ABERRANT: WEIRDER STUFF SEASON TWO - EPISODE ONE - "WELCOME TO THE NEW AGE"

[Kia Mizuki]

"Well they have to come out SOME way!" Kia protested, now starting to tear up. "I thought eggs would be better than just...having them crawl out!"

She wiped her eyes and waved a hand around. "I just..." Biting back what Abel could feel was a profanity, Kia shook her head.

"Maybe I should sit this one out. Until I figure this out. I don't want to scare people." She sounded heartbroken saying it.

[Charlie Cole]

Charlie took the tingling power boost, before seeing the Kia-Gigers on parade and their downcast maker.

"Don't be like that, Kia." Charlie interjected warmly. "I know you're trying your best. Anyway, it's no reason to sit this one out. We need you and... them, no matter what they look like. You'll find a better way eventually." There was also the little caveat that there was going to be no good way, but tact demanding it be left quite unsaid, thank you very much. Thou shalt not break the heart of the kind bubbly girl who can also become Cthulhu.

Spoiler

Boost taken, boosting Str/M-Str to 5/4, Dex/M-Dex and Sta/M-Sta to 5/5 each.

 

[Jeane]

Jeane had been creeped out by *how* the monsters had popped out of Kia's belly, even starting a little, but given what they ended up as... Ugh, freaking insecure bully teamates...

"Don't mind her. Tease obviously doesn't appreciate classic cute and fluffy Disney," Jeane added over one shoulder, forcing a smile to soften the strained seriousness in her voice, "If you can manage a good monster to stop the bad monster along those lines, go for it."

"Whenever you're ready, Lilly. I need to catch up to Tease to keep her in one piece and she's storming off, so..."   

[Sean Cassidy]

With all she had experienced, Sean may have somewhat inured to how Kia's powers expressed themselves, but she still suppressed a brief shudder at the sight of her... pets. She had never found koalas cute, with their black, dead eyes when she had been a boy, and she didn't find their winged brethren any cuter with eyes bigger, blacker, and deader now that she was a girl. There were other things about Chimera she found more disconcerting however, but it wasn't her place to bring them up now.

With the others reassuring Kia, Sean glided silently up to walk a few steps back and to the side of Tease, ignoring her withering glare. "There's danger here, Tease, and we don't go it alone if we can avoid it, 'kay?"

It was easy to forget that the vast majority of people hadn't seen what most of the Irregulars had seen and Kia wasn't the only one who needed reassurance, even if Tease was unlikely to admit it. The second time Tease was about to slip in the snow, a strong hand, but gentle and sure, caught her arm adroitly and steadied her.

"Here, seems like you could use a drink," Sean said, offering Tease a canteen. "I like to be prepared and unlike some of the others, I still need to eat and drink at least." When Tease accepted the flattened bottle, Sean added with a wry grin. "Just water, I'm afraid."

"Figures," Tease muttered crossly, but she still took the water and rinsed the last of the taste from her mouth.

"Sorry about the lack of warning 'bout Kia. That wasn't fair to you," Sean said softly with a note of sincerity and commiseration in her voice as she accepted the canteen back and stuffed it back into her pack, as her eyes kept scanning their surroundings for any surprises, ears listening keenly for any out of place sound. "Even I still get creeped out by some of things she can do sometimes, but we don't really get to choose how our powers express themselves." She pursed her lips for moment. "Not consciously, at any rate."

Sean glanced at Tease's legs again from the corner of her eye when she heard a crunch and squish when a foot slid a little on another step. "Not that they don't make your legs look amazing, but you might want to give up the heels for now and the let the suit provide you with some more... convenient footwear. We both know looks can matter a great deal, but I doubt the thing we're following is going to be concerned if you are wearing Louboutin's or Valentino's."

[WS ST]

The Kaola-bats took wing and spread out ahead of the Irregulars as Kia wished. The flying parts were fast and covered the ground quickly within minutes they were kilometers ahead of the group and atthe height they were flying coulds see all the way to the next town.

It was easy to spot the creature. For one thing it was larger than the Orca had been, it stood about 25 meters at its shoulder and that was with it ambling along on all fours like it was now. For another the Koala-bats had incredible senses given to them by Kia and the could easily pick up it's quantum signature and the cloud of death that it emanated. Once spotted Kia could direct everyone where to look and they could see it about 7 kilometers away.

Spoiler

The spines on its back and the claws on it's left paw appear to be made of Ice. The green markings are coruscating with quantum energy

 

[Marissa Jauntsen]

"Well, someone has to press forward and do something, or you'd all just stand there touching one another or being gross all day," she turned her head and spat out a large mouthful of water.  The heels she was in filled in to create wedges instead.  Her heels were only a modest three inches, but they kept spiking into in the ground, burying themselves in the soft mud.  The flattened wedge seemed to be faring better.  It was almost scary wow quickly she took to shifting the P.A.M. suit, it was almost as if nothing was impossible for her to manipulate.  "It's like you were all raised by a pack of wolves with Asperger's.  Like none of you have any sense of decorum or propriety, it's... it's mind boggling!"

"And stop pampering me," she scoffed and handed back the canteen.  "You don't have to pull that diplomat crap with me, I see through it, Cassidy.  I get it, okay?  You're a guy, now you're a girl... but please don't pretend like you know how to be a woman.  We're not besties, we're not gonna sit around braiding each other's hair or talking about guys.  Now, get you're gaggle of Hodor's together and catch up to me when you're ready to find this thing instead of playing CW hour in the middle of Canada."

She marched off down the trail, "Thanks for the water."

She paused only a few steps away as the eighty-two foot bear rose up over the treeline some four miles away.  She swallowed hard and took a single step back... "A-actually... maybe I'll wait for some of you less important people to go first.  I'm pretty sure I have future in this world and the rest of you are just nature experimenting with Darwinism."

It roared over the treeline, shaking the earth with its mighty bellow.  She popped her hands over her ears, but her face contorted into an expression of confusion... she looked up at the mighty beast.  She mumbled softly, not realizing she was speaking out loud as her tone took to sincere concern.  "It's... confused... afraid... in pain..."

[Jaunt]

Miles away he stood looking down on the massive creature.  The Irregulars would have their work cut out for them this time.  The cold Canadian air bit deeply into skin as his purple duster waved violently in the wind.  Slowly a lovely young, blonde woman, floating it seemed, levitated down beside him, never touching the ground.  To his opposite side, a tall, rugged man sheathed head to toe in a P.A.M. suit approached him to look over the cliff face.  His face was covered by a thick Ops mask his suit had women for him, with matching goggles, like a modern day Snake-Eyes from the G.I. Joe comics.

"I need a sample," Ronin said calmly.  "I trust you can get me one, Five?"

"Consider it done," the man's voice was modulated.  "And if they get in my way?"

"Get in theirs."  Ronin replied colder than the Canadian air.

The pretty blonde folded her arms.  "I wanna go," she stated.  "What good is having these powers if I can't waste something with them?  Why does Five get to go?"

"Because, Lodestone, you and I have something to take care of," Ronin floated up into the sky himself.  "Five, if you get into trouble, use your T.R.A.N.S.I.T. device.  Just the sample, the Irregulars are not our target today."

"Understood."  Five replied.

"And us?"  Lodestone asked curious.

Ronin smiled and extended his hand to her, lifting her up to him as they both floated up higher.  "I'll show ya when he get there.  The best part is, with them all here... there won't be anyone to put up a fight.  They make it so easy."

[Jeane]

Spoiler

Totally missed that Noir already rolled stat boosts, so plus three to all physical stats putting Jeane at m-Sta and M-Dex 5 and M-Str 3 atop of existent fives.

Quantum Weapon Still Up.

Quantum Pool 24/26 PAM Pool 2/2 Will Pool 8/10

Jeane's lightning spear hit the dirt in her shock at the sheer menacing scale of the creature they were supposed to fighting. She choked out few stuttering laughs before recovering enough to close her mouth. Oh God. The faint foreign buzzing of Lilly's Boost in her veins kept her from crumbling entirely. She was ready to run away, right the fuck now. The US was south of Canada, right? She'd get there eventually. And this was *probably* her responsibility unless Ronin had 'summon giant monster' as one of his powers. Oh God. Was this what all those people had seen coming for them before it exploded them into dust?

Oh God. The giant bear exploded and flash froze things, too.

No way in hell her weapons could scratch this thing's hide when it had barely hurt the Crusher.

"Guys? I have a favor to ask," she commented, as she dropped to one knee and recovered her spear before it expired, eyes fixed on the brute, "If I die taking a hit for Tease while she uses whatever powers she actually has to help stop this... this *thing* from hurting anyone else, tell my family I don't dislike them as much as I've said I do, okay?"   

[Abel Cross]

"We really need to get a handle on who the hell is making these things, and then.."   he didn't vocalize it, because he was certain the others understood.   "Same plan as before, Though Chimera, send in some of your minions, lets get a feel for the range of this thing's abilities, and what it may respond with.   I don't imagine there's another one lying in stealth back here, so Proteus, why don't you move up with Vanguard, and go ahead and get ready for a fight.  We'll wait to see what happens with the minions first, but everyone should be on their guard."

Able Activated a fairly standard series of abilities for when he fought, as well as had to protect others.   Both is personal and projected fields went up.  A wall of hexagonal shields interlocking together visible for a moment with a faint blue light before becoming transparent.  "Jeane, same deal as before stay behind the shield until we have an opening.   Savant, Tease, you too, as best you can.  I will try to keep you all covered."   He didn't expect them to get in the thick of fighting, indeed, Sean had his own weapons, he didn't have to, but he was unsure what Tease would do in this situation.   

As a final act spurred by Tease's last comments, he reached out to test the creature's mind,  to see if there was anything more in the creatures' memories.

  Activating multitasking(scene), both force fields, and using telepathy on the bear.  Per agreement with Noir, Vanguard boosted Abel as well.

Forcefield rolls

+26 B/L for projected field (these do not stack for abel, he only gets the benefit of his personal shield.)

+26 B/L/A for personal field

 

[Kia Mizuki]

Kia shielded her eyes from the light in the sky and emitted a loud trilling sound that seemed to come from her midsection rather than her mouth. It was sonorous, resonant, carrying easily through the air. Immediately five of the flapping koala-monsters veered off of the wide circle they were flying around the bear-monster, diving in towards it. As they got closer, bony spines began growing out through the skin over their backs. In quick succession they rolled as they flew past the bear, expelling those spines with some kind of violent muscular action. Like large, sharp spears the projectiles lanced through the air and pattered against the bear's hide. Several of them hit hard enough to stick in even, though compared to the vast bulk of the beast they could be little more than bee stings!

The other five continued circling, patiently awaiting the moment to join in the attack.

Their 'mother' turned to look at the others, uncertainty clear on her face.

"Should I change? It'll notice me if I do, maybe come this way. I should get clear first!"

Resolved, she went to the perimeter of Abel's telekinetic defenses and pushed out, intending to run away a bit before transforming into something suitable for fighting.

Flappy Attack (3 ping damage)

[7d10=6, 8, 5, 8, 9, 4, 9] 5 sux, 1 ping damage

[7d10=6, 8, 2, 2, 4, 10, 6] 4 sux, 0 damage
[7d10=1, 7, 2, 3, 3, 10, 4] 4 sux, 0 damage
[7d10=5, 4, 4, 4, 4, 10, 1] 2 sux, 1 ping damage
[7d10=8, 9, 2, 10, 8, 4, 4] 7 sux, 1 ping damage

5#1d10: 5 # 9 [1d10=9] 3 [1d10=3] 6 [1d10=6] 8 [1d10=8] 10 [1d10=10]

[Charlie Cole]

Proteus gaped, before closing his mouth and brushing his hand through Jeane's quantum spear. He turned into crackling, living lightning and floated forward to join Vanguard. "All right. Let's show Smokey that only we can prevent wild blights."

Spoiler

Using Matter Chameleon to become Energy... including boost....

• STR 5/M4
• DEX 5/M5
• STA 5/M5
• Lethal damage with Brawl and Martial Arts
• +2 difficulty to be hit (+1 vs. Area and Explosive attacks)
• +15 soak vs. energy damage
• Density Decrease 1
• Flight 1
• Immolate 1

QP: 24/30
WP: 10/10

 

[Sean Cassidy]

Sean grimaced sourly. She certainly wasn't trying to be friends with Tease, but she was trying to make her feel a part of the group. Tease didn't see as much as she thought, or rather, saw what she wanted to see. Her unrelenting bitchitude was making it very hard to give credence to the glimmers of a worthy person that randomly poked up. Sean wasn't sure how Laurie could be friends with her.

"You might have a future in this world, Tease, but first we have to make sure this world has a future."

Sean's face was smooth as the monstrous, quantum-infused bear, seeing the coruscating energy roiling inside it. This was not a random event and it was frustrating that she had not even found a hint to the cause yet. Hopefully this time, it would be different. Her face hardened as she noticed two distant specks in the sky, specks that were neither birds nor flying-koalas.

It would be different this time. Her eyes narrowed on the withdrawing specks, picking out a man in a purple duster and a girl, a blond girl, that she recognized from a visit with Devin to California. It would be extra worrisome if Ronin had developed a way to manifest Keys himself. It was more than frustrating that he could seem to find them at will, at the most inopportune times. She could send her senses to anywhere on Earth from where she stood, but she had to know where and when to look. She felt like she was missing something obvious about that.

Without looking at her smartphone, Sean typed out a text to McKellar. [Ronin and Unknown Key seen withdrawing from site. Prepare for something else coming from him].

Sean also felt something else that was unexpected. She didn't sense any immediate danger or threat from the Ursine Kaiju, despite how ferocious it seemed. Even a regular maddened animal would ping warnings, if faint ones. Why not this thing? They had beaten down the Orca-zilla - with Jaunt's distinct help, she couldn't help to note - and while it had saved Cape Town, they hadn't learned anything.

Perhaps time to try a different tact.

Especially after Tease's comment on its emotions and the limited effect of Kia's winged-koalas. She frowned at that, too late to take it back, but the creature was so large, perhaps the koalas had been seen as nothing more than an irritant. She studied how the beast's quantum emanations interacted with the flapping things pestering it with interest as she flowed forward, standing ahead to a bit to the side of Tease, interposing herself despite Tease's comments. She wanted to see if it would be immediately or shortly dangerous to any of them if exposed to it.

"No one's dying today, Traceuse," Sean told the younger Key.

"Different plan, Sage," Sean countered firmly. "I'm not sensing any immediate danger from it. Ronin was here and I can't believe he just popped in to see what was going on and not doing anything to fuck with us. Chimera, pull back the flappies and have them circle wide around the thing, to see if Ronin has dropped in any surprises for us. If they are good enough at tracking, have one backtrack the trail and see where it came from, maybe we'll find some hint of its inception. We keep approaching - same formation, but spread out - in case we still have to draw it away from the next town, but don't antagonize it."

Her lips tightened for a moment, but there wasn't any recrimination in her cool, melodious voice. "Don't antagonize anymore than we already have. Yet."

She glanced over her shoulder at the reticent - not that she blamed her - Tease and asked, "You say you can sense it's pain and confusion?"

She pondered the dilemma, femtoseconds of time, but that was a lot for her. The gargantuan bear didn't have a node, but it was seething, overflowing with quantum energy. If she could fine some way of draining it, or releasing it - that didn't obliterate them and/or the valley they were in... She couldn't help but compare it with what she had heard about the boy Kyle and Sara's situation. If she could reconfigure one of her devices to draw out the excess quantum energy...

"Are you able to do something to ease its... its suffering? Give it the idea that we are trying to help it?"

[Marissa Jauntsen]

"I-I don't know," Tease shot back.  For the first time Savant saw the young woman's confidence waiver, her tone unsure.  "I don't use my abilities like you guys do!  I'm not always blasting peoples minds and making people do what I want simply because I can!  Emotional Manipulation is dangerous!  If I leave the wrong impression in the mind, I can have someone eating other people's faces in a blind rage!"  Sean took some solace in hearing that she was at least responsible with her powers, somewhat.  "I've never tried it with an animal before, people are simple, we wear our emotions on our sleeves, but animals are more complex, they function solely on instinct and necessity.  All this thing knows is eat, sleep, hunt, repeat."

She motioned to Glacial Grizzly.  "And something that big!?  I mean... you guys are easy to manipulate, Savant... but that thing is huge!  I'd need to be way closer... waaaaay closer than I ever want to be to a giant, rime covered, killer grizzly!"

[Jeane]

There were so many things she wanted to say right now. Only the fact that Sean had used her new code name kept her from screaming most of them at the group. Jeane Hebert the teenager was freaking out right now and rightly could given all that happened today. Traceuse the Key  didn't have that luxury. Still, there was some shit she needed to get off her chest.

"Ya know what? I'm no good here, slowing you all down. I'm gonna go help the adorable flying koalas find the pod this thing crawled out of. *Maybe* I can help them. Figure out who the hell is in charge by the time I get back, please. Fix yourselves!" 

And with that declaration, she drove her spear into the earth with a crackling burst and took off at full sprint back the way they'd come. The spear stayed behind, ticking merrily towards energetic evaporation.  

[WS ST]

It took several seconds and a bunch of stings from the air before the Giant Ursine actually noticed the flappy bat things and by then they were withdrawing. But they had succeeded in getting it's attention.

As it watched them fly away a red flash energy sparked as Jeane's discarded spear vanished with a quantum pulse.

The monstrous bear hunched its shoulders and raised its head to the sky and bellowed a roar which shook the trees scattering needles into the wind. FOOD!!!!

The bear spun the rest of the way around and sensing the pulse of quantum fade it charged that way in an attempt to catch it.

 

Jeane raced back keeping her eye on the koala-bat and so she almost didn't see when the Indian stepped in front of her.

"Where you going little girl?"

 

5 crouched at the edge of the forest his suit masked and cloacked nothing could see him or sense him...he hoped. His own sensors state of the art and quantum enhanced allowed him to see the huge beast as it charged down upon the irregulars eating up the distance between them and at the same time he could see the Irregulars as they prepared to meet this newest threat. "Ronin what the hell are we supposed to do agianst something like this... we're gonna need a nuke." he said knowing that there was no one to hear him.

Spoiler

will take the bear about a minute to cover the ditance to y'all. Jean you need to make a parkour roll to avoid colliding with the Indian.  Sean you now feel the threat. Anyone with ultra sensitive hearing can attampt to , well hear something.

 

[Jaunt]

Ronin pressed a finger to his ear.  Okay, a part of him missed telepathic guild chat.  "It's biology and it's size are it's greatest weakness, it'll be slow and lumbering.  It's sight is average to a humans, as well as its hearing, but its sense of smell is insane, better than a dogs.  It will smell the Irregulars and their nodes up to twenty miles away, and that was before it was enhanced and it can smell even through three feet of a solid surface, again, before enhancement.  By the looks of it, it used to be a kermode, a very rare species of black bear that are bleached white.  They were revered and respected by Native Americans as spirit bears, that would explain that awesome coat."

"Yeah, none of that is helping."  Five replied calmly.

"Get inside it through the ear canal, jack up it's balance.  Bears are a lot like humans, they see in color.  Which means powerful, dazzling lights will distract or even blind it, crackling spear girl and Charles of the Touchy-Feelie Clan, are practically waving entree's for it with those big, bright displays of power.  If it will fool the human eyes, it will fool a bear's eyes.  If you're feeling ballsy, get eaten, he's softer on the inside.  I designed your P.A.M. suit to be indestructible."  Ronin replied.

"Is it?"

"Well, I tested it's durability in the Sun's core... it better be.  Best place in the universe to make new alloys.  However, your average bear has a bite pressure of around 8,000,000 pascals, which is enough to crush a bowling ball... at that size, I recommend not pushing your luck."  Ronin chuckled.  "Five, trust me, you'll be fine.  The Irregulars will be too busy tripping over their own feet to stop you."

"This thing was in the Sun's core?"  Five asked, a bit impressed.  "Neat."

"No body says 'neat' anymore, Five.  Go be a bad ass."  Lodestone added over the comm.  "We'll meet you back at base."

"You can do this Five," Ronin calmly into his ear piece.  "Welcome to the wonderful world of weird.  You have the tools.  You have the talent.  Because seriously... if I have to shout 'Now, run Barry, run!' you're not gonna get the reference, so just get me the damn sample, and enjoy being indestructible."  Lodestone snickered beside him.

[Abel Cross]

Despite everything, Abel's hearing was among the best in the world, And everything said by Five,, he heard with crystal clarity.   <We've got company inbound I think Sean.  I also need your best guess as to how much mass this thing's got.> he passed the word to Sean, and scowled.   "One goddamn problem at a time, is that too much to ask for..."  he asked no one in particular, as Jeane bolted off.   He began gathering all his telekinetic might in his hands, and wondered if it would be enough.   

[Jeane]

Spoiler

Parkour Roll 

Mega-Dice 5D10E7 => 4 | 10s: 1 So 9 Successes

Normal 13D10E7 => 5 | ones: 1, 10s: 2 Plus 5 More 

Think I make it on 14 total successes.

What happened in the blink between Jeane looking down from the sky and spotting the emerging Native American was so fluid as to make her think she dreamed it. She went from a full-tilt sprint to a graceful turn on one heel and back to a sprint on her original route before her brain had a chance to process the audio and visual input on a conscious level. 

A few heartbeats and a realization later, she altered course enough to run part way up a tree and flip over back onto her feet, returning to the man with a frown, "Sir? Where are YOU going? It's not safe on this trail. You need to get clear just in case my... my... the others can't stop the monster bear before it explodes again. Do you or anyone else need help getting away?"

She fidgeted in place as she asked her rapid fire questions, one eye on the sky trying to not lose track of the flying beast.  

[Sean Cassidy]

"I need a damn coffee," Sean muttered crossly, her only sign of frustration and distress as the newest Irregular fled tactically withdrew, the energetic dispersion of her quantum weapon drawing the attention of the colossal, mutated bear, which was clearly a threat now, her hair shifting at its mighty bellow, even at this distance. It was unfair to Jeane that this was her first encounter as an Irregular in training, but little in life was fair.

And there was also Ronin's... associate. Few had senses as keen as hers, and only one, maybe two, that exceeded them. For her own sanity, she had to put filters on the tremendous breadth of her perceptions, but she still registered all the stimuli she was exposed to, if only on a subconscious level. But incongruous stimuli and an intuitive sense for probabilities allowed for things to pass through her filters.

Just as she caught the bare whisper of a voice from way upwind and deciphered it, Sean noticed the bloom of electromagnetic radiation of a broadcast signal almost equidistant from them and the bear and was able to interpret it into sound. She listened in on the conversation and grunted. Sounded more like boastful bullshit to her. Then again, Ronin was continually surprising them, so she wouldn't totally discount it - she knew he was smart beyond a human scale, but he hadn't displayed any particular engineering or scientific prowess before.

<Company courtesy of Ronin. He wants a sample of the creature,> Sean confirmed to Abel as she unslung her rifle from her shoulder as she studied the oncoming behemoth. Its dimensions were immediately apparent to her - 82.012m at the shoulder, 159.898m long - and calculating its volume and mass took only a fraction of an instant, though she had to extrapolate and account for a difference in muscular density and the ice due to quantum enhancement and a more stocky build than the average kermode bear. <It should weigh in somewhere around 7.112 million pounds, give or take several tons.>

On 5/12/2018 at 1:43 PM, Tease said:

"And something that big!?  I mean... you guys are easy to manipulate, Savant... but that thing is huge!  I'd need to be way closer... waaaaay closer than I ever want to be to a giant, rime covered, killer grizzly!" 

"Fair enough, Tease, especially now that that ship has sailed," Sean agreed, her tone calm and resolute in the face of something that could crush her with ease, her eyes focused on it, looking for any particular weak points, eyes, the roof of the mouth, a way to disrupt the infusion of quantum energy, anything to slow it or bring it down. "Since we guys are so easy to manipulate, how about I give you one to deal with instead of Cuddles, here? Ronin has someone here to collect a sample from it. I'd rather he not get it - I don't want him to weaponize godzilla-mobs. He's a sneaky fucker and still a ways away that way, but when he gets closer, if I pick him out for you, think you can distract him and keep him out of our hair with your mojo?"

Savant's suggestion wasn't just because Tease's quantum mojo seemed to be more directed towards people than Giant Death Animals, but also that she was Ronin's twin sister. Sean could makes guesses on how the guy was directed to respond to them if they came into conflict. She was hoping that whatever remained of Devin inside Ronin would get Tease an edge in such an encounter. Tease could hear the idea in Sean's voice and that she hadn't tried to hide it from her.

The Spirit Animal of Destruction didn't make the ground tremble as it rumbled towards them, it made it shake, every step seeming to strike the bones of the earth itself, and Sean rode the waves with sublime, ineffable grace. She was completely in tune with her surroundings, everything in it and its relation to herself. Every movement was fluid and precise, as though she was operating at 200 frames per second to everyone else's 30.

"I hope this thing doesn't have a Care Bear Stare."

Spoiler

Activating several enhancements for the scene - Multitasking, Obscurement, Situational Awareness. Activated Hyper-enhanced Hearing.

QP Used: 10

Using Analyze Weakness on Bear Kong, looking for any weaknesses (missed that is didn't work on living things)- 11 successes

 

[WS ST]

The indian looked up and followed Jeane's gaze until he found the Koala-bat high overhead, “Not something you see everyday.” He looked back at Jeane , “But I bet you have seen some strange things running with those who you run with.

And nope I'm alone, and going that way.” He points back toward where the giant bear was shaking the ground as it charged the Irregulars. “That grizzly is hurting and dying and he is going to do a lot of harm before he goes.

Your friends might be able to stop him,” He shrugs, “might not. So I must go and do what I can to help the bear. But I don't think I have the tools.

But you do.”

Spoiler

i know you all were picturing an old indian so i figured i better set you straight

 

[Jeane]

Jeane shifted to firmly plant herself between the man and his 80 foot tall death, blue eyes angry. She needed to go, to be actually useful tracking this thing to it's lair, and here someone was trying to add victim 501 to her conscience. Was this a trick? Did Canadians have naturey MIB-types wondering the woods while they cleaned up their evil lab?

"Whoah! Wait! Maybe I do, but you sure as hell don't. The other Irregulars have this covered with or without me. Nothing I can bring to the table they don't already have covered threefold," she shot back, PAM suit flushing to red under her clothes, guilt and frustration in her eyes,  "BUT that's not important! What do you know about the bear and where it came from? Did you make it and lose control of it?!" 

[Lilly Pryor]

Lilly sighed as Jeane ran off. It was entirely unexpected. Jeane was still unaccustomed to all of.. this... and probably felt a little out of her league. At least she was running away from the bear and trying to help to some degree.

 

Lilly grasped Kia by the shoulder, halting her in place as she pushed through Abel's TK barrier.

"Hey. This thing is charging. We need to layer our defenses. Try to stay between me and the others. If it gets past me, it will be up to you. If it looks like I need help, and I probably will if I can't out it down right away, then assist. Otherwise, you are the second line of defense if it gets past me. I'm gonna see if I can't grab it's attention. The more it is clawing me, the safer you'll all be. I might able to get out in front and try to end this quickly." she said to Kia.

"The rest of you already know what to do. And 'Ronin's' minion might be sneaky, but he still had a node." she said to the others and looked back to Kia.

"And dude. Chill. Do not let Tease get to you. We got this." she said more softly to her friend before her eyes went a big wide at Charlie's transformation into a being of red, crackling, quantum energy. She had seen him turn to stone, metal, wood, but those were like seeing a statue or carving. This... this was totally different.

"Dude! That's sooo cool!" she said, still clearly impressed by the abilities of others.

"Okay, if this is anything like the orca, then you being energy and looking like that should grab it's attention if it gets past me and Kia. You can use it to turn him around and lure him away from the others and away from the next town. Cool?" she said to Charlie.

She stood there and took in a deep breath, focusing as she began to let the quantum energy surge from her brain and throughout her body, guiding it mentally. Lilly's mind began to race, causing everything to slow down even more than was usual for her, allowing her more time to think, plan and act within the same split second as before. She flexed as a wave washed over body, infusing every bit of bone, tissue, muscle and nerve, managing to somehow make her even stronger, faster and tougher. A second wave followed, making a slight, visible ripple through her flesh as it washed over her, this time fortifying her skin and tissues to levels heretofore unheard of. Finally, a third wave of quantum came, this time she focused it into her limbs, amplifying the already considerable kinetic energy they could generate.

Spoiler

5 sux on Perception roll
Activating Multitasking for the scene (-3q)
Boosting herself for a total of 3 boosts / 3 sux each (-12q total)
(Atts w/ Boost: Str 6 + 7 Mega, Dex 6 +7 Mega, Stm 6 +6 Mega, +2 B/L soak and +2 health levels for the boosted m-stm)
Activating Enhanced Movement (-2q)
Activating Superheavy (-1q)
Activating Claws (-1q)

 

"If you need to get closer to try and empathize with it or talk to it or whatever, then I can carry you out there and extend my powers to protect you." Lilly offered to Tease. "Otherwise I'm gonna try to knock it out. The thing is probably an innocent creature, so I would rather not kill it unless we had to, and figuring out what to do with it is probably easier when it is NOT trying to eat us. Either way, you got a few second to decide."

 

[WS ST]

The hulking bear slowed and came to a halt a little more than 1000 meters from the heroes (about 500 from where 5 is hidden), it's huge head swung from side to side frosty mist expelled with each breath. Suddenly it raises it's head again to the sky and bellows a challenge *Trespass...Pain....Hunger...Kill*

 

The indian grins at Jeane, "I think I will call you Little Fire.

No, Little Fire, one cannot control nature and a bear is a part of nature. This ones spirit has been wounded, corrupted, it will have to be destroyed." He starts walking again going around Jeane, toward where the bear has stopped. "Are you coming?"

Spoiler

The italics are what Tease can get from her animal speech. Lilly you did not detect any other nodes aside from those of the irregulars and one back with Jeane (the indian) whomever is speaking with the modulated voice (5) does not have a discernible node.

 

[Marissa Jauntsen]

Tease staggered, gripping her head before she had a chamce to bombard Lilly with more insults and vitriol.  She wasn't accustomed to telepathic intrusion and mammoth bear's 'voice' boomed throughout her brain like a bass drum taunting a thunderstorm.

Reflexively she called on her own powers.  A slight breeze swept through the area, rose petals and the scents they brought swam and danced on the air, swirling about her in a small torrent as she summoned the majesty of the Primal Wyld.

When her eyes opened they were a verdant, wild green setting her face aglow.  She was more than Marissa Jauntsen.  She was more than 'Tease'.  She was an emissary, a symbol of the might and majesty of the Wyld forces long forgetton from the days of old.  Even if she never realized it, her node did... it wasn't playing games.  This beast fell under her domain, it owed her fealty.

It was time it learned it's place, or died ignoble and forgotten.

"Hear me, mighty beast," her voice wasn't her own, it echoed and overlapped with an unearthly imperious tone.  "We are not enemies, we have come to help you, to ease your pain.  Allow us to help you, harness the fires of your rage and cool it with the waters of temperance.  Calm, mighty one, calm..."

She extended her hand and 'offered' to the bear, as best she could, considering it's size.

[[Attempting Emotional Manipulation, but it's really big... if she can touch it, she might be able to offer it pain killers to ease it's pain (temporarily) via Poison]]

[Jeane]

Little Fire!?! Where the hell did he get off quoting bad Last of the Mahicans stuff at her in this situation?! In fact, it put her in half a mind to break both his legs and drag him with her on her errand for the bear's lair or pod or wherever it came from. How could he be so causal about all this... stuff...

Her fists slowly unclenched at her sides as she forced herself to loosen, still very much upset, shifting her stance so as to ready to lunge at him. He was either a crazy person or a Key. The former was going for a long walk with her with two broken legs, away from the danger. The latter wasn't getting out of arm's reach of her much as she hated the idea of attacking someone who she had NO IDEA as to their skills.

"That. Depends. On what I find next and if I like your answer," she borderline growled, "If I let you past, do you promise to stick around to answer some questions from my friends before vanishing on us? 500 people are dead, and *apparently* this isn't the first giant animal monster. Want another to show up, 'Jacob'?"

And with that, she pinged her node at him.

Spoiler

Node Ping. Sorry if this sets the bear off again...

3D10E7 => 1

One Success.

  

[WS ST]

"It's Pete,"  He said as he continued on not waiting for her, "and we are going down there to stop the bear before it's too late. Like I said you have the tools, Little Fire, I don't. But I can help you if  you can find the courage."

[WS ST]

2 hours ago, Tease said:

"Hear me, mighty beast," her voice wasn't her own, it echoed and overlapped with an unearthly imperious tone.  "We are not enemies, we have come to help you, to ease your pain.  Allow us to help you, harness the fires of your rage and cool it with the waters of temperance.  Calm, mighty one, calm..."

She extended her hand and 'offered' to the bear, as best she could, considering it's size.

The scent of food spiraled into it's brain the bear lowered it's head It smelled summer and fulfillment. It took a few shuffling steps forward and covers almost 100 meters. It growled, the sound coming low in it's chest.

*Who?*

Spoiler

Italics are what tease hears the rest of you hear growling. Dave it isn't telepathy at least not like what Abel does. you dont feel anything in your mind you just know it's meaning. Bear is now about 900 meters away from the group. 1000 meters from Jeane and the indian

 

[Sean Cassidy]

"Hmm..."

More dramatic than Sean had expected with the glowing eyes, Tease's words more grandiose. And she calls us nerds! But it seemed to be working, the Great Bear lumbering towards rather than charging, hesitance instead of fury in its steps. She didn't intend to let Tease's attempt be interrupted or interfered with by Ronin's minion.

"Keep covering her, I'm going to look for our guest before he makes an nuisance of himself," Sean said, her voice low and soft so as not to distract from Tease's majestic, calming tones. With Vanguard, Chimera, Sage, and Proteus, Tease should be safe enough with her absence. "But stay alert for another surprise."

One minion to interfere with some of the most powerful Keys on the planet, even if he was encouraged to refrain from direct engagement? Ronin was aware of her and Sage's enhanced perceptions, was familiar with most of the capabilities of the Irregulars. This guy could easily be a distraction from  a different avenue of interference.

Or meant to be caught.

Surprisingly unobtrusive for someone so eye-catching, Sean slipped away with Batman-like skill, slinging her rifle back over her shoulder - she could have it back in her hands in an instant. Gliding behind the boles of pine trees, her bodysuit began to take on the appearance of whatever what behind it, light itself contorting around her curves, until only the faintest hint of an outline remained. Major Motoko, eat your heart out.

Savant stalked through the hills with skill beyond any human hunter's, swifter than Usain Bolt without seeming to hurry. Her senses were attuned for any sign of her prey. She could feel the swirl and eddy of the faintest air currents, her nose seeking the slightest trace of an out of place scent. Her eyes found the infrared spectrum, as she looked for conspicuous spots of heat, or cold. With her incredible voice, she hummed in a register beyond the range of human - and many animals' - hearing, emitting sonar waves and listened for the echoes. She was aware of the most minute disturbance around her.

She was going to find him, stop him, and get some answers.

Spoiler

Using the Sonar function of Hyperenhanced Hearing. Supplementing her search for Ronin's Minion with Analytic Touch, Bloodhound, Electromagnetic Vision (Infrared Vision), Blindfighting, and Ultraperipheral Perception (3 qp spent).

Total QP Used: 13

 

[Jeane]

3 hours ago, AWS ST said:

"It's Pete,"  He said as he continued on not waiting for her, "and we are going down there to stop the bear before it's too late. Like I said you have the tools, Little Fire, I don't. But I can help you if  you can find the courage."

On her own. No phone. No radio. No psychic link, funky as that had been. This was her call, her second mysterious, not-at-all bad looking stranger offering to save their asses out of the blue for the day. Memories of the way she had acted around the first one made her frown. Sure, on her own, on a normal day, relatively easy 'yes'. This one even offered to make her the hero. Awesome. But today?

Looking out at the bear *not* sucking everything alive into a blackhole made up her mind the other way, and she smiled the smile of someone who knew what was about to happen could suck but would make the Best Stories later.

"Ya know, one of the smartest people in the world disagrees with you about the bear, and I'm inclined to let them try without setting him off," Jeane drawled, hands in her pockets as she caught up in a jog, "Call it faith. Something happens, I can pick you up and get us over there in no time, but until then... You take one step closer to the Irregulars you're gonna have as much of a problem as I can give you, Pete."

[WS ST]

Pete stopped, looked down at Little Fire then back at the bear about a kilometer away. He sighed, "Okay, I'm not a violent man so I wouldn't want to fight you. If you want to wait we wait. After all, faith is a good thing as long as it's not misplaced. I hope you can live with yourself if your friends get hurt.

Or killed."

 

The bear stood it's head lowered close to the ground the green spots on it's body, pulsing throwing off Quantum energy visible to those with nodes. Frost building up near it's gargantuan paws as if the very heat of the late spring day was being sucked out of the world.

[Marissa Jauntsen]

"Marissa," she replied to the undisputed Lord of the Forrest.  Her tone was still imperious, but also compassionate.  As the quantum energy flared and surged, she raised her hands and held them out at he sides, as to not threaten the beast, and began walking towards it.  "I know you're scared, I can feel it.  The hunger, is it the energy you need?  Does us using our abilities make you hungry?  Will it ease some or all of your suffering?  We can help you.  I was scared too, all these new things going on around me, I was so, so scared..."

She softly 'shhed' as she continued to walk forward, sure it was a long ways away, but the thing was massive, hearing it 'speak' was hardly problematic.  "Trust us.  Calm down, and tell me.  Tell me what is wrong?  What hurts?"

From around her, as the petals wafted away on a stray breeze a soft green mist formed around her it swirled at her feed and crawled up her thighs and spiraled around arm.  She held it out to the massive beast and blew into her palm, sending the misty vapor towards it.  She had no idea of she was making the right call, but like the bear in the bathroom said... come to think of it, she never actually let the poor guy talk... oh well, she was pretty sure it would have said to try this and see how it went.  "Breathe deep, friend Bear.  This will hopefully sate your hunger, calm yourself and relax."

If not, we're all screwed... she thought to herself.

Spoiler

Empathic Manipulation Roll (from previous post, I was on my phone), as always Megas are first.
Roll(11d10):5,4,9,7,8+6,6,1,7,5+8 = 8 successes.  Moving it's emotional state towards calm... as close to calm as is possible.

Reverse Ravaging: Transferring 6 Quantum points from her to the bear. (Which Nina did say Tease was able to do)

Tease has spent 10 points from her pool (2 on Beast Speech, 2 on Fair is Foul and Foul is Fair, 6 on Ravaging)

 

[WS ST]

The energy coursed from Tease to the monster, distance was no factor.

Immediately the sacrifice had an effect. The bear shivered as if in the throes of an orgasm, and before their very eyes it sat down on it's rear and shook itself. Obviously it's pain seemed to have deminisioned. It moved its head from side to side making loud cooing sounds.

 

Spoiler

 

 

[Lilly Pryor]

"We can try to drain it. It might revert back to normal... if it doesn't die." she suggested.

"Otherwise, I can get close to it just fine. It's aura shouldn't hurt or affect me at all. I can hold onto my energy. And if it somehow does, then, and I cannot believe I am actually saying this, but if I die, then I am not really dead. Do not get me wrong. I do not want to die, but I know, at least on a rational level, that I will still go on. But if I die protect you or ending the threat, then that's a trade off I can make, I think. And if I can get close enough to touch it, I can get a sense of it's physiology and stuff. That's how I learned a lot about Kyle's condition." Lilly explained.

"And if I have to, I can try to know it out, or worst comes to worst, I can engage it much more safely than the rest of you, for a myriad of reasons." she added.

[Charlie Cole]

"Not the best option." Proteus added after hearing Vanguard's suggestion. "I get your reasons, but still, it's a mountain-sized bear, death aura immunity or not. And sure, giving it energy calmed it down, but for how long? I vote trying to drain."

"I took down Orca-zilla." Vanguard pointed out.

"Yes, but part of my brain is still screaming 'it's a giant freaking bear'. DRAIN IT."

[Abel Cross]

Abel had been going over every possible method of attack on the bear even as Tease worked her own way to resolve things. With her warnings, and then the demonstration of its "Death Aura" he knew they needed to keep away from it and engage at range. It was easy to surmise that the use of any ranged powers, like his blasts or even grabbing it with Telekinesis would actually allow it to feed on quantum within them, making the problem worse. Fire was out, it would only serve to panic the bear, which he didn't want, and burn the forest down. Aside that, given the way the pavement was buckling, as well as the ground in general, it was at least three times as heavy as Sean had estimated, now that he focused on it. What they needed was some natural way to harm it, a non quantum fueled Energy source of unequaled power.   

"Look, we can't get next to it, we can't risk its aura having a quantum draining effect that would work on us as well.  All that would do is make it a bigger threat.  We need to hit it from a distance, using something other than our powers if possible.  While some of you might survive the disintegrating effect, I have no idea if you can resist the quantum draining effects. The last time I dealt with that sort of thing, I did technically die, so l can advise against it from experience.  I might be able to make something that can duplicate the effect and drain it but I'll need some time."

Even as he spoke he continued to try and find a more certain method for putting the bear down safely without endangering his friends.  

[Lilly Pryor]

"For the moment, the bear is all lovey dovey. Feeding it energy seems to have placated it. I am going to try and approach it and touch it to check it out." Lilly said.

"Can you try to let it know that I mean it no harm?" she asked Tease

[Marissa Jauntsen]

"I do not try," she said in that otherworldly imperious tone as her eyes flashed with that greenish glow again.  Her voice overlapped like she was possessed by something from somewhere else.  She whipped her head about to face Lilly and she almost seemed like she wasn't Tease anymore while this strange energy coursed through her.  She motioned to Lilly, the others, then herself.  "You try.  They try.  I do."  If they thought Tease was a handful before, whatever aspect of her powers that a hold of her at the moment... apparently this bitch was ten times worse, and, under her hood... were her ears tapered?

She faced the great bear.  "Great Beast, hear me.  I have told you we mean not to harm you.  This one," she motioned to Lilly.  "Would approach you.  Allow her to do so under the word I have given.  If she is foolish to violate my decree, grant her a death swift and deserving of the warrior she claims to be."  It was so weird listening to her talk that way... but she didn't seem to be doing it purposefully, it was like the words were just 'flowing'.

She turned to Lilly, pointing back to the bear.  "Go.  I offer no promises given its tortured state, but you are but a place holder.  Your loss effects nothing in the larger scheme."

[Jeane]

Jeane rolled her eyes at Pete. Totally not helping his case with vague end-of-the-world statements like that. Still, he had stopped, and she really, really hadn't wanted to fight someone with completely unknown skills and stuff, let alone unknown powers. That kind of shit got you dead or in an ambulance. Owed him a little honesty.

"Sorry," Jeane conceded, plunking up against a fallen tree and watching the bear settle down in the distance, "I've had a really bad day, and you're good-looking guy with super powers number three who showed up out of the blue. Waiting for you to shatter my world, too."

"...Shit," the blonde continued after a pause, blushing at the realization she was going for a little too much honesty, "Anyway, my name's Jeane Hebert. What's up with your power that you can make me a giant killer and not yourself? Wouldn't it work better on someone whose already ridiculous nd turn them into one-punch combat combat monsters?"

"I'll keep calling you Little Fire," he answered, "I'm where I need to be. All things have a truth, and your truth is that you are the only one who can put the corrupted bear out of it's misery and stop the cycle of pain."

Jeane's eyes snapped up to lock with Pete's, anger blaring again in them less than a foot from his. Her ego-stroking bullshit limit had been exceeded. "Okay. My weapons have trouble taking down a tree in less than two or three swings. The bear is bigger and meaner than a 100 trees times ten. HOW IN THE NAME OF GOD AM I THE..!?"

Her yell was cut cut short by Pete pressing a single finger to lips with a smile, "You must try and have faith."
She stepped back from his finger, eyes glancing towards the bear and her friends, voice a threatening grumble, "If you don't come to us after the bear is dead or cured, you better hope I don't find you, Pete. So many answers I know I'm not going to get out of you right now."

Pete remained smiling and waved at the bear.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm going. Give me a second. She'll be *so smug* about this, but if I'm going to pick a fight with a 100 foot tall bear, I want to look the part before I die," she muttered, pulling her hoodie up and over her head, PAM suit already shifting colors. 

[Lilly Pryor]

Lilly rolled her eyes and shook her head at Tease with a small chuckle.

"Yeah sure, Yoda." she said with a smirk.

Lilly then turned to face the gigantic, glacial bear. It seemed calm now. Well, totally pacified or content might be a better word. It seemed that Tease giving the giant-sized Pooh some hunny had done the trick. Now she just hoped that that the heads up she gave it would work.

"Be right back." she said as she started jogging toward the bear. Or at least it looked like t was a jog, though she was moving at a pace many times beyond that of the fastest Olympic sprinters. She was trying to cover the distance in a reasonable amount of time, while also trying not to spook or provoke the bear, so the closer she got, the more she slowed, trying to demonstrate that she was not a threat. She was confident that after her training and the growth and control of her body, node and even energy reserves, that the 'death aura' would pose little to no threat to her, finally she closed the hundred yards or so at a walk.

"Hey big guy." she said with a calm, soothing tone and a relaxed smile, though careful not to show teeth. "I'm just gonna have a look at you and see what's happened to you. Maybe we can ease that pain and hunger, and help you get back to normal." she added as she approached it's gigantic paw. Lilly could not help but marvel at the sheer size of it's claws. They looked like if anything on this planet could hurt her, they were it.

Carefully, she placed a opened hand on the top of the paw lightly and reached out with her 'body sense' for lack of a better term, trying to get an idea of its physiology and any wounds or sources of pain...

Spoiler

Using Healing to check out the bear, as well as Quantum Attunement

 

[Abel Cross]

As The vanguard duplicate made her way up to the Bear, Abel activated major parts of his sensory abilities he'd left dormant until now.   Instantly his perceptions of the Quantum flow around the area became extremely acute, Even as his vision began cycling through various spectrum, watching the Bear and Lily with great intent, his other defenses still up, In place to protect those around him.  

activating quantum attunement and electromagnetic vision for the scene  Abel has spent 13 qp