The NEW Vanguard! The HAUNT Issue #4

Follow the girl.


ooc: Having problems with computer at home. Maybe a virus but even though I have lots of memory left in my hard drive, I am using 100% of my computer. My virus scanner was still loading after a half hour this morning when I left for work, so I probably will only be able to respond from work, so no weekend postings from me.

OOC If you can get into safe mode, click start and run, msconfig, then untick everything in the startup tab (which loads all the programs when windows starts). Maybe there's something nasty in there which is maxing out your computer. Would also recommend malware bytes anti malware (free), spybot search and destroy, and maybe restoring your computer to an earlier time, like as early as you can manage. That's generally what I do, along with full system scan in anti virus and the like. No anti virus is foolproof, but I've had less bother with Avast than I had with AVG or any others. Good luck with it.

The girl leads Haunt a merry chase down several alleys, then up a flight of fire escape stairs...

Breathing hard, she turns and sags against a wall. She has tears in her eyes. "Did you... did you see my girlfriend, Mart... I mean, Mighty Maiden? She went in there with her team mate, Bomber Jack. They... they were going to stop a bank robbery. Did... did you see them? Are they alright?"

Haunt looks back. The police have been thrown off for now, but the situation at the bank remains - some hostages still in there, including possibly two... he looked at the girl ... young, and maybe inexperienced supers. Probably depowered and in WAY over their heads.

Something nasty was going on here.

It was no bank robbery, rather a web of some kind, designed to draw the flies into a spiders clutches... with superheroes the flies in question!

ooc: I take it I didn't spot anyone in costume?

"Were they wearing costumes," the Haunt asks, wondering when his suit will finish rebooting and when his own powers will come back, "or went in in normal clothes?"

Meanwhile, he is going "Crap! Crap! Crap!" in his mind.

Depending on her answer will depend on whether the Haunt goes back and allows himself to be caught.

ooc: I managed to finally load my virus checker. Did the quick check that checks the "normal" areas viruses hit. Nothing showed up. Now doing the deep virus check, which may take a few days. Will try your suggestion after the check is done.

"Costumes, of course. They... we're not playing around with this stuff! They aren't beginnners.. well, I mean, they know their powers, stopped a few crimes." spluttered the girl.

"Oh no... what's going to happen to them? They have super powers. They'll be ok, right?" she wailed.

Haunt knew it was only a matter of time - and not long at that (OOC his regeneration is hard at work) - before his powers recovered.

He didn't see any costumes in the bank itself, which meant they must have been in the vaults below ground. Probably captive? Were they planning on going out of the front door, with all those police and hostages still about?

This was a mess.

If this was a trap for supers, these two kids had blundered into it, and Haunt had barely escaped it. But why? Were they killing them, or had they something nastier in mind?

OOC If Haunt hangs about for a minute or so he gets a recovery check. Assuming that doesn't fail (no double 1) he regains a power. Next round, roll another and so on. So basically in 1m 30s he *should* be back to himself assuming no rolls come up as a fail.

2d10 → [7,4] = (11)
2d10 → [7,4] = (11)
2d10 → [1,9] = (10)
2d10 → [9,8] = (17)
2d10 → [10,9] = (19)
2d10 → [1,9] = (10)

All Haunts powers are restored. A minute and a half has elapsed.

"Right. Guess I will go look for them then," the Haunt replies. He summons his Fog, transforms into a snake inside the Fog and slithers towards the bank, hoping his low profile will make him a bit harder for the robots to spot.

actions: slither in and try to slither down to the vaults.

As a great long white wyrm amidst a sudden and chilling fog, haunt would present a chilling countenance to any that come across him!

Instead he 'worms' his way through the drainage system and finds it simplicity itself to emerge in the bank, albeit by jutting from a toilet bowl!

Uncoiling from the undignified entrance, Haunt could reform into his natural form into the toilets of the bank. Setting the main door open a crack he peered out...

The bank was deserted, the counters and their drawers of money untouched. The hostages were gone. The police continued to call out from outside (in the fog) with a loudhailer. Casting a glance at the back offices and the stairwell that led to the depths of the bank and the vaults, presumably, Haunt knew the 'robbers' had gone that way, rather than risk their precious, depowered prizes to a random bullet.

They'd undertaken this whole endeavour to capture superhumans.

Haunt himself had almost fallen into that very trap! Why? He didn't know yet, but the fact that they ignored money seemed to suggest the amounts involved were beneath them, or they valued something else over money, if they intended to 'sell' the superhumans.

It was a mystery that needed solving before others were taken from the streets whilst in the act of rushing to aid others! For it seemed the trap that was set would attract heroic types... and the villains might run amok in their wake!

Haunt glanced at the stairwell again. Chances were they'd gone that way knowing there was an escape route. And they may have prepared traps for anyone who dared follow!

follow snakey form

Coiling down the stairs and into the vaults, Haunt noted that the villains appeared to have ignored the valuable contents...

It didn't take long to find what he was looking for.

The floor had been blasted through into the sewers, ancient and now unused remnants from the Victorian era. A high power energy weapon had been used to cut through the the floor and make good their escape!

There was no sign of either several missing hostages or the two superhumans that had been lured and depowered in much the same way Haunt had!

Knowing what the robotic enemies were capable of now, he knew that he had to fight smarter to stop his enemies!

Dropping into the sewers, he squinted through the darkness. Haunt couldn't see in the dark, which meant he couldn't be sure which of two directions the villains could have gone, or for any possible traps. Every moment he blundered blind through the sewers meant his foes could be getting away! He knew what means of escape they had prepared, seeing as they were fully prepared to take on just about any superhuman and take them as powerless prisoners for who knew what reason!

Any emergency flashlights somewhere in the bank that I might have passed? If not, will have to go outside and "borrow" one from a policeman - Fog in the area, quick grab and run back into the bank.

After I find a flashlight, use Detective Skill to help determine which way they went.

Finding nothing in the bank, Haunt had to pump out more fog and snatch one from a policeman with an elongated arm...

Going back down into the sewers below the bank, he shone the light around to look for a clue as to where they might have gone...

OOC Perception check...2d10 → [6,7] = (13) Finds a clue.

Detective 2d10 → [1,8] = (9) Not great, but Haunt can glean a couple of things from it...

Clue.. There's a smell like ozone in the air. Faint, fading, but it's unusual because it's strong enough to be smelled over the century old smell of a sewer.

Clue... The trace smell heads off in one direction. It's possible it's from a vehicle of some kind.

Haunt hears shouts above. The police have entered the bank, he guesses. In a minute or so they'll be down here after scouring the building. Despite the fog, they were intent on rescuing the hostages. If Haunt were here when they got here, they might even open fire on him!

Going bloodhound form, heading after the smell as quick as I can without losing the trace.

Forming himself into the shape of a ghostly white Bloodhound, Haunt wondered how effective his efforts would be...

A real bloodhound would have been handed something that belonged to the prey, then set about tracking it. Haunt wasn't a real Bloodhound, and he was trying to identify a scent of ozone in a century plus old sewer. Tricky.

Nonetheless, he set off, light shining through the darkness from the torch gripped in his mouth, even as he bent to sniff at the floor. When he came to a crossroad in the tunnel he wondered if his tracking scent would match up to that of the legendary animals' olfactory senses.

OOC Let's see. Analytical Smell/Tracking scent 9. His Self Manipulation allows him to mimic a physical object that can mimic certain mental abilities ... a long dog snout would qualify, I should think.

Roll 2d10 → [2,2] = (4) Argh, look at that ghastly... wait.. that's a double! 2d10 → [9,8] = (17) And that is a nice follow up.

With unerring instincts the ghost white dog follows through miles of tunnels at breakneck speed, hoping that he can catch the robotic villains before they get away.

The tunnels must have limited their own escape as Haunt rounds a bend and is careful to flick off his flashlight - there, cast against the light of day at the end of a sewer tunnel exit into the river Thames are a group of 'people' - some are hostages, two maybe three, Haunt thinks, and another two must be the costumed heroes lured to the Bank. The robots are taking no chances. Even as they hustle the captives out of the tunnel another turns and starts to plant what look to be explosive charges around the sewer exit...

Stretchy punching the robots.

ooc: The robots saw through his Fog, right? can't remember if they did or not. If not, he will bring up the Fog too. Doubt Aura of Fear will affect them so no using that.

Haunt summoned fog to cover his appearance and wound up his best punch...

Without the element of surprise on their side he hoped the robots weren't such a tough prospect. Correctly surmising his fear aura wouldn't affect them - they were programmed and cared little for human emotions - he figured the direct approach was the best bet.

OOC Attack...2d10 → [2,10] = (12) CLANG!

A superhuman punch slammed into one of the robots, sending it tottering back a few steps and leaving an indent where the punch had landed!

It hadn't gone down though - these things were tough enough to withstand bullets and mundane police weapons - the law officials wouldn't have stood a chance!

As if reacting to a pre-programmed set of parameters, the robots split up. Two of them strode back into the tunnel, levelling their nullify guns and lancing through the gloom with red infra red eyes...

OOC You got their attention. You wounded one, and two of the others are coming back down the tunnel towards you (hidden in the fog) ready to drop your powers again and claim a third prize... The others have dragged the hostages out of the tunnel to... something or somewhere else. A getaway vehicle? Initiative... Haunt goes first.

Continue attacking, hitting the damaged one first.

OOC Apologies. Since my last message I've been at work for 28 of the last 48 hours. Miscalculation on my part (and here I was thinking my new job would be better hours than my last one. D'oh.)

Haunt stretches his arm past the two coming at him to try and tag the damaged robot at the end of the tunnel...

OOC 2d10 → [2,3] = (5) Miss!

The robot moves out of view as Haunts' fist hits nothing but air! He's in trouble!

The two advancing robots come closer and take aim with the Nullifier guns!

OOC They attack as a team, as Haunt dives to the side of one the other is waiting! Practise, or programmed to corner and defeat superhumans, at any rate...

2d10 → [9,8] = (17) HIT!
2d10 → [4,2] = (6) Miss

This time the whole mob isn't attacking you, so can't really cut loose like they did last time. That said Haunt LOSE 3 APs of Strength (putting him down to 10APs).

He feels weakened, but not as devastating as last time. Against two of these things he *might* have a chance, but whilst they are slowing him down the others (with the hostages!) are making good their escape!!!

OOC Haunt wins initiative and acts again. The two robots are blocking his path towards the tunnel end!

Grab damaged robot and use it as a club on the two attacking the Haunt. Probably want to spend some HP on this. Not sure how much to spend or how much is needed to make a difference in attacking.

OOC Haunt has 100HP, spends 7HP on Acting (boosting to 16AV) and 9 on EV (his current strength is only 10 rather than 13, so it' s up to 19EV) He would waste time by grabbing the damaged robot (it would be his attack) Instead a devastating attack on the pair of the robots is probably a better bet. I assume you'll go for that...

Roll(2d10)+0:
10,7,+0
Total:17

Boom. 7 Columns in total. That'll do.

Haunt is tired of being pushed around.

These things would pick away at him and weaken him before dragging him off in chains. They couldn't be frightened off, reasoned with or anything else. They were machines with a job to do.

And he was an avenging spirit with his own job!

His fist lashed out, stretching and slamming into and through each robot! Leaving a hole in the chests as he withdrew his pale white arm, he saw the scattered parts on the tunnel of the sewer. Something told him these things would not go quietly. A hunch? Maybe, but any time he spent here meant the others would escape with the hostages...

OOC Haunch has a 'feeling' about the downed bots...

HAUNT CURRENT HP: 84

How many robots am I looking at still standing? Are they spread out or clumped together?

I'm thinking of using my shapechange to zoom past them and get ahead, waiting near a split in the tunnel and then trying to take out the others one by one. Do I see the two "new" heroes [new, meaning they haven't been around for a month like I have!]?

I'm guessing the ones I took out are about to blow so I want to be pass them before that happens.

Right now, I'm hoping to keep one robot "alive" so I can follow it back to its lair but taking out the others as I can.

Do an octopus attack! Jump robot and wrap him up in stretchy arms and then squeeze.

Haunt did his best Octopuse impression on the robot!

White tendrils spread out from his body, and he stretched, coiled, constricted and squeeezed the robot in front of him!

OOC Or at least he tried. Let's see...

2d10 → [4,5] = (9) grab attack... successful. The robot is going to try and free itself.

Strength vs Strength! Note that Haunt only has 10 Strength at the moment...

2d10 → [8,4] = (12) It doesn't break free (roll of 15 required) but it's close.

Now Haunt can either squeeze to suppress and capture this thing, or try to inflict damage. Chances are it might explode though, and that might sting a bit

I think trying to capture it and its power nullifying gun is the best thing to do and get it into the hands of Wandafar. So I will do that.



Though saving those two green heroes would be a good idea too. Got to get me some trackers one day so I can attach them to the heroes to follow them later.