Mutants & Masterminds: Harmony City - [Overclock] Shipwreck

[Dawn OOC]

Tim clung to the rail of the boat and wished that he had never agreed to this. Marco, on the other hand, still had that same glint of excitement in his eyes as he leaned forward over the boat's wheel, peering intently through the storm. Doris was wedged between some of the equipment and wall of the cabin; the poor bunette woman looked as through she had dyed her skin a greenish-gray.

"Marco!" Tim shouted as the boat tipped and plunged down a blue wall of water, moaning as it fell. "Marco, this is nuts! We have to go back!"

"No!" Marco shouted, shaking his head. His thick black hair clung to his forehead as he answered, "We can't! We have to keep going to find the treasure!"

"No gold is worth our lives," Doris moaned; Tim wasn't sure Marco even heard her. "Please go back."

"This storm isn't natural!" Tim cried as a wave awashed over him. He choked on salt water and his own hot panic.

"That's a good sign," Marco said in his South American accent. He nodded to himself before shooting a dark look at Doris. "And we aren't seeking something as empty as gold. We're seeking something much more valuable." His voice was thick with reverence as he said, "We seek knowledge and power."

Doris stood shakily to her feet. "You lied!" she screamed. "I'm not here for some stupid trivia! I'm here because my son is sick, and I need that money!"

"We'll find enough power to heal your son," Marco said calmly.

"You're insane!" Doris declared as she stepped forward with a snarl. Grabbing the wheel, she tried to wrest it from Marco's control. Tim watched helplessly as the two struggled over the boat's controls; he had a vague sense that he should help, but his body wouldn't move.

Marco gained the upper hand and grabbed Doris' hair. With a grunt, he thrust her head forward, bouncing it off the center of the steering wheel. The plastic wheel caved in, and Marco stared at it, as if it had personally offended him. "Fine," he muttered, leaving the cabin. He climbed to the roof and clung to the rigging; as Tim watched, disbelieving, Marco began to shout to the waves and wind. "My Lady! I am your good and faithful servant! I have followed your clues, and I have found my way to the heart of your storm. O, let your thousand eyes see my prayer; let your thousand ears hear my cry..."

"He's mad," Tim whispered. He crawled to Doris' crumpled form. She was still alive and he snatched the radio off it's cradle. "Mayday, mayday," he begged, hoping he had the right words correct. "I need some help!"

"This is the Coast Guard. What is the nature of your problem?" a calm voice came back.

"My name is Tim Bolger. I'm on a boat in the Triangle, and we're in a storm," Tim explained. "The boat is damaged, one of us is hurt, and the other is nuts! We need out of here, now!"

"You're in the northern edges of a Category 1 storm," the voice replied. "We'll do what we can. Keep your radio on so that we can track you via GPS, and keep talking so we know you're alive. Hang on."

"Thank you, thank you!" Tim shouted in joy, almost giddy with relief. Above him, over the storm, Tim could still hear Marco shouting. Pulling Doris to his side and trying to keep her from getting tossed around, Tim began the long wait for rescue.

Originally Posted By: Storm conditions

-2 to complex aerial manuevers; -2 to all perception checks, with some exceptions (check with me to see if your special sense is affected); -4 to all craft or swimmers on the surface of the water (those underneath are unaffected; -1 to everything due to effects of the Bermuda Triangle

[Overclock]

Ami wasn't particularly a fan of storms. Being done early with some side projects left her taking her motorcycle to the local library to do research regarding the histoy of the Bermuda Triangle. The defining feature of Harmony City, even back when it was known simply as Miami.

As she rides, she starts picking up a signal, over nearby scanners and other chatter along the vast highways of communication... someone was in distress. In the Triangle itself. She pulls over, trying to isolate the frequency, and finds it through her comlink that she built to recieve such signals.

Knowing it's a Coast Guard Emergency-only channel, she decides this would be a perfect time to fuly test her suit in an extreme environment.

She moves into a back-alley, secluded from sight, and starts putting on her suit and gear. Taking time to put everything else in stowage on her motorcycle. Then locks down the motorcycle by disengaging the drive mechanisims by removing a couple chips from the ignition. Making it unable to function.

Then in a few moments, she's suited up. Setting the final straps and snaps on her flight-pack and making sure her gear is in order, she flies off at top speed to the Coast Guard base.

Flying is harder in the wind, but at the outer fringe of the storm the winds aren't s bad as within it she gathers. She feels her heart race, as she heads to the main gate of the base. Hovering in front of the security guard shack.

"Excuse me... I hear you might need help with a rescue!"

The security guard looks up and sees a girl no more than possibly 5 and a half feet in height, wearing a red bodysuit with a sivery helmet and orange vest. A couple pouches attached to what would be the belt swing in the wind, holding her quadlux capacitor and medical wand.

He jumps, shocked that someone is hovering in spot in high winds and acting like it's nothing.

Quote:

Overclock scores a 22 on a diplomacy check.

"Wha... what?"

"I heard over the radio there is a ship in distress, I'd lke to help. Your ships and helicopters can't fly in this, but I can. I'd be happy to help but I'll need some assistance."

The security guard snaps to attention immediately. "Oh... you definately look like the type to help! Follow me!" He tells his partner in the shack to stand in for him while he escorts Overclock to the commander's office. He grabs a raincoat and leads the way running as fast as he can. With Ami flying right behind at his side.

"Hopefully your CO won't mind having me requisition some gear."

"It's up to him kiddo... uh... what's the name? Red Streak?"

"I go by Overclock, if that's what you mean."

"Oh. Alright. The CO is over there from what I see, he's briefing the pilots." He breaks his conversation. "SIR! WE GOT A SUPER OVER HERE WANTING TO ASSIST!"

[Dawn OOC]

The Commanding Officer is a living brick wall, a manly-man example of a man. His namebadge improbably read "Okraszewski" but Overclock got the feeling that no one ever gave him a hard time about it. "A super?!" he bellowed. "I've never seen her before!"

"She looks like a super to me, sir," the guard said. "Her name is Overclock."

The meat-wall looked at her critically. "Alright, we can certainly use the assist, we have a mother fu-load of a storm to fight," he grunted. "What's your thing, Overclock?"

[Overclock]

Overclock starts hovering off the grount higher, so she's at eye level with the commander. "Well, other than the fact I can fly and fight these damnible winds, I can also pick up where their ship is based off their GPS transponder. These crosswinds are dangerous to a helicopter, but not to me."

The visor closes on her helmet and it seals. She speaks through a speaker.

"The suit itself is built for hazardous environments, and storms just like his. Full life support, and fully equipped for an operation like this.

I'll just need life jackets for those onboard, and some rope. I need to give them something to hold onto as we fly back here. While the life jackets are in case they somehow end up in the ocean. My suit will prevent me from drowning, but the people on that boat are a different story."

She lands back on her feet. "I am capable of keeping in contact with everyone here, but I will need an open radio channel. There may be some static from the lightning, so I'm expecting transmission interferance."

"All I need is to be briefed on the conditions of those onboard."

[Dawn OOC]

"Conditions are bad," Okraszewski said, failing to cross his arms due to his own bulk. "Tim Bolger, Doris Mitchell and Marco Garcia-Moreno are the three on the boat; Tim is freaked out, but holding together, Doris is unconscious with a head wound, and Marco is standing on top of the boat praying to the wind." He shrugged at her expression and said, "Tim's the one on the radio and that's what he's telling us.

"We have a life raft for you to inflate and put the people in," the CO continued, pulling a block of plastic out of a case and dropping it at her feet. Rope and four lifejackets joined the deflated raft on the ground. "To inflate the raft, just pull this cord. It's got enough air in it to fully self-inflate in about four minutes. We'll follow you out in the USCG Hammerhead - the closer we can get to you, the less time you'll have to spend flying back. Questions?"

[Overclock]

Overclock looks over the equipment and puts the three life jackets, the raft, and the rope into her bag.

"I'm not worried about the nut. I have a device that can restrain or stun him. But my question is when are you leaving? I will time my flight to your disembarkment."

She starts hovering again. "Right now though, I gotta find that GPS transponder." She opens her mind, and starts looking.

"Oh, do I have authorization to use the emergency frequency for communication with the ship?"

[Dawn OOC]

"Yeah, you do," Okraszewski said, holding a radio to his lips. He quickly ordered someone named Glissom to hook Overclock into the system. "We'll leave as soon as we can organize, which is supposed to be in two minutes." He glanced at the men hustling around the lean cutter moored behind him. "We seem to be on track.

"Are you going to be redy in two minutes?"

[Overclock]

"Already ready, I'll head out and start sniffing out their GPS. Since you guys are getting ready I'll head out. I'm going to have to fly high, and move fast to keep any lightning from striking me. So as soon as I have a bearing, I'm off like a missile."

She heads back out into the rain, and patches into the frequency before searching out for the GPS transponder by communicating with the nearby Coast Guard ship's GPS reciever.

[Dawn OOC]

Quote:

Overclock recieves a 28 on a 20 DC Search check. She also wins in a contested roll against the wind to stay aloft.

The storm was relentless and cruel, buffeting anyone in it around. Overclock flew deeper in, her eyes fixed on the GPS device. The speakers in her helmet ping softly, and she smiled as a green triangle appeared on her screen. That was her target.

Quote:

Overclock gets a 15 on a 15 DC to navigate through the storm. Overclock gets a 9 on a 15 DC Spot check.

She almost overshot it, but the wave dipped at the right time, and the lights from the boat sparkled in the darkness for a heartbeat. She can't make out any details on the bouncing vehicle.

[Overclock]

Seeing the lights like she has, she hopes this is the one. While she cannot afford a wild goose chase, she also cannot afford to ignore anything or overlook an anomaly. She closes the distance and orbits the ship, hoping this is the right one.

"HELLO!!! DID SOMEONE SEND A DISTRESS CALL!!! I'M HERE TO HELP!" She shouts over the howling winds and driving rain.

Quote:

This'll need a notice check for those onboard (if any, there's no guarantee this is THE ship since I can't pick out any details) to see if they just heard Overclock over the Maelstrom.

[Dawn OOC]

Quote:

Tim received a 14 on a DC 15 check; Marco a 16.

Marco's prayers paused as he heard someone shouting on the wind. The Lady wouldn't like interference; she may not appear if Marco doesn't do something to get rid of this interloper.

"The flares," he muttered, hurrying back down to the lower levels. Tim was huddled on the floor, like the weakling he was; the coward flinched when Marco snatched the flare gun out of the emergency gear.

* * *

The spotlight cuts through the darkness, seeking Overclock.

Quote:

Marco got a 10 on a DC 15 check to find Overclock with the spotlight.

Clearly, the people on the boat are trying to find Overclock in the darkness, but the storm is inhibiting their attempt.

[Overclock]

I'd better get down there. The sooner, the better.

Overclock flies in, heading for the back of the boat or any area that's open. Careful to keep an eye out for that one that had flipped the commander mentioned back at base.

Her first priority is the injured passenger, then making sure the crazy one isn't a threat to himself or others. Finally... start getting off this doomed boat. But first she looks for the woman. Ami curses under her breath because she forgot her flashlight.

Quote:

I'll need to know who I find first searching around. I know there are 3 people onboard. At least by what the commander told me.

[Dawn OOC]

As Overclock flew in, the spotlight found her. A moment later, a flare of red light lit up the night and flew toward her. Overclock easliy dodged the improptu missile, shocked that they were shooting at her. The crazy guy was more unhinged that she had believed... and as she reoriented herself from her dodge, she could hear the eerie prayers coming from the man's lips.

Quote:

Marco got an 18 on a DC 14 check to see Overclock; then he rolled an 11 to hit her, missing.

[Overclock]

Quote:

Apologies for the delay.

Overclock knows this is the individual who would, in some people's terms, be "cracked". Obviously if he fired a signal flare at her, even if the damage would have been negligible, he intended to harm her. She pulls out her Quadlux Capacitor, and sets it to Stun.

"I'm sorry, but I can't let you harm yourself or others." She states, and fires a shot of focussed energy, intended to stun and make manageable a hostile target. The frequency of energy released is refined zero-point energy, it's wavelegnth incapable of causing physical harm.

Quote:

The Stun power of the Quadlux capacitor is 10 ranks, and Overclock has an attack bonus of 1. I'll need a roll for the attack, and the result (if the attack hits, the rank gets added to the DC of his save. I need to check if it's a Will or Fortitude save. I'm thinking fortitude.)

[Dawn OOC]

Quote:

Overclock rolled a 13, minus 1 for the Triangle's effects, giving her a 13 against the Minion's defense of 12. He gets a 18 on a Fortitude save, failing the DC 20 save.

A beam of gorgeous light shot through the rolling darkness, encasing the swarthy Marco. For a second, he was a glowing, luminscent form; then he collapsed with a thud, and Tim felt relief for the first time since the storm started. Grabbing Doris' limp form, Tim hauled her over to Marco's side. Yeah, the guy had tried to kill him, indirectly, but Tim didn't have it in him to do the same. Waving madly at their rescuer, he waited for them to come and get him.

[Overclock]

"And that's that." Overclock says, relieved that the crazier part of the rescue is, for now, handled. She grabs a couple of life jackets and throws them to the other man.

"Hey! get one on this guy over here and use the other for yourself. I'll take care of the injured."

She walks over to the unconcious woman and pulls out her healing wand. Touching it to the woman's skin. It reads the normal quantum vibrations of the woman and compares it to her curent condition. "A concussion... not good, but I can fix that." The wand hums to life...

Quote:

The EMT Wand is a wand equipped with a Rank 5 heal, with Persistant , Regrowth, and Resurrection that has 3 ranks of progression on it. With the woman's injuries, I'm guessing just the healing will suffice.

[Dawn OOC]

Quote:

Doris rolled an 18 on a 15 DC Healing check; it is enough to wake her from her concussion and remove some fo the penalties for being stunned.

Doris coughed and stuttered, coming awake with a frown. Confusion was replaced by relief as she saw Overclock leaning over her. "I... have you come... you're rescuing us, right?" she asked, even as OC handed her the life jacket.

"She is!" Tim shouted over the storm, stuffing Marco into a life jacket. His hair clung wetly to his face as he shouted to Overclock, "Now what? How are you getting us out of here?" A sudden shift in the boat brought him to his knees, and Marco flopped across the deck before Tim could stabilize him.

Worse, deep in the boat, something snapped and the whole rhythm of the boat changed as the poor ship began to sink.

Quote:

She's going down fast; Overclock has 7 rounds to get everyone off the boat.

[Overclock]

Overclock jumps into action, first by making sure Marco would slide overboard. Then she pulls out the life raft and starts it inflating. "Don't wait for it to fully inflate get in!" she shouts, putting Marco onboard. Then she works on taking her rope she has, and starts looping the rope around the raft at 3 points through the rope around the edge of the raft, while making sure the rope is underneath. When Tim and Doris get in, Overclock grabs the rope, and lifts, using the raft like a basket. She knows this is at her own limits stregngth-wise, but she has to. If they're still on the boat when it ges down, it might suck everyone under, complicating the situation.

Come on Overclock... she thinks to herself. COME ON!! PULL!! She hears her various systems hitting their maximum. It's all her now. She just needs to hold on!

Quote:

I used improvised tools and inventor to turn a rope and a raft into a carrying basket (no hero points required for that). I am going to use a hero point every turn for 3 turns though to get a +5 to stregnth for purpose of carrying capacity. During this time I'm going to go as best I can to get as close to the ship as I can over thsoe three turns. If I know I'm reaching my limit and I'm not close, I'll set down the raft without dropping it, and simply pull it along as best I can. (You can pull/push more than you lift, crazy enough.)

[Dawn OOC]

Quote:

The raft weighs 75 lbs; Doris weights 90 lbs; Marco 135 lbs; Tim weighs 100 lbs. At 400 lbs, the flight gear is near maximum. Overclock will be able to get far enough away to avoid the drag of the dying ship.

It was hellish: the whine of the flight gear and the scream of the storm combined with the darkness and the rolling waves to create a nightmare. After a short distance, enough to get them back the down draw of the sinking boat but not far enough for Overclock to be comfortable with, the raft splashed back into the ocean, and the slow, arduous trip to the Hammerhead began.

Quote:

18 on a DC 15 Pilot roll to navigate through the waves and not spill her passengers in the water.

[Overclock]

Overclock knew she took a bold risk. But right now, enjoying the rewards is out of the question. "Is everyone alright down there?" She shouts to her human cargo. "I went into the red with that one!" She affords herself a thankful, yet relieved laugh as she pulls her cargo along. She stays as low to the water as she can. She could swim it, but the water is too rough, and it would slow her down to a crawl. While risky this is the best route.

She pulls the raft along, looking towards the raft, monitoring the situation. She wraps the rope around her waist and ties it, and keeps her quadlux ready incase that one man missing a few screws wakes up and gets violent again.

Damn... we're 30 miles out from the Hammerhead. At least from my guess by it's transponder. All this interference is screwing with my senses... She activates her com-link and patches into the emergency channel she was authorized to use. "Coast Guard Ship Hammerhead... This is Overclock. I have three survivors, and I'm towing them in. I'm turning on my transponder so you can keep track. I would like to know how far I am from your end. I'm estimating 30 miles, but I'm not sure with the conditions, OVER."

Quote:

Just need a response.

[Dawn OOC]

"Roger, Overclock, we see your transponder," Okraszewski's deep, solid voice was a comfort over the airwaves. "Just keep on your path. We estimate we'll intercept you in about five minutes."

"Roger!" Overclock responded, smiling slightly. This job wasn't quite over yet, but the most dangerous part is behind her. "I'll see you in five."

The surging waves made the raft jerk strangely, and Overclock glanced back to make sure everyone was alright. The raft and its occupants were fine, but a flash of lightening briefly illuminated something in the sky. Overclock wasn't sure, but she thought that she saw a tall, lean form in armor hovering in the raging winds. The flash of light had been so quick, but she also thought she spotted a crested helm and a long, delicate wand. The form appeared to have the tip of the stick hovering in front of its face, and there was a hint of a strange, eldritch glow.

And while the image was odd enough to raise the hair on the back of Overclock's neck, worse was the cold sensation of being dispassionately observed by an unknown force.

[Overclock]

What in the... She thinks. She's seen wierd things before, odd chemical interactions, rips in space-time, even odd four-eyed mutants. But this... even with her level of being jaded to the unusual, scared the heck out of her.

I better get a move-on. Something tells me I don't wanna hang around. I got too much at stake to investigate... whatever that was.

She continues to pull her makeshift rescue basket. She affords a moment to look over her shoulder and sees the Hammerhead for the first time after leaving the coast guard base. Okay... time for the final push... She gives it her all holding on to the rope and pulling with her arms and body as hard as she can muster to get within a safe distance of the Hammerhead.

"Hammerhead, this is Overclock, I finally got a visual. You should be seeing me coming over the waves. I can't lift my passengers up to the ship's deck, so I might need some help. Outside of that you're a sight for sore eyes!"

She keeps thinking about her job, about the rescue. She has to to keep that funny feeling from getting to her. She'll have time for that once she's safely aboard.

[Dawn OOC]

"We'll have hoist ready," Okraszewski said. "Just bring them to the aft, and we'll get them in." When Overclock pulls them around to the back, she finds a massive lift is resting in the water. Several Coast Guard sailors run to the assist, and within minutes, the raft was onboard.

"Let's go home!" Okraszewski shouted as the storm moaned. "Overclcok, you riding back with us?"

[Overclock]

"I think I will this time... This suit, while not a prototype, doesn't exactly like the heavy crosswinds. I noticed my navigation was off a bit. Once we get to shore though, I can manage."

She leans back against a bulk head, looking out to sea.

"Then again, after what I saw, I don't think I wanna fly alone out here untill I'm more ready...Tell your men to keep a look out. I think I saw something...When I was bringing back those on the boat, I saw...for a second...someone hovering in the storm."

She looks down, realizing she probably sounds crazy. She tries to put a logical spin on it.

"It might be someone like me out there. Either observing... or something else... Just keep a look out. I don't want to have to do two rescues in a row." She laughs, at least to hide that sinking feeling that there is more to the situation than a sudden storm developing. The climate is changing, but this... defies logic.

She loses herself in thought, and when a bolt of lightning startles her out of it, she starts considering further upgrades to her suit. Knowing that she needs to figure a way to make herself stronger in her suit. Or at least properly equip for ocean rescues.

[Dawn OOC]

With a sexy rumble, the USCG Hammerhead turned, surprisingly graceful in the storm. With a deeper grumble, the engines began to move them back to Harmony City.

Okraszewski was silent next to her for a moment; then he said, "Sometimes, when we're out in storms... well, you think about the stories that the sailors tell. Stories about seeing strange shapes... about impossible things..."

He was quiet for a moment; when he spoke again, it was at a softer level of noise. "I saw... something, once. A shape, hovering over the water. And... it... moved a wave." There's a strange, frightened tremble in the man's voice, a sound that someone as big and thick as him should ever made. "Backwards. It stopped the damn thing and turned it back. Impossible..."

Abruptly, he shook his head. "I've got things to attend to," she said. He grabbed a crewman's arm. "Watch our aft." When the crewman started to complain, Okraszewski barked, "Just do it!" He stomped away, leaving Overclock alone with the storm.

[Overclock]

Overclock opens her helmet visor and looks out over the waves with her own eyes. She knows from here on out, the world will start sitting on her shoulders. The storm isn't coming for her. She came to it... and now her future is like the waves on this ocean.

Things are about to become interesting. And as the ancient chinese curse forebodes, the times are interesting indeed.

She paces the deck of the Hammerhead, the hum of the mechanics of the ship drifting through her mind. A symphony... no a military cadence moving through her. The soul of the machine that is the ship and her attending computers, communication systems, and other secondary systems speak, each barking out and recieving orders.

Sometimes she wonders if she is receptive to the ghost in the machine. The wive's tales and urban legends of a spirit within every machine...

The Deus Ex Machina... The only reassuring thing in chaos is what little order exists around you... Those were the words of her mentor, a brilliant physicist, who went into the triangle boldly, but came out a corpse no more than a day afterward. Those words are more true now than ever.

She decides to head below deck. There's a few people she wants to talk to. After all, one of the reasons she originally built her suit, is to research the unusual occurances in the triangle. Or at least observe from it's edges.

Quote:

Overclock is heading below deck to check on the three. I'm just not sure how far she'll be able to go without security stopping her, or the like.

[Dawn OOC]

The crew members looked at her as she walked around below decks, but aside from one, "You're not allowed in the engineroom, ma'am," she was not stopped. She found Tim and Doris in the Infirmary, being checked out by the medic on hand.

"Hey, there you are!" Tim said, perking right up, grinning as a square of guaze is taped over a small cut on his arm. "The heroine of the hour!"

"Hi," Doris said more quietly; unlike Tim, she was laying on her bunk. "Thank you for coming to rescue us. It was amazing to wake up with you over me like that."

"Come on, sit down," Tim said, almost giddy with post-rescue relief. "There's always room at my table for you, now. And if you need anything, just let me know. Really!"

[Overclock]

Overclock grabs a nearby seat, making sure to keep out of the way of the medics. "It wasn't really an issue... except I've realized just how heavy 3 people can be." She laughs quite bashfully, hoping not to insult the lady in the room. "Then again, I was also lifting a big rubber raft and waterlogged clothing does add a few pounds too."

She sits back. "What were you guys doing out there, especially in a fishing boat like that, out that far from shore?"

[Dawn OOC]

The goofy grin left Tim's face, and Doris looked away, clearly uncomfortable. Despite being the quieter of the two, it was Doris who spoke up. "Marco told us that there was a treasure on a downed ship," she said softly. "That it was beached on one of those little sandbar islands, and if we didn't hurry, Abaco would find it and get it all."

Her face flushed. "It was supposed to be a safe full of bearer bonds, and some gold jewelry. I feel so stupid! It should have fallen under, 'too good to be true'." Her eyes now sought out Overclock's, silently imploring her not to judge. "I have a sick son... so many medical bills. I know that it's stealing; that it should have belonged to someone else. But..." Her voice trailed off, tears shining in her eyes.

"When we got out there, the storm came outta nowhere," Tim picked up the narrative, eager to move past the part where he was a theif. "And Marco refused to turn around; he kept saying that we had to keep going. Then he said that there wasn't any gold, or barrier bonds; that we were seeking knowledge, whatever that means.

"And then out in the storm, he started going nuts, praying to some woman," Tim finished. "I was so afraid, and then you showed up and knocked him out."

[Overclock]

Overclock winces. "Sounds like he intended on using you two for a sacrifice... But I know we weren't alone out there. I won't go into details, you both are already under enough stress as is. But... I really don't know how to help Marco. He's probably bewitched or something."

She looks down. "I can help you, Doris." She says, as she takes off her helmet entirely, moving her goggles up, and showing she's Ami Kurata, the famous inventor and physicist. "I have enough spare money lying around to pull off one more rescue for you."

She laughs. "It's probably a better use of my money to help you out directly than sending it so some damned charity that would rather give their own pocket books a new green lining." She looks up at Doris and Tim. glad they are alright. "I'm just glad you both stayed strong for as long as you could. Paranormal events like that test the psyche as much as the spirit."

"Then again, it's events like this that test out my technology too. This time it was to it's limits on a few things, and I did discover I wasn't a weakling by any means. You two shouldn't sell yourselves short. You had good reasons for coming."

She is puzzled suddenly. "You guys, had equipment for scuba diving onboard, correct? Jeeze... I'm lucky to be alive if so... That boat should have exploded from all the oxygen that could have fed a fire right to the fuel of the boat!" Ami just realized, that this is indeed a dangerous game superheroes and superheroines play.

[Dawn OOC]

"Yeah, we had a couple of tanks, in case something was underwater," Tim said. "That was Marco's deal; he was the only one of us who knew how to dive."

"Assuming that he wasn't lying about that, too," Doris said darkly.

The moment was interrupted by a medic entering the room. "You took Marco," Tim said. "How is he?"

The medic frowned and ran his hands over his USGC standard haircut. "He's unconscious," the medic said. "But more than that, he's got some swelling his brain that indicates some cerebral bruising. Did he bump his head against anything?"

"He may have, when he was stunned," Tim said. "But he kinda dropped his head on his arm, so I thought we were ok. But does he have a concussion then?"

The medic paused again. "I'm stumped," he finally admitted. "He doesn't have a fever or any external bruising. I'm at a loss to explain what's going wrong with him."

[Overclock]

"Odd. My stun setting doesn't work on the synapses of the individual it is used on. It must be some external influence..." She pulls out her healing wand. "With your permission, I would like to see if there is any damage and repair it with this device. It pretty much returns his body to it's natural state. It's how I helped Doris."

She straightens out her bodysuit, before putting her helmet back on, keeping the visor open. "Besides, if I can rouse Marco, I have some questions for him too. Something tells me there is far more than meets the eye to this storm and Marco's 'madness'."

[Dawn OOC]

"That is not a problem, ma'am," the medic said, moitoning for her to follow him. He led her down the hall to the brig, where

Marco was being kept in a secured bunk, strapped down to a bed. The medic carefully double-checked all the latches and straps to make sure he was secured, then stepped out of the way. "I'll monitor his vitals," the medic said with a nod, "and I'll let you know if you need to step back from him."

Quote:

Marco gets a 24 on a DC 20 healing check; this is enough to wake him up.

Marco's eyes flutter open; for a moment, he is silent, staring listlessly at the ceiling. "Vitals are steady," the medic murmured. "I think you help-"

Marco's sudden shriek cut off the medic as the Hispanic man went insane. A second of thrashing turned into a spasm as his back arched off the bed. His arms tightened against the restraints, the muscles standing out on his arms in brown, trembling cords. Overclock could hear the restraints groaning as they were strained to their limits. "Let me go!" Marco screamed; spittle flew from his mouth and Overclock could see a ring of white all the way around his irises.

[Overclock]

"Not good... he's under some influence. External or internal I don't know. That white on his irises isn't normal AT ALL."

Overclock sets her Quadlux to stun again, readying it at her side in case she has to fire. His restraints may be holding him, but if he gets any more violent, she may have to stun him for his own good. "For what reason should they let you go, Marco? You've already put at risk your friends' and your own life. What's so important to be acting so irrationally?!?"

[Dawn OOC]

"The Lady, my Lady!" he shouted. "She calls me to come to her, and return to her what she has given me!" He strained against the bonds some more before sinking back to the bed, panting. "She has given me," he whispered, not seeming to talk to anyone, "so much, and I must answer, or be berift of her power."

Sadly, his face turned to the wall and was eerily silent.

[Overclock]

"Who... Who is this lady, Marco?"

A look of concern crosses Ami's face. She knows that someone who exerts a painful control like this cannot be benign in intent.

"And what do you have of hers that she wishes returned?"

Suddenly she realizes the figure in the storm... that might be... If he's released he may take even this ship into dangerous waters. This may be a Coast Guard cutter, one of the finest of the fleet perhaps... But a storm like this may be designed to dash anything that comes it's way. And to hide it's master within.

[Dawn OOC]

The throbbing of the engine changed suddenly, becoming deeper and more rhythmic. Overclock could tell by the change in the tempo of the engine and the new, slower way the boat was rocking that they were coming into dock. As if her thoughts had summoned him, Okraszewski appeared in the doorway. "Overclock, we're heading into port," he said. "We need to prepare the prisoner for transfer to the mainland brig so he can be charged. If you'll let the MP in, ma'am?"

Okraszewski was smiling politely enough, but Overclock could sense how firm he was about this. Her chance to talk with Marco was gone, for now at least.

[Overclock]

"I don't think I can get anything further out of him anyways. I think I have my answers."

She steps back, letting Okrazewski and the MP to do their work. She heads back up to the deck, sometimes making herself hover over large puddles so she wouldn't slip. A superhero slipping on mere water? She'd never hear the end of it. She heads over to the rail, and leans against it as the Hammerhead makes it into port, and she wonders what's going to happen next time...

Then she realizes that perhaps she should spend some time getting some help. If she has to fight, she cannot fight alone. That, and she needs to gear up better for various rescue needs.

"I am really gonna have to be better ready for things like this... I guess it's back to the lab for me." She whispers to herself, before grabbing her now empty dufflebag. "That and sometimes being a wise shopper is a good idea too."