The New Vanguard! The Haunt issue #2: "Even a lion fears the jackal pack"

The Haunt!

Body	11
Mind	9
Spirit	9
Hero Points	123

"Who's this guy?" asked one of the heavily muscled guards in the lobby. Haunt sized the fellow up. Nigh on 7' high, almost as wide, and he was pretty much mirrored by the other guard. Man mountains.

Capello looked less than his usual calm self, as he had only a short time ago when Haunt had gotten him out of a situation with the police. He glanced nervously at Haunt in his guise of 'Garret Hunt' martial arts trained enforcer who'd followed the trail of a murdered scientist and his kidnapped family thus far to the man at his side. The scientist had been mixed up in something beyond his control and paid the ultimate price. He'd seen the effects of a drug that could only be described as a 'super steroid' that conferred incredible size and strength - pretty much superhuman by any measure.

It was something many criminal parties were interested in. One of those 'parties' held the scientists family, innocents caught up in this mess, hostage, and expected the scientist to deliver the details of the serum, or a variant. He'd been killed before he could make the trade, and the family were now in serious jeopardy. If word got out there would be no trade, the Scientists wife and child would be surplus to requirements... Not if Haunt could help it.

Now the trail had led to what appeared to be a legitimate business building of shining glass and steel in the company of a man who sold the 'super steroid'. Haunt considered what he knew - many of the powerful gangs in Britain and Europe would be represented here. Whilst the police wouldn't have much to get them on, and certainly nothing beyond what a lawyer could spring them from after a couple of hours in the clink, Haunt could gather valuable intelligence on who was who in the underworld. He would have to play his cards right, but then the superhero was a masterful actor, and this, merely another stage.

"I asked you a question Capello." snarled the guard. "Who's this? Speak up or you're both out!"

"I asked you a question Capello." snarled the guard. "Who's this? Speak up or you're both out!"

 
 
"I'm his new bodyguard.  Name's Garrett Hunt.  His old ones couldn't do their job correctly, so I did it for them.  You have a problem with that," Garrett says with a quiet smile.  "Because if you do and you get violent, it will attract the police to this place as they come to investigate why you and your buddy smashed through that expensive glass window over there and jumped!  I bet your bosses would not appreciate that happening.  Don't you?"
 
He looks utterly bored and emits physical signals that he is totally filled with the belief that he can take them down if he needs to but would prefer not to be bothered by something so insignificant.
 
ooc:  That kind of stance and words will probably drive them crazy but I'm betting that a superior is actually watching and listening through hidden cameras and microphones and might be smart enough to call them off.  If not, he will throw them out the window in the belief that they are tough enough to survive the fall.  Not sure what floor we are on but I'm assuming we are a few flights up at least and even if they are normal tough ex-lineman football players, they will survive the fall - crippled for life but would survive the fall. But I'm guessing that they are powered up on some drug and more than capable of surviving such a fall.

The huge goon is about to reply when he pulls up, slightly distracted. Haunt notes the fellow has an earpiece in.

There's also something else. Some feeling that... someone... something brushed past him, and not in the physical sense. Hairs stood up on the back of his neck, and a quick glance round showed nothing out of the ordinary.

Nothing physical... mental then? Had his mind just been read? Or metaphysical, magical even?

"Ok Capello, you vouch fer Hunt then, and if he causes any trouble, you'll be 'asked' ta leave." he glowered at Hunt. "You watch yerself pal. No one likes a big mouth. Specially on a little man."

He stepped aside and gestured to the elevator, which swished open. The other guard glared daggers but looked over to the entrance of the lobby where a trio of suited goons was entering. With the guards having been told to admit you, the responsibility of your presence had passed elsewhere.

Haunt felt eyes on him via the various dome cameras mounted in the ceiling. What was he walking in to?

Capello breathed a sigh of relief as he stepped into the lift. "man, you like livin' dangerous!" he laughed nervously. "Tell ya what, I'll do the talkin from now on, okay?"

OOC Into the lift and up, up, up or does Haunt want to say/do something in the meantime?

DAMMIT! Internet gone down AGAIN! This is... infuriating! Hopefully the dongle posts this...

Garrett nodded his head, stepping into the elevator with his boss. If someone somehow read his mind, and he didn't know much about such stuff, he hoped that they read the surface "Garrett" thoughts and not the deeper Haunt thoughts. He always liked getting into the heads of the characters he portrayed and he had been building a backstory for Garrett ever since he started the identity. Hopefully, that's what they got. If not ... well, he would tear this place apart looking for the kidnapped woman and child if he had to.

The lift opened... Haunt noted he was way up, 20th floor.

The room it opened up into was open plan with pillars supporting the roof. Very swish, tiled marble floors, tables and bar stool type chairs about. The room was bustling with people, all of them looked of the unsavory types, even the women. Suits mingled with ripped jeans and shirts, all colours and creeds were represented.

No one gave the newcomers much of a glance save for three hulking bruisers in suits that looked fit to split. They were stood near the elevator and clearly there to make sure this melting pot of criminals didn't get out of hand.

Haunt estimated there to be anywhere from 75-100 people in the room. Some wore near identical clothing suggesting they were gang types, others were outlandish in their garb - some even dressed like clowns, though with their make up arranged so they looked like refugees from a halloween party rather than childrens entertainers. They were mostly given a wide berth, though some sneered as they walked past. Haunt saw more than a few weapons on show - pistols, knives, swords, even hammers. Clearly whoever was putting this meeting on had made other arrangements with regards security and wasn't bothered about conventional weaponry.

Capello turned "Follow me. Don't start no fights with no one." He moved forwards, scooping a glass of wine from a tray carried by a waitress in a bunny outfit. She looked flustered and somewhat harassed, but put on a brave smile.

"Ain't seen this many nut jobs since I saw my old man in the nut house" laughed a hard case with a shaved head and nose that looked like it'd been broken too many times. "Hey! Capello! Get over here ya greaseball! Hey guys, this is the guy who sold the gear to the Murphy boys."

Capello smiled "Sure was. And there's more where that came from. I..."

"The Murphy boys knocked over our warehouse last week." growled the broken nosed fellow. "Our guys on the ground said their bullets flattened 'gainst their skin! Way I figure, you owe me and my boys 100 grand, punk."

Capello cringed, looked at Haunt and was about to answer when the lights dimmed, then were replaced by neon striplights that gave a cold white glare off lighter objects and clothing.

The crowd hushed and turned, and at the far end of the room, some thirty feet or so away from Haunt, a man strode up onto a raised dais.



"Greetings! Greetings and salutations... one and all, I bid you... welcome!" he smiled, though his eyes were wild and flitted from face to face. "I... am the Arranger. I Arrange, control, plan and scheme. More than that, I have a plan to set in motion a series of events that could see many of you become very rich, and very powerful..."

"We already are!" shouted an Irishman from somewhere in the crowd. "An' we don't have to look like idiots ta do it!" There was laughter from those around him, until the Arranger grinned, showing filed teeth ending in points. "An' we don't have to look like idiots ta do it!" mimicked the Arranger in a whining voice which caused the Irishman to go pale and angry. Suddenly the Arranger whipped up his cane and a beam of bright light surrounded the Irishman! Those near him stepped away, but one placed a hand in it and cried out as flesh sizzled! "Ah ah! Don't touch!" cackled the Arranger. "Nobody likes a big mouth Mr Shearan!"

"Yeah?" said the fellow encapsulated within the light column. "Well you don't scare me! I'm gonna..."

Suddenly the light column contracted and winked out, instantly incinerating the fellow inside! Stunned murmurs backed off as ash collected on the floor.

"Now, as I was saying, there are plans in motions, wheels a turning, schemes a scheming... but first... who here isn't a team player? Who here shouldn't really be in this august company, and really should have stayed home... who here... is working for the good guys...?" He waved his cane again, and suddenly the beam of light appeared again, from ceiling to floor, and moved through the crowd of people, this time without burning anyone as it touched them, though those caught in the light were partially blinded and frightened witless at the prospect of being frazzled!

Capello gaped "Don't let it near me!" he hissed as the beam started moving towards the general direction of him... and Haunt...

OOC It's about a dozen people away from Haunt and Capello, but definitely moving in their general direction. Some people are stood behind and to the side of Haunt, so it could be aiming for them... or it might not be heading for anyone in particular... maybe Arranger is bluffing...

Capello gaped "Don't let it near me!" he hissed as the beam started moving towards the general direction of him... and Haunt...

OOC It's about a dozen people away from Haunt and Capello, but definitely moving in their general direction. Some people are stood behind and to the side of Haunt, so it could be aiming for them... or it might not be heading for anyone in particular... maybe Arranger is bluffing...

"Why," Garrett asks queitly, "you secretly a policeman or something? Or maybe a squealer?"

actions: Going to wait and see if this is a bluff. If not, and I get found out, well, it will be diaper changing time very very soon! 

"Are you insane?" said Capello, his fear momentarily forgotten. "Didn't you just see what that beam did to that guy? Why don't you stand in the way o that..."

He remembered himself and started nervously moving back, eyes wide at the glare of the light beam as it moved closer... and closer...

Capello glanced at Hunt and saw the fellows face fixed, determined and without fear. "Damn" he muttered. All eyes in the room followed the beam and focussed on those who might be its next victim...

"...where it stops..." shouted the Arranger, theatrically twirling his cane whilst his eyes scanned the crowd "...nobody knows..." he grinned, eyes twinkling with menace.

The light stopped... Capello gasped... and looked at Hunt... who looked up... and to his left.

The man next to him looked about himself. Then he straightened up with a defiant look on his face. "I'm here to shut you down!" he shouted. "All of you criminal scum!"

Hunt noted the fellow was well built, suited, handsome... and entirely encapsulated in that deadly light!

Silence filled the room as the Arranger raised an eyebrow. "And who might you be sir? An officer of the law perhaps? Some... agent of some kind? DICE? SMITE? Or even perhaps one of the do-gooders, a costumed paragon of justice?"

Silence.

"Clowns. All of them." sneered the Arranger. The fellow reached out a hand... and the sizzle of flesh filled the air as he ground his teeth to stifle a cry of pain! "THIS is what happens to my enemies... our enemies! Be sure you are on the right side gentlemen!"

A nervous looking mob boss looked up at the Arranger. "Hey, now hold on. A cop? They turn the place upside down to catch the killer. An agent? They go through the place with loaded guns and ready to use them. But a super...?"

He looked about, and his apprehension was mirrored on more than a few faces around.

"They'll flatten the bloody place, and everyone in it. We are dealing with people who ignore bullets, laugh at bombs, and who could comfortably toss tanks about as if they were playing with a tennis ball in the garden! We can't fight those people, even with the serum you're selling! We can't..."

He was cut off by a snarl from the Arranger. "Coward!" he roared, demeanour changing from clown showman to dangerous madman in a heartbeat! "I'll show you what happens to them, or anyone else, that comes up against me!"

He raised a hand to gesture towards the beam of light holding the man inside, and people started to move back...

OOC Watch it happen, intervene in some way...?

He was cut off by a snarl from the Arranger. "Coward!" he roared, demeanour changing from clown showman to dangerous madman in a heartbeat! "I'll show you what happens to them, or anyone else, that comes up against me!"

He raised a hand to gesture towards the beam of light holding the man inside, and people started to move back...

OOC Watch it happen, intervene in some way...?

actions: Aura of Fear. Everyone in range, except the guy trapped inside the light. Pretend to be taken by the aura as well, stumbling blindly towards the guy screaming in fear and then creating fog, making it look like he did it. This guy, whoever he is, just became the Haunt.  

OOC: Oh and my direct boss called me late this afternoon. Now that there is a budget for the next 90 days, I get to go back to work tomorrow. For the next 90 days.  

wasn't thinking about that.  So we make the fog as I move to the guy, so it looks like it is coming from him then switch to the Haunt then aura of fear.

Or is my fog also in costume?

Gonna think on this a bit.

ooc:  Can't stand by and watch.  Seeking Justice, to my mind, would make me just as guilty of murder if I do stand by as the guy who committed it.  So ... let's try this.
 
 
That light has to come from somewhere.  Break the muzzle ... lens ... aperture or whatever it comes from, should save the guy or at least give him a fighting chance.  So Garrett Hunt steps back into the biggest nearest crowd he can reach.  Then combining Stretching with Omni-Arm, he will stretch his arm to the floor, using the bodies around him to hide that fact, he will stretch his arm some distance away along the floor, then have it pop up out of another crowd, shaped like a demonic looking snake to smash the lens or whatever that focus' that beam. Then whip his arm back into place.

OOC Perception check...2d10 → [9,8] = (17)

Haunt glances about, then his eyes widen...

His arm snakes out unseen, probing between legs and feet as it zips through the crowd. A woman screams, turns about and slaps a man stood behind her. The fellow, clearly possessing not much in the way of manners, pulls his fist back, the woman ducks, and all hell breaks loose!

"Wha...?" splutters the Arranger as the desired effect of cowing the crowd has them instead engaged in a brawl that made most westerns look tame!

Unseen, for the most part in the near darkness and due to the bright light of the column, Haunts hand finally surfaces at head height, fingers pinched together like a snake, and it 'glances about' from side to side.

A thug, grappling with another, yells and says "Hey! Do you see tha... WHACK!"

Haunt knows he has only seconds!

He reaches his hand up, careful not to touch the column of light and instead feels about in the air above it... He'd seen something, a shimmer or flicker of something...

His hand bumped into something. Unseen, but definitely there, it appeared to be a drone of some kind shining above the hapless man in the shrinking light tube and projecting the light downwards! He couldn't properly see it but waved and slapped and grabbed about.

It had the desired effect.

The beam of light was broken and vanished, allowing the fellow caught within it to get free!

"GET HIM!" cried the Arranger. From side doors huge hulking bouncer types, though they more resembled American Pro Wrestlers on steroids, surged forward, pushing forward even bulky looking guys with little effort!

Haunt 'twanged' his hand back and whistled innocently as several men and women wailed and were sent flying or flicked up into the air! The massed crowd continued to fight and were pulled apart by the burly meatheads in their quest for the fellow who the Arranger had deemed a traitor!

Capello turned "What the hell is going o...WHACK!!!" a punch to the side of his head sent him sprawling and Haunt was aware of someone stumbling and showing his way through the crowd whilst crouching. A someone who was followed, roughly speaking, by three giant meatheads! Inwardly, Haunt groaned. Having freed the fellow he was now going to either have to protect him, stand aside and let him past, or try to stop him to maintain his cover!

Sure enough, a distant shout from the Arranger across the room bellowed "You! Stop that man! There's a hundred grand in it for you!"

Behind Haunt, some twenty feet distant or so, were elevators. All around him criminal lowlifes, men and women, continued to batter at each other as territorial disputes and business deals gone wrong found a way to express themselves in the form of fists, feet and each others faces!

Sure enough, a distant shout from the Arranger across the room bellowed "You! Stop that man! There's a hundred grand in it for you!"

Behind Haunt, some twenty feet distant or so, were elevators. All around him criminal lowlifes, men and women, continued to batter at each other as territorial disputes and business deals gone wrong found a way to express themselves in the form of fists, feet and each others faces!

Garrett Hunt launches himself after the man, "accidentally" tossing or tripping other folks into the path of those trying to catch up to the guy. He goes for a diving tackle as they approach the elevator. He tackles the guy [sliding the rest of the distance to the elevator], "accidentally" hitting the elevator button. He "scuffles" with the guy until the elevator doors open and then they both fall into the elevator, "accidentally" hitting the down button.


actions: Act my way out of the fight, save the guy, get us both into the elevator and take a ride down to the ground floor. Not sure yet if I am going to reveal who I am to this guy at this point. Depends on what he says while in the elevator. But stop fighting him once the elevator doors close.

OOC Eeeesh. 2d10 → [2,4] = (6) Less than convincing performance. You might persuade some of the brainless lackeys but the smarter types will see through that without a problem . With this being a play by post the whole business of spending hero points is muddled as they are a to/fro resource and when you're getting (at best) 2-3 updates a week they kind of don't work so well. That said, if you want to use hero points to increase the Acting value or Effect value of your Actor skill (7APs) to make it look more convincing you can do it, but there'll be a 5 point premium to pay for each value (Acting and/or effect, so to boost av to 13 costs 6HP and an extra 5hp, same for effect value) to pay knowing as you do the dice roll result. I'm ok with that as opposed to saying 'you failed'. The other way to do it is simply to state you're spending hero points (and state how many) before the roll is made. Your call, but the fellow resists as well...

I'll make this a straight strength vs strength contest on his part. Chances are Haunt will win it - he's terrifically strong!

2d10 → [3,7] = (10) Yup, Haunt wins the Strength contest

Haunt crashes, bangs, bumps and bundles the fellow in a flailing mass of arms and legs. To onlookers it seems that the pair are engaged in a full on scrap but there's plenty of that going on around that not too many take note.

Inside the lift the fellow grunts and pushes to get Haunt off him, but the rubbery strongman will not be easily thrown and the guy sags back, exhausted. And injured. His skin is raw where the beam touched him.

"Who are you people?" he gasps. "If I ever get out of this I'll make sure your organisation is shut down and the lot of you thrown in jail!" he gasps.

Haunt is aware of dome cameras in the lift, set into the ceiling and possibly the walls - whoever owns this place really likes their privacy and security.

OOC What happens next depends on how convincing Haunt was - see the first part of the OOC section. Once that is resolved (convincing=certain things happen, un-convincing means less pleasant things happen) I'll update.

ooc: Going to stick with the roll as is. Possible modifiers in my favor is that a huge fight is all over the place so I suspect only a few will spot my fight. And currently, don't plan to stay Garrett Hunt much longer.

"Who are you people?" he gasps. "If I ever get out of this I'll make sure your organization is shut down and the lot of you thrown in jail!" he gasps.

Haunt is aware of dome cameras in the lift, set into the ceiling and possibly the walls - whoever owns this place really likes their privacy and security.

"Don't need to tell you, as you won't live to tell anyone else," Garrett Hunt growls as he grabs the other man, pulling him to his feet. Doing his best to spot the cameras or the most likely spots for them, he places his back to the majority of the cameras, he grabs the guy's arm and forces the guy to "grab" him and slam him into where the cameras are hidden and then forces the guy to continue swinging him around until all the cameras are smashed.

"Whoa! You're stronger than I thought," Garrett yells out as he is slammed around the elevator. "You got some kind of super-strength, don't cha?"

actions: ok, another acting roll. Making this guy look stronger than he is and that the guy is doing all the slamming around instead of the Haunt forcing the guy to do it. Try to smash all the cameras with this action.
[Did you guys ever play the game "Stop Hitting Yourself"? Where you force a physically weaker kid to hit himself with his own hand? Same thing here.]

OOC Acting Roll 2d10 → [10,1] = (11) You won't know if that is successful or not (unless you can read the minds of the guys in the security room)

Haunt swings and is swung about by the fellow he'd saved and in the process pounds and smashes the sides of the lift.

"What... the.. hell...?" splutters the fellow as he grabs Haunt and rams his head into the wall before realising Haunt seemed to help him. He stood back and held up his hands "Alright! Stop! Look!"

The lift had stopped. The sides were all bashed in and the floor had split in one corner revealing the darkness of the lift shaft below. There was an ominous creak and the sound of groaning metal. Then the lift shuddered, and somewhere above there was a loud CRACK!

The guy looked back at Haunt. "You'd better tell..."

Crackle... A speaker rang out, crackling and fuzzy.

"Don't know who you chaps are but it seems a low life called Capello vouches for one of you. Thing is, there aren't many round here who will vouch for him... Still... I'm called the Arranger for a reason. You see I arranged certain precautions in case of unwanted guests. Observe..."

Green smoke started to spew from vents in the ceiling and dropped down into the lift, threatening to engulf the pair!

"Don't know who you chaps are but it seems a low life called Capello vouches for one of you. Thing is, there aren't many round here who will vouch for him... Still... I'm called the Arranger for a reason. You see I arranged certain precautions in case of unwanted guests. Observe..."

Green smoke started to spew from vents in the ceiling and dropped down into the lift, threatening to engulf the pair!

 
 
actions:  smash the floor and fall the remaining way, envelope the guy with my body, becoming basically a big bouncing ball.  Hit bottom and change into the Haunt outfit.  Depending on if I have time to talk to the guy before something else hits the fan, tell him that I'm going to get him out and for him to bring all the help he can back here.  Then plan to go back upstairs and have "fun" with all the nice crooks up there, after I get him out of the building.  

SMASH!

OOC 2d10 → [8,10] = (18) Haunt easily smashes a hole in the steel box of the lift floor.

"What in th...mmmph!" spluttered the would be hero before he's enveloped by Haunt and the pair drop like a stone... before landing, cushioned, at the bottom of the lift shaft!

Even as Haunt unfurls himself, now garbed in his traditional white (with cowboy hat) he looked up and saw the lift released from the cables by an exploding charge that sends the lift dropping downwards like a bullet! The fellow Haunt is helping is about to say something but bites his tongue and leaps fifteen feet up to the lip of door ledge and rams his fingers into the split between the doors, yanking them open. Instantly gunshots ring out from the lobby and he grunts as bullets flatten against his body!

Haunt steps out into the lobby with the hero and sees half a dozen uzi toting security guards crouched behind desks and sofas in the wide open plan lobby. All were taking aim and letting rip with their submachine guns, though neither hero had much cause to be overly worried. Those bullets that did hit found themselves pinging off or flattened against dense steel hard muscle and skin that seemed to harden at the point of intact before becoming more elastic again.

"Who ARE you?" asks the fellow as he takes cover behind a stone column. Shattered tiles spray across the floor and deafening shots ring out constantly. Haunt explains that he's going back up there to batter the assembled criminals senseless and for the hero to come back with as many friends as he can assemble.

"I don't know who you think you are pal..." started the other man "but going up there on your own is a bad idea. I walked into that place hoping to get close to the Arranger. I was stupid, naive... should've known he would have arranged a warm welcome for anyone taking a shot at him! Even now he'll have other plans kicking into..."

SLAM!

Metal shutters bang down simultaneously on the outside windows, preventing the police from entering and (presumably) the criminals enemies from leaving!

Haunt looked about. With the shutters down there would be a good chance that green gas would be pumped into this place. Up on the higher floors Arranger would have figured out something else to confound Haunt... Would Haunt in turn figure out some way to surprise the villain?

OOC Or are you heading straight back up the lift shaft?

The other man shrugged "Never heard of you. That said, you saved my life back there. And I..." he said, reaching into an inside pocket and pulling out a small hand size metal case that might hold cigarettes or pills.

It turned out to be the latter, and he pulled out a glowing green pill, opened his mouth, and popped it in. "...just needed time to gulp this down..."

There was an instant and sudden transformation as the mans skin changed to a black and orange striped hue, scaled and patterned much like the animal that gave him his name...

"Call me GILA..." growled the seven and a half foot tall reptile/man hybrid. His thick muscled limbs were tipped in claws, and his extended reptile jaws were dripping with venom. "No police..." he snarled. "They'll only get mown down, and get in the way with their laws...grrrrrrowwwwwrrrrr"

He stood back as Haunt pulsed his aura of fear outwards, aiming at anyone in the building within the range of his power!

OOC Roll 2d10 → [2,7] = (9). Not great, but enough to cow the rank and file bad guys into submission for 15 minutes or so.

Haunt steps up to the shutters and grabs a handful of metal... He lets go with an electric current buzzes through him, but takes up the handful again when he realizes its only a few hundred volts and designed to discourage, not kill. CRUNCH! TEAR! GRIND!

"Hurrrh Hurrrh..." growled the lizard like man mountain next to Haunt. He followed the white garbed man/bulldozer outside and turned to Haunt. "There's still unfinished businesssss in there..." he snarled. "I ffffforrrr one am going back upppp!" He extracted claws from his finger ends and turned to Haunt. "Do you neeeeed a lifffft?"