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Mutants & Masterminds: Legacy - Issue #1 - Hellgate Part 1


Joani

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"Very well," Watchwoman said over the rings as she continued her descent, "come down here and join us, if you wish. Again, because there's no guarantee of return, I'm not making anyone go." A light appeared below her toes, and Watchwoman slowed until she landed neatly between Celestial Centurion and Hype. For a long moment she stared at the vision through the door and what could be seen of her face was impassive. The only sign of nervousness she gave was a shaky exhalation of air through her perfect lips.

Stepping to the edge of the field, she stared into the wretched landscape. "We should wait for everyone who is coming, and go through at once," she said to the two men there, then sent over the rings, "Please tell us if you're not coming, so we don't wait. We'll cross the boundary once we're all here."

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MegaGirl descended beside Watchwoman into the darkness - she was pleasantly surprised that it hadn't felt like, well, anything really. After landing, MegaGirl leaned down a bit so she could look through the door, her towering figure looming over the others.

She wasn't impressed. Granted, it was sort of weird to see a planet on the other side of a door, but it just looked like some other planet, deserty and not pretty, but certainly not scary - she been to other planets and moons before that looked less pretty than this. She'd thought the other side of the Hellgate would be more... hell-like.

She couldn't see how her mom could be stuck there - there were even other planets nearby, seeming so close, Karra wondered if she could manage to throw the others to them from here - not for real, but sorta.

"Mom is over there?" MegaGirl asked uncertainly. "I don't see why she'd need help, it doesn't look that bad."

She'd been about to go through the door when Watchwoman said they should all go through at once. Karra wasn't sure how that was going to work, since she filled the doorway by herself, but stopped and waited for the others with a shrug.

Watchwoman was the leader, so MegaGirl figured she knew what she was doing.

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Stepping through the portal felt like leaving behind all certainty that things will be good. Gravity seemed odd on the first few steps and a brief moment of nausea caused everyone to take a short break and readjust their bearings. It was as if you could feel how the planet rotated around it’s own axis. The portal on the other side looked like it was made from the stuff nightmares are made of. Dark black oozing clouds seem to vanish into eternity and peering through the gate ‘back’ to the prison facility is not possible. The Portal is made of skulls and bones which constantly shift and move and grasp for any bystander who gets too close to the gate. Unintelligible voices can be heard, too. No one can make out from which direction, though.

You stand on a barren desert the only ‘landmark’ being the Portal behind you, the horizon, one very close moon or planet that apparently orbits the planet you stand on and the cold red sun which gives of no warming light. It is actually pretty cold – close to the freezing point and a very sudden feeling of desperation slowly creeps down your spine and settles in your stomachs.

(ooc: You all suffer from a temporary effect (until I say otherwise) of total unreliability of your powers. I. E. – any use of a power demands a successful DC 10 roll or it simply fails to work. Each time you fail to use a power your feeling of uncertainty increases. Even ‘banal’ use of powers suffer this penalty. The only reliable device is the Legacy Ring and other devices like Watchwoman’s. Powers are suffering from the above mentioned penalty)

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Centurion's form shimmered and flickered and then without warning his silhouette changed, the armor was gone. His body still maintained its solar form throwing out light and warmth. He looked down to verify and saw his armor was gone. His lip curled into an irritated grimace but he seemed otherwise unperturbed by the entire situation. "Time is wasting, we should either destroy this portal outright or seek out its maker." Centurion rose up into the air under the power of the ring and looked across the blasted plains searching for signs of life.

Click to reveal..
Roll #1 Maintain Solar form

Roll #2 maintain Force Field armor

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2205549/

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Karra went from thinking that the red planet didn't seem so bad to thinking it was really, really bad. Her lean, sculpted muscles twitched uncomfortably beneath her skin, and she could feel the cold like she never had before - sometimes, she even found herself breathing like others did, her very large breasts rising and falling.

Even more disturbing, her eyes were playing tricks. She would be looking at something - not far away for her - when every so often, it would seem to move away so far she could barely see it, or see it all.

Karra turned around to look at the portal, then stepped back, her eyes wide, when she saw it reach for her, the skulls grinning at her uncertainty. The wordless voices dug at her - for the first time, Karra could feel the beginnings of a migraine forming.

"This is a BAD place. I don't like it." MegaGirl's deep, yet feminine, voice could barely be heard over the indistinct speech that was coming from nowhere.

MegaGirl heard CeeCee's proclamation, and drew in a shuddering breath, her jaw firming in resolve. "I have to find mom first. I think I know how she could be trapped her now. This place doesn't look so bad, but it is bad - it's tricky that way."

MegaGirl jumped into the air to follow CeeCee... and landed with a heavy thump when her natural flight failed her. The others could hear a suppressed sob from the oversized amazon girl as she used the ring to follow the Centurion into the air.

She rose up until she was higher than the Centurion, her head twisting in all directions as she looked for her mother across the barren landscape. She prayed that her eyes wouldn't go all funny - in a scary way - and things would look farther away than they should.

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Tessa frowned. This was about as bad as things could be. She could feel the varying intensity of her defenses, and she didn't dare use her telepathy. She relied on the ring's ability to fly for now, not trusting in her own.

She looked around, trying to find some clue as to where they should go next.

Click to reveal..
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Djane reverted to normal upon going through, to her surprise - and she reverted back to typical 31st century garb as well.

"Huh? Hey, all right! This might not be so - "

Then her more scanty outfit appeared, and then switched back to her old clothes. She grunted. "Yeah, this won't be a pain..."

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Hype had already shut down all his powers to go through the gate, for exactly the reason that he didn't know if it would have an effect on them. Not a good idea to go through an unknown rift while Insubstantial for example.

Seeing the effect it was having on the others around hi he resolved to try to not even attempt to use anything. Looks like we'll be relying on the rings quite a bit while we are here.

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The young heroes couldn't make out much in the barren desert. Everything appeared to stretch endlessly far away and that feeling of despair slowly got hold of their hearts. Standing there and waiting didn't really improve the situation.

Tessa and MegaGirl couldn't make out much but since MegaGirl decided to fly a bit upwards her keen eyes made out a hill like structure just disappearing behind the horizon. It was difficult to measure how far away it was and if she was able to fly under her own power she was sure she could cover the distance in a blink of an eye. Thinking about it suddenly made her doubt if she could do it. Her powers kept failing her ever since they started this mission. Maybe she wasn't ready to be a heroine?

The Celestial Centurion looked around and scanned their immediate area. The strange objects raising out of the ground were all skeletal remains of the dead. He could only imagine how many dead were buried here... or maybe they just passed through the gate and starved to death because they couldn't leave the place? That thought started nagging at his conscience and slowly spread through his body like a paralyzing poison.

(ooc: CC and MegaGirl you both start to feel despair taking the better of your judgement. Your DC for an poweractivation roll is 11 now.)

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MegaGirl gingerly settled back down to the ground, bending over so her face was close to Watchwoman's - no one here came up much pass her waist. The look on her guileless face was one of concern, chewing on an underlip.

"I - I saw something Serene, that way." Karra pointed with one long arm. "It was a hill - not a real hill, but a made-hill - I think - just pass where we can see from here."

Karra straightened back up to her full height, trying to hide the look on her face as she continued in a very small voice for such a very large girl. "It - s'not far, I can - I think I can get there in a blink - but... maybe we shouldn't split up here? Maybe mom is here all by herself and got lost and I don't want to get lost too so we should stay together so we know where everyone is and no one gets lost."

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Herak frowned, this didn't feel right and it made him nervous. That nervousness was a feeling nearly foreign to him, since becoming empowered by Hælious he'd felt no fear, he'd felt confident, powerful. Looking out over these blasted plains, at the clean skeletons and the hellish landscape he wondered where they were that Hælious' power was not sufficient to overcome this evil. Biting back these doubts he spoke, "Standing here will accomplish little, we should choose a path of action and follow it."

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"Of course we're staying together," Watchwoman said. "But rather than walking, let's fly." She picked herself up into the air, pleased that the rings still worked.

"Hudsy," she said sub-vocally, "scan for heat signatures that could be life forms. Hell, just... rotate through scans. We don't know what we're looking for yet."

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Echo rose up into the air and flew in formation with Watchwoman. As her teammates reported problems with her powers, her unease grew. There was something about this place...something she couldn't put her finger on, but didn't like.

She lifted her right arm, and had the DRUID scan League frequencies, searching for a distress beacon or something similar.

"I'm checking for any radio chatter," she reported. "If they're conscious, they may be able to send signals."

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Centurion glided alongside Watchwoman under the ring's power. Though still maintaining his energy form, the light was not such that his features were concealed, and his now absent armor could not hide the furrow of consternation on his brow. He looked up to the sky, the stars and planets visible in a tableau that was not the least bit comforting.

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Karra used the ring to follow her team-mates in the air, crowding in behind Watchwoman, a pout on her face - the ring was so slow, but she was afraid that if she used her own flight, she'd fall again and look so stupid!

It took a long moment and a pained expression on her face to connect the dots together - the rings worked! That meant Karra could use it to call her mom.

*MOM!* Karra boomed over the Ringnet, a desperate hope struggling through the rising miasma of her despair.

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Originally Posted By: Watchwoman

"Hudsy," she said sub-vocally, "scan for heat signatures that could be life forms. Hell, just... rotate through scans. We don't know what we're looking for yet."


Hudsy faithfully executed Serene's order and made a full scan. The first readings simply made no sense and most of the results were simply impossible. Hudsy made a second run and adjusted his diagnostics but the results were still odd. Temperature was close to the freezing point. There were no IR-Outputs except for the group of young Heroes.

UV-Scan showed there was no UV-Light which didn't make much sense either. Ultrasound resulted in no atmosphere that could carry sound. All in all the laws of physic didn't seem to work the way she and Hudsy were used to. This place was the strangest she has seen yet.

Originally Posted By: SalmonMax

She lifted her right arm, and had the DRUID scan League frequencies, searching for a distress beacon or something similar.

"I'm checking for any radio chatter," she reported. "If they're conscious, they may be able to send signals."


Echo lifted her arm and the DRUID simply failed to respond. It was as if it had run out of power which was of course impossible. She repeated the process several times before she decided it was no use.



This has never ever happened before and a sudden feeling of despair and being useless crept up inside of her. It was a strange emotion and stronger than anything else she had experienced before. Maybe she had a severe design error which Matrix overlooked? What if she wasn't adequately constructed in the first place. Maybe it was on purpose to fail the first time she really needed her abilities...

Originally Posted By: MegaGirl

It took a long moment and a pained expression on her face to connect the dots together - the rings worked! That meant Karra could use it to call her mom.

*MOM!* Karra boomed over the Ringnet, a desperate hope struggling through the rising miasma of her despair.


MegaGirl's voice sounded almost girlish over the ringnet. It echoed through everyone else's minds before it fell silent again. But there was no response. MegaGirl called out again, this time her desparation obviously ringing in her voice - again no response. Maybe her Mom was already dead? Buried somewhere here amongst all the other dead men?
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MegaGirl strained at the ring's flight capabilities, hoping if she tried hard enough, it would be nice and go faster. She's not dead, she's not dead, she can't be dead, she's not dead, please not be dead.

*Mom?* Karra's voice over the ringnet was soft and tremulous. When there was again no response, Karra's innocent face crumpled, and the over-sized girl began making a high-pitched whine.

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Centurion took Megagirl aside and spoke to her in hushed tones so that the others would not overhear, his words were not for them, only for her. "Megagirl is it? Are you a child, lost and looking for your mother? Or, are you a hero, strong and brave and searching for her her lost mother who may be hurt, may be waiting, hoping, that somebody strong will come to her aid in her time of need?" He did not speak them but his soft expression and the tone of his voice spoke that this was no place for a child and the exact place for a hero. "We are all afraid or worried, even I have the creeping shadow of doubt gnawing at my mind. Be strong, your enemies will only rejoice and be emboldened by seeing you succumb to your weakness." He placed his hand, heavy and broad, though seeming so small, upon her shoulder and gave her a comforting squeeze.

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Karra listened to CeeCee's words of encouragement, chewing on her lip, but her jaw grew firm with resolve. "I'm not a child! I want to be a Hero, just like Mom." Centurion could feel the powerful play of muscle beneath his hand as MegaGirl flexed, her sculpted muscles growing more defined. "I will be brave and strong - stronger than anybody! - and I'll find Mom, and then I'll be a Hero. Right? Right!"

Karra headed in the direction of the thing she saw. If her golden-green eyes were still wide, and trepidition still beat a rhythm on her heart, still, she did not flinch from her course.

I'm coming Mom! I'm gonna be a Hero and Heroes always win!

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Watchwoman watched Centurion bolster MegaGirl, ready to lend a hand if needed, but he seemed to develop a rapport with the girl - not hard - and then convince her to be strong. So far, Watchwoman was very glad he was working with them. He'd been a great deal of help.

"Hudsy, my heads-up display, works as well," Watchwoman volunteered. "I assume that my suit will, as well, but can't test everything. So devices seem to work, but I'm guessing powers won't."

You could test that, too.

Shut up.

You could. Just for a moment. Just a second. Just enough to know if it would work.

Her fingers were hovering by the catch on her hood, and with a grimace of her beautiful lips, she yanked the hand away. Stop that.

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"It's not quite that simple," Echo said dourly. "Whatever it is, it's interfering with my DRUID too. I'm not sure why...maybe the fact that it's integrated with my cells or something."

She sounds grumpy and upset...clearly not used to not being able to trust her abilities.

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The team moved slowly forward towards the horizon and after a few miles they all could make out the 'hill' MegaGirl was talking about. Now it looked more like an ancient Aztec Pyramid and there was clearly some movement in the distance - even flying creatures that circled the top of the Pyramid.

The closer they got the larger the shape became leaving the impression that it was growing with each mile they covered to get closer. Soon they reached the edge of the long shadow the Pyramid cast. It was now obscuring the red dwarf sun which glowed faintly in the distance. The darkness of the shadow was almost turning the day into night.

(ooc: The Pyramid is huge - easily twice the size of the Cheops Pyramid on Earth. You can all make out shapes that are vaguely humanoid in the distance. Some are climbing the steps to the top of the Pyramid and higher up are some that actually fly. Those that can fly have clearly bat like wings.)

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Karra stopped with the others as the young Legacies entered the shadow cast by the Pyramid. "That is a really big, sortof a hill. Mom hasta be there."

Karra let the ring carry her higher, angling for a better view of the top of the towering structure, hoping for a glimpse of her mother. She strained her eyes, and with a muted flash of golden-green light and a grim smile twisting her pretty, innocent face, everything leapt into razor-sharp focus.

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"That would be me," Watchwoman said, meeting his eyes through the black glass of her goggles. Though he couldn't see her eyes, she kept her gaze intent as she said, "Or a close facsimile of such."

She looked to Djane. "I wish to be harder to see or sense in as many ways as possible, please," she said softly. Her heart was starting to pound in her chest as she tried not to consider that she'd be going onto that hill alone.

Maybe they'll see me as a peer if they do catch me, she thought, and had to choke back a hysterical laugh.

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"Wait - wait - as you desire, my master."

Djane snapped her fingers. There was a puff of smoke. Black smoke, foul-smelling, not like the slightly pleasant smell of Djane's usual magic. When it cleared, Watchwoman had changed.

She had glowing red eyes, and horns atop her head, and cloven hooved feet and wings sprouting from her back. Her skin had taken on a tanned hue and her hair was long and black. Her figure was even more vivacious than ever, and her clothing did much more to showcase it than to conceal it. Djane stared, blushing fiercely.

"I... think you might be a succubus now. And... and I think this is Hell. Uh, specifically: the Hell of Despair. Those pyramids are unclimbable... because you'll succumb to despair..."

Click to reveal..
Power Activation Roll (1d20=11)

Watchwoman has Flight at rank 5, Protection at 5, Comprehend (Hellspeak) at 1 rank (2pp/rank, -1 for broad catagory) and the following Array: Fire Control, Blast (fire,) Emotion Control, all at rank 9. Total 31 pp. Remaining pool: 35. You may find yourself manifesting certain... quirks.

Djane's Arcana Roll (1d20+14=21)

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She was showing her true form, sexual and beautiful. Serene lifted her hands, staring at the beautiful tanned skin with the thick black nails. She choked back her horror - and delight - at this turn, barely absorbing Djane's words. "Don't climb them," she said in a husky voice, "got it." She looked down at her uniform, which had been distinctly altered. Tanned skin showed in a decadent display that was just modest enough to be acceptable.

She altered my uniform? Does is still work? "Hudsy?" she whispered sub-vocally.

"I am here, Serene, in the collar about your throat," Hudsy replied. "I have been altered in shape but believe I could continue to function."

Her relief from that piece of news still couldn't calm her. Ohgod, ohgod, ohgod... what did she do? What do I do?

She felt for her hood and realized it was gone, and fresh terror assaulted her. Her hands flew to her face, her cheeks, and neck. Her questing fingers found skin, both the normal skin and the expected thicker skin, where her flesh glowed a ruby red. She was exposed; they could see! Calm down! They'll think it's part of the demon visage, if you stay calm.

She drew a deep breath. "I'll go scout," she said, and her voice promised more than she said. Her eyes fell on Hype-

-smooth muscle, fine and wiry, and speed is a kind of power, after all, I bet he could go like a vibrator, I bet he could make me scream-

She wrenched her red eyes away from him, only to have them settle on Echo-

-if she has fucking in her databases, bet I could teach her a thing or two she doesn't know, wonder if she'd overload, wonder if she'd make sparks for me when I-

Serene jerked her eyes away and they fell on Centurion-

-there's a fine piece of-

She wrenched her eyes to the pyramid and stretched her wings. "I'll be back soon," she promised, and even that simple sentence was a come on, an assurance of unholy pleasure to come.

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Echo blinked, taken aback by the transformation of her teammate, and by the situation in general. The shape Watchwoman had taken was distressing...it was somehow both monstrous, but alluring. When her smoky red eyes had fallen on her, the cyborg had felt a shiver of that dissonance; a weird shiver of desire and revulsion.

She whirled on Djane, her uncertainty manifesting as anger.

"Invisibility would have worked just as well," Echo points out. "Why did you choose that particular form? And what do you mean this is 'Hell'? Hell is a...a concept; a spiritual state, not a literal location!"

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