Nuclear Option

[Supercape]

GM

 

17th April, Afternoon

 

Freedom City

 

A no-good part of town...

 

The "Good spirits" was not good but it did serve spirits. In a down trodden street in a down trodden block, the Good Spirits barely broke even, was hardly frequented, and looked like it might collapse if one stared at it too hard. 

 

It was, however, an excellent place to refuel for Bonfire after a rather tricky morning smoking out some members of the gang that called itself, pleasantly "The Throat Cutters". The hostage situation was difficult and Bonfire had spent a good deal of energy shifting smoke and fumes around their grotty little hideout, picking them off carefully and saving the hostages. 

 

Hurrah, hurrah, and thrice hurrah for Bonfire! Came the call of the rescued. One particularly lady of particularly blonde disposition (both literally and figuratively) had given the Superhero a wink, a wiggle, and attempted to press her number into his hand. 

 

But now, it was time to refuel. 

 

In a bar with a bartender that looked half dead, and a drunken barfly who looked worse. Their skin was blotched, sweaty, and pale. One wondered if the bartender could stay upright. One would be pretty sure the barfly could not, the way he was slumped. 

[olopi]

Well, this had been an interesting day already. Hostage situations always were difficult, especially alone. Considering where the criminals lovingly referring to themselves as “Throat Cutters” had set up, even more so. Well, a few illusions, some sneaking, and a whole lot of smoke had saved the day! He also had gotten a number, maybe one to call tomorrow, or some other day. And now it was time to go home.

 

Well, not quite yet. Cass hadn’t planned for this much action, and unless he’d refuel soon, things would go bad.  Not enough time to get home safely. Well, finding a bar or gas station usually wasn’t so difficult. And fortunately, he’d gotten a bit of money off the Gang’s unconscious bodies (hey, fair payment and all that, not like they’ll need it where they’ll be going).

 

And so the capnokinetic stepped into the Good Spirits, his smoky head almost getting blown away by the air escaping the room upon opening the door. After the ritual of quickly examining the bar from the entrance, he walked straight ahead, up to the bar itself. This wasn’t exactly the fanciest place he’d ever been to and the music playing in the background was disappointing too, but he was here to refuel and not to enjoy his time. At least it meant drinks were cheap.

 

So Cass sat down on a barstool and turned his attention towards the barkeeper. Hopefully he was still ware enough of his surroundings to even respond. He didn’t really pay attention to the other customer in here, chances were he was close to unconscious anyways.

 

“Yo. I’ll take the most flammable thing you have. Heck, if you have gasoline in the back I’ll gladly take that.”

 

Edited April 18, 2016 by olopi

[Supercape]

"Yuh...Yuh...Shure...." said the short, emaciated bartender, wiping his combover. He looked like a drunk. The reason he looked a drunk was pretty obvious. 

 

He sloshed over a large glass of Whiskey. It looked liked Whiskey anyway. You could probably use it as an industrial grade detergent. 

 

"Yer Bonfire...that superhero...flame head...thing" he said, swaying slightly. "Mah kid thinks you are hot" he said, looking sicker by the second. 

 

"Some lady saw you outside...." he said, looking around the bar in a daze. "Dunno where she gone though..."

 

He keeled over, wiped some vomitus from his mouth. 

 

"Pardon me, Mr Bonfire...Not feeling so good...."

[olopi]

OH WOW, somebody actually knew of Bonfire! Now, this wasn’t the time to freak out, but this definitely was good news. Usually it was just people on the internet, and maybe somebody that had seen him before, not the parent of somebody. Certainly, an accomplishment by itself!

 

Cass quickly took out some of the cash he’d gotten and paid, before starting to pour the whiskey down the smoke, having it instantly evaporate, and having his head grow, both in size and mass. He didn’t really ever taste what he consumed beyond the smell of it evaporating, and this felt like most booze. Another benefit was not getting drunk off of it, so drinking a lot wasn’t really a problem.

 

And then he noticed the temperature rising. Now, he did send out a fair bit of heat, so that was natural. But this very clearly was more than what was usual, unless this whiskey was mixed with rocket fuel.

 

This wasn’t good. Something was going on. No idea what, but it was something. Slowly, Bonfire stood up, while slowly speaking. At this point he readied himself to get attacked again. He’d refuelled a bit so there was that, but still…

 

“Speaking of hot. I know I’m pretty hot, but … did you turn up the heat or something? The temperature's rising much more than it naturally would, even with me around. You sure there’s not a fire or something? “

 

Edited April 18, 2016 by olopi

[Supercape]

GM

 

"Heat, why...no..." said the bartender, before doubling over and vomiting all over the bar. 

 

"I'm...sorry...I don't know what...." he gurgled, unpleasantly, sliding to his knees. 

 

The barfly slumped further, falling straight on his back and entering into a tonic seizure. He convulsed, foaming at the mouth. There was blood in the foam. 

 

"Oh...she left something..." whimpered the Bartender, pointing to an innocuous leather suitcase on the floor, a few feet from Bonfire. "I wonder what it...is...." he whispered, before choking and falling down unconscious too. 

Edited April 18, 2016 by Supercape

[olopi]

This was in fact not good. It was bad. Really bad. Terrible even. It was time for a hero. And it was time to act quickly. Whatever was affecting these people, it probably had to do with the heat. Magic probably. It usually was magic. Or some weird future-tech. Either way, evacuating was always the first priority. So Bonfire took action, leaping over the bar and trying to get the Bartender back up. Too heavy to carry. This was even worse. Well, hopefully he wouldn’t mind a few scrape wounds.

 

So Bonfire grabbed the man’s shoulders, dragging him to the door, before sprinting back inside and doing the same thing with the other client. Once both of them were outside the door, he quickly grabbed his phone. By now 911 was in the speed-dial, he’d been using it a lot recently.

 

“Hey, this is Bonfire speaking. I just had two people go unconscious and foaming blood. No idea what they’ve got, send an ambulance ASAP. I’m at the …. Good Spirits Bar.”

 

He quickly told the dispatcher the rest of the address, before walking back inside. This place didn’t look like there were more people in it. Apparently somebody had left him a package. How? It’s not like they would’ve known he’d go here. Time Travellers? Magic? Weird Science? Either way, the best way to get a clue was to open the mysterious briefcase. And hope it wouldn’t blow up in his face. Well, at least the ambulance was already on its way if that were to happen. He kneeled down and opened the Briefcase slowly, while always being cautious about his surroundings. He still hadn't found the source of the heat, and all he knew it was an evil clone or something.

 

Edited April 18, 2016 by olopi

[Supercape]

GM

 

Mere Seconds Later...

 

The suitcase was filled with green. Green light, green glowing. Something metal and heavy. It did not take a quantum physicist to guess (and guess correctly) the suitcase was loaded with radioactive materials. 

 

Whooo-Whooo-Whooo-Whoooooooo! Screamed the Sirens. Through the dirty windows of the Good Spirits Bar, flashing sirens could be heard. 

 

"Police! Do not attempt to leave the building!" came the cracked voice of a loudspeaker. 

 

"We have reason to believe there is hazardous material!"

 

This was a fair point, and an accurate one. Whatever police were outside were not equipped with radiation suits, it seemed, for they were not most keen to enter. 

 

The phone on the bar rang loudly, cutting through the ominous silence in the now empty bar. It was a curious antique, all dust and clunky handle, but it made a hell of a noise. 

Edited April 18, 2016 by Supercape

[olopi]

The downward spiral of things getting worse by the second. The police arriving was a positive, probably. It meant the other two would be safe, hopefully. And they weren’t going to come inside. Well, if he’d have to, getting out was always easy for Bonfire. And then, the briefcase flipped open. No idea what exactly that was, but it was radioactive. Well, there was the source of what had happened. Another positive. It being radiated materials, probably high grade, was a pretty major negative. Immediately the briefcase was closed again.

 

And then the phone. Okay, whoever this was, this was creepy. This was a set-up of some degree. Being left a briefcase of radiated materials by some stranger who had no idea Bonfire would even go here? And the bar receiving a call right as things went down? Was there a hidden camera somewhere in here? By now Time-Traveller became more and more of a possibility.

 

Well, no reason not to pick up the phone. At least he’d know what was going on. Walking over to the phone, Bonfire made a quick stop at the window looking out into the street. He made a quick sign of smoke using his skills, spelling out “!!Radiation!!”. He also shouted out, hoping maybe the police could hear him.

 

“There’s Radiation in here! Be careful! “

 

Then, he walked further to the phone, and gracefully picked it up, as quickly as possible.

 

“Yeah, here I am, Bonfire, the one and only. So, what’cha got for me? Clearly you know what’s going on.”

 

Edited April 18, 2016 by olopi

[Supercape]

The voice at the other end was a womans. She had a French accent, but in a clipped way, devoid of allure or seduction. Perhaps it was fear, or anger, or both. Perhaps a woman bitter, scorned. But on a bad line in a bad bar, who could tell?

 

"Is that Bonfire?" she asked. 

 

"My name is Marie" she said, only flatly. 

 

"I am sorry to put you in this position, but I had no choice. Zey are after me!" she implored. "I cannot say more, zey may have this line tapped. The suitcase I left, I am sorry, but...I knew zey where coming for me, and I had to leave it there. Please, zey will be after you, too. I cannot explain more, on ze phone! Please, you must escape and bring ze bag! Please find me! I had to escape underground..." came the hurried voice. 

 

Click. 

 

The line went dead in a most suspicious manner at a most suspicious time. 

 

"Come up with your hands up! You are under arrest!" came the call of the (were they?) Police outside. "Do not attempt to move the hazardous material!"

[olopi]

Well, at least he knew what was going on. Somebody being chased. Good enough. Very questionable methods. Now, the big question. Follow the law, and possibly have somebody die. Don’t listen to the police, get away, and possibly get into a lot of danger himself. Bad option one and bad option two. The choice between possibly getting into trouble, or definitely getting into trouble. Possibly be branded as a villain for a while. He had already shown himself, so there was no reason not to at least tell the police he was going rogue for a bit.

 

“Sorry guys, this is more important right now! Somebody might die if I don't act right now.”

 

No time for waiting, whoever this Marie was, she was in danger.  He could deal with the police later, get on their good side again. Maybe he’d have to lay low for a few days, play some connections. There had to be a back-door somewhere. So, he picked up the briefcase, fairly cautious about it, and turned himself invisible, using the smoke and heat to bend the light.

 

Then, he went to look for a back door, and in case there were any, get out. He’d just have to find a way to get underground … the sewers probably? Chances are this Marie was close to here, so there had to be a way down somewhere…

 

Edited April 18, 2016 by olopi

[Supercape]

The smoke spluttered through the sunlight, warping and bending Bonfire into invisibility. The backdoor was open, just so slightly ajar, still as a tombstone in the equally still April air. The only movement was a mangy cat on the prowl for food and possibly booze. 

 

Just a few feet ahead, a manhole. Like the door, it was ever so slightly misplaced, ever so slightly ajar. And it was the only one Bonfire could see. 

 

From the tiny crack it had left open, an unpleasant stench gently wafted upwards. As far as Bonfire could tell, it was no worse nor better than your average sewer smell. It was just that the average sewer smell was not to be relished. 

[olopi]

Yeah, this was totally planned. The door and the manhole both being very suspiciously open. Well, a positive, meant escaping from the police was easier. Now those were thoughts Bonfire did not expect to have. Escaping from the police. With a briefcase of nuclear materials in hand, no less. This could easily be the start of a story about some super-villain. Hopefully it wouldn’t be.

 

Opening the manhole up enough the briefcase fit through was hardly a problem, and it and Cass’ Hand were the only thing that actually had to fit, the rest of the body could just go through as smoke. Ah, the smell of sewers. So nice, flavorful and unique. Fortunately enough, by pumping enough smoke around his body, he wouldn’t smell much more than smoke.

 

Now, how does one find somebody running away from somebody? There were a few possibilities, but it probably was time to be all but subtle. A few clicks, and Bonfire’s phone was blasting out music at maximum volume, all of it themed after smoke and fire, of course. He still was invisible, but this would hopefully mean that this Marie could find him. Then, he walked onwards, careful and slow.

 

Edited April 19, 2016 by olopi

[Supercape]

GM

 

"Turn off that racket!" came a French voice. 

 

Two hazy green lights appeared, and then so did Marie. 

 

Marie was a petite woman, just over 5 feet and waif like but with a spine. She was not particularly pretty, but had an ethereal attractiveness to her, a certain Je ne said quoi. 

 

Her brunette locks would normally fall easily and stylishly, but sweat and sewer had taken the shine of them. 

 

What was most peculiar about Marie was her glasses - or more accurately her goggles, that glowed with the green lights that had preceded her. 

 

"Thank God you have come!" she said, relieved. "You have the materials, yes? Uranium 7! it is not too dangerous, just heavy!" she explained. 

 

On the latter point, she was right. The bag weighed a considerable amount!

[olopi]

Now that was easier than expected. There hadn’t even been any lyrics yet and the music was already turned off again. Too bad, there were some cool, no, hot songs on there. Either way, at least he’d found who he was looking for. The fact she was actually glowing green herself … possibly a good thing, possibly not. And from the looks of it she’d been down here for a while.  Invisibility, off.

 

Bonfire walked a bit closer, so it was easier to see each other even in the low light down in the sewers. At this point most of his body had taken a solid form again, only his head being made of smoke, as was usual. He’d also switched his smoke powers around to creating fake clothes again, standing around in just your underwear was never fun. He lifted up the briefcase, and then looked into Marie’s eyes.

 

“It’s all here, no worries. I’m not quite sure on the not dangerous part however, considering I just had two people be close to dying because they were around this thing for too long. Besides, how did you even know I was going to go to the … Good Spirits, was it? It was a spontaneous decision, so clearly you know something. “

 

Considering how these past few minutes had went, being a bit cautious probably was a good idea. And considering just how much things just happened to be coincidentally set up, Cass didn’t quite trust Marie just yet.

 

Edited April 19, 2016 by olopi

[Supercape]

GM

 

"Oh! Are they dead?" said Marie, wringing her hands and muttering to herself. "I'm sorry, so sorry. I...I don't want anyone to die, but...but I have to do what needs to be done!" she implored. 

 

Her goggles glowed green whilst the rest of her seemed normal. At least, normal for a petite woman in a sewer. 

 

"I didn't know you would be there. But I hoped. I heard about the Cut-throat gang and the hostages. Listened in on the police radio" she explained. 

 

"I'm on the run, carrying a case full of uranium 7, and needed a break. Namely, I needed you!" she explained. 

 

"Before you ask, yes, I stole it!" she paused. 

 

"There is a dangerous research facility in Hanover. I know, I used to work there. Six months ago, they developed Uranium 7, a highly potent nuclear material. Sounded great at first, but then the mutations started. It is devastating and unpredictable to all biological material. But this was a company that is only interested in profits!" she explained. 

 

"I've spend three months down here, planning to stop them! I finally managed to get some Uranium 7, but I get busted..."

[olopi]

Sure. Didn’t quite make sense, but at least she had a story to go with what was going on. Good enough on that part. Not the best story, and still a few too many coincidences, but there was something. She certainly was honest about parts of it. And apparently, this thing wasn’t just highly radioactive, it also managed to cause unpredictable mutations. There Cass was, hoping he’d stay mutation free, and hoping that once this thing would be over, somebody would pay for a hospital stay.

 

He'd probably need it to de-radiate. Unless Bonfire had some radiation protection, but that was doubtful.

For now, it sounded like it was time to figure out what Marie knew. After that it would probably be getting into more trouble with the law (once again, not something Bonfire had expected to have to think about), indirectly save a few lives, get into danger, and maybe fight somebody. Three months spent planning meant Marie definitely had some sort of plan.

 

“Okay then. What’s the plan?”

 

 

 

Edited April 19, 2016 by olopi

[Supercape]

GM

 

"The plan, first of all, is to stay alive, and not get caught" replied Marie. 

 

Flashlights lanced down behind them, from the manhole cover that Bonfire had used. 

 

"Come, quickly! I have set up my base here, below Neutron Industries. " she virtually spat when she said the name. "I have found out they are dumping radioactive sludge into the sewers. The bastards!" she spat again. 

 

"My plan is to disable them. Neutron Industries have a cosy arrangement with the government, the mafia, and practically everyone. And that includes the police. You think its police officers coming after us? Think again. Ex-military. And they will shoot to kill..." she explained, tugging Bonfire down the sewers. 

 

The smell was worsening. 

[olopi]

This was starting to sound more and more like a novel. A pretty good one at that. Maybe once this was over Cass would have to alter some details and then write that novel! He wasn’t a great writer, but there already was a story being written. And he was right in there!  Then again, there probably were better writers out there. Maybe offer the story to somebody and collect royalties off of that? Less effort and higher chances of it working.

 

Marie’s Plan was simple enough. Not dying and not getting caught both were things that, so far, Bonfire had exceeded at. Neutron Industries. A name to note, maybe to look up if there was spare time. And internet connection in the sewers. Considering what Marie had said about arrangements, these weren’t some small time pen-handlers, this was a big, bad corporation. An interesting foe, for sure. Hopefully one not too apt at dealing with local crime-fighters slightly south of the law.

 

The gunshot that even had the possibility to kill Bonfire first had to be invented! Then again, considering Elemental Gauntlets, Magic, and other things, Bonfire was all but invulnerable. And that wasn’t even going into specific weaknesses like being attacked with a squirt gun!

 

Running wasn’t easy carrying this much Uranium around, so being dragged did help escaping. Bonfire didn’t complain, and quietly let himself get dragged while running along as best he could. The smell was starting to push through the smoke, so that wasn't too pleasant.

 

Edited April 19, 2016 by olopi

[Supercape]

GM

 

Trudge trudge trudge, through sewers filled with unspeakable gunk. Even rats trod carefully, and plenty of rats there were. Possibly even other things, if you were feeling brave enough to look. 

 

Stinking muck clawed up the feet of Bonfire and Marie, although the small Frenchwoman seemed used to it. Barely wrinkled her nose. 

 

It seemed that Marie knew the sewers like the back of her hand. And more importantly seemed to be able to navigate in the near dark. Even lugging a case full of Uranium around the sewers to slow them down, the flashlights could not possibly hope to keep up. 

 

It would be a long trudge too, across a few miles of the city. Good exercise, if one was feeling positive. 

 

"We are not far now! I have set up camp directly below Neutron Industries, in Hanover. I have everything there. Plans, equipment, even a shower!" she said proudly, explaining how she was siphoning off electricity and water from the city. Another crime to add to her list, one might suppose. 

 

"We must be careful though..." she explained. "Security is tight! But we can enter from below. Then, I can we can Superheat the Uranium to disable the facility..."

Edited April 19, 2016 by Supercape

[olopi]

At least there was somewhere to stay at. All in all, this wasn’t too bad of a situation. Bonfire’s Ally knew her way around the sewers, had a small base set up, and seemed like nice enough of a person. Having to walk through all of the city’s sewer system was more annoying. The price of heroics.  Considering that at this point Cass saw pretty much nothing thanks to the darkness, he had no idea about the way here. He wouldn’t need to go back considering any manhole, even closed, was big enough to fit through, but being completely dependent on Marie to no get lost wasn’t the nicest feeling out there.

 

He still didn’t quite understand why she had chosen to set up right next to the lion’s den, but maybe he’d understand once they got there. There had to be some reason, maybe it was as simple as that not being a place where they’d look? At this point Bonfire decided to stop running and start floating, turning all but his hands into smoke. Marie was essentially just dragging the briefcase and the weight of two additional hands, which would probably be more comfortable for her. It also meant Cass didn’t have to actually run, instead being dragged along together with the briefcase, only having to put in a bit of effort to keep his form insubstantial. He responded, more whispering than talking. In the sewers any noise spread a lot, so keeping it quiet was usually the best idea.

 

“Makes sense. We should talk about the details once we’re there so I also have more of an idea what’s going on. “

 

Edited April 19, 2016 by olopi

[Supercape]

GM

 

A scuttling. 

 

Screeching, rattling, scuttling. 

 

More and more. And more still. 

 

Marie put her hand over Bonfire, telling him to stop. 

 

"Rats!" she explained. "Something has changed them. Driven them wild. The Uranium. We have had some before, but...."

 

A thousand giant rats ran around the corner, like a blanket of fur and teeth and gnarled tails. Their speed was shocking. Some trampled over others. 

 

There were small ones. Their were big ones. Their were large ones. And their were rats the size of dogs. 

 

"Never like this!" she shrieked. 

 

[olopi]

Well, was about time some rats had shown up. Considering this was the sewers, the fact there were basically no rats seemed suspicious. Well, now everyone knew why. They had all gathered up here, to bask in the radiation and become more mutated. At least that was what it felt like. They might have ended up there for some other reason, but “bask in radiation” felt like a good explanation for now. It was time to act. Fight? Maybe if it was necessary. For now, hiding probably was a better option, considering the sheer amount of rats.

 

“We’re gonna go invisible. Hold onto me so both of us know where we are. And make no sounds so they can’t hear us. Maybe try to stand firm too so they don't overrun you.  “

 

A second later a burst of smoke emerged from Bonfire, covering most of the surrounding areas in smoke. Bonfire and Marie had already disappeared, hiding inside the smoke, invisible to the naked eye. The smoke slowly faded. Now it was just a matter of them not noticing the smell, or the fact that Marie was still standing there. Probably not the best idea, but blasting out some more damaging smoke always was an option. Mixing the smells of the sewers with the smells of burning fur and heat in general wasn’t something Cass was looking forward to.

 

Edited April 19, 2016 by olopi

[olopi]

And then, rats.

 

Lots of ‘em. All sizes, from itty-bitty rats you’d see out on the street, to reaching up to somebody’s neck – and everything in between. All of them running, stampeding even. And pretty much no space to dodge. Fortunately enough, Bonfire had a smoking hot body. With some quick manipulation he could make sure the rats would not run into his actual, human and fleshy body. A bit more smoke there, a bit less there, some shifting around, a bit of movement. All the while making sure Marie could still hold on safely. A few scrapes, but no actual injuries.

 

The rats kept coming. For around half a minute, even if it felt much longer. Then, the stream started to slow down. Still a lot, but no longer a full-on stampede. It was safe again. Unless these rats were running from something. Well, no need to worry about that for now. A quick injury check was needed. Pretty much only Cass’s Arm, from what he could tell. And a few minor scrapes on his midsection. Good enough, nothing serious. Would all heal up in a few seconds thanks to all the smoke anyways. Hopefully Marie had fared about the same. Bonfire quickly dropped the smoke making the two of them invisible, and then turned his head to look at her.

 

“Hey, you fine? That was a whole lot of rats. “

 

Edited April 19, 2016 by olopi

[Supercape]

Marie panted, head turned. She had moved to one side, pressing her small body against the mould ridden walls of the sewers, wet and grey. 

 

For a moment, there was a flash of green light in her goggles, then it was gone. 

 

"It..was..." she said, almost embarrassed. "I am sorry, I had no idea...whatever Neutron Industries are dumping down here, it is getting worse. More mutations..." she said, picking herself up and dusting herself down. 

 

"Look at the size of them!" she exclaimed. The tsunami of rats had lead to several dozen being trampled to death in their wake, and an equal number of badly injured ones that would be dead soon enough. 

 

"Come, come, let us press on. It seems my...our...mission is all the more urgent!"

[olopi]

It was time to push onwards. If these rats were anything to go by, it was just a matter of time until something bad happened to humans. If it hadn’t yet, and everybody just kept quiet. Before moving onwards, Bonfire took a picture of the biggest rat on the ground using his phone. If nothing else at least he’d have proof something was going on down here.  One of the journalists he knew would certainly enjoy it.

 

“Agreed. No time to waste here. Let’s move. You lead the way!”

 

And onwards the journey went. By now it shouldn’t be too far off. Hopefully. The weight of the briefcase was starting to get more noticeable, starting to strain the arm a bit. Not bad yet, but if this went on for too much longer it’d start to be a problem.

 

 

 

Edited April 19, 2016 by olopi