Jade Hood and Stone Fist issue #3 (System tryout)

DavidMcMahon wrote:Keep looking for Agent Chayne but remember what I saw and where.

Jade Hood continued to survey the rest of the cells, before reporting back to Stone Fist.

OOC: I am afraid that my preference is to go in via the door up top as I think that affords us a better entry point with less risk. Even if we break into the bars, an alert guard will see the evidence of our break in, or indeed someone within might spot us coming out, whereas coming in from the roof, is less likely to be considered a viable option and that provides us the best cover yet.

Sj

Each jump from ledge to ledge revealed more rooms converted into cells.

The place was a laboratory, the people in those cells little more than lab rats. Observed, tested, treated, discarded.

Jade Hood climbed back up onto the roof where he saw Stone Fist waiting, the superhuman having had an easier time of jumping about. Stone Fist had seen no evidence of Agent Chayne in his search, and Jade Hood confirmed he'd seen nothing, save for unfortunates strapped to gurneys or left in the shadows. Some were bound with ropes, others simply curled up where they lay. Whatever they had been treated with had left them weakened and probably in some cases, killed them.

Chayne was somewhere below, on the lower floors. He was, doubtless, in trouble, and surrounded not by local hired goons, but by trained, possibly enhanced, Nazi superhumans.

One of which *might* be Baron Bloot.

Jade Hood made a cursory check of the door on the roof. Locked. He narrowed his eyes. A skilled thief, trained to get into and out of places without being seen or detected he had a vague feeling about the door.

Perhaps it was... booby trapped or alarmed in some way? Even so far as to ring a bell on a lower floor. It would take skill and not a little luck to get that door open without making any noise...

Admin wrote:Perhaps it was... booby trapped or alarmed in some way? Even so far as to ring a bell on a lower floor. It would take skill and not a little luck to get that door open without making any noise...

"I think they may have trapped the door, give me a minute" Jade Hood said as he set to work, laying out his equipment carefully, taking time to feel around the frame of the door, the hinges and then the lock, looking for additions or surprises that might threaten their unannounced entry.

OOC:
Or in other words I am using a effort points where necessary to get in in defiance of the security they've placed here. Once we're in, I suggest I take point, we close the door carefully behind is - but not so as to trap ourselves, before heading deeper into the place to locate Agent Cheyne first of all.

Sj

"I think they may have trapped the door, give me a minute" Jade Hood said as he set to work, laying out his equipment carefully, taking time to feel around the frame of the door, the hinges and then the lock, looking for additions or surprises that might threaten their unannounced entry.

Stone Fist nods his agreement. "He is probably in a basement cell," he offers while waiting their backs.

Jade Hood moved carefully around the door, looking and probing with a small pick, then set to with his tools.

OOC The Thieves tools Jade Hood would carry negate any negative modifiers he'd suffer (a lot!) from trying to disarm a booby trap/alarm. With effort points, I'm considering alternatives (like a store of them replenished every issue) but for now, JH is on 4/5 and uses an effort point. His Agility 4 + Thief 4 + Roll 7,6,5 (13)= 21. Easily blitzes the target number of 15.

*click* Jade Hood paused, then looked up at Stone Fist and smiled. "Here." he held up a string of shot gun shells rigged to fire at anyone wary enough to simply barge the door in or open the lock without disarming the trigger. The blast would have been enough to kill a person and anyone nearby, as well as alerting the occupants of the house.

Taking point the ninja trained martial artist stole into the stairwell, looking up, down and around.

=========

The door onto the top floor landing of the building crept open a touch...

The stairs had led to this point, a landing which ran the length of the building and turned inwards at both ends of the corridor. Along the length of it were doors that doubtless lead to the cells they'd seen. The core of the building had no doors on this level. Just then, some 10m or so away, the pair of heroes heard voices speaking in arabic from around the corner. They had a choice - duck back into the stairwell, try a door along the corridor, run for the other end of the corridor and hope not to be seen or confront the people about to turn the corner...

JADE HOOD: 4/5 EP
STONE FIST: 5/5 EP

"Run," Stone Fist whispers/asks into Jade Hood ear, indicating trying to get away without being seen.

DavidMcMahon wrote:"Run," Stone Fist whispers/asks into Jade Hood ear, indicating trying to get away without being seen.

OOC: So we run then.

Sj

The pair of heroes sprint down the corridor and turn the corner...

To where a man in a white coat was walking up stairs at the end of this length of corridor! The pair were some 5m away. This man, of average height and build, was balding, in his late thirties, glasses. He looked like a doctor. Beside him was a suited burly looking fellow, short cropped blonde hair, snarling look to his face. The pair paused upon seeing Jade Hood and Stone Fist, then the bespectacled man said "Interesting. We were told to watch for a man of impressive build and another of oriental descent that moved like a ... what was the word Heinrich? Ah yes, a 'striking snake'. Perhaps you would indulge me. You see, Heinrich has been itching to test his new abilities..."

'Heinrich' popped his knuckles, moved past the Doctor and more or less filled the corridor. He pulled his jacket off, setting it aside. The shirt underneath strained against his colossal muscles! He rolled his neck, popping it. Veins bulged, and muscles built on muscles...

"Come." said Heinrich. "I vill break you."

The 'Doctor' pulled a notepad from his pocket and started to make notes as he watched the unfurling drama...

OOC Out of the frying pan... Good guys initiative 8,3 (11) Bad guys initiative 1,3 (4). You guys go first. It's hard (not impossible) to see the 'Doctor' behind this hulking brute, who looks big enough to break even Stone Fist in half! Over to you - the longer the fight goes on, the more noise it'll make. Right now the alarm hasn't been raised...

Admin wrote:OOC Out of the frying pan... Good guys initiative 8,3 (11) Bad guys initiative 1,3 (4). You guys go first. It's hard (not impossible) to see the 'Doctor' behind this hulking brute, who looks big enough to break even Stone Fist in half! Over to you - the longer the fight goes on, the more noise it'll make. Right now the alarm hasn't been raised...

OOC:
Hmm seems to me that Stone Fist ought to lead but that Jade Hood might be able to use his martial arts to find pressure points and areas where this fellow might not be so well defended by shear strength and muscle. At least I hope so ;-)

Moving like the snake he had been described, Jade Hood took up position flying at the man, but then leaping over him at the last moment to apply a series of lethal jabs, hoping to find the right never cluster. He was going for pain that might give Stone Fist an opportunity to make good on.

OOC:
Ok going for a called shot type of hit, as I leap over him, so this is an effort point, if needed on accuracy to try and get past his defences and then if not needed added to damage to make that as effective as possible. But rather than go for damage based on strength I am trying to find a weak point that I can exploit, where the direct brute strength approach wouldn't work. Also by hoping to move over and behind him, I give room for Stone Fist to hit and a chance for me to get near the Doctor.

Sj

Stone Fist is going for the classic flying tackle. Effort point to hit and one to damage.

Jade Hood used his abilities to 'strike like a snake' and tumbled towards his foe without a word to jam out a foot on the way past into the mans neck area before landing behind him (and between the big man and the smaller, scientist type fellow).

OOC JH using effort points to gain an extra die. Using the 'If ... then' costs double the normal number of effort points for a single die if you need them, but costs nothing if you get good rolls. JH has 4/5 effort points at this point. He attacks with CS11 + Martial Arts 7 -4 (Called Shot) + Roll 10,3 (13)=27. Bad guys defence is CS11 + Roll 8,2 (10)=21. Hit for 2 Accuracy, but going for effect rather than damage.

Delivering a jarring kick that would have paralysed a normal man. Heck, normal man? It would have put down a bear! Instead Jade Hood grit his teeth - it was like kicking a cliff face! Still, there seemed to be some effect as the man grunted and swayed on his feet, moving a hand to the point where Jade Hood had landed and rolling his neck in pain! He frowned, then growled at Jade Hood, turning his head to glance over his shoulder at the diminutive martial artist!

Stone Fist saw his chance!

OOC The Strike from Jade Hood reduces the guys Combat Skill by 2 (number of success) for 1 full round after this one. That affects his defence and attack capabilities. In addition, Stone Fist gets +2 from partially blindsiding the guy. Stone Fist attempts to 'fly tackle' the guy. using 2 effort points (one on hit, one on damage). CS9 + Brawling 3 + Roll 7,1,1 (ouch. + 2 Modifier (blindside) = 22. Bad Guy has CS9 (reduced) + Roll 2,4 (6)=15. 3 Accuracy + 5 Strength + 1 (Hard Skin ) + Roll 7,7,10 (14, double) plus roll 6,9 (15)=38. Bad guy has 5 Tough Skin + 5 Body + Roll 8,3 (11)=21. 17 Damage! Heinrich is on 5/22 Health! Stone Fist is on 3/5 Effort points.

BOOM!

The irresistible force meets the immovable object and with a bone jarring CRUNCH! the object staggers! The floorboards split from the colossal force of the blow and the man crashes into a wall, smashing plaster and shattering lath strips in the process as the man crashes through into the brickwork behind, striking with a thud and dislodging a number of bricks! Showered in paint and plaster, he growls, shakes his head groggily and wipes a smear of blood from his face. Already there is swelling where his head struck brickwork and the skin split!

"Interesting!" declared the scientist fellow in the glasses. "Heinrich has been measured with every means we have to determine that he has superior strength to that of the African Bull elephant and has the resistive capabilities of a full grown rhino! Yet you have managed to deliver a blow of such concussive force that we must reconsider our treatments! Perhaps an increased dose of element C..." he said, appearing to make more notes. He was stood only feet away from Jade Hood!

"Ah. Impressive. You accomplished two objectives with a single move. You are the strategist. A martial artist of unparalleled skill. Interesting."

Then he disappeared!

The big man, Heinrich, looked left and right. He had two targets, but one had moved faster than he could reasonably hope to catch, and the other had smashed into him like a freight train!

He bellowed an angry cry and swung wildly at Stone Fist!

OOC He's on reduced CS9 and sinks 2 effort points into damage, 1 into attack. Roll is 5,8,8 (16, double) plus 9,4 (13)=38 attack. Stone Fist has Defence of CS9 + Roll 7,6 (13)=22. If you wish to add effort into defence (or resistance) you can do on a 1 for 1 basis (because of the play by post format) instead of 2 for 1 (otherwise I'd be asking you if you wanted to add dice then waiting for a reply and so on). If you don't add effort to defence the guy has 6 Accuracy + 7 Strength + Roll 5,6,10,9 (19)=32. Stone Fist has defence of Body 4 + Tough Skin 3 + Roll 1,8 (9)=16. He would take 16 damage from the hit, putting him on a single Health Point, so I expect you'll add effort points to defence or resistance, your choice. Good rolls for the bad guy can turn the situation around, and you can be sure he won't underestimate you again (assuming he lasts much longer). Your call on the effort points expenditure (defence, resistance, both, none?) then initiative for the next round.

one for defense and one for resistence.

OOC Dice roll for defence.. 7. Replaces the 6 and gives you a double! Plus 10,3 (13)= 36 defence. This drops the bads guys accuracy dramatically (to 1 point). Damage is therefore 1 Accuracy + 7 Strength + Roll 5,6,10,9 (19)=27. Roll for resistance for Stone Fist is 8... replaces 1, gives another double! Plus 2d10, 4,4 (8, double) plus 4,3 (7). That means Body 4 + Tough Skin 3 + Roll 8,8 (16) + Roll 4,4 ( + Roll 4,3 (7) = 38. From almost being knocked out to taking absolutely no damage whatsoever, this proves the worth of effort points (though a roll of 7 and 8 when you already rolled those in your standard rolls does wonders too).

The Big man SLAMMED his fist into Stone Fists face, grinning as he expected his opponent to fall, smashed into a red pulp...

Instead he cried out, shaking his hand as Stone Fist ducked to offer the hardest part of his skull to his enemy!

OOC Stone Fist is on 1/5 effort points. The scientist guy is nowhere to be seen, big man is battered, on shakey legs! Initiative 5 Good guys, 3 bad Guys. You go first.

Last effort point into damage. Hit him.

Admin wrote:Instead he cried out, shaking his hand as Stone Fist ducked to offer the hardest part of his skull to his enemy!

OOC Stone Fist is on 1/5 effort points. The scientist guy is nowhere to be seen, big man is battered, on shakey legs! Initiative 5 Good guys, 3 bad Guys. You go first.

"Quickly my friend, we have him now!" Jade Hood said urgently to Stone Fist, his voice lowered to just above a whisper. He himself wondered if his skills would help, since his blow was itself only successful due to its unerring accuracy, or whether his blow might better follow that of his friend.

OOC:
Ok not sure about delaying initiative, trying to see if we can work some team work in here. Basically if Stone Fist goes first, whilst I delay, then if the big man isn't down I strike again trying to do the best I can. I'll not add any effort points yet, as I need to hold them back for what is coming, I think.

If, however the German goes down, I'll take some of the brick dust and just throw it up in the air, I want to make sure our scientist hasn't just turned invisible and is still recording data, he seemed far too interested to leave just like that. Of course I could be wrong and he might bug out before we get to this point but it might be worth a try. Shame we can't turn invisible.

Sj

OOC No flies on you guys... (you'll see what I mean).

Stone Fist straightened up, rolled his neck, then slumped into a splayed leg fighting stance, hands up like a Boxer. he feinted with a left, then followed up with as much energy he could muster into the right!

OOC Heinrich is still dazed on CS9. Attack is CS9 + Brawling 3 + Roll 9,3 (12)=24. His defence is CS9 + Roll 5,3 (=17. 3 Accuracy + Strength 5 + Hard Skin 1 + Roll 10,1,8 (18, Stone Fist on zero effort points)=27. Heinrich has Body 5 + Tough Skin 5 + Roll 8,7 (15)=25. He takes 2 damage dropping him to 3/22 Health points.

Stone Fist saw the Germans head snap back... then pull forward again. His fist throbbed like crazy and the opponent shook his head slightly, blinking away pain!

Jade Hood tries not to gape. Stone Fist is strong enough to beat a brick wall to a pile of dust and bricks... and this guy has taken his best shots!

"Do you see, gentlemen?" laughed a voice from somewhere nearby.

It spoke again, apparently having moved "Heinrich is one of the first of a new master race! We have trodden a hard, painful road, but the final element is almost in our grasp!"

Heinrich groaned, and Jade Hood saw sweat pouring off him!

He spun, delivering a spin kick to the mans face!

OOC CS11 + Martial Arts 7 + Roll 5,1 (6)=24. Heinrichs defence is CS9 + Roll 2,3 (5)=14. 4 Accuracy + Strength 3 + Roll 8,2 (10)=17. Heinrich has Body 5 + Tough Skin 5 + Roll 1,3 (4)=14. He takes 3 damage, sending him falling backwards to crash into a heap!

Seeing the big man tumble backwards, the pair glance around for the other man, then hear Heinrich cry out! His skin is turning redder, and his hair falling out! He cries out, a strangled choke as his throat constricts, and his fingers claw at steel hard skin as veins bulge and his eyeballs force themselves outwards! As his strangled cry turns to a rasp, his back arches and he cries "Gah!" before slumping into a sweat soaked heap!

There is a moments silence, then "Hmmm. Clearly, the mixture isn't yet right."

Jade Hood snatched up brick dust and tossed it into the air around him!

"Ah ah ah!" laughed a voice, slightly further away. "You are smart, yes! Fast! Your skills, sublime! Your friend? Very interesting..."

Stone Fist narrowed his eyes... and his vision seemed to shift!

OOC Ultra vision 4 vs Invisibility 3. Roll for SF 9,7 (total 20 incl Ultra vision), for bad guy 4,5 (12 incl invisibility)

The corridor seemed to change to Stone Fists sight. It darkened, becoming varying shades of green! Bright green was Jade Hood, but some metres away down the corridor was the small scientist fellow! He glowed slightly less bright than Jade Hood, and there was an aura, around an inch or two around his body! He appeared to be writing on something, a notepad probably, and moving position around the corridor so as not to be pinpointed by Jade Hoods brick dust throwing - but Stone Fist could see him just fine!

Honing in on the voice as best he could, Jade Hood moved swiftly like the darting cobra, down the end of the corridor so as to block the diminutive scientist from trying to make a hasty retreat. He saw his companion narrow his eyes, was he able to see the scientist, despite his cunning trick. Jade couldn't be sure, but felt certain that if they carefully moved closer, the scientist would be grabbed between them. He indicated as such to his friend, trusting to his senses and the scattered brick dust he'd gathered on the way by, to alert him to the presence of the man, should he try to escape.

Sj

"I swear I saw a little man that wasn't there," Stone Fist sort of sang. "He wasn't there on the stairs when I didn't see him again the next day!"

With that, he moves quickly to the man and makes a grab for him.

The scientist, making notes and smug in the knowledge he could not be seen, yelps in surprise as Stone Fist scoops a handful of coat. "Arggh! Unhand me you oaf!" he wails, and becomes visible!

Jade Hood notices him pulling a hand away from his belt, which has a curious silver buckle in the shape of an oval protruding an inch or so. The scientist dangles in Stone Fists grip, and tries to recover his composure. "If you harm me, there shall be consequences!" he cries. Despite the imminent danger to himself, the scientist adjusts his glasses to better sit on his nose and peers at Stone Fists face up close. "Interesting. Would it be possible to obtain a sample of your blood and your skin?"

Admin wrote:The scientist, making notes and smug in the knowledge he could not be seen, yelps in surprise as Stone Fist scoops a handful of coat. "Arggh! Unhand me you oaf!" he wails, and becomes visible!

Whilst his strong and sure footed friend, had the scientist in hand, Jade Hood deftly unhooked the man's strange looking belt to get a closer look at it.

OOC:
Invisible belt, yes please. Come to papa! ;-) We'd also better interigate this fellow or knock him out and stuff him in a cage out of the way somewhere.

Sj

"We are looking for an America agent by the name of Chayne. Know where he is," Stone Fist asks, waving a hand to Jade Hood to search the man more carefully.

Jade Hood has some trouble removing the mans belt. It attaches at the back, and rather than having a buckle, he 'rips' it and it comes apart with a tear! With the belt in his hands he sees a strange kind of material on each part of the belt that adheres to the other, and makes a tearing sound when pulled apart. It's of little effort for him, a man of greater than average strength, but he's in little doubt the belt would stay in place were he to wear it whilst leaping about, and with buckle holes or other similar 'limitations', there seemed to be no limit as to the adjust-ability of the stuff!

"Careful with that!" says the scientist, twisting in Stone Fists grip but not getting far.

Stone Fist notices the man has lost his german accent.

He recovers his composure - and the German accent, and answers Stone Fist "You oaf! I vill not answer questions vile you hold me in ze air! All I hef to do is shout und guards vill come running, ja?" He flickes his eyes to where Jade Hood pulls a flat hard thin black slab around 8" high and 4" across. "Stop! Get off that!" says the Scientist, again losing his accent.

Jade Hood narrows his eyes. The slab looks like black glass, is very light, and there is a single button built into the top edge. He has no idea what it's meant for.

The Scientist reconsiders his stance when Stone Fist presses him against a wall and pulls a fist back "Wait! There was... a man they brought in earlier. He's in a ..." he seems to recall something, then continues "He is in a bad vay ze same as you vill be if you do not release me!"

Stone Fist smiled, then made as if to punch "Eeep! Stop! Alright!" wails the man.

"The man they brought in had the sachet with the plant extract! I've analysed it though, and there is still one missing ingredient!" he looked to Jade Hood, then back at Stone Fist. "If I could just... have my tablet?"

Admin wrote:Jade Hood "The man they brought in had the sachet with the plant extract! I've analysed it though, and there is still one missing ingredient!" he looked to Jade Hood, then back at Stone Fist. "If I could just... have my tablet?"

"So we have a phoney Nazi Scientist, and some device that turns him invisible. What happens if I press this button, will it make me invisible. I suggest you start talking or else my friend here might make you disappear, permanently, if you get my drift." The light Oriental man said, a note of menace in his voice, that Stone Fist knew was Jade Hood playing on his mysterious Oriental background to press the man for more information.

Truth be told Jade Hood was finding it hard not to press the button, the thought of being able to turn invisible might help them both find Cheynne and what is going on here. But who was this fake German, that thought was upper most in Jade Hood's mind also.

Sj

While holding him with ease with one hand, Stone Fist begins a careful pat down of the fake German scientist, looking for any weird devices that still might be on his person. He bumps the man against a wall any time he feels like complaining about the treatment.

The Scientist smiled at Jade Hoods 'bluff', then laughed "Go ahead. It's coded to my DN...ah, let's just say it won't work for you. I... hey!" Stone Fist patted him, down, not exactly being gentle about it!

Stone Fist fished the mans wallet out of his inner pocket and flicked it open. 'Heinz Wulfgang' it said, but Stone Fist didn't believe it for a second. The wallet was stuffed with large (OOC the largest legal tender at the time) denomination dollar bills. Inside the wallet was a strange white plastic card with writing the pair didn't recognise, strange symbols and a shiny mirror/rainbow (hologram) symbol like a figure 8 on its side.

"Trust...unh...me." grunted the fellow as he dangled several feet off the floor, turning redder by the moment "I...uh... have nothing against... you and... I personally... object... to the testing going... on here but... gakh... could you just... its... greater good!" he gasped, squirming in Stone Fists grip!