Mutants & Masterminds: The Unlikely Prophets - Issue #3: "History is a Bomb"

[IndyPendant]

Sharatur nodded to Glitch. "Sure, it's right over here."

The thing was huge, but the access console was a lot easier to deal with. Away from the others, Sharatur leaned in to Glitch and confided "I might be wearing this godawful gawdy suit, but I'm not entirely sure I trust that thing. No one else seems concerned though, and what I know about computers in general...well, I can generally get one to turn on on a good day, after only a few tries..." She smiled to indicate she was joking. Mostly.

But Glitch could tell from the tentative manner she approached and activated the LOOM, and the way she looked and thought out everything she touched before actually using it, that technological devices were largely a mystery to her. And a somewhat intimidating one, as well...

"LOOM, Glitch. Glitch, meet LOOM."

[Charlotte]

"If Glitch is on the level, we wouldn't have to be too close. We could show up and see if there's anything in their data-banks that'll lead us to where we need to go." Blackjack coughed. "Bodhie... I know things were bad between you and your husband. Are you sure about this? We can look elsewhere if we have to."

[Radiance]

Hikari continued to remain silent, considering the orbital prison idea. If that was the case this would be alot harder to plan.

[Bodhie Armstrong]

Bodhie looked, almost stared at Jack before she decided to answer his question. The tension in her body reflected by the tightening of her muscles around her upper body. "My husband used to hit me and he managed to bring up my son against me. He'd tell the Order the first moment we turn our backs on him. He's really loyal... as long as it benefits his career. I'd really like to payback what he did to me, but that's not helping us.", the large female bodybuilder sighed briefly.

"I honestly don't know how to answer your question. Maybe he won't recognise me... that could proof to be useful I hope. What exactly is your plan, Jack?", she inquired trying to relax herself a little and be more open minded.

[Necronaut]

"Thanks Gloom. That's the ticket, right there."

He was only just starting to register Gloom's attitude when the conversation turned elsewhere.

"If it becomes necessary to deal with him at all Bodhie, I suggest you try to keep your distance for now. It might be better to leave it to someone who can deal with the wife-beating skuzz-bucket objectively."

[z-Gloom]

"I have some very objective bullets," Gloom offered in a hard hiss.

[Charlotte]

"Let's... not go there just yet." Blackjack coughed at Gloom's assertion. "I meant, were you okay with going back to London in general, Bodhie. We can always go at night when no one'll be around that knows your face. We can wear masks and, if Glitch is correct, we don't even need to be that close to the building."

[Bodhie Armstrong]

"We can do that, I just thought you wanted me to talk to John and try to get him to help us...", she shook her head as she imagined the absurdity of that idea. Half laughing she added, "That wouldn't amount to anything, trust me."

"I guess if I just stay in the background and let you guys do the talking, it'll be ok."

[Thomas Froit]

Glitch smiled to Sharatur and nodded. "Ok, here goes then." Spending a few minutes with Glitch and the Loom, Jade could see that he really knew tech devices. Even advanced ones that were completely beyond this world. After a bit, it was clear enough that he was checking out and absorbing any and all options there were. Merely playing around, that was all.

Finally, the LOOM created a full-body black suit with light silver lines all across the suit. His mask was similar in design. "Look good? Fashion, unlike technology, is not my expertise."

[SalmonMax]

"It's good," Larissa assured him with a grin. "Now, where are we going, exactly? I'll need to start looking for doors."

[Charlotte]

With a little bit of searching, and a bit of patience, they found an appropriate doorway, and stepped through.

In London, it was the middle of the night, with thick and shimmering fog clinging to the streets. There was a light rain, and few people on the streets. There would be security cameras, but with their masks - and with Sharatur's speed and Gloom's darkness control - they were of little concern.

Their quarry was a dull, squat building, as if a giant had dropped a moving box onto the streets of the city. Carefully, Glitch extended the anntena of his remote hacking tool, and waited as he paged through data, everyone clustered around the screen.

Bodhie felt a chill that ran deeper than the familiar London air, because it was familiar London air. It was home, except it had felt like so long since she'd left that it had started to feel alien. She felt her thoughts turning towards her husband and boy. They were out there, in the fog somewhere.

And so, the group waited.

[Thomas Froit]

"Ok, seriously, don't crowd around me. Yet, anyway." Glitch advised the rest of the group that hovered in anxiety to see what he came up with. "So far, I've got the building, plus I'm starting to wade through the security here. It's not easy to spoof an Authentication Header with all eyes on yourself, ok? I'll let you know when we get to looking at prison data."

[IndyPendant]

Sharatur watched the crowd hovering around Glitch briefly, and thought about how good it had felt to watch unobserved while they first met him. She decided to search the area for a nicely hidden place to hunker down and keep an eye on as much of the surrounding environment as possible. Between her teleportation, ability to walk on air, as well as her speed and skills, it should prove easy to find somewhere suitable! "I'll keep watch" is all she said before she simply vanished.

She found a likely spot higher up and near enough to teleport in from. Unfortunately, being somewhat new at this, she forgot to factor in the moon, which sillouhetted her quite nicely for anyone gazing up at her from the ground...

Click to reveal..

I rolled a few times, just generic d20s, for you to use (as skill checks or whatever) in helping Sharatur find somewhere to hide and watch.

Maybe I shouldn't have. 8, 7, and 1 for (unmodified) 1d20 rolls. Ouch.

[Bodhie Armstrong]

Originally Posted By: Mike OOC

Bodhie felt a chill that ran deeper than the familiar London air, because it was familiar London air. It was home, except it had felt like so long since she'd left that it had started to feel alien. She felt her thoughts turning towards her husband and boy. They were out there, in the fog somewhere.

And so, the group waited.

Bodhie craned her neck looking several times over her broad shoulders as if someone was watching her. Even though she was disguised wearing her L.O.O.M. with matching mask she felt naked. Knowing that she was back in London made her edgy and nervous. There was a haunted look in her eyes, as if John could show up any minute. She honestly didn't know what she would do if that really happened...

Trying to shake off that sense of dread Bodhie made a few steps without actually moving forward and leaned forward into the group. "So what's the plan? I'd like to get away from here A S A P."

It was odd watching the hulking musclebound woman who constantly was watching her back as if someone followed her. What could possibly scare someone like her?

[Necronaut]

"Any cemeteries in the neighborhood?" Norman asked Bodhie in the hopeful tone of someone seeking directions to the corner store. "I could have a word with the locals while Glitch does his thing."

[Bodhie Armstrong]

"There's Highgate, Brompton or Putney Vale... let me see which is the nearest...", Bodhie tried to recall by memory where the next Cemetery should be from their position.

Click to reveal..

Mike... Help?

[Charlotte]

The closest cemetery was in Highgate, and it was about fifteen minutes away by foot.

Glitch's initial efforts to get past the security system were successful. He began searching through data.

It took several long minutes to filter through the reams of data stored inside. Much of what was tagged 'Iron Gates' was confidential, and while Glitch had gotten past the first layer of security he was unable to pierce the second. He felt a dryness in his throat as he searched for alternate avenues.

He found one, when he tried "IG" instead of "Iron Gates." "IG" was referred to in the blueprints for a prison that, from the looks of the storage facilities and the presence of a dock, was located on an island somewhere. It also made oblique references to being built atop an existing subterranean structure, but said nothing more about the nature of the structure.

The blueprints' side notes also made reference to building materials that would be suitable for a temperate climate.

All of this, took about fifteen minutes. No one seemed to spot the group during that time.

Click to reveal..

Glitch's Disable Device check. (1d20+21=26)

Glitch's Computers check. (1d20+21=40)

[Bodhie Armstrong]

15 Minutes... that's an eternity if you expect your abusive husband to show up any minute. Bodhie's heart was pounding flushing blood through her engorged veins. She was anxious and restless constantly looking around acting very suspicious actually.

She remembered the last time she felt like this - her muscles ached and she was cramping all over as she hit the gym after another of her husbands 'attacks'. She had forgotten to drink enough and dehydrated too fast resulting in painful cramps in her legs and arms. Back then she thought she would have to die.

The large amazon sighed heavily as she tried to calm herself down but she felt as long as she stayed in London she wouldn't feel any better soon.

"So what's up, Glitch? Can we go now or do we have to hijack that place?", she tried to hide her impatience but it was obvious that she wanted to get away from there.

[Thomas Froit]

Glitch glanced over his shoulder while his hand not holding the WID searched for his key ring with flash drive. One of the defects of the WID was that it required an external drive to actually store and save data. "Well, there's good news, bad news and good news again."

He pulled out the flash drive and slotted it in, beginning the procedure to save. "Good news, I got into the system. Bad news, the files tagged 'Iron Gates' had another layer of encryption, which I couldn't break. Second set of good news, under 'IG' is a set of prison blueprints which I'm saving right now. At first glance, the key words are: island prison, in a region with a temperate climate, on top of an existing subterranean structure. Not that it says what that structure IS or much else, being pretty vague."

He sighed at the impatient look on Bodhie's face. "I know we're under some time pressure, but this is the best I've got so far. Do you guys want me to try again at the directly marked 'Iron Gates' stuff, or should we skedaddle?"

[SalmonMax]

"Can you just download the encrypted files so we can bring them with us?" Hex asked. "Then we'd have as much time as we need to crack them."

[Thomas Froit]

Glitch didn't respond, but nodded and went back to feverishly working on the WID. It took another ten minutes, but he appeared to retract the antenna, and remove the key drive. He had it seemed, closed up shop.

"Alright, I copied the encrypted files just in case I get extremely lucky, but honestly, I don't see my being able to break through the encryption anytime soon or in any appropriate time frame. The blueprints the best to go by it seems, and that's all saved up."

Click to reveal..

Disable Device (+21)

18+21=39.

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2681792/

This is the roll- Mike has already cleared the result with me.

[Charlotte]

A moment after the last file was safely saved, Jade spotted a flashlight that winked at her, from the direction of the building they were electronically tapping into.

It was only there a moment, but Jade felt that moment was about to bring men with guns and radios and inconvenient questions.

Originally Posted By: OOC

Necro, I need to know where you are and what you're up to.

[Necronaut]

The Necronaut opted to hang back with the others and watch Glitch work. He kept an eye out for passers by, but was more interested in testing the air for the flitting sense of the restless dead, on the off chance some anonymous soul had been inadvertently buried beneath the street or some-such.

[IndyPendant]

That was enough for Sharatur. Adrenaline surged through her and she vanished to reappear among the group once more. "I hope you got what you needed, because it's time to go!" she exclaimed with too much energy, her face flushed and her palms sweating as they clutched her bo staff in a white-knuckled grip.

This wasn't fear, though except for her flush it could easily be mistaken for that. She was way too excited, considering the circumstances. She kept having to wrestle down a goofy grin, to keep it from spreading over her face. "They've spotted what we're doing--or maybe that we're doing something, at least. They know where we are--or will soon." She was dangerously close to babbling, and way off-center. She took a deep breath, fighting to calm down.

Good God, was she actually enjoying this?

[Thomas Froit]

"No, we get you." Glitch nodded and remained cool-headed. "Ok, Hex, everyone, time to leave and fast."

[Radiance]

Hikari had remained as a silent spectator for the most part, not really having anything to contribute. Her abilities could help disguise a few of them, but they'd need to remain close together. Now that the jig was up so to say, she was making preparations to help fight their way out.

[SalmonMax]

Hex nodded and opened her spellbook to the page she'd marked by poking a finger into it. In a jiffy she had a bit of chalk out and was busily scraping marks on the door they'd arrived by. Those who had been on some of Hex's jaunts before could start to recognize certain common themes in the images she drew. They'd been to Australia several times now, and the ritual drawings, while always a little different each time, had enough similarity that it wasn't hard to guess where she was linking this door to.

"Just a second and we'll be home," she muttered between her teeth.

[Charlotte]

It was close - as Hex finalized her sigils, the rest of the group could see the zig-zag of flashlights in the dark heading their way. She thrust open the door to the dawning light in Australia, and the group piled through.

Hex closed the door and the sigils on the other side dissolved into so much dust. In Blackjack's house, the group stood, all eyes on Glitch and whatever he'd managed to obtain.

[Thomas Froit]

Glitch let out a sigh of relief as the group evaded discovery, then noticed everyone was looking at him. With a scowl of brief annoyance, he walked over to a nearby table and plopped down the WID and flash drive. "All right, you'll get a look at what seems to be the prison's blueprints."

Booting the WID back up, he brought up the blueprint files to the screen and moved away for people to look it over.

"I also should add that based on what I've seen, we're talking an island of about seven miles by five miles."

[Bodhie Armstrong]

Back home Bodhie quickly went for the door and stepped outside. Her nervousity and anxiety had quickly transformed into anger. Why was she still so freaked out by her husband. Why was she still afraid that he would beat her again? She doubted he could hurt her now but her emotional wounds were deep and her scars haven't mended yet.

Her body was pumped up and she needed some kind of stressrelief. Looking around she found a few boulders roughly the size of a medicine ball. The hulking blonde valkyrie tried to pick up the first boulder and accidently crushed it in her hand.

"Whoa... easy...", she said to herself and reached out for the next stone picking it up without destroying it. Tossing the boulder up several times she aimed for the horizon and then threw it with all her might watching it vanish quickly from her sight.

God, I needed that... - her heartbeat was slowly calming down and with the evaporating anger her form slowly shrank until she was almost back to her 'normal' size.

"Next time... next time I'll do better.", she promised herself and went back inside. She wanted to know what Glitch had found out and what their next move would be.

[Radiance]

Hikari nodded. "I don't suppose anyone has a way to identify the Island? GPS would be really nice right about now."

[SalmonMax]

"Seven miles by five miles," Hex mused. "That's really small as islands go. Tiny. Maybe we can use internet queries to find a few candidates."

She scowls. "Though anything we find online will probably be an example of what it's NOT."

After a second she goes over to the table where the blueprints are spread out and looks them over. "When was this thing built? Maybe if we look at maps that were made -before- then, they'll show the island. Then we can use online searches, or new maps to confirm. Whatever island disappears is our baby."

[Charlotte]

Examining the blueprints, and what little they were able to extrapolate from the other files that they'd obtained, they were able to narrow the search down a great deal. The online atlas turned and turned as they searched it, but even in temperate climate there were still too many options.

There was, however, only one island off the coast of Greece that fit the description. Mountainous, a fair distance from shore, temperate climate, the right dimensions. And it DID have a nice view of the main continent. "A good view of the Olympics."

It didn't have a name, but it seemed quite likely that this was their Iron Gates.

[Radiance]

"You know, I never figured we'd do so much globe-hopping when I signed on for this."

Hikari smiled having cleaned up and changed clothing. "I hear Greece is nice this time of year."

[SalmonMax]

Hex nodded. "I can get us somewhere near," she said, "But we'll have to get to the island on our own. I doubt there's online photos of a top secret prison facility."

"What's the closest city? I'll start looking for doors."

[Charlotte]

The closest city was Vouliagmeni, which was east by northeast of their target island. It was in the southern part of Greece. There were hotels, and lots of photographs, and it wasn't too long before Hex had her photograph.

Before she started drawing on their doorway, Blackjack coughed. "Listen. I won't be able to come along on this one. I was barely useful on the Cardinal building job and, blind as I am, I'd only slow you down on something as important as a jailbreak. You'll have to go on without me. And one of you'll have to be the leader for this one. Any volunteers?"

[Bodhie Armstrong]

"We've been to Greece once, when Sean was still a toddler...", Bodhie reminsced. But that information had nothing to do with their mission and she quickly shook it off.

"I'm sorry - It's a nice place, I agree,", she said nodding towards Radiance.

As Blackjack finished his little speech she almost wanted to offer to carry him on her back. He wouldn't slow her down much and they would profit from his insight and experience but then she realized that he probably wanted them to go on their own. Understanding his motivation she nodded slowly and then spoke up.

"If no one feels up to the challenge I would volunteer - but maybe I'm not the best candidate...", her personal preference would've been the Scarlet Samurai but he decided to leave the group and go his own way. The massively built woman crossed her arms across her mighty chest and waited for the others to share their views.

[SalmonMax]

Hex gave Bodhie an apologetic look and said, "I think we'd be best off with someone who had experience leading people. Especially someone with experience in high-risk, tactical types of situations. Gloom is one example that comes to mind."

[IndyPendant]

"Not me!" Sharatur yelped quickly, as if someone had volunteered her--or might. "I'm still adapting to this new life, and the most I've ever led is groups of ungrateful, bored tourists."

"Greece, hmm?" she mused, smiling slightly. "I was just getting used to Australia. I guess there really are some perks to this whole thing."

On a hunch, she powered up her computer and used her background knowledge to see if she could find any geological information about the island. A geographical map might have information or allow them to infer where settlements might be, or even the prison itself, as well as possibly providing clues as to the best method of entry and/or exit.

Click to reveal..

Knowledge (Earth Sciences) roll: 8+11=19.

Some examples: If the island is all mountain, it's likely that any prison would be built into the mountainside. If it's flat-ish with a large central volcano, then it likely is *not* built into the side of volcano. If there's only one flat area on the entire island, that'd be the location of a town, assuming there is one. Etc etc.

[Thomas Froit]

"Gloom sounds fine," Glitch piped in, "though I want some time to create a few more useful tricks first. I feel the need to be prepared first, and my current set-up... could use a few hours work for additions. After all, if we get too active, we'd run ourselves ragged and the Order could pick up on what they need to do to cause us trouble. Three hours for me, tops." He insisted, since he'd been interrupted and not gotten the chance to tinker more.