Mutants & Masterminds: The Indigo Children - Prologue: Subject 17

[jameson (ST)]

Ozzie shambled down the street, a long trench coat and a large hat pulled low to shadow his face. In the night he looked like so many other citizens of New York, beaten down by the hard turn that the Event had dealt the city. Uptown there were still the wealthy businessmen, and the rich actors or sports stars but the average citizen of the city was lower middle class at best, and many were low income, living for cheap rent in buildings that should have been condemned or that couldn't get more prosperous tenants for simple reason of geography.

He carried a sack of groceries and made his way to the small apartment that he shared. He passed by a bum begging for change and a another sauced out of consciousness. He passed an alley where half a dozen kids were passing a glowing joint around and drinking from brown paper wrapped bottles. The smell of trash, and rot, and urine wafted from another alley and the hard odor of ozone and steam rose up from a sidewalk vent. Another night in the Rotten Apple, and no doubt another night that would go by without his "father" coming home.

A block from the run down tenement he called home he heard something down an alley. His gait did not falter any more than it had countless times before but he turned his head slightly to see. The flickering light of a street lamp shone off his face as he raised his head slightly. Anybody in the vicinity may have thought him quite ugly but his appearance went beyond that. In better lighting it would have been clear that he was not quite human. Still at night and dressed as he was he seldom had issues.

He stopped, down the alley something large, something very large, was mucking about in the garbage cans. At first he assumed it was a homeless man and then he saw the relative ease at which it shoved aside the dumpster to get at something behind it. Passing car gave a moment of illumination, its headlights flooding the alley for a brief second. The thing turned its head and its eyes caught the light. Ozzie saw a hulking form, covered in what looked like brown fur, but coarser than fur would be. It's eyes reflected back the light and it growled, something deep and resonant as it saw Ozzie.

[Ozzie Bloggs]

Ozzie truly hated that the city he had come to refer to as home, had it's dark side. As a denizen of the night himself, he saw the cruelness of human life at it's fullest during the dark hours of the day. Life hadn't gotten any better for him and his "brother" now that his "father" had disappeared. Little things such as getting food had become a somewhat more dangerous task, something that he hadn't counted on. His only contacts with humans had been limited to his father and what he saw on TV. The real world held mysteries that his keen mind strove to understand.

These thoughts had quickly died, when the figure in the alley growled. He placed his groceries on the ground slowly, and stepped into the alley. While peering into the alley, Ozzie hesitatingly calls out to the figure in the alley, hoping that his actions doesn't spur it into aggression. "Umm, is everything ok? Can you understand me?"

Notice check: Visual

(ozzie_notice_check) rolls 1d20 and gets 14.

Roll 14+7-2=19 total

[jameson (ST)]

The darkness swallowed up any detail. It was like trying to find a lost dark sock under one's bed. The thing was little more than a dark shape scarcely illuminated by the reflected light from the sky. Not for the first time Ozzie found himself cursing the very same darkness that allowed him to operate as freely as he could. He stepped into the alley and called out to the ... whatever it was.

The thing spun and then froze. Ozzie could tell it was looking at him and he could hear the sound of it sniffing at the air. As his eyes adjusted better to the dimmer light he could see the thing was very much shaped like a bear. After a moment it took a step backward. Apparently bumping into the wall, it realized that it was cornered and let out a growl.

[Ozzie Bloggs]

Not good, if this thing feels it's cornered it's going to want to fight it's way out, at least that's what I would do. Don't know much about American animals, but he knew enough to know that bears weren't native to this area. If indeed it was a bear then either it escaped from the zoo, or could it be like him.

Digging into his grocery bag Ozzie pulled out some ground beef hopeful that he might appeal to the thing through it's hunger. Ozzie was quite thankful that he had developed a taste for hamburger, and even more so that he had picked some up at the store. Opening the beef, he moves forward a few feet and places the meat down on the ground. Well let's see if this works. Ozzie steps back a bit, placing one hand into jacket ready to grab one of his handy stun pellets in the case that things got out of hand.

[jameson (ST)]

As Ozzie backs off the creature sniffs the air once move and advances with a slow waddle like gait on all fours. Slowly it nears the package of ground beef emerging into the light enough to become clearly visible. Whatever it is it's not a bear. The creature's fur is coarse and rough, looking more like the quills of a porcupine. It reaches out and grabs the package of beef with a roughly formed hand before retreating once more into the darkness, shying away from Ozzie. The sounds of the creature eating soon emerge from the darkness.

[Ozzie Bloggs]

Well now I guess it isn't a bear, just what it is well I suppose it doesn't matter. Wonder where this guy came from? Things like this just don't appear in the city. An escapee from a lab of some sorts then? That's not a good thought either. Can't leave it here it's sure to draw all kinds of the wrong attention.

His previous attempt to communicate with the creature didn't seem to work. He wasn't sure if it understood him or not so getting it to understand him was going to be a problem. In a soft voice Ozzie calls out the thing. "You like the food? I got more here for you, I promise I won't hurt you. I'm like you see." He quickly looks around to see if anyone is looking before taking off his hat.

[jameson (ST)]

A growl is followed by the Styrofoam tray from the ground beef flying out of the alley toward Ozzie. The creature turns toward him and growls, "MORE!" With that the beast moves forward far enough to grab the bag of groceries still on the sidewalk before it retreats once more into the shadows already munching on Ozzie's dinner.

[Ozzie Bloggs]

"Wha..." is the surprised sound that escapes Ozzie's mouth. "Damm thing just took all my food." Reaching in his coat he takes out his cell and dials the only number. "Wally, umm I need your help. I'm block away from the pad, and your presence is needed" he says hurriedly.

[SalmonMax]

"OY! DINKY!" blared the jovial, and very loud, voice of his friend and near-brother, Wally. His drawling Australian accent was a bit exaggerated but not slurred, suggesting he was buzzing but not drunk yet.

"What's that? My presence is needed? You're only a bloody block away and your lordship requires my presence? I hope this is life or death, mate. I'll be missing the wallabies on account of this."

Ozzie knew that Wally was fond of watching Animal Planet...especially when they had specials about Australian animals. He could even hear the TV in the background of the phone.

"Right though...no worries. Be right down to sort this out."

The connection clicked off.

Sure to his word, Wally appeared less than a minute later. A full grown buck kangaroo who wouldn't look out of place in a zoo. Except for the Second Chance vest he was wearing and the rifle on a sling behind his back, crossed with his shotgun, and the little customized goggles pushed back up his head, and of course...the massive leering grin across his face. His forepaws were more like hands than paws, and he rubbed them together gleefully as he looked around.

"There you are. Now what's got you so riled up?"

[Ozzie Bloggs]

"Oy mate, you got to take a gander at this crazy looking bear-porcupine thing over there. Ran into the bugger on the way home, and you know me matey, I couldn't let it wander out into the night. Though all that took was me giving it all our food that I had just picked up."

Ozzie points in the direction of the animal that up until Wally's arrival had be munching on their food. "Mate are ya pissed?" adds Ozzie as he catches the scent of beer coming from Wally.

[SalmonMax]

"What?!" Wally demands. "You're seeing bear-porcupines and asking ME if I'm pissed?"

He walks awkwardly...his legs designed for long bounds, not short steps...to the alley and peers inside.

"Nah...it's dark innear. You just saw a shadow moving or..."

There's a low growl from inside, and Wally's litany of dismissal stops for a long moment.

Then he says, "Yeah...it does look a bit like a bear-porcupine, doesn't it? So, uh, whaddya want to do with it?"

[Ozzie Bloggs]

"Well mate we can't very well let thing run around the city can we? I suppose I could try talking to it again, now that's it eaten our food. That might have settled the thing down."

The Aussie's stand together before Ozzie speaks out to the porcu-bear. "If you can understand me, me and my brother here would like to know what it is that your doing out here?" He looks to Wally then back to the animal, waiting for it's reaction.

[jameson (ST)]

The two peer back into the alley to see the creature munching their purloined groceries. With a frustrated grunt it sends a mauled package of bacon toward them which smacks the kangaroo in the face. Tearing the now empty bag the creature lets out another frustrated growl and begins to plod toward the opening of the alley.

[Ozzie Bloggs]

Ozzie tried his best not to laugh but the look on Wally's face was priceless. "Oy mate he smacked you a good one." He kept his voice jovial as he spoke again out loud at the approaching creature. "Good one mate, now that's what I call funny!" Maybe we can turn this into a good thing. If we show that we aren't scared of it we can settle this peacefully.

[SalmonMax]

"Gah!" Wally exclaimed, slapping at his face with his hands and hopping instinctively backwards. Kangaroos were herbivores and Wally was no exception.

"That's just vile!"

He looked over at his shorter duckbilled friend and demanded, "You actually EAT this shit? You put this in your mouth and chew it and swallow it? That makes me want to puke!"

He carefully scrubs his mouth with an arm and looks back at the huge monster.

"Nasty business. My marsupial-sense is tingling, mate. I don't see this ending well."

[Ozzie Bloggs]

Ozzie looked back at Wally and felt a tad bit guilty for having laughed at him.

Quote:

He looked over at his shorter duckbilled friend and demanded, "You actually EAT this shit? You put this in your mouth and chew it and swallow it? That makes me want to puke!"

"You know I got my special tastes, Wally, but right now that's a issue for later. I'm more concerned about what this creature is going to do?

[jameson (ST)]

What the creature was going to do was to pick up speed and run somewhat quickly out of the alley and across the street. Wally and Ozzie dove away from the charging beast as it bore down on them. In the light it became clear that the rough fur was in fact thick quills, the largest as thick as a man's finger. The beast trundled across the street climbed with surprising grace over a compact car, its weight deforming the vehicle into something one would expect to see in a junkyard. It continued down a side street in a direction that would likely take it to the old neighborhood park.

[Ozzie Bloggs]

"Aw now look what you let happen Wally! Now we got to chase this thing down before decides to go munching on someone." Before taking off after the porcupine Ozzie grabs the bacon package. "C'mon let's follow that giant porcupine and see if we can capture it," he calls out to Wally as he takes off in hot pursuit of the creature.

[SalmonMax]

"Capture it? With what?" Wally demands, catching up to Ozzie with one prodigious leap. "Strong language? I've got guns, mate. And since he doesn't look like he's surrendering, and you don't want him dead, I don't think a gun's the tool for the job."

Protests aside, he continues to take short, for him, hops to stay alongside his friend.

"Do you have a plan or are you just pulling this out of your beak?"

[Ozzie Bloggs]

Wally's words rung clear in his head. "I'm not entirely pulling this out of bill not beak, as you say mate. Rather I just needed a few moments to finalize the plan." Ozzie takes a moment to catch his breath before he lays out the plan. He wasn't built for running at this pace he'd never catch the porcu-bear.

"Okay here's what were going to do. I'll need to lead the thing back this way. While your doing that I'm going to burrow a hole here for it to fall into. Barring that I'll use these handy dandy bolos to snare it. That sound like a good plan or what?"

[SalmonMax]

Originally Posted By: Ozzie Bloggs

Wally's words rung clear in his head. "I'm not entirely pulling this out of bill not beak, as you say mate. Rather I just needed a few moments to finalize the plan." Ozzie takes a moment to catch his breath before he lays out the plan. He wasn't built for running at this pace he'd never catch the porcu-bear.

"Okay here's what were going to do. I'll need to lead the thing back this way. While your doing that I'm going to burrow a hole here for it to fall into. Barring that I'll use these handy dandy bolos to snare it. That sound like a good plan or what?"

Wally nods happily. "Yeah, sounds...waitasecond." He frowns and plucks at his fingers as if counting. Then he says, "What if it doesn't follow me? Like now, for example. We're chasing it, which suggests to me that it might not be interested in catching us. On account of that it could just stop running if it wanted that, see."

[Ozzie Bloggs]

"Yeah well I don't think it has any thing on it's mind except for food and running." Ozzie pauses, "I suppose that you would be the one taking most of the risk here mate, and since your the quicker of us you can get ahead of it, which gives me time to do my thing. But really it's your call. I'd prefer not to hear about a rampaging porcu-bear running loose in the city, and it looks like it's up to us to stop that from happening"

[SalmonMax]

Wally paused, then shrugged. He wasn't sure how exactly he was going to get it to follow him or change directions, but he figured he'd figure something out.

"Right-O," he replied cheerfully. A good run sounded nice anyway.

"How much time do you need?"

[Ozzie Bloggs]

"Ah, maybe 5 to 10 minutes should be enough time I think. If I'm not done by the time it gets here, I'll go with my plan B." Ozzie eyes a spot that's just outside of the park, and points it out to Wally. "There's where I'll start, you go on ahead and I'll get this plan under way." With that Ozzie crouches to the ground and begins digging in the ground, heading off towards the marked spot.

[jameson (ST)]

Earth parted as Ozzie began to burrow through the ground. He was fortunate that this section of New York had neither natural gas piping or underground electrical lines. Within minutes he was in in place and ejecting earth from a rapidly growing hole. With luck it might even be large enough to capture the creature with.

Wally bounded off after the thing, keeping to the shadows as much as he could he followed the creature as it lumbered toward the park occasionally stopping to sniff at a vehicle or some trash cans. Checking his watch he saw that nearly ten minutes had passed, it was now or never if he was going to help enact Ozzie's plan.

[SalmonMax]

Wally came to a halt and watched it for a moment, realizing he wasn't entirely sure how to proceed. Would it understand him?

"Oy!" he called amiably at the monster. "Over here! Look over here!"

He waved an arm at the huge beast.

"I've got food! Lots of...nummy tummy scrummy! Yummy!" He rubs his belly. "But you'll have to come get it!"

[jameson (ST)]

The beast turns at cocks its head, looking at Wally in such a way that implies a limited intelligence at work. With a heaved shrug of its great shoulders it turn away and continues down the way it was headed, either ignoring or failing to understand Wally. Eventually the creature catches some odor on the wind and turns down another alley where it begins to paw around in the garbage bins and dumpsters behind a Chinese restaurant. Wally recalls something his "father" had said to him once: "No matter what you think you can do you'll never convince an animal to do anything it doesn't want to do."

[SalmonMax]

So...how do I get that thing to -want- to chase me? Doesn't seem like it really understands talking, and hurting it might be going a bit far...

There's a metallic clang as a trash can tips over and spills its contents over the rough pavement of the alley. As Wally watches it snort and root and paw through the fragrant pile, he gets an idea.

With a hop and a half, he meets the creature in the alley, then scoops up the bag of trash and backs away a bit, holding it out in front of him.

"Is this whatcha want? Eh? You can have it if you can catch me!"

[jameson (ST)]

Wally snatches the trashcan, torn but not beyond its capacity to stay together, and bounds backwards. The creature stops and stares at him a low growl escaping its bulk. It reaches out with a large paw and Wally sees in the dim light that it is very much closer to a hand than a true paw. The fingers, though stubby, appear to be more dexterous, given a thumb it would have a working hand. As it reached out the growl changed, "Mine," the beast utters with a deep guttural voice. Wally took a small hop backward which elicited an agitated growl and prompted a step closer from the creature.

*****

Rodney glided on currents stirred up by updrafts from the warm streets and downdrafts caused by cool parks. He flew silently and nearly invisibly, his dark brown coat making him rather difficult to see against the sky. He replied on echolocation to avoid obstacles in flight as his eyes watched the city below. Which is why he didn't hit the tree ahead of him when he saw something digging a sizable hole in the middle of one of this neighborhood's many small parks.

[SalmonMax]

"Oh HO! You CAN talk!" Wally observed happily. "Well then, that changes things. Shuffle on over here and tuck in."

He sets the trash can down and pats it invitingly.

"I'm Wally. Who're you?"

OOC Wally Notice Check (+7)

(13:55:40) ChatBot: (jameson) rolls 1d20 and gets 5.

Result = 12

[Rodney]

Rodney looped back and tried to make out what was tunneling so brazenly in the middle of the city. Could it be another one of his kind. Then he saw the other two ... denizens. A Kangeroo and a Porcupine-Bear cross-breed. What the hell?

He circled lower to hear what was going on, moving slowly to remain quiet. Would his help be needed, or wanted? He was to young to not want to find out.

{Skill Mastery on Stealth for a total of 21}

[Ozzie Bloggs]

Ozzie hummed to himself as he continued his digging. It was going pretty well so far, but he wondered if Wally was having any luck getting the porcu-bear to come this way. After another few moments Ozzie peeked around to see if Wally was on his way and if anyone else had spotted his handiwork. It wouldn't be good if someone spotted this, cause I'm not going to get another chance to pull this off if it did.

(Notice check : (09:04:21) ChatBot: (Ozzie) rolls 1d20 and gets 16.

Total roll: 16 + 7= 23

As he gazed out into the night, he noticed a slow flying object circling down to where he was at. What the hell is that? Is that a bat?? Whoa, this is to much. Could this be another creature like me. What are the chances of that? Hmmm, best to let it land and then check it out. Ozzie slowly moves out of the hole so that the bat could see him. Well, here goes nothing. I hope that this one's more friendly than the other one.

[Rodney]

He continued to coast down until he was sure he could talk to the mishappen creature without having to shout.

"Hey there. Up here. Whatchya doing?"

It was cleat he was digging a pit, but what was he digging it for. Also, it seemed a bit of an obvious problem for the humans that would come after them.

[jameson (ST)]

The beast shuffles forward and grabs the bag, "MINE!" It's just shy of a full on roar and the meaning is clear, Get away from my food! Get away from me! Wally hops back, as much out of instinct as tactical safety. He watches the beast closely, careful to be ready to move should it decide to attack. Without further warning the creature rears up onto its hind legs and roars. Without warning Wally is assailed by a moment of pain and the smell of hair burning and then darkness envelops him.

*****

Before Ozzie can muster a full syllable by way of reply to the newcomer the two of them hear a yelled, “MINE!” followed shortly by a tremendous roar. Ozzie realizes that Wally may have been attacked by the creature. Without wasting a further second he dashes away, “Wally!” With a leap into the air Rodney followed him, his wings beating quickly as he weaved through the low height obstacles. Moments later they came up on a side alley. A group of men dressed in black were loading the burly form of the creature into the back of a black painted box truck while another was placing plastic zip ties around Wally’s wrists and ankles.

The man turned as Ozzie pounded pavement closer, “Damnit, let’s get out of here, there’s more of ‘em!” Abandoning Wally the man dove into the back of the truck as it sped away the men pulling the rear door down as it sped away. The truck was off quickly faster than a normal truck of its size would be able to accelerate. A quick look confirmed that no registration plates were present on the vehicle. Disregarding the truck Ozzie went to Wally who was already regaining consciousness though still stunned.

[Rodney]

"I think that's too fast for me to keep up with," Rodney says with some surprise as he lands.

"Normally I can keep up with most cars in the city, but that ..."

Looking over to Wally and Ozzie,

"How's your friend?"

The bat stood on all fours, his wings partially tucked in and his large ears flicking around looking for sounds. His simian-resembling feet fidgitted slightly.

[SalmonMax]

As if on cue, Wally's eyes open, wide and bloodshot.

"YAAAAAGGHH!!" he bellows, swiping at the air and struggling to move his legs. "Two at once eh?! I'll take you both together! I'll throw fire ants in your faces! I'll pull your..."

Abruptly he seems to calm down.

"...oh, hey Oz. Uh. Are my feet tied up?"

He looks at Rodney, then back at the platypus.

"Glad you found a new friend, because I...well, I hate to be the one to tell you, but I think the other one, the big fella...I think he exploded."

The kangaroo nods sadly.

"Somehow he managed to tie my legs up as he did though, which is actually pretty impressive when you think about it."

[Rodney]

Rodney chuckles at the Near-Kangeroo's explaination of events.

"Actually, I think you were jumped by some humans. They trussed you up and were getting ready to take you away in the mysterious 'black van' when we arrived. You okay ... otherwise?

"

[SalmonMax]

"Humans? Van?" Wally laughs.

"You really ARE blind, mate! No humans 'round here. We were very careful...well, Ozzie was careful. I assume. He's a careful sort. Good with the plans, Ozzie. Careful and planning. See, the plan was..."

He leans over and tugs at the plastic restraints testingly.

"...to keep this giant porcubear from attracting a scene and causing ruckus, Ozzie would dig a bloody great hole in the middle of the park there, and I'd lure the porcubear into it somehow. That way no one's the wiser. Ozzie, you got a knife or something? This thing's a devil!"

[Ozzie Bloggs]

Originally Posted By: SalmonMax

"Humans? Van?" Wally laughs.

"Actually he's right about that Wally" Ozzie says as he pulls out his multi tool and cuts Wally's bonds. "If the Bat and I had gotten to you sooner, I'd have been distraught." Turning to the bat "Thanks by the way for the help. Name's Ozzie and this is my bro Wally. Nice to meet you mate."

[Rodney]

"Hello Ozzie, Wally. I'm Rodney."

He watches the multi-tool in action.

"You may not believe this, but you are the second group of ... Mutated Critters I've run into tonight. There was a pair of Tiger-likes back there in the park."

Looking over his shoulder, Rodney grimaces.

"We can't go back there right now. Too many police. A guy got killed."

Looking back at Ozzie,

"There was a fight and one of the tigers killed a guy who was trying to kill it. He/She got pretty screwed up to. They were gang members and they all had knives. Nasty stuff."

Looking back to the two Australian rejects, he grins,

"So anyway, what are you two doing around here. Were you hunting that porcubear(?), do you come down here and dig traps out of habit, or do you live around here?"