ic [IC] Irradiated Intervention

[Sophistemon]

Ethan nodded, then lifted a napkin to wipe a spot of mustard from the corner of his mouth. "I'm with Warne," he concurred. "I think that we did the right thing, waiting to get everything approved, but now that it's over with we've waited long enough already. The faster we get this handled the cleaner it's all going to look in the end and the better everything will be." He cleared his throat and finished off his glass of cola. "Just give me the word and I'll go suit up. It takes a hot minute to get into and out of that thing, so we'd better be sure that we're on the right track before I initiate the activation protocols." He looked at his partner. "I showed you that part of the manual, right? I couldn't believe it when they first told me, but the damn thing locks up like a great big metal coffin. They'd rather that I die inside it than let anyone else get their hands on the technology." He laughed, then, and shrugged. "Not that I can blame them; if the American taxpayer knew how much they'd spent on the X-09 I bet they wouldn't want someone else laying claim to it either."

[Blarghy]

Adept's expression took on a hint of alarm, and he pointedly cut his eyes between his partner and Bonfire.  Making such claims in front of a civilian, a blogger at that, wasn't a decision he particularly supported.  Especially with Clarkson in the room too.  He wondered if their handler would report this.  Not that Warne was thrilled to show Bonfire so much of AEGIS in the first place; he could see the strategy of using him to independently boost the organization's image, as they'd discussed in the previous meeting, but trust came slowly to this agent.  Hopefully it wouldn't blow up in their faces. 

 

"...Yes, well.  Security and whatnot."  He quickly changed the subject with a jut of his chin toward Bonfire: "You can fly," he recalled from the young man's file, "but not nearly as fast as Stone.  I suggest the two of us take a car together, at least until Greenbank; from there, we can monitor you while you draw out the Gas Man and then spring the trap once he shows himself." 

[Sophistemon]

Ethan chuckled. "Guys, guys. It was a joke. Remember jokes? They're those things that help alleviate tension when you're about to do something potentially dangerous? We do remember jokes, don't we?" Agent Stone looked at Bonfire. "Let me clear the air. The X-09 Armored Mobility Platform is what you get when you cross a tank with a fighter jet -- it is beyond safe. The lockdown protocols exist to keep enemy threats from coming in after me if the AMP is disabled; they don't keep me from getting out." He huffed, then chewed on a block of ice that he sipped from his glass. "I tell you, you guys must not watch a lot of war movies. Gallows humor is a bonding exercise, for crying out loud."

Edited September 18, 2016 by Sophistemon

[olopi]

GM

 

Bonfire looked up, at the two agents, and followed their banter. He put away his phone, and nodded occasionally to signify that he was still following the conversation. Then, he stretched out his arms over his table, and looked at the two agents, who had by now taken a seat.

 

“Taking a car sounds like a better idea, yeah. “

 

Bonfire’s statement was followed by Clarkson, who had, once again, prepared a short presentation, outlining the mission and what they knew about the Gas Man so far. All of it was repetition, but it looked better on the protocols. After some more organizational talk, the group set off, Agent Stone towards the X-09, the other agents and their deputy towards the AEGIS garage, where they had already been assigned a standard issue black sedan.

 

 

Some time later…

 

 

 

The group had arrived at Greenbank, where the inconspicuous car had turned at an inconspicuous alley, and was now parked there, as Clarkson, Warne and Bonfire went over the final few plans, mostly on how to lure out the Gas Man. At the same time, the X-09 AMP was floating not far off, at an altitude that allowed Agent Stone to scout the local area. He was able to communicate across the communications too. Clarkson relied on more traditional methods this time, using a map of Greenbank, with a few things circled in red marker.

 

“Okay, so from what we know his car is usually seen … down here. It’s probably our best bet for you to go down there, and just float or walk around the area a bit, maybe make some noise if you don’t attract his attention after an hour or so. Meanwhile, the three of us will set up in a perimeter, following you from a safe distance, ready to jump as soon as necessary should he attack. “

 

Clarkson looked over to his colleague, addressing him and his other colleague too.

 

“Anything we should add?”

 

 

 

 

Edited September 19, 2016 by olopi

[Blarghy]

"Don't make it look like an obvious trap," Adept pitched in gruffly.  He scanned the mouth of the alley and occasionally took a closer look at the map Clarkson had provided.  "If the Gas Man had combat experience or formal training, he may catch on, and the last thing we want is to drive him underground."  An idea came to the agent, though he wasn't sure of its feasibility.  "You could leave a trail on your blog too, perhaps.  Surely he's watching it by now.  But we don't want any of your fans getting in the way, so I'm not suggesting a...blogger's book signing, or whatever.  Just a thought." 

 

He hardly seemed any happier this afternoon, but Warne's eyes nonetheless had a certain energy that they lacked in the morning.  The hunt was on, and AEGIS wouldn't be easily thwarted!

[Sophistemon]

"But don't be afraid to get into a scuffle, either," Upgrade buzzed, his mechanically-augmented voice crashing through the communicators like a thundering cannon. "Between the three of us, one man won't be much of a problem. Heck, Adept, I bet you could scowl at him and he'd have his hands up faster than [Insert Team A] beat [Insert Team B]." The agent chuckled. "Man, it just feels good to fly again. This thing handles like a dream!" The AMP did a lazy rotation, enormous arms outstretched with fingers spread to catch the wind. "These stabilizers, man! I wish I'd had these on deployment. Would have saved me a nasty crash. And the VTOL! Smooth as a stick of butter."

[olopi]

PC

 

A simple plan really. There was not much to it, the pay-off to a few months of constant trouble. All Bonfire had to do was fly around a bit, hopefully “coincidentally” stumble over the Gas Man, and let things take their course. He considered a few thing, like if he should take a specific route, but decided to first get things rolling.

 

After exchanging a few final words with the two agents by the car, he was now ready to leave. He turned around one last time.

 

“Okay. Keep your eyes on the tracker, I won’t be able to hear any comms while flying there. I’ll be back on them once I land though.”

 

And then, he walked towards the other end of the alley, slowly turning into smoke on the way, and ascending, towards the main part of Greenbank. From there, he started his routine, walking and flying around a few busy areas, hoping for an eventual confrontation.

Edited September 29, 2016 by olopi

[olopi]

GM

 

The agent’s car set off only shortly after Bonfire had left, following his position thanks to a tracker, but keeping distance so it would not be suspicious to onlookers. The same applied to to Upgrade, who stood out a bit more, but nevertheless managed to not attract too much attention. At first, nothing happened. Bonfire moved around, but the Gas Man was not anywhere in sight. It continued for some time.

 

Then, finally, after a few gruelling hours, something happened. Bonfire’s voice could be heard on the comms channel, he sounded relieved.

 

“Found his van parked here. Will slowly move in, this doesn’t look like a base. Drawing him out if possible.”

 

That was all that was needed for the car to take an unexpected shortcut through an alley, fortunately an empty one. The car turned into a street, around a corner, and into another alley, stopping in front of a chainlink fence blocking off the rest. According to the locator, Bonfire was only a short distance away, on the other side of the fence.

 

From his elevated position, Agent Stone could tell that it was a warehouse area, with a variety of them located in rows, all looking identical, only that some were in worse shape than others. They were quite tightly packed, so seeing anything else was difficult from his current distance.

Edited September 29, 2016 by olopi

[Blarghy]

Agent Warne got out of the car and approached the fence, already levitating off the ground.  He stopped short of flying over, but when they sprung the trap, he'd be ready.

 

"Stone," he said over the comms, "how do you want to play this?  You're faster than I am, and you've got a better vantage point, so once the Gas Man makes his move, you can drop out of the sky like God's angry thunderbolt.  I assume he'll be too surprised to even notice me when I sweep in."

[Sophistemon]

"Roger that," crackled Upgrade's mechanical voice. "Preparing sub-orbital drop; he won't know what hit him." Ethan flipped a few switches and turned a knob, preparing the XO-9 to abandon weightlessness in favor of gravity. "Bonfire, watch yourself. If he's more than he looks, let Adept and I take point; we don't want your fire getting put out too early."

Edited October 6, 2016 by Sophistemon

[olopi]

PC

 

This was it, then. After all this time, Bonfire had found the Gas Man. The next step on making sure Neutron would no longer continue in their shady ways. And Bonfire was about to confront him. He waited for some time, making sure the two agents were in position. In that time, he went through possible scenarios in his head. He did not know how the bounty hunter would react, or why he was in a place like this in the first place. His sleeping gas would hopefully not be a problem, Bonfire had bought some coffee just before he found the van. But at the same time, Bonfire did not know what else the Gas Man was capable of, and just how much he disliked Bonfire after their last fight.

 

Once the others were in position, Bonfire stepped forward. He walked, confidently, up to the van, and then took a few steps to the side. It still looked the same as last time he’d seen it, and sort of abandoned it at a street corner, but that was the past, and not the present. He gathered some air, before making his intentions clear.

 

“Gas Man. Here I am. Bonfire’s not done yet!”

Edited October 6, 2016 by olopi

[olopi]

GM

 

Just as Bonfire began to shout, the Gas Man walked through the front door. He looked the same as on the file the agents had received, a grizzled man of middle age, having seen his fair share of things. In one hand he held one of his famous gas grenades, a few more attached to his belt, where he also kept a pair of handcuffs and some zip ties.

 

With his other hand, he was pushing forward a man wearing a typical costume, this one coloured green, and a full mask covering his entire face. The man had been handcuffed, and looked like he was about to fall asleep, barely holding onto consciousness, most likely thanks to the Gas Man prodding him along.

When the Gas Man saw, and heard, Bonfire, he looked somewhat taken aback. He stopped for a second, unsure what to do, while the man in costume walked along, first without realizing it. The Gas Man began to talk, surprise and uncertainty still on his face.

 

“You? Wha-“

 

Just then, two massive green wings spouted from the handcuffed man’s back. Immediately, he’d taken off, in what appeared to be a surge of power, and was ascending at a rapid speed, while looking downwards at the others on the scene.

 

The Gas Man’s expression changed to anger, and he immediately began to shout, while running towards his Van, at a reasonable speed considering both his age and encumberance.

 

“See what you’ve done? Catch him! Now!”

 

 

Edited October 6, 2016 by olopi

[Sophistemon]

Ethan, from his position on-high, is somewhat at a loss for what to do. If he intervened, the element of surprise that they'd been so carefully cultivating so far went right out the window. Upgrade's mechanical voice crackled through the radio. "Upgrade to Adept -- this wasn't in the plan! Repeat: mission is going FUBAR. Requesting course of action?" With the man airborne, Stone hoped that he wouldn't fly high enough to get a good look at his battlesuit. He could ascend to even greater heights to avoid detection, but that would bring the Gas Man out of sensory range. He could intervene, leaving Gas Man to Bonfire and Adept, but doing so would violate established mission parameters.

Edited October 6, 2016 by Sophistemon

[Blarghy]

Well, this was an unexpected turn of events.  Warne's police-dog-instincts wanted to chase after the new costumed individual, but he had, far as Warne knew, done nothing wrong.  They already had reason to suspect the Gas Man's motives and judgment, on the other hand.  Still...

 

"I say follow him; you're fast enough to turn around and rush back if necessary, and if this person is a wanted criminal, then we had best not drop the ball.  Clarkson!  Green costumed man with wings.  Does any of that sound familiar to you?  Can you run a quick, quick check for us and figure out if we're dealing with a friend or foe?"

 

Either way, their trap was more or less sprung.  If the mystery man was an enemy, then they might have to split their focus and fight two villains at once.  If not, then the Gas Man had officially committed a serious crime by holding an innocent person unlawfully.  Adept flew over the fence, switched on his telekinetic force field, and prepared for battle. 

[olopi]

PC

 

Cass had expected a few things to happen, but this was not one of them. In his mind, he went through possible scenarios. Both staying here, but also chasing after the escaping individual, could possibly lead to problems. Maybe this escaping person was somebody just like Bonfire, maybe somebody with lots of money had a problem with him. Maybe he was somebody else entirely. Staying meant that everything would keep with the plan. Chasing would mean going against the plan, and Bonfire’s skillset was not very good at doing high-speed chases.

 

So, that decision was made. Chasing would probably only antagonize AEGIS further, and if it turned out the person that was escaping did so rightfully, it’d mean even more problems. No, Bonfire would just stay, and confront the Gas Man.

 

So he did. He continued to stand there, moving in slowly, towards the Gas Man and his Van, trying to get the bounty hunter to do something that would be enough to justify AEGIS involvement.

Edited October 7, 2016 by olopi

[olopi]

GM

 

The Gas Man continued running towards his van, shooting glances towards Bonfire, and continuing to yell.

 

“Get him! This is your fault! Don’t let him escape!”

 

As he opened the doors at the back of his van, and had already stepped into it with one foot, he noticed Adept. Dressed as he was, his affiliations were easy to tell, and the Gas Man seemed to be able to do so. He continued moving into his van, as he yelled once more, the sounds still easy to hear even at a distance.

 

“I don’t know what the government wants, but it’ll have to wait. Thanks to that vigilante over there, there’s other priorities.”

 

 

At the same time, Clarkson replied to Warne’s request, his voice accompanied by furious typing. He sounded calm, but a hint of distress could be heard nevertheless.

 

“Green and Wings. Got it. Quite a lot fit that description, running a search now. Will take a few seconds though, I only have partial access out here.”

Edited October 7, 2016 by olopi

[Blarghy]

...Well, this guy's got guts, I'll give him that, Adept mused.  Unfortunately, he took the Gas Man's audacity as a challenge rather than a sign for respect. 

 

"That's not really your call, mercenary," he said, making the term sound like a nasty slur.  "You just held an individual against his will.  Explain yourself...on the ground, with your hands behind your head.  Now." 

 

Maybe he had a lawful reason for his actions, or maybe he didn't.  Either way, Warne had the authority to detain him until the truth came out, and resisting arrest would still be just as illegal no matter the other costumed man's status.  Adept loved when his suspects resisted arrest.  It meant he got to play.

[Sophistemon]

"Roger," Upgrade boomed, his voice crackling through the radio. "Will comply; we'll rendezvous after intercept. Keep an eye on the Gas Man -- don't let him get away!" Inside the AMP, Ethan's fingers tapped out a few commands on a control panel and then initiated pursuit. He devoted enough energy to catch up to the unknown individual without overtaking him, the X-09's thrusters powering up and projecting him speedily through the sky. When he got in range, he switched his radio to external broadcast. "Stop right there!" he called, voice masked by the mechanical filter. "Halt, by order of AEGIS!"

[olopi]

PC

 

With Warne seemingly able to handle the situation by himself, Bonfire began to take some steps towards the side, cutting off a possible route of escape by positioning himself in front of the van, looking towards the tinted window, and not really seeing anything. Once in a good position, he turned his attention skywards, where the man in green costume was still ascending at a rapid pace, quicker than he probably should’ve been able to considering the Gas Man’s oh so important gas.

 

Bonfire still wasn’t entirely sure what was going on, but part of him felt like preparing for the worst possible outcome was a good idea. Standing in place, his body became evermore translucent, before then becoming more visible, and notably darker afterwards, with the edges of his form flickering in the light wind. He still looked vaguely humanoid. He clearly was a cloud of smoke, but he still was human in form.

Edited October 10, 2016 by olopi

[olopi]

GM

 

The Gas Man clearly did not agree with what had just been said. He was still inside his van, with rumbling coming from inside as he probably searched something in a pile, as he expressed his opinion quite loudly.

 

“What? You can’t do that. I’ve done noth-“ The sound of something made of many small objects collapsing followed, silencing the Gas Man for just a second. He walked out of the door, holding what appeared to be a net-gun of some sorts, before seeing Warne again.

 

“Ugh, fine. No need to have trouble with your folks.”

 

He followed this by leaning the Net Gun on the van, before holding up his hands and moving down onto his knees, keeping eye-contact with Warne along the way. The grizzled bounty hunter did not look happy at all, his expression essentially mirroring that of the Agent.

 

 

Up above the other’s heads, the situation played out differently. The man in green was continuing to rise at a rapid pace, propelling himself upwards many feet every time he moved his wings. And then, Upgrade made his broadcast. The man looked surprised, scanning the sky for the source. He moved his head towards the X-09 as it was flying in, frowning slightly as Upgrade mentioned AEGIS. And then, he moved his wings once more, trying to gain distance both from the incoming Agent, but also the bounty hunter below.

 

 

As all of this was happening, the Agents also got to hear Clarkson’s voice breaking the silence on the radio channel. He was still typing furiously, but he also had something to say.

 

“Okay, this could be wrong, but from what I've gathered that’s … The Horned Dragon. Name probably tells you enough. Potential suspect in three cases, but we don’t have anything on him, victims just told us that he’s probably responsible. That’s the entire file. As I said, almost nothing. “

 

 

 

 

Edited October 10, 2016 by olopi

[Blarghy]

This was more or less as he expected/feared.  Warne had hoped that this newcomer would be innocent (as innocent as he ever considered anyone), and perhaps the Dragon was, but they at least had enough to want to bring him in.  Along with the Gas Man, unless he could prove that his activities here were entirely lawful.  Maybe Warne could justify searching his van; perhaps that'd turn something up...

 

"That's a wise thing to think," he agreed with the kneeling bounty hunter, malice still heavy in his voice.  He pointed up at the distant fliers (likely unaware that one of them was apparently trying to escape the other).  "Now explain yourself.  Who were you in the process of kidnapping?"  Best to compare his sources of information, especially when Clarkson couldn't even see the person he was researching.  Besides, interrogations often included questions Adept already knew, just to check for honesty.

[Sophistemon]

"Roger that," buzzed Upgrade. He enhanced the energy flow to his thrusters, picking up speed so as to overtake the Horned Dragon. He flipped his radio to external and his voice boomed out into the sky. "Horned Dragon! You are wanted for questioning! Records show you as a suspect in no fewer than three unsolved crimes. Reduce your speed, land, and come peaceably or I will be forced to fire upon you. This is your one and only warning!" Ethan reached over and keyed in the authorization code that unlocked the AMP's various weapon systems. A low, menacing hum permeated the cockpit as the X-09's full military might was readied to engage the enemy.

[olopi]

PC

 

Bonfire continued to casually walk, or in his current form, float, around. He was slowly lifting off the ground, soon floating at head-height, and further ascending. Then, he heard faint glimpses of something going on above him. He didn’t really make out anything specific, but the external radio being active probably didn’t mean anything good. Warne seemed to have the Gas Man under control, but perhaps help would be needed above, in the sky.

 

His ascent became faster, not very fast, but at a reasonable speed nevertheless. As he reached a position a few meters above Warne and the Gas Man, he spoke a few words, continuing to fly upwards all the same. “Sounds like potential trouble.”

 

And then, he kicked up the gears again. He didn’t move nearly as fast as either the Horned Dragon or the X-09, but perhaps he could still do something if this entire situation turned into a fight.

Edited October 16, 2016 by olopi

[olopi]

GM

 

The Horned Dragon seemed unimpressed, as he did not slow down, but in fact, increase his speed. He was rather bulky, especially with his huge wings, but moved with a fair bit of finesse regardless. “Try me, Metal-Man.” He followed this by performing what Agent Stone could only rate as a highest-class Immelman turn, facing the incoming X-09. The Horned Dragon’s head suddenly looked different, like that of a mythological dragon. And then, a wave of fire made its way towards Upgrade.

 

 

 

 

The Gas Man’s eyes went towards the sky, following the ascending capnokinetic he had fought before. And then, a roar sounded through the air, as a cone of fire came from the Horned Dragon, covering a large part of the sky.

 

The Gas Man’s attention went back towards Warne. He frowned even stronger than before, but also seemed slightly amused. The roar had only lasted a second, with everything afterwards suddenly sounding quiet. The veteran’s gravelly voice broke the silence. “Told you so. How about you get me outta these and I can see if we can still salvage this?”

 

 

 

 

As soon as the roar ended, Clarkson’s voice came through the radio once more. He sounded rather distressed, and surprisingly, there was no typing to be heard.

“F***! That’s bad. Horned Dragon is hostile! I repeat, the Horned Dragon is hostile. Fire at will. Backup is on their way. “

Edited October 16, 2016 by olopi

[Blarghy]

Warne glared at the sky through the heat-warp tint of his force field.  He spared only a quick, angry glance to the Gas Man.  "You'll stay where you are if you don't want me to give you a pair of handcuffs and a mouthful of concrete," he threatened.  "Just because your prisoner is officially under arrest doesn't mean that you aren't.  We'll address whether or not you acted in accordance with the law after dealing with that lizard."

 

For all his talk, the Gas Man might assume that this bitter agent was a mere spectator; Warne didn't even twitch an eyebrow when he lashed out with his brain and tried to snap those big wings right off the Horned Dragon.