area to safely fight in without being flanked from the sides or behind. You could additionally apply your powers to bolster your defenses as well. As for the method of traversal, if this ship approaches closes a bit closer it should be well within jumping distance for Princess Thaelia even with extra passengers," Simple plans were the best. Less moving pieces less likely to break down. "I will be using a similar method to gain access to the stern of the ship."

[Brown Dynamite]

Thaelia looked forward trying to judge the distance.  With a running start, she could cross the water now.  She wasn't sure if her friends would weigh her down any they weren't exactly what the Atlantean would consider heavy.  "If they were to be thrown.  Our entrance could be most grand"  She did not doubt that her friends would find being catapulted through the air a reasonable method of entry.  If only because she found it a reasonable one.  

 

Whatever method they used to slow their descent would likely be flashy.  Though whether it would it would be moreso than her legs crashing down was questionable.  She was curious as to what the mysterious Myrmidon meant by a similar method.  But instead ran off in a haze of speed to the bow of the ship.  Raising one leg on the railing she would point forward to the other ship.  Willing to go along with John's plan.  "Forward captain!  On this day, we shall seize a ship."

[Thevshi]

Giang shook her head at the mention of Thaelia carrying her and Temperance, or, even worse, throwing them over. "No, I do not believe Temperance and I need to be carried or thrown to make it over to the other ship. There is plenty of water about for me at least." She stated as a spout of water came arching over the side of the Japanese Coast Guard ship. The Asian teen leapt up and onto the spout, which carried her up back over the side away from the other vessel and out over the water as she prepared to move quickly towards the captured vessel once the others were ready to start the assault.

[trollthumper]

Temperance gave a warm a smile as possible at the prospect of being used as a ranged weapon. "While I don't doubt it's possible," she said, "I have my own means of getting over." Heading towards the railing, she extended her hand out towards the depth. With a command, salt water rose up from below, almost landing on the deck before halting in the form of a sphere of water. With a little more effort, the salt was extruded from the water, which stretched out and froze into the form of an ice sled. "Still, if I do need to be hurled at something at great force, I trust you to put me to good use in the process."

[Semi-Autogyro]

If he was pressed later on this issue, John would admit to keeping things simple for tactical reasons; as he trusted his teammates to extrapolate his plans using their own judgement and abilities. If it worked, then it worked. So he stood by as the three heroines launched their assault before waiting to launch his more stealthy one.

 

The sailors would probably be surprised as the hero began climbing their telemetry mast, disappearing halfway up before jumping to the other boat cloaked. Time to hunt. He thought, drawing his swords and opened the closest hatch before proceeding to the interior of the ship.

[Brown Dynamite]

GM

 

Though their methods differed the result was the same.  Thaelia launched herself through the air landing on the bow of the ship as planned.  Simultaneously Temperance had managed to sled her way on board.  The ice used in her transportation shattered everywhere the light reflecting off in a flashy sparkly and altogether blinding display.  Tsunami's entrance was quieter, but the attention below deck had already been grabbed, riding her water spout through the air her landing was concurrently timed.  

 

There was only one sharkman waiting for them aboard the vessel.  He was a tall extremely muscular bluish-grey man with rough skin.  His sharp teeth immediately noticeable as he whipped back.  The sharkman's webbed hands were positively clawed as they clutched onto a spear tightly.  Both its arms and back had sharp fins attached.  Its red eyes sat violently and raising its spear to challenge the intruding heroes.  Its large sharklike tail waved about violently.  <"The betrayers."> It hissed out in ancient Atlantean, though the simple shark pirate's voice was understood by all aboard.

 

Below the trio could hear the mad stomping of footsteps rising to see what the commotion.

 

And all the while the sharkmen were unaware as Myrmidon climbed on the rear.  However, Myrmidon's more direct means of travel afforded him an opportunity for a different view of things.  The first was a large runic circle had been carved onto the bottom of the vessel.  Pushing aside whatever the meaning of the magical sign, there were six active mines attached to the circle equidistant from one another.

[Thevshi]

Giang rode along top of a jet of water, which carried her quickly over toward the scientific vessel. Looking down at the deck as Thaelia leapt over, the Asian teen spotted only a single sharkman who was somewhat surprised by their sudden appearance. Bringing her arms up, Giang thrust them forward toward the sharkman, a jet of twisting coils of water appearing out of air in front of her hands an flying at the target.

The powerful jet of water stuck the sharkman squarely, but he proved rather resistant, the water splashing harmlessly around him as he kept his footing and focus on the three teenage girls.

[Brown Dynamite]

Having seen the Sharkman withstand Tsunami's attack Glamazon dove forward.  Positioning herself directly in front of the Sharkman she would square her body.  Her game plan was simple.  Slug it out in the pocket with the creature. If they both went in swinging, she wasn't going to be the one that fell.

 

Aiming an uppercut towards the manshark's jaw would be her opening gambit.   Unfortunately, the punch went wide.  With the Samebito pirate slipping to the side of the glancing fist.  But, the Glamazon did not step back.  Positioning herself to cut off the creature if it made any movement towards her non airborne comrade.

 

As Thaelia was anything but silent in the combat.  She would loudly proclaim their inevitable victory.  "Feel no shame.  For on this day you were presented with gift most generous by the Daugher of the Seas!  The gift of battle!  These maidens of oceanic valiance shall see to it that your schemes most unruly come to an end you calamitous fiend."

[trollthumper]

Teeth. Lots and lots of teeth. On top of a gigantic pile of muscle. Temperance decided that keeping her distance would be the wisest solution. Then again, there were those who longed to fight in close combat, which made some of her favorite options off-limits. She'd gotten better with the volley of ice, but it was still a tightly-focused barrage that could easily splash out to whoever was nearby. It was a bit like using a machine gun when you needed a sniper rifle.

Then again, she did have somewhat more precise options. She willed some water up from the churning surf and coiled it into a tight lash. The lash whipped out, dodging past Glamazon and splashing onto the Samebito's flank. With a snap of the fingers, the water began to freeze, expanding rapidly until the shark was held in place. She smiled. If there was still fight left in the shark-man, this would at least make things easier for Glamazon.

[Thevshi]

Giang was still "flying" around on the water spout under her control when Thaelia tried attacking the sharkman, but failed to connect. Temperance moved closer, managing to trap the sharkman in a sheet of ice, but that proved only temporary, as the muscular creature broke free. He was then joined by three companions, shifting the odds in the fight somewhat.

The Asian teen decided she would just have to try to do something about that.

Maneuvering out over the water, she moved to where she could catch all four sharkmen in one attack. Turning toward the ship slightly, Giang swept both hands toward the deck of the ship, four quick bursts of water shooting froth from thin air toward the four sharkmen. Giang's control over the attacks was perfect, each heading toward one of the four sharkmen, avoiding any other obstacle by weaving around to come back toward the intended target.

All four targets were hit, but to rather mixed results. Two took the hits with no sign of any ill effects. Another was clearly hit a bit harder, but seemed far from out of the fight. Only the fourth seemed to take serious damage, getting knocked off its feet and clearly shaken.

[Brown Dynamite]

Glamazon dove forward toward towards one o the injured Samebito's legs.  Dropping to one knee she picked the creature wholesale with ease into her modified double leg lift.  The boisterous grappler charged forward towards the Samebito that was barely on his feet.  Glamazon followed up by performing a maneuver that seemed most at home in a pro wrestling ring.  Powerbombing one Samebito into the other.  

 

Slamming them head into one another.  The loud echo of their skulls colliding roared forth.  Both Samebito's bodies slumped down to the deck.  The more battered one stopped moving outright.  Where as the one Thaelia had used as a weapon to batter his ally audibly whined.  It was a deep whine, but whine he did.

 

Thaelia placed both arms at her side before proudly declaring.  "Thy fiendish hands dare to call this attempt most piddling entertainment?  Come, challenge the might of the Glamazon"  As usual the more enthusiastic Thaelia got, the more flowery her language became.  Thees and thous slowly making their way to the forray.

[trollthumper]

Temperance was getting a lot better at fighting on boats. It came with the territory, she supposed - and the bloodline, perhaps. Of course, being surrounded by an endless amount of ammunition really helped in that regard. She drew up another sheet of water from the sea below, calling it to her hands and shaping it into a sphere. That sphere then froze, fragmenting and shattering into smaller pieces, unweaving into a snowflake-like structure before collapsing into a storm of icicles. She was getting better at making this look like an art.

 

Then again, aesthetics was only one part of it. The ice flew from her fingers at high speed, pelting the same-bito at all angles of its sandpaper skin. "Trust me," she said, hoping the shark might understand. "It's only going to get harder from here."