Mutants & Masterminds: The Indigo Children - Chapter 3: The First Dark Clouds

[z-Penny Mann]

Penny would have preferred Randy to be with her, but she didn't object to the arrangements. It was practical, very much so. "Alright, she said softly, "let's roll, since it sounds like we have a working plan." She licked her lips nervously and added, "Remember, no one engage alone, ok?"

[Cole Mulvaney]

Cole nodded. "Let's go then." He headed back for Penny's car, retrieving his coat and Ramani's and handing it back to her. "Gonna have to put the coats back on.. If someone stops us, don't make a sound."

[jameson (ST)]

"Shotgun!" cried Randy as he, Dom, and Ozzie headed toward the battered Ford. The three piled in and tore off leaving Penny alone with the three other mutant animals. An hour and thirty minutes later Penny turned down a side street toward the water for the umpteenth time. They were a couple miles down stream at this point and for the first time since leaving the old school the buildings here were boarded over and showing the decrepit condition that spoke of abandonment. This was their best best for finding something thus far and then they saw the police tape.

Without Rodney around they'd been unaware of the location of the crime scene where this whole affair had taken seed, but now it seemed that they had found that very site. Penny flipped the lights off and rolled slowly down the street. Once they were sure there were no cops she parked the car and they got out.

Click to reveal..

Not sure if you guys want to walk right up or flank it or what so let me know. Also I need Spot Checks (+1 if you have enhanced smell)

[Cole Mulvaney]

Cole climbs out, careful to keep covered up. He sniffs the air, seeing if it smelled the same as the boathouse.

He didn't move too close alone waiting to see what the others did. He motioned for Ramani to go around to the right side, but kept her in visual range.

Click to reveal..

1d20+ 6

(17:47:19) ChatBot: (Cole_Mulvaney) rolls 1d20 and gets 13.

19

Cole and Ramani both have enhanced smell

[Ramani]

Ramani nodded at Cole and worked her way around to the right side focusing on her senses and trying to get a bearing on their prey. She sniffed the air briefly and fell on her fours to pick up the scent of the croq - obviously an acquired custom from her more savage days.

Click to reveal..

Notice Check including enhanced Smell bonus (1d20+7=23) that's a 23

[z-Penny Mann]

Penny didn't see or smell anything unusual. She was reaching out with her mind, trying to catch a sense of a mind. A vicious, animal mind, full of hunger, she surmised. Of course, she could be wrong... it could like Mozart and reading Sylvia Plath.

That'd be so weird.

Click to reveal..

Spot check: 5 Failure

Penny's Mind Reading check: 10

[SalmonMax]

Wally looked around, one hand on the shotgun poking up over his shoulder. He put a finger to his ear and made a short 'static' noise.

"Chht. This is Hoppy McHopperton," he whispered. "We're in sight of the Big Kahuna, over. Please advise, over. Chht."

He glanced at Penny and the tigers and added, "Anything?"

Spot check! 12

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2393789/

[jameson (ST)]

Cole and Ramani, their sense of smell far more acute than the others could immediately smell something wrong. To Cole the smell was bad, and rankled his nose but he could not discern just what it was, something he knew but couldn't quite figure out. Ramani found it far easier, she was experienced differently and knew the smell of rotting meat and decomposing carcasses well. The two flanked the building on the water but other than a slight breeze ruffling the police tape everything seemed quiet.

Wally and Penny, for better or worse, did not pick up the smell, faint as it was. They approached behind the tigers, Penny straining a sense of a different kind. She stretched he mind out and immediately sensed Wally, the Cole and Ramani, and then, something dim. It was like Mimi but Penny immediately sensed the important difference; Mimi was capable of rudimentary reason, this mind was simply an intelligent predator, the kind that was dangerous beyond belief. Wally meanwhile moved along in blissful ignorance.

[z-Penny Mann]

"Oh shit. Guys, it's here... somewhere. I can feel it." The high schooler began to look nervously around, her eyes seeking what her brain had felt. As it turned out, knowing it was there and not being see it was somehow worse than not knowing it was there. "Now would probably be a good time to wait for the others."

[Cole Mulvaney]

Cole nodded. "Go ahead and give them a ring. You're the one with opposable thumbs." Cole smirked a little bit. This thing smelled awful to him, though Ramani was likely more at ease. To him at it's core this smelled like a fight.

[Ramani]

"I smell dead meat...", Ramani growled expressing her disgust. Her ears where pointed towards the direction she picked up the scent from and her body was tensed in anticipation. She was ready to chase their prey and if necessary use deadly force. The savage tigress picked up Penny's fear both in her voice and from her scent and if this crocodile was really that evil it needed to be killed.

Cole's assumption about the core of this smell was perfectly reflected in Ramani's stance - every muscle was tensed and ready for action. She knew it would end in a fight.

[z-Penny Mann]

The closer they got to the boathouse, the more certain Penny became. Even as she dug out her phone, she whispered, "It there! In the boathouse." She found her phone but nearly dropped it, distracted as she was by maintaining her connection with the creature. She didn't want to lose track of it.

[SalmonMax]

Wally unslung the shotgun, his ears twitching about nervously. Joking time, it seemed, was over.

"So...we're shooting to kill, are we?" he asked in a low tone. "I expect riot rounds'll just piss this bloke off." He ejected a series of shells from the weapon and started loading in new ones.

[jameson (ST)]

Penny fumbled the phone for a moment, catching it before it could hit the ground. A few quick taps of her fingers on the touch sensitive screen and her call was going out to Randy's phone. It rang.

And rang.

And eventually went to voice mail. Penny cursed and tried Dom's phone; it went directly to voice mail. Now things were getting worrisome. She tried Randy's phone again, it rang another half dozen times before voice mail picked up. "Hey, s'up. I'm not answering. But you knew that. Prolly I'm busy or in the subway or something. Leave a message and ..."

Meanwhile the others had taken up positions around the building, staying within sight of each other. There were only two ways in. Through the street door, or via the water entrance. The door to the street had black and yellow police tape across in in a large X. As they got closer Ramani could hear a somewhat disconcerting sound. The gnawing of teeth on bone, followed by the cracking sound as a large bone was broken open.

[Ramani]

Cole could tell by the way Ramani moved that she just picked up something discomforting. They knew the Croq must've been close but actually hearing that all their assumptions about it's savage nature was comfirmed made even the tigress uneasy and edgy.

"He's inside... I can hear him.", she growled lowly her eyes staying focused on the door.

[Cole Mulvaney]

Cole nodded to Ramani, his tail now twitching under his coat. He looked over to Penny. After not hearing anything that sounded like a conversation, or even her leaving a message, he shook his head. "Do you want to wait or should we take him now?"

[z-Penny Mann]

Penny didn't leave a message; she was pretty sure she'd just sound bitchy as she demanded to know where everyone was. Instead, she put away her phone, tightened her purse around her neck and shoulders, and said, "You guys are the powerhouses. If you think you can handle it, maybe we should start, since they seem late." She looked at them closely. "I won't be much help; you'll be leading the charge, so to speak."

[Cole Mulvaney]

Cole grunted. "Wally, move around back by the door with Penny, Ramani and I will go in from the front and side. You come in from behind and if you see an opening, let him have it."

Once everyone was in position, Cole lumped forward through the tape. "That's the last person you're oing to kill, Croc." All ten black claws in his hands popped out, as it became clear that This Tiger had come to fight.

[Ramani]

This was all Ramani needed. She saw Cole engaging from the front and she was instantly at his side. Her claws were already extended and her senses were focused on their prey. She let out a snarl of anticipation and he could see her savage side taking over. Hopefully she would practice some restraint in the face of danger this time - but maybe they needed her like this if their enemy was just as wild...

[jameson (ST)]

The door to the building blew off its hinges in shards, peppering the two tigers with splinters of wood and glass. The Croc was enormous, on four legs it was easily ten feet long and nearly five feet wide at the shoulders. Wally knew immediately that this creature could never fit into the sewers, it was far too large to have attacked the mice dwelling there. It caught them all off gaurd and bellowed a roar of challenge.

Click to reveal..

I'll moderate between PC posts, Ramani is up first, you have until Thursday evening.

Init:

Ramani

Cole

Wally

Penny

Croc

(20:36:41) (jameson): Init Cole (+9)

(20:36:46) ChatBot: (jameson) rolls 1d20 and gets 11.

(20:36:53) (jameson): Init Ramani (+9)

(20:36:57) ChatBot: (jameson) rolls 1d20 and gets 17.

(20:37:07) (jameson): Init Wally (+5)

(20:37:09) ChatBot: (jameson) rolls 1d20 and gets 8.

(20:37:16) (jameson): Init Penny (+2)

(20:37:19) ChatBot: (jameson) rolls 1d20 and gets 4.

(20:37:26) (jameson): Init Croc (+1)

(20:37:28) ChatBot: (jameson) rolls 1d20 and gets 4.

[Ramani]

At the sight of the huge Croc-Monster Ramani went into a raging frenzy claws extended and death in her eyes. She pounced the huge thing head first with a bestial roar that Penny nor Cole have ever heard before ignoring the Crocs larger size entirely. Her savage attack seemed almost suicidal but fortunately she wasn't alone and counted on her friends to take advantage of this opportunity. Maybe her attack would leave an opening for the others to take out the Croc as fast as possible. She knew that time was essential, if they didn't down it in the first few strikes they had, they would most certainly lose this battle.

Click to reveal..

Activatiing Rage as a free action adding +4 Strength and +2 to Fort and Will saves, reduced Def by -2 though and no use of skills that require concentration.

Attack roll: Attacking normally in the first round. (1d20+6=8) only an 8 - so I spent an Hero Point and reroll.

Spending Hero point for improved reroll....oll (1d20+6=21) - 21 - looks much better. Down 1 HP which means 0 left if I haven't missed one earlier.

Damage DC is 22 Nonlethal

[jameson (ST)]

Ramani recovers quickly and launches into the creature with swipes of her wicked claws. The Croc's leathery hide is both thick and studded with rigid sections of hardened cartilage yet her claws find purchase and cut into the flesh.

Click to reveal..

Attack hits!

Damage DC is 22 (+4 STR gains you +2 dam)

Toughness save = 21

Failed by 1, bruised (-1 on further Toughness saves)

Up next Cole, you have until Friday

[Cole Mulvaney]

Cole launched into action attacking the other side of the gigantic reptile with his own black curved claws. "Be careful of the tail!"

Click to reveal..

1d20+6

(10:34:53) ChatBot: (Cole_Mulvaney) rolls 1d20 and gets 18. 24

Damage is 21

[jameson (ST)]

Cole darted forward his clawed hands lashing out deadly precision only to meet the brute's natural armor. Cole's claws skittered over the rough surface but failed to breach it. In response the thing barely even seemed to notice Cole, its snapping jaws began to open as it turned in Ramani's direction.

Click to reveal..

Attack hits!

Damage DC is 21

Toughness save = 23

No damage

Up next Wally, you have until Friday

[SalmonMax]

Wally leaped to one side and cocked his shotgun in a very cinematic fashion. It even made the appropriate kck-shck noise. He lifted the stock to his shoulder and said in his best gruff voice, "Anyone want some luggage?"

The blast of the weapon was startlingly loud in the confined space, and the recoil of the solid slug round kicked the gun back hard against his shoulder, wringing not-quite-so-gruff, "Owww," from the kangaroo.

(To hit: 18, Toughness DC 21 lethal.)

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2402357/

[jameson (ST)]

The shotgun belched flame and lead and the Croc reeled from the impact as the heavy deerslug punched through its skin and plowed through soft tissue like a plow through snow. Blood, deep red and hot, began to ooze out of the not so small wound. The Croc reeled from the impact, its eyes glazed with pain.

Click to reveal..

Attack hits!

Damage DC is 21

Toughness save = 16

Failsauce by 5, bruised, injured and stunned (-2/-1 toughness and misses this round.)

Up next Penny, you have until Friday

[z-Penny Mann]

Penny appeared to do nothing. She stared intently at the monstrous form, narrowing her eyes in concentration.

But in reality, she was focusing all her burgeoning mental powers on the animalistic mind before her. She wasn't sure this would work, but it had worked on Ramani. So's here's hoping...

Click to reveal..

Penny is using Stun on the Croc. She has Improved Range and Accurate on this power.

1d20+5=13

[jameson (ST)]

Penny looked like a teen bystander in some kind of Hollywood action film. Almost. In a Hollywood action film she'd have had her camera phone at the ready to take YouTube video. She also wouldn't have had the look of concentration on her face that bludgeoned away any trace of fear. She lashed out with a short range psychic attack and ... nothing happened. Shit.

Click to reveal..

Attack hits!

Fort DC is 18

Fort save = 26

Passed!

remains Stunned until Init step 8

(-2/-1 toughness and misses this round.)

Up next Ramani, you have until Sunday

[Ramani]

Ramani's instincts took over, the familiar red haze clouded her vision granting her an uncanny strength and determination. She had to kill there was no denying, she was an unstoppable force of nature. Her claws extended even further as she growled furiously and lashed out with teeth and claws with no regret, with no holding back.

Click to reveal..

All-out-attack trading 5 Defense for 5 Attack bonus

Powerattack - trading +5 AB for +5 Damage

Using All-out-Attack, full trade +5 AB, -5 Def (Defbonus at +1 now) (1d20+11=26) Unfortunately I forgot to factor in the Powerattack in my roll. I pushed the roll dice button after I realized it. Sorry for the mistake/confusion. - resulting Attack roll is 21.

Dealing lethal damage this time. Damage DC is 27.

[jameson (ST)]

The Croc's armored skin was useless against the assault. Feline claws, long, curved, and wickedly sharp, torn crimson rivers in through the dark green hide. The creature bellowed in pain and anger as its life blood continued to spill to the ground.

Click to reveal..

Attack hits!

Damage DC is 27

Toughness save = 18

Failsauce by 9, bruised, injured and stunned

remains Stunned until just before Ramani's next action

-3 Bruised

-2 Injured

Up next Cole, you have until Sunday

[Cole Mulvaney]

Cole watches as Ramani's attacks carved into the croc. He waited for it's thrashing to subside for a moment before attempting to dig his claws into it's side again, hopefully with better results.

In the back of his mind he wondered when he'd become okay with killing like this, and another part argued that this monster was responsible for a number of deaths, and could be a danger to everyone.

Click to reveal..

1d20+6

(10:53:27) ChatBot: (Cole_Mulvaney) rolls 1d20 and gets 14. +6= 20

Damage is 21

[jameson (ST)]

From his flanking position Cole was able to move in quickly and with a couple of quick slashes he landed a killing blow ripping the Croc's throat open. Blood fountained outward and down and with a chocking, gurgling, bellow the Croc fell, it life blood spilling to the cement.

Click to reveal..

Attack hits!

Damage DC is 21

Toughness save = 10

Failsauce by 11, staggered, disabled and stunned

remains Stunned until just before Cole's next action

Staggered

Disabled

-3 Bruised

-2 Injured

Up next Wally, you have until Sunday ... FINISH HIM!

[jameson (ST)]

Kck-shck. Wally pumped the shotgun once to feed a new round, the spent shell flew, tumbling, out of the port on the side of the weapon. He bounced forward and leveled the shotgun at the dying creature. Click. Nothing happened. He looked at the weapon with bemused confusion, caught off guard by the random dud shell.

Penny is up, you have till Tuesday

[z-Penny Mann]

Penny knew that it had almost worked, she'd felt that. With a scowl, she tried again, pushing harder.

Click to reveal..

Penny is using Mental Blast on the Croc (ranged attack): 1d20+5=18

[jameson (ST)]

Penny concentrated once more, this time focusing her power far more so that it created a concentrated blast that would harm rather than disable. The creature, already dying, twitched and gurgled as synapsed were fried within its brain.

Click to reveal..

Attack hits!

Damage DC is 19

Toughness save = 15

Failsauce by 4, bruised

remains Stunned until just before Cole's next action

Staggered

Disabled

-4 Bruised

-2 Injured

Jumping out of combat, the thing is dying, bleeding out on the street. You may act freely.

[Ramani]

Ramani was still in killing mode. She lashed out one more time as the huge mutant Croc fell like timber. Standing above it on her fours she growled furiously and snarled at anyone coming closer with murder in her eyes. It took several seconds that stretched like minutes before the large tigress calmed down. Reluctantly she backed off her prey and carefully retreated, all her senses still fully focused on the Croc and her friends. Her bestial side rebelled against her actions. This was her kill, she would get the first share of meat but her rational mind kept her from indulging herself.

This looked much like a step back although she didn't give in to her instincts Ramani looked more savage than ever. For a moment it looked like she would attack her friends if need be - did she even recognise them? The large tigress stared at her clawed hands muscles still tensed and dancing under fur. Her entire body was shivering with excess adrenaline and her heart pounded wildly in her chest. The haze slowly dissipated and more rational thoughts became clearer and then it showed but most evident for Cole. She felt ashamed - ashamed of losing control...

[Cole Mulvaney]

Cole backs off from the croc, having read about Deathrolls. "Everyone back off, no need to be close when he rolls." He laid ahand on Ramani guiding her back waiting for the croc to truly die, and trying to assuage the Tigress' rage. "You did good Ramani, it won't be eating anyone ever again." His other claw was still bloody from tearing out the throat of the croc, and he brought it up to show her. "You weren't alone in the attack."

He looks to Penny and Wally. "We killed it, now what do we do with him? We can't just leave him here."

[SalmonMax]

"Uh...right..." Wally looked around. "Well...we'll have to bury him, won't we?" The kangaroo frowned as he looked at the croc again. "Big fella though. In fact..."

He ducked lower, getting a feel for the former menace's measurements, then sat back up on his haunches.

"He's too big to be the one who was eating mice out of the sewers. He wouldn't fit through the little...the..." He made a gesture. "...the little hole spigot thing that pours out. Crikey, I hope we didn't just hit the wrong fella."

[z-Penny Mann]

Penny wasn't listening. She was watching the big animal twitch and bleed. She thought about the day that her mother hit a cat, and her father going back for it. They'd taken it to a vet, but there was nothing to be done.

"Someone needs to kill it," she said, her voice soft. Something dark and cold told her, That someone can be you. And the others will never even know.

Swallowing, she lashed out with her mind again, pushing it like she had before. The crocodile convulsed one more time and went completely still, a rattling noise issuing from it. Penny bit her lip and shivered, suddenly terrified of herself.

[jameson (ST)]

Conveniently, almost immediately after Penny said that they should put it out of its misery the creature died. To the others it seemed that the fatal wounds had caused it to bleed to death, but Penny knew the truth. Blood still oozed from the corpse, including from the eyes and mouth, but there was no life remaining in the creature now. Wally moved forward and now removed a measuring tape and confirmed his earlier guesstimate, there was no way this creature could have fit through the drain pipe; Wally himself had only barely squeezed through.

The thing itself was more Croc than not. Where Wally and the tigers both had developed speech, hands, and, in the tiger's case, bipedal locomotion, the Croc had only rudimentary hands, cruder than even the partial hands of Cole. It was immense in size, at nearly seventeen feet long it would have been considered a big crocodile by any standards. The others moved forward to get a better view as well and between the four of them they saw evidence of various other wounds, old partially healed bullet holes and stab wounds, as well as indications of the use of a high powered stun gun or cattle prod. Somebody had encountered this thing before.