Mutants & Masterminds: Heroes United - Chapter 4: Forgotten Things

[Dash Carpenter]

Ryujin crouched as he watched both the Men in Black and the lost building. What he did not ask yet was why these Men in Black chose to arrive. And what business they had here in the first place. It would not do to be too open with them yet.

[darksol-aeternium]

Once Dr. Northlight and paladin had engaged the MiBs, Gatekeeper found an excuse to kneel next to the anomaly where he'd be out of earshot. As soon as they were not paying attention to him he extended his senses into the vans the MiBs arrived in so he could peer into them. A government response to an incident like this made some sense, but he didn't recall such people the last time the city was under attack so verification was in order.

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[spoilertag: OOC] Having a quick glance around inside each vehicle for anything with an official government seal. [/spoilertag]

[Slither]

Having chased the last of her share of the foolish interlopers back over the fence, Izzy found her way back over by Ryujin, her eyes never leaving the newcomers.

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"Hullo, mysterious strangers," she muttered once she was by the blonde matial artist's side. "Where'd you lot come from, then?"

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OOC

Tradecraft roll in case it gives Izzy any insight: 1d20+10=13

Now why did I think IC would help me? Grr!

[Justin OOC]

The trip to the infirmary was quite slow going, as there was no working elevator and they wished to remain inside. even without power there were many battery operated diagnostic tools there, which seemed straight forward enough...

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Technology or Medicine whichever is higher for those who wish to use them. This infirmary is not the one you're used to, but the one just for the building, it is mostly mundane tech aside the scanners, which look alot like tricorders.

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THe MIB did not shake hands. They were clearly all business. "We are hear to uncover why exactly such events occur more frequently in New York City, than anywhere else on planet." For Gatekeeper, he saw absolutely nothing within their black tinted vans, it was completely dark, like the space between stars.

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"This event has garnered special attention, as three other buildings within the US are also under the same effects." What seemed most odd, was that they'd discuss this openly, but they obviously had some sort of countermeasures.

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[spoiler DC 20 notice check to see the small white buttons on their collars, acting as image scramblers and white noise generators, as well as listening device blockers.

[Doctor Northlight]

Perception Checks - both failed

[Rebecca OOC] 4:25 pm: Well gotta make a 14 to pull this notice check...

Rebecca OOC *rolls* 1d20: 4+6: 10

Rebecca OOC sigh I'll spend a Hero point I should be able to spot this from a mile away.

Rebecca OOC *rolls* 1d20: 3+6: 9

[Rebecca OOC] 4:27 pm: ...

[Rebecca OOC] 4:27 pm: And still didn't make it!!!

Doc looked about. "Three others? Which ones?" This was disconcerting... this added coincidence to the possible reasons why it is happening. And having an unknown factor causing said coincidence was disconcerting at best. "That... and I'm starting to wonder about New York myself..." She said crossing her arms. Her expression reflecting her combination of concern, frustration, and perhaps a bit of fear.

[Magnum Opus]

Magnum Opus has neither high Technology nor Medicine, so she'll just concentrate on getting everyone safely to the infirmary.

[darksol-aeternium]

Keeper's face, underneath his mask of course, filled with a disturbed scowl. Darkened vans would have been expected, even a few monitors in sleep mode with the neon twinkle of power supply lights and wireless routers, but the pitch black of interstellar void was neither expected or natural. Seeing that the MiBs were mostly occupied with Paladin and Dr. Northlight, Keeper wandered over to the vicinity of Magus. He heard enough of the conversation with the MiBs to pick up that this was not an isolated event, but left extracting details in Dr. Northlight's capable hands.

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To Magus he asked aloud, "They claim this isn't an isolated incident like we thought, there's three other buildings wiped out like ours is. Do events like this chain react somehow?" And much more softly he added "You have any experience dealing with these guys? The inside of those vans are like utter voids... it's not normal. Even for our value of normal."

[Slither]

Slither saunted over to where Dox Northlight was speaking with the MiB types; if they were 'spooks', she wanted to get a good idea why they had suddenly shown up.

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OOC:

Perception check: 1d20+5=23

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How very interesting! If those are what I think they are, these blokes ae going to a lot of bother to remain invisible...or at least, as invisible as you can be when you show up in broad daylight in a pack of sinister SUVs...

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The slender brunette waved cheerfully as she approached.

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"Excuse me, gentlemen, do you have any sort of identification? Not to be rude, but if we might be in any sort of trouble, which I certainly hope is not the case, it would be nice to know with whom."

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Izzy's smile was warm, but her eyes were rather cold.

,, ,, ,, ,,

[Dash Carpenter]

OOC

Jeremy *rolls* 1d20: 14+15: 29

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Ryujin frowned as he saw the accouterments of this MiBs. They were going to great lengths to hide themselves, and all things considered, their presence was suspicious and their authority.... if any.... quite unknown. And yes, he was pleased to see Slither on the ball and confronting them.

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Ryujin waited intently for their responses.

[Justin OOC]

"You don't need to know, just suffice it to say that this is not isolated to New York, and We must get this under control before panic grips our populace.."

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Their attention turned to Izzy for a moment. "You are not under investigation at this time, and as such not cleared for those answers."

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The leader offered her a thin smile. "Still in the interest of working together to allay fears of this crisis, I will tell you that we work for the US Government, specializing in dealing with Metahuman activity, if you must have a name, I am Agent Smith."

Now, I suggest we adjourn to somewhere abit out of view, and more secure, You should round up your team, and meet us here." He pulled out a small phone. "Come to this address, and we'll speak more." after that he turned around and led his men back to the SUV's, got in and drove away, leaving the heroes to ponder what they'd do next. The address came up in the warehouse disctrict, on the other side of the city.

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The way he spoke, it could very well be his real name, there was no sign of falsehood in his bearing or tone.

(Attempts to Scry the location turn back the same results as the SUV's)

[Slither]

Izzy looked after them for a few seconds, mouth slightly ajar. "Aliens..." She turned to the rest of the team. "Right, I'm thinking 'aliens'; show of hands if you think they're aliens?"

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She held her own up as she turned back to watch the SUVs depart.

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"Or robots or bloody zombies. Or p'raps they're just really, really well-paid..."

[Magnum Opus]

If Tech or Medicine are off the table, can I use my Healing power to get people up?

[Doctor Northlight]

Rachael crossed her arms. "Make sure this area is secure, then we deal with them." She said turning to the others who walked over. "Although to be honest, I got a feeling we're heading into a trap. Can't take anything... whoever they were... at face value from them."

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She made sure her sidearm blaster was still secure and in place. "Five minutes, then we head to that location together."

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She shook her head as she added a remark to Izzy. "They're human, although it seems I'm missing something here. Something obvious. Thing is, whatever it is... they're ahead of us. Big time."

[darksol-aeternium]

Extending his senses to the meeting location turned up the same black void that was inside the vans. This only served to increase Gatekeeper's suspicions regarding the "government agents". As soon as the vans had left eyeshot he walked over to the rest of the assembled heroes.

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"That's the address? Gimme a minute..." and pulling out his smartphone he pulled up the coordinates and some satellite images. After a few seconds he nodded to himself having committed the location to memory. "Actually my money's on demons Slither. It fits the, oh what's the word...IDIOM of the kind of shit we're dealing with."

[Doctor Northlight]

"Well, at this juncture your guess is as good as anyone's, Gatekeeper..." She said with a flustered sigh. "And guys... what was up with those outfits, man... they looked like they stepped off the set of Doctor Who or something... and they were working for the monster of the week."

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She looked over to where the HQ was... "I just hope the rest of us are okay in there."

[SalmonMax]

When they reach the medical lab, Fulcrum putters around with the tools, completely lost about what does what. She finally figures out how to turn something on and waves it around Andery for a few seconds. It whirrs and lights on it flash, and she inspects it for a minute or two, nodding sagely.

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Then she turns it off.

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"Okay, I got nothing. Why can't they just have a thermometer and one of those eye-flashlight things in here? You have to have a doctorate to get a pulse with this stuff!"

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(Technology check: 5 SO THE CLUELESS.)

[salmonMax] 6:16 pm: I will now roll a dice.
SalmonMax *rolls* 1d20: 5: 5
[salmonMax] 6:16 pm: YAY

[Slither]

Izzy nodded grimly as Doc and Keeper discussed the situation, hands resting on her hips.

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"Right then, I'm ready to head into a trap or whatever this is; at least we'll have each others backs, eh?"

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She peered up at the tower, all shrouded in mist.

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"I just wish there was a way we could leave word for the chaps and girls inside..."

[Doctor Northlight]

Rachael turned towards the tower... "If it wasn't for the fact we don't know what is going on at all... I'd fly into it."

She hovered off the ground. "To be honest if it's just a empty space with a weird smoke I would end up on the other side. If the building was still there I'd hit it, and if it was a hole in space and time I would end up wherever everyone is."

"In any case at the very least I would know what was going on."

[darksol-aeternium]

Shrugging in a hopefully nonchalant manner Keeper reached out with his power to carve a gate to the rendezvous point these MiBs were setting up. Unless they could lock down the entirety of space to hold him down, he wasn't too worried about it being a trap. Even if it was a trap, the sheer amount of talent arrayed against it was sure to diminish its returns.

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"Ready whenever you all are." he said as the gate aperture irised open on the target location.

[Justin OOC]

It was fortunate that Magnum Opus possessed some limited healing ability, as it was enough to revive Andery from his unconsciousness, as no one really knew how to use the gear in the Infirmary. Jael was calmed finally by Andery himself, resuming her human form, and the Buisnessman quickly took stock. "Alright, we need to head outside. Magnum Opus, You will be on point, with Jael. I trust in your senses to alert us to anything strange. Fulcrum and I are next, and Gabriel, I will have you watching our backs. The facility has no power, so I don't want to wander too far, it is still defensible if the need arises, as well as stocked with at least two weeks of foodstuffs. We need to get eyes on our surroundings. Once we search the immediate grounds, We can widen our search, and find out more." With his orders out, the group quickly formed up as he said and made their way outside.

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Surrounding them were rolling hills, leading up to a large mountain chain, the entire landscape covered in tall Evergreen Pines, as far as the eye could see. it was a Veritable paradise, Eden almost, with all the sounds of nature surrounding them.

Explore as you like, Feel Free to come up with some flora and Fauna if you wish. Everything is massive here, and more akin to the Plestocene Era of Earth's timeframe, with gigantic land mammals (no dinosaurs)

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[Magnum Opus]

Carefully, Magnum Opus tested out her flight, holding onto a tree branch as she rose a few feet above the ground. It was always a good idea to make sure physics and metaphysics worked right when you wound up in a new universe.

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"Trying to detect sapient life," said MO, looking out over the landscape. "Gabriel, what do you hear?"

[Doctor Northlight]

Shrugging in a hopefully nonchalant manner Keeper reached out with his power to carve a gate to the rendezvous point these MiBs were setting up. Unless they could lock down the entirety of space to hold him down, he wasn't too worried about it being a trap. Even if it was a trap, the sheer amount of talent arrayed against it was sure to diminish its returns.

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"Ready whenever you all are." he said as the gate aperture irised open on the target location.

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Doctor Northlight sighed, landing back on her feet. "Well let's see how far this rabbit-hole goes." She said before walking through Gatekeeper's portal.

[Dash Carpenter]

"I think someone should wait here." Ryujin pointed out, and it wasn't a stretch to say he was thinking of himself. "This is a bit - blithe - going away from here without any surety they even are who they say. I don't disagree some go to hear them out, but others must stay here. In case."

[SalmonMax]

The first thing Gabriel probably heard was Fulcrum, a little ways back with Andery, humming the theme from 'Jurassic Park.' After a few bars she said quietly to the business tycoon, "Hey. Say 'Welcome...to Jurassic Park.' Just like that, with the pause in it."

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There was a suitable pause for a severe look, or perhaps a glare, then Andery said softly, "Do you really think this is the best moment for clowning around?"

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"Come on, when is that going to be relevant again?" Fulcrum complained. "Movie night with the superkids? This was it. My last chance to say goodbye to a great bad movie."

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Despite the clowning around, she was keeping an eye out, alert for the possibile appearance of some alien and/or prehistoric monster who would want to sample their tender meats.

[Slither]

Izzy took a deep breath and nodded sharply to herself.

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"Right then, off we go!"

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She paused and gave Ryu a weird sort of strained grin.

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"If we don't come back, tell my mum I'm sorry?"

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And with that, she marched on in behind the good doctor, her hood and goggles up in case it was too dark on the other side.

[Justin OOC]

in the end, Paladin and Magus remained onsite, to help Ryujin deal with the crowds, as well as conduct further tests on the mist. Northlight, Gatekeeper, and Slither went over to the warehouse with little more fanfare, it was so seemingly nondescript. A single security guard, Wearing the uniform of the well known Aldis Security Company met them, and seemed utterly nonplussed by the arrival of the three metahumans. "You're expected, Enter the door, down the hallway, it will be an Elevator to your left, press the button and get inside, it will take you where you should go."

This was done with minimal fuss. Even inside, Gatekeeper's Scrying power was blocked, suggesting that these people placed a high premium on privacy. Once out of the Elevator, they were met by a single black-clad agent, "I am Agent Smith, please follow me." he led them to a conference room, where Only the Team leader from before awaited them, along with another man in a grey suit, looking considerably Older. "These are the ones he's gathered?"

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"Some sir, some we assume were within the building with him, and others are on-site to help keep the crowds away.."

"Very Well. I'll cut to the point then. "Most of you won't recognize me, and if you breath a word of this meeting to the general public, it will be treason, and I promise you, It will be unpleasant for everyone."

"Now formality aside, I am Senator John MaCallen, from Montana. I am the official representative for A special branch of the US Government that handles Metahuman generated phenomena. This morning,sites across the US suddenly ceased to exist for all intents and purposes."

The pointed to a screen showing 4 separate Video feeds, one was from New York,The other, Devil's Tower in Wyoming, Stone Mountain In Georgia, and a feed of where Old Faithful should be in Yellowstone National Park.

We do not know what connects these 4 sites, Three are luckily not in Inhabited areas, but national parks. So far only in New York do we have reports of missing persons. We have been running detailed recon of the sites since the event with no luck. Given that you are metahumans familiar with one of the sites intimately, I'd like to ask if there is Anything you know of that might have cause this event?

[Doctor Northlight]

Doctor Northlight crossed her arms. "Not in the slightest. Paranormal stuff isn't my thing, and it seems our Mage yet again is clueless as to what's going on." She held back on saying anything in regards to the artifact or Magus' original intent to investigate said artifact. "I wager with you not knowing what's going on, I'd bet we're in the same boat, and it's sinking fast."

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She sighed, looking more frustrated by the moment. "Like we're supposed to know when some sort of paranormal hullabaloo happens on the planet... no one checks in to keep tags on when they plan on disappearing landmarks around the country, you know."

[darksol-aeternium]

"Honestly this would normally be the point where we'd be getting a briefing from Mr. Andery regarding the nature of the problem. But he's one of the people trapped in the building that just vanished. Magus is on-site trying to find something out with his magic or whatever, so we're in the dark till we get some decent intel."

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The fact that the government already had a department set up specifically to deal with metahuman level threats wasn't too surprising, a runaway military budget will do that. What had Gatekeeper unnerved was how effective they already were at countering metahuman spy-powers and the vast amount of intel they already had. Mentally he started a clock tracking how long it would take for them to degenerate into the usual "you're either a resource or a rogue" mentality.

[Jordan]

Magus continued to chant softly under his breath, as his mystic senses continued to probe the mystery before him. While he remained somewhat aware of his surroundings the babble behind him did more to distract him than anything so when the noise finally abated he was fully able to concentrate on the mystic phenomenon. And it WAS magical.

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“Oh,” he said quietly to no one. “Oh this is not good. No this is very, very bad. I told him not to toy with that thing!” Magus turned around quickly to address the others but stopped mid-sentence when he that most everyone was gone.

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“Where did everyone go?”

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[Jordan] 11:03 pm: Perception Check for Magus

Jordan *rolls* 1d20: 13+11: 24

[Long6] 11:03 pm: or crush a dozen armored soldiers into a metal/flesh ball and then drop it from orbit

[Jordan] 11:03 pm: WooT!

[Dash Carpenter]

"Some Men in Black came, and said they were with the government." Ryujin said, though his tone suggested that was open to debate. "Anyway, most of the rest went with them. I see you've got some sense as to what's going on then?"

[Jordan]

"I do. Not the whole picture mind you but enough to know nothing good is going to come of this," Magus looked back at the phenomenon warily. "So uh, are they coming back? I mean this is their super base, or headquarters or whatever they call it isn't it? Aren't they supposed try to rescue it or something?"

[Justin OOC]

Northlight's pessimism was not something the Senator expected, and his face quickly became an emotionless mask. "I know you work with Andery, he has been a major proponent of metahuman rights, as well as laws allowing them to help the general public to the full extent their abilities allow, without infringing on the rights of others. I cannot believe he would gather so many metahumans around him for a reason other than to have you be a centerpiece and example of cooperation. It's why I've let you all go as you have. You did well, in the fight in the park, as well as out in Montana. I've largely approved what you've been doing, and we can leave it at that. You Obey the spirit of the law, and I can tell you all wish to help."

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"My big question to you now, How can we help each other? the longer this crisis continues, the more attention it garners, the less we look like we can cope with this sort of thing, which will have domestic and foreign reprecussions."

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On site, Magus' breakthrough was something else, as some of the pieces began to fall into place. Inside his own power began to resonate. "You will need one who walks between distances without steps, and your magic must augment his travels. Only at the source will you bring this lesson to an end. It was not the Owner who set it in motion, but the orphan, do not blame either."

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Paladin was nearby, and he looked to the two of them. "We do have comms, and I've sent a request for their return, immediately, However, they're still being blocked by the signal jamming that Gatekeeper had mentioned."

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He held out his hands and in moments two commlinks appeared. "Here, one for each of you, so that it's not an issue in the future."

[Dash Carpenter]

Ryujin took his comlink with a nod, but frowned given that this was another exact reason for his reticence in following the mysterious group of Men in Black. Half the team was trapped within this.... phenomena, while most of the remainder were incommunicado. Just them three, Magus, Paladin and Ryujin now on site.

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The Inner Spirit Court was very clean in its lessons on unknowns. Calmness, not frustration. Prudence, not rashness. He took a cleansing breath, but admitted balance was very very far away. "Very well." Ryujin decided, trying to make the best of things right now.

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"Would you please explain what you do have for us, Magus?"

[Slither]

Izzy crossed her arms and frowned, not happy at all with the current turn of events; she was rather hoping the MiBs would have more light to shed on the subject, but it seemed they knew as little as they did. Of course, the existence other three sites was new intel that might prove to be of value to the smarter members of the team.

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"As you can see, senator, we don't have much to offer you at this point; p'raps it would be best if we were allowed to head back to the Tower? We are, of course, willing to cooperate fully with your 'special branch', provided you can offer us some aid as well."

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She arched a graceful eyebrow.

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"Do you have any data on the other sites you can share? Atmospheric, seismic, that sort of thing?"

[Doctor Northlight]

Rachael opened her helmet, letting it fall to her shoulders and stroked her chin. "Well, Senator, we aren't exactly united. The person Focht brought on to handle matters mystical hasn't joined the team nor as he really performed as anything but someone that comes and goes as they please."

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She sighed. "To be honest, he's the last option we've got for answers and Magus is making himself very scarce."

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"That means this is something beyond what we can handle, more than likely."

Rachael leans against a wall, pulling back the cowl and goggles covering her head and eyes. "Here I am... one of the foremost scientists around... and I'm depending on someone that reads tea-leaves and chicken entrails."

[darksol-aeternium]

Keeper attempted to give Dr. Northlight a sympathetic look, completely forgetting he was wearing a full mask. It dawned on him just how out of her element she was as a scientist in the midst of all this magic.

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"Eh..don't let it frustrate you too much. We've all seen too much abnormal over the last month to be held down by a simple lack of available info. Magus may only be a consultant on paper, but he was in the act of consulting as we were heading out. Something of this scale probably just takes more time for one person to fully examine, mystical powers or not."

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He then turned to the Senator. "I suppose the other areas were effectively cordoned off the way we've done with the building downtown, so at this point it's probably just a matter of keeping the media restrained until we have some kind of working explanation. Paladin and Magus are both on site running what I'm sure is a staggering array of complicated tests, whenever they're done I'm sure we'll get some kind of call on our communicators. Till then it's best to keep the press out, the public out of immediate eyeshot, and the police on standby."

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Then he thought to himself, wow...that almost sounded like we actually know what we're doing.

[Doctor Northlight]

Rachael shook her head. "To be honest, I can't trust Magus. Not as far as what I've seen."

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She looked over to the Senator. "As we're being open... there was an artifact that Andery Focht found not too long ago that he wanted Magus to take a look over. It... didn't sit too well with me, but it seemed as soon as Magus took a look at it he wanted no measure of the thing."

She looked over to the others. "At this point... from what little I know, that thing has to have a part in it."

She sighed. "To be honest, I was thinking of just flying into the anomaly at the tower to see if it led to where everyone was, or was just a column of smoke. After all I'm the one that would casually leap into a portal into space... being the scientist and all."

"Then again if something worse happens, it's just me, and not a whole investigative team. I wager good or bad, unless I pop out the other side of that column like nothing was there I wager it would be a one-way trip."

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"If you wouldn't mind if I could carry three days of rations and some basic survival gear like you'd kit a pilot with, I'm willing to volunteer to go into the tower column and see what's going on. I might want to carry some first aid equipment too, in case I find the others inside are injured."

[Justin OOC]

Sensing incredible life around them it became clear that they were in a world teeming with life, much of it large and terrestrial. Some of the creatures were straight out of history, Megatheriums, Mammoths, and Giant Sloths, but Gabriel, with his much more powerful vision, could see further, and what he saw was from Legend, not history. "Dragons."

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Andery, without missing a beat, looked at Fulcrum "Sounds more like Legend Park to me."

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There was no immediate threat near them, and between gabriel and danielle, they located the closest settlement, a Sprawling town roughly six miles inland. Small single story homes dotted the landscape, with large tracts of farmlands opened in the dense forest.

Among the homes, They could see and feel a multitude of humanity, looking not that different than themselves.

Andery shrugged. "Curious. They look so similar...Could we really have traveled into the past?"

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The Senator scowled. "Nothing out of the ordinary. The readings are all in line with the weather this time of year, it is just as if reality thinks these places are there, and yet, not."

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He looked at Gatekeeper. "Yes, we have it all locked down, as well as all transmissions in and out, thankfully, but it won't last much longer. I'm willing to give you guys alot of play on this, provided you can bring it to a close quickly, and preferably without explosions."

[darksol-aeternium]

"When the tower actually vanished I could feel a 'wave', for lack of better term, running through the fabric of space, so I went there instantly to investigate. When I saw the tower missing I thought it was just shrouded behind that mist and tried opening a gate inside. Whenever I tried to do that it felt like the whole tower had been removed from reality entirely, it's like a barrier that can't be hacked through. I can't even breach it from higher or lower dimensions." He absentmindedly warped over to a wall and leaned against it.

"I can't be absolutely sure, but if you flew into the mist column, it probably wouldn't do anything to you. It's not an open hole, it's more like a...placeholder?"

[Doctor Northlight]

Rachael clapped her hands together once in realization. "They're alive!"

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She walked over to Gatekeeper. "You're saying that is a place-holder, yes? Perhaps I'll still have to pay the column a visit anyways." She said with a smile. "I need to know if that column has mass. In particular if the mass of the building and those inside matches the smoke column. We don't know exactly what that smoke is made of because of the apparent jamming of whatever we use to analyse it. Someone has to get up close and take a sample."

"Something small though, one where it won't injure a person, as more than likely the mass of those inside the building will be represented as well... I just hope that no one has left the building wherever that building is."

"I will explain my hypothesis: Simply put whatever caused this had to swap whatever those columns with a equal amount of mass. I've heard various fictions where Magic could only transport something from one dimension to another or do anything by using Equivalent Exchange. I wager this may be the case and the only way to know for sure is to see if that smoke has a physical presence in our reality beyond just being there. We got to know if that smoke has a mass, and if the quantity in our universe matches what has been taken."

"If so... then we might have some of our answer. If you know how something is done, there may be a chance if we can get Magus and anyone else on our end to work with us we can get everything returned back to us or send a support team TO wherever this leads. Thing is we have to find a way to get in contact with Focht and those of our group trapped in the tower wherever it is. If we bring the tower back but no team... we might lose them forever."