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

Spread myself from this building to the next building across the street as a large trampoline/circus net. Use HP to spot the boy and move to where I need to catch him. The Arranger is a secondary target and not spending points on him but have to hope for the best.

Haunt stretched himself from the shattered window and became a ghost white net spread between buildings as he took his best guess on the location of the falling boy and his eventual destination!

OOC HP spent on Dex (say, 4HP) to bump AV up to 13. Roll 6+7 (13).


Nope. He must have tossed him too far to the side. Haunt regathered himself and suddenly paused... THERE!

Stretching as fast and as far as he could he spread between two sky scrapers and groaned - he was at his limit here! Still, no pain no gain, and he stood to gain the life of the youngster if he succeeded. Failure?

Not an option!

With a wailing cry the youngster tumbled through the air... only to be caught by the white net with strangely human eyes in the middle! It took a moment for the boy to realise he was still alive, then he whooped and shouted "Yeah! Let's do that again!"

Haunt breathed a sigh of relief, then looked about.

Of the Arranger he saw no sign....

With a wailing cry the youngster tumbled through the air... only to be caught by the white net with strangely human eyes in the middle! It took a moment for the boy to realise he was still alive, then he whooped and shouted "Yeah! Let's do that again!"

Haunt breathed a sigh of relief, then looked about.

Of the Arranger he saw no sign....

actions: current plan is to get the mother and child to safety. The Arranger can wait. Get them to the nearest police station, police car, policeman on the street, whatever he can find first. Then come back here and look for the Arranger and any clues he might find. Look for any evidence he can turn over to the police to prosecute any of the crooks still around or who fled the scene. Asking Gila to help in searching for the Arranger and the other crooks and evidence.

The wail of distant sirens told Haunt what he needed to know - the Police were on their way!

Reuniting terrified child with equally fearful mother the Hero turned to Gila, who stood confused and angry at the power of the trickery used against him.

"The otherssss... criminals... sssscum... they must be up on a higher floor! I... apologissse for my sssstrike on you, ghost man. My mind... bewitched..." he growled.

As Haunt waited outside for the police to arrive he turned to the much larger form of Gila. "We need to find clues as to where the Arranger can be found."

"Did he ssssurvive the fall? If sssso I wisssh to exact my own retribution..." he snarled, fangs dripping venom and claws sharp and at the ready.

The first police car pulled up and armed officers leapt out, sidearms ready. "Hands up!" one called. The other, older, lowered the gun somewhat. "Forget it rookie. I know the lizard guy and the other one has been mentioned in briefings. A ghost type. Both supers. These peashooters? I've seen 'em ping off that guys hide before." he nodded towards Gila.

Haunt hastily explained the situation to the police with regards the freed hostages.

"Yeah? No probs. We'll get them to safety. Who are those guys though?"

Haunt turned. A stream of people - the criminals who'd expected to turn up to an auction to get hold of the completed 'super serum' were moving out into the street. Dozens of them.

And they had plenty of firearms in hand, plus of course those pumped up goons looked like wrestlers who'd been fed steroids for years and inflated with a foot pump!

OOC The criminals are about to make good their escape into the streets of London! The two police are seriously outgunned, and those guns might not be much of a danger to you and Gila but the boy and his mother are not yet in the clear! Distant sirens are getting louder, which means if these guys aren't away from here in the next minute or so they'll get desperate and let nothing stand in their way!

Haunt turned. A stream of people - the criminals who'd expected to turn up to an auction to get hold of the completed 'super serum' were moving out into the street. Dozens of them.

And they had plenty of firearms in hand, plus of course those pumped up goons looked like wrestlers who'd been fed steroids for years and inflated with a foot pump!

"They are criminal scum that I, the Haunt, shall see brought to JUSTICE!" the Haunt intones.

actions:  stretch across the roadway to block the crooks from the woman and child, then hit the criminals with my Aura of Fear.  Actually, make the stretching look more like angel wings rather than a wall, so a few gaps the cops can look through.  Set it up so that Gila is on the side of the wings with the crooks and not on the civilian side.  Prefer the two cops be on the side with woman and child so that they can help get them to safety.

"Criminal Scum!  Face the Wraith of the Haunt of JUSTICE!!!!!" he yells as he hits them with his aura of fear [and only the crooks with the aura].


afterwards, set up the fog.

OOC Ooooh the perfect 'dispatch armies of mooks power'. Roll 2d10 → [6,9] = (15) Kapow.

Forming a theatrical 'Angel of Death' pose Haunt puts on his best rasping voice from the grave...

Then backs it up with an overwhelming wave of FEAR!

Instantly the criminals, to a man and woman, cry out and scream in terror, curling up in foetal balls and shivering in absolute fear! Even the huge muscled goons aren't immune to the effect, and they wail just as much as the weak, spineless gangster bullies who are so used to getting their own way...

Gila, crouched and ready to pounce, straightens up slowly and looks at Haunt with a new found respect. "Thatssss how to deal with this ssssscum." he admits. The Police look to one another and one runs to the car to radio for wagons to pick up the criminals whilst the older more streetwise officer walks up to Haunt. "We'll take it from here. I recognise enough bad guys in that lot to know we have more than enough outstanding warrants to nab more than a few of them, and the others will sing if we exert what leverage we can find from the bosses in return for lighter deals."

"You've done a good job here tonight hero. I'm Detective Tony Harris, Special Crimes Unit of the Met. Here." he offered a card. "If you get any more busts like this one, make sure you call me to smooth it out with the powers that be. Sometimes they don't take kindly to capes. I can help." he looked about again and pulled a pair of handcuffs. "Going to need a few more pairs." He lights up a cigarette, takes a drag and gives a grin. "Thanks."

The young boy sprints from his mother to run up to Haunt and hugs the hero around the waist. "Thanks for saving me Haunt. You're my hero!"

OOC My next post will wrap this session up and we'll move onto Haunts next venture...

"You've done a good job here tonight hero. I'm Detective Tony Harris, Special Crimes Unit of the Met. Here." he offered a card. "If you get any more busts like this one, make sure you call me to smooth it out with the powers that be. Sometimes they don't take kindly to capes. I can help." he looked about again and pulled a pair of handcuffs. "Going to need a few more pairs." He lights up a cigarette, takes a drag and gives a grin. "Thanks."

"It's why I still exist on this plain," the Haunt explains to Det. Harris.  "I cannot go into the Great Beyond until enough sidwinders have seen JUSTICE done to make up for the bad life I lived where I died at the end of a rope."

The young boy sprints from his mother to run up to Haunt and hugs the hero around the waist. "Thanks for saving me Haunt. You're my hero!"

"Thanks Buckaroo!  You be a good boy, listen to your mother, brush your teeth after every meal and always tip yore hat to the ladies!  Now you stay here with Mr. Gila for a bit.  I want to talk to yore mom alone a bit."

He walks over to the woman, tipping his hat politely as he approaches, waving Det. Harris to join him.

"Ma'am.  I have grave news.  Your ex-husband was killed the other night.  He created or developed the formula these criminals were selling to enhance their strengths for his company.  He thought he was helping to develop a super-solider formula to help you Tommies in battle..  The company he worked for was part of this plan with the crooks  He tried to back out and destroy the formula.  That's why you were kidnapped, you and yore son, to get him to cooperate.  He died trying to do the RIGHT THING, which drew my spirit to him, begging me to save you two."

"You're gonna have to break the news to yore boy soon, ma'am.  Ah'm as sorry as ah kin be!"  he lays a gentle hand on her shoulder.  He then looks up and around, as if scenting something.  

"Ah'm sorry, but another restless spirit cries out for JUSTICE.  I must go!"

With that, he forms angel wings and flaps away into the night.


zip around out of sight and look for clues for future run ins with the Arranger. Or maybe something that might make me have a run in with those other heroes now in the news.   

Haunt says his piece, gives a nod to the bemused Police Officer (who isn't quite sure what to think now of the ghostly hero) and takes his leave.

Rounding the building he sees cars taking off in various directions. They'd been parked on the street but at this late hour a dozen or so expensive limousine type vehicles could only have belonged to the criminals that had been intent on bidding for the 'super serum'.

Except the Arranger seemed more concerned with the Mother and the Boy. Did he have the serum to sell? Did it work?

Pausing for thought he gathered together what he knew about the Arranger. The fellow was clearly a very powerful mentalist, able to twist the minds eye into seeing what the insidious Arranger so desired. Potent indeed.

No other evidence that the fellow was physically equipped to go toe to toe with a powerhouse like Haunt, and a possibility that tossing him high into the air had finished off his threat - few would miss such evil as he presented.

That nagging doubt raised itself in Haunts mind though.

If his enemy was still alive, and still able to escape, chances were Haunts toss had spiralled him through the air across London to a (hopefully) bumpy landing. The police would be crawling all over the building looking for clues and evidence they could use in an attempt to keep the criminals in jail.

Besides that Haunt had to get some rest for an early start on rehearsals, Duty (of a different kind) called.

OOC Options:

1) Call this episode a wrap and take your Hero Point award
2) Chase/Catch/Follow one of the departing cars
3) Try to get a last look at the upper floors of the building for any missed clues
4) Scour the area for the Arranger
5) Something else.

If his enemy was still alive, and still able to escape, chances were Haunts toss had spiraled him through the air across London to a (hopefully) bumpy landing. The police would be crawling all over the building looking for clues and evidence they could use in an attempt to keep the criminals in jail.

Besides that Haunt had to get some rest for an early start on rehearsals, Duty (of a different kind) called.

Not sure what the range is on my Aura of Fear but I want to swoop down in such a way as to hit as many of the cars as possible with the Aura, targeting everyone inside the cars only. Then be prepared to save any pedestrians that might be hit by out of control cars.

"JUSTICE," the Haunt yells as he lets loose with his aura, yelling loud enough to attract the attention of the cops outside the building.

OOC Range? For 9APs, half a mile. Potent indeed. If anything marks the stark difference between our old game system (Golden Heroes) and this its the scale and range of the game. From 20m to... well, hundreds, even thousands of miles. Quite a jump.

Attack Roll 9+2 (11) Success.

The screech of car tyres and the crash as vehicles randomly veer across the road into buildings and street furniture ring out!

Haunt watches as the cars he directs the fear effect to all smash, some into one another. It's carnage!

Luckily at this time of night there are few civilians or potential victims that can fall foul of the demolition derby. The cars, all modern top of the range executive type automobiles, all absorb the impacts very well, and the windows are filled with the sight of multiple airbags going off.

The noise also serves to attract the nearby police, who set off for the scene after a moment to gape.

OOC Haunt has a round or two to drag someone from a car and question them or whatever he wants to do, but the police won't want him doing this too often - the street is strewn with burning smoking cars.

The noise also serves to attract the nearby police, who set off for the scene after a moment to gape.

OOC Haunt has a round or two to drag someone from a car and question them or whatever he wants to do, but the police won't want him doing this too often - the street is strewn with burning smoking cars.

hmmm ... gonna let the cops do the questioning. I have the detective's name and number. I can get in tough with him later to see what he has learned. Quick check to see if anyone is in danger of dying in a burning car and if not, go back up to the floor the Arranger was at and see if I can spot anything. If nothing found, call it a night. If the crooks need rescue, then stick around to rip a few doors or roofs off.

Several of the petrified criminals need dragging from the the cars with the worst damage.

Haunt is hardly gentle with them, but they'll live, albeit with the sight of their worst nightmare haunting their dreams for weeks afterwards.

He forms a pair of wings and catches the air under them, rising from the floor like a flying white manta ray before settling on the hole Gila made. This floor takes a minute or so to search for a man with a practised eye...

OOC Roll 7+9 (16) Success (no duff rolls so far tonight) but the only clues are:

1) There is a smear of mud on the floor
2) Something else. The faint whiff of gasoline... or ...
3) Kerosene. Yes, that's it. The fuel often used in heaters and lamps. Well, from bygone times.
4) Or on portable heaters and lamps.

Haunt pauses, considers what he's smelt and the mud smear, then moves to the upper floor.

That looks like a far more complete affair, the room having spartan furnishings in the form of cheap carpets and rudimentary working lighting. Arrangers powers would supply details no doubt, such as glitter balls, sounds, lights and the trappings of an expensive well to do nightclub, even to a room full of people. Clearly the man had extremely potent abilities.

OOC Perception check. 10+2 (12)

1) That smell of kerosene again
2) More mud smears

Because of the numbers of people that had been through this room no other clues are visible. Haunt is pretty smart enough to take a guess as to the origin of the mud smears and the smell, but I figure you'd want a pop too.

1) That smell of kerosene again
2) More mud smears

Because of the numbers of people that had been through this room no other clues are visible. Haunt is pretty smart enough to take a guess as to the origin of the mud smears and the smell, but I figure you'd want a pop too.

ooc: The player is thinking the Thames since he doesn't know where else mud would come from.   

Haunt considers the clues.

Mud, and the smell of kerosene, fuel usually used in portable heaters or lamps.

OOC Intelligence check roll 7+2 (9) Haunt is pretty smart, so the average roll still nets...

Portable heaters. As used ... on building sites? Possibly. Or... or boats? Which would suggest something moored by the river. The Thames was a long wending ribbon through the city though, and it represented a large distance to search... that said Most boats would be moored at piers or docks, so perhaps he was looking for a boat moored not far away, on a bank where the tide was out.

That narrowed it down. Haunt took his bearings. River... that way. Worth a look, or time to get home? He'd rescued a mother and her son, shattered a criminal network and stopped the distribution of a drug that would have turned the streets into a war zone. On top of that he'd met and - eventually - defeated a deadly villain who could affect even the strongest of mind with the most convincing illusions. Haunt looked about.

His enemy was still out there somewhere. Seeing as he was superhuman, chances were he'd survived that fall. He might be hurt though, and heading away from the scene - home - to lick his wounds and plan his revenge.

Haunt narrowed his eyes. Might he have the chance to make this night the 'perfect bust' and bring the Arranger in?

Or would he suffer another bout of distorted reality...? He shuddered at the mess he'd been in until Gila turned up...

what's my current level of hit points and such? If still low, probably need to call it a day. If not, ....  

yeah, think I will call it a day and recover. There's always next time.    

yeah, think I will call it a day and recover. There's always next time.    

Epilogue...

With a grunt he shifted, turning his leg underneath him and crying out before biting down and stifling it. With a fearful look about, he dragged himself to his feet and barely dared to look at the odd angle his leg was pointed. He limped to the edge of the roof he'd landed on and looked up. It was hard to gauge, but he was probably around a mile or so from the building he'd been in. That... that white cloaked freak had thrown him! Him! The Arranger!

He'd given himself that name because of the way he arranged things in the mind of his victims. He could place them in hell, or heaven, or any mixture in between. No one thus far had stood a chance against him, and that included what supers he'd run into. The lizard thing had surprised him, distracted him. He'd felt sure his hold on Haunt was concrete but even so, the man had battled with all his willpower and it might have required reinforcing the illusion, something he'd never had to do before.

Time to regroup, get this leg seen to. The accident that had given him his powers had left him faster, stronger, tougher than an ordinary human, but not superhuman. His fall had been broken by a telephone mast he'd struck at an angle which had broken and given him something to cling to. He couldn't believe his luck - until he'd landed on the roof badly and snapped his leg!

"I'll have my revenge!" he swore before gasping in pain and limping to the edge of the roof. With a glance down at the street and knowing there was some way to go before he could get back to his base of operations, the Arranger had never felt less sure of his situation in all the time he'd had his powers. With a venomous glance in the direction of the crime HQ building he gingerly made his way over to the fire escape...

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OOC Haunt gets 123HP for his adventure which will come in handy for the next one, starting tomorrow (Tuesday, so actually later on today as I'd better hit the sack - up at 6am )