The New Vanguard! Miss Victory issue #1 Fighting for the Flag!

ooc: Is the medbay better defense-wise? Using leaping and running, I figure I could get both of us there faster than 99% of the crooks around us could have a shot at stopping us from doing so. But if it is better defense where we are, then staying and fighting here would be better.

"Hang on, we are moving to a better spot to fight, hopefully," she says as she grabs Mind Maiden.

actions: Drop Strength to 10, Add 5 to Running for a 13 Running [hopefully that is enough], grab partner, run and jump and dodge my way to the medbay.

At ultra speed Miss Victory scooped up Mind Maiden and the pair raced through the prison, round groups of prisoners who were grabbing at them and yelling all to no avail for at that speed there were there almost as soon as they'd set off!

Mind Maiden, back on her feet, pushed the door to the med bay closed and pressed on it with telekinesis! For the moment it held firm but there were some strong, powerful people out there!

"Now what?" she yelled as sweat broke out on her forehead.

Miss Victory looked about. The med bay had been ransacked for drugs most likely. Sure enough the tranquilliser type drugs were all gone and the rest of the place was a mess! She started sifting through turned over boxes, tubs, into cupboards and the like for the serum which would put these goons out for the count! hopeing for a box full, she'd so far discovered nothing as she pulled drawers open.

BANG! The Door shook on its hinges and Mind Maiden yelled "Whoever is on the other side of that door is coming in! Get ready!"

OOC Swap stats about or go with what you have?

Swaps stats back to what they were. Any drugs around she can use her bio-chemist skills on to help out? Knockout gas or drug or whatever?

OOC Last stats I have before were Dex 17 Str 15 Body 13

Perception check Int 8 + Roll(2d12)+0: 5,1,+0 Total:6 (14) vs
OV 6 + Roll(2d12)+0: 7,11,+0 Total:18 (24) FAILED

The place is such a mess it's impossible to find anything! Miss Victory hurls boxes about and looks through cupboards praying that she can recognise something to use. Most of the useful stuff has been smashed but there MUST be something...

SMASH!

The door explodes inwards and Mind Maiden is thrown back against a wall! She groans but rises to her feet as a man in prison orange stands just outside the doorway flanked by various goons (men and women) and some with animal heads, all wanting to 'get a hold of' the two superheroes!

The man blasts something (with his mind) at Mind Maiden!

OOC Mind Blast 23 + Roll(2d12)+0: 2,12,+0 Total:14 (37) vs
Int 10 + Roll(2d12)+0: 6,8,+0 Total:14 (24)

+5EV (to 28) vs RV 23 = 5 Damage

Mind Maiden is on 8/13 Mind

With a cry Mind Maiden turns to Miss Victory "He's too powerful! Save yourself! Go! GO!" she cries and points to a vent in the ceiling.

Then determined, she gestures towards Miss Victory and something shimmers in the air between Miss V and this horror with the mind powers in the doorway. That done she tries to strike back!

OOC Going for a Critical Blow. Mind Blast 18 + Roll(2d12)+0: 5,9,+0 Total:14 (32) vs
Int 13 + 4 crit blow + Roll(2d12)+0: 9,3,+0 Total:12 (29)

+2 EV (to 20) vs RV 26 - 6 crit blow (20) = NO DAMAGE

There are lights flashing in the room and electricity plays across the surfaces. It becomes too bright to look for a moment and when the lights end... the man stands unharmed, triumphant!

"No! NO!" screams Mind Maiden.

"I, MINDSHARK, am the TRUE power here woman! I have no betters and only a few can match me in mental might but NONE have the cunning and ambition that I bring to my plans! You shall feature in them... as a SLAVE!" he cackles.

OOC Initiative 4 Miss V (39) ,9 MindShark (38) ,11 (35) Mind Maiden to act in that order.

"I'm done running," Miss Victory snarls [and yeah those are the correct spend of her power points]. "Let's see how tough you are with a fist in your face!"

She charges yelling, "Liberty Punch!"

Miss Victory leaps forward and delivers a shocking punch to the mental maestro known as MindShark!

But is he as defenceless as he seems?

OOC Dex 17 + martial artist one die (one die saved for defence with acrobatics) + Roll(3d12)+0: 5,5,12,+0 Total:10 DOUBLE plus Roll(2d12)+0: 3,7,+0 Total:20 (37) vs
Dex 7 + Roll(2d12)+0: 7,3,+0 Total:10 (17)

+6 EV (to 21) vs RV 17= 4 damage!

Mindshark is on 3/7 Body!

Thwack! The villain reels and Miss Victory smiles, but its wiped off her face when she realises that while she hurt MindShark, some kind of invisible defence field around him absorbed most of the blow!

"Arggh! How dare you strike my person! You will pay for your insolence woman, with the full might of my mental prowess turned on you!" splutters Mindshark as he backs off and puts a meat shield of super criminals in between himself and Miss Victory!

Wiping a bloodied nose he concentrates his power again into a mental bolt that will surely flatten the powerful heroine!

OOC Crit Blow. Mind Blast 23 + Roll(2d12)+0: 12,8,+0 Total:20 (43) vs
Int 8 + Roll(2d12)+0: 9,3,+0 Total:12 (20)

+7 EV (to 30) vs RV 18=12 Damage!

Miss Victory goes down! And everything goes black!

==========

An hour later...

With a groan the superheroine opens her eyes. The room is dark - pitch black - and she can feel her hands are chained to the wall by the wrists. A dreadful headache aside, she feels much recovered after the beating from Lightning Overlord and now Mindshark. Both times she had been close - a hairs breadth - from success and defeating the villains, but now she finds herself trapped in the dark, chained, like a criminal instead of a superhero!

OOC Miss Victory has been out an hour and...

Body 6+ Roll(2d12)+0: 7,12,+0 Total:19 vs
OV0 + Roll(2d12)+0: 4,6,+0 Total:10

+4 EV (to 10) vs RV0= full Body

and Mind 8 + Roll(2d12)+0: 8,8,+0 Total:16 DOUBLE plus Roll(2d12)+0: 11,1,+0 Total:12 (28) vs
OV 0 + Roll(2d12)+0: 12,9,+0 Total:21

+4 EV (to 12) vs RV 0 = full Mind

The Vita pills have worn off and she can't tell if they are still on her person... besides... her hands are chained! With a groan Veronica wonders if this will be 'one of those days'...

ooc: You know, I woke up around midnight thinking "David, you are an IDIOT!" then got up to work on the magical heroes I posted. Why am I an idiot? Because she has Running out the Wazoo!!! She and Mind Maiden probably could have just run to the control center, faced whoever was there and then reactivate the controls that rob the villains of their powers! DUMMY!!!!

Just not used to thinking of Running as Superspeed since I've never toyed with that power.

OOC Far be it to agree or disagree with a strategy choice. My job is simply to throw out marbles for you to stumble on...

"I suppose you wonder what will happen to you now?" said a voice in the darkness.

All of a sudden a light shone brightly in Miss Victorys' face from the hand of a woman and blinded Miss Victory so that she had to turn away! With lights blinking in her vision it was impossible to see! Had she been blinded permanently? Normally fearless Miss Victory realised she was at the mercy of merciless criminals!

OOC just noticed. Skin Armour. Active when not powered by Vita pills or a typo?

"You are a strong woman. Tough, resourceful. Powerful. Even without your tablets you have superhuman strength and reactions. Your mind, however, is your main weapon." said the disembodied voice.

OOC Let's see just what secrets the Mind Probe pulled from her mind when she was out...

Crit blow. Mind Probe 20 + Roll(2d12)+0: 1,6,+0 Total:7 (27) vs
Int 8 + Roll(2d12)+0: 9,3,+0 Total:12 (20)

+4 EV (to 24) vs RV 8-6 (crit blow)= 22 RAPs. Pretty much covers everything.

"My name is Wallace Frost. Formerly a Professor, the accident that granted me my powers and heightened my intelligence also allowed me to realise my ambition was limited before. Small dreams, small man. I was not able to fully realise my potential when that infernal nuisance Psionic Man surprised me and defeated me. I realise my mistakes and intend to correct them, but first I must escape from this prison." said the voice.

Miss Victory couldn't be sure if the voice was in her head or in the room.

She could try to fight the link but the man was a mental giant and would sense her resistance. 'Viktoriya Volkov, or do you prefer 'Dr Veronica Chase' now? Your mind is open to me and you are remarkable. Your imagination and strength of will is an inspiration. Therefore I must consider you a great threat... or you could be a great asset. At the moment it will be your choice but your mind is open to me and I know all of your secrets. Your hopes, fears, desires, all are unlocked to the powers of my mind. I note with interest you are married. No one is beyond my reach. If you do my bidding, your husband, Clark Wylde, shall remain safe and no harm shall ever come to him. The choice, therefore is yours. If you resist, or lie, I shall know. Think on your choices. Think about the consequences, then decide if you will give yourself over to my power.'

Miss Victory was in big, BIG trouble!

ooc: yep skin armor is active all the time. The only real power I gave her besides "augmented human stats" from her original vita potion.

And Way Big Trouble, he just activated her Dark Secret on her first mission no less!

She could try to fight the link but the man was a mental giant and would sense her resistance. 'Viktoriya Volkov, or do you prefer 'Dr Veronica Chase' now? Your mind is open to me and you are remarkable. Your imagination and strength of will is an inspiration. Therefore I must consider you a great threat... or you could be a great asset. At the moment it will be your choice but your mind is open to me and I know all of your secrets. Your hopes, fears, desires, all are unlocked to the powers of my mind. I note with interest you are married. No one is beyond my reach. If you do my bidding, your husband, Clark Wylde, shall remain safe and no harm shall ever come to him. The choice, therefore is yours. If you resist, or lie, I shall know. Think on your choices. Think about the consequences, then decide if you will give yourself over to my power.'

Miss Victory was in big, BIG trouble!

"If I kill him then my past is safe and my husband is safe too," is the first thought that comes into Vita Vickie's mind. "NO! That's how they did it in the old country! I'm not like that!"

"However, I'm not above pounding you into paste," she says out loud, believing he "heard" her original thought. "So how about I do that little thing once I break free of these chains?"

She pulls on the chains, testing their strength [and I pretty much better her human strength is nowhere near enough to break them], while thinking all sorts of ways to hurt the man who threatened her husband.

OOC The chains are designed to hold depowered criminals albeit with a little bit extra oomph in case things go wrong. So with that in mind they probably aren't quite as strong as you think!

Miss V str 6 + Roll(2d12)+0: 1,11,+0 Total:12 (18) vs
Cuffs str 9 + Roll(2d12)+0: 3,9,+0 Total:12 (21)

Miss Victory strains at the chains but doesn't make an impression. With her full strength she'd make short work of them in no time! As it was they were high tensile steel but nothing like Promethium or other unbreakable stuff. That gave her hope.

"You are a feisty one." said the voice. "You will be left in here and watched. You should know we have located cattle prods used to keep prisoners in line. The prisoners in here have been playing around with them but the time for games is over. However... I am not a Barbarian. I shall ensure you have female guards and that they find you something to wear. I abhor the naked female form."

Miss Victory blinked and squinted through streaming eyes and glanced down. She was indeed unclothed and chained. The man leaving the room was a blur in his orange overalls but she would remember his voice for sure even if his face was not visible!

"If she struggles or tries to escape, stun her unconscious. We are breaking her companion and she will soon succumb to the mind control techniques used by the Mind Master. When he is done there, send him here to break this one down." he explained to people outside the cell. "If anyone seeks to hurt or violate her the same fate shall befall the man who died earlier. I will not tolerate ungentlemanly conduct in any way. Make sure everyone knows that."

"You're not in charge! The gang leaders will..."

ZZEEEEEEACCCCCKKKK!!!

A drooling sound came from outside the cell. "Does anyone else question my ability to exercise my will over this prison wing? No? Then be in no doubt MINDSHARK is in charge here and the other gang 'leaders' shall pay homage to me. Only my superior intellect will get all of you out of here."

"What about her?"

"She is not to be harmed. Feed her. If she misbehaves, render her unconscious but do not kill her or I will be... displeased."

"Where are you going, Mindshark?"

There was a pause. "S... sorry... I just meant... where... what..."

Another pause.

"This woman had curious items on her person and they are being examined in the laboratory here. I am going to check on their progress. Watch her. Any makes that seek to endanger her must be reminded they will be lobotomised and their bodies thrown into the crematorium. Understand this. My word is law here."

"Understand?"

There were nods and muttered positive responses before Mindshark floated away.

Miss Victory breathed a sigh of relief. This could have gone a lot worse but this 'Mindshark' had a sort of code. Albeit a skewed, meglomaniac code...

Miss Victory mulled over her options. Option one, wait until they put some clothes on her. She really REALLY liked option 1 and thought she would wait until that was fulfilled before attempting any other future options.

She wondered while she waited if her medical knowledge or martial art skills could somehow help her get free. Either help break her bonds or help her slip out of them.

"Note ... um ... five? Learn some escape artist skills."

She waited to see what would be brought to her.

An orange jumpsuit was brought to her and Miss Victory looked up to see three women prisoners in the room.

Two looked big and tough like female wrestlers or body builders and one held a cattle prod.

The other was more 'normal', quite frail looking and had the expression of a terrified rabbit on her face. She gave the other two a wide berth and crouched next to Miss Victory. "I'll help you dress." she muttered, eyes downcast.

The other two - the guards - lost interest and the frail young woman pushed her glasses back onto her nose and struggled to get the chained woman into prison orange.

"I'm terrified." she whispered next to Miss Victorys ear. "The make prisoners want... I just want to go back in my cell! I didn't mean to kill anyone when my power emerged! It happened and here I am!"

"HEY! What you saying?" snarled one of the guards. She walked over, grabbed the young woman by her hair and and tossed her across the room to thud into the cell wall! She followed it up with a jab from the cattle prod then grabbed her hair again and leaned in close. "Dress her, get her some food, then get out. Don't talk. She's a fed. Are you a fed lil girl? No? Then she's the enemy. You work for US! For MindShark! get on with it!"

The young woman with a fresh blackened eye stumbled to Miss V's side and helped finished dressing her. She glanced at Miss V and mouthed 'help me'.

Then she left to go get some food.

She'd be back soon. Might she somehow be able to help Miss V?

"So ... what are your names and powers," Miss Victory says brightly to the two guards. "You anybody infamous? Or just small time villains?"

The one with the cattle prod came over to buzz it into Miss Victorys shoulder! "No questions! No chat!" she roared and laughed as she pushed the prod deep into Miss V's shoulder!

Though not powered by her vita pill Miss V was certainly durable and the buzzing was little more than an irritation! In normal circumstances it would be enough to subdue depowered super criminals easily but the dampeners were off line and Miss Victory was thankful for that!

She also noticed something else...

A panel behind the laughing guards as they walked away from Miss Victorys prone form suddenly flickered and the letters SG appeared on it for an instant... then it winked back to it's standard display of various options on a comm screen...

One of the women guarding Miss Victory called over to her. "So, you some kind of big shot? Come chargin' in here thinking you could smack everyone down an get a medal? How's that workin out for ya, huh?" Both laughed and Miss Victory knew that goading them might provoke a nastier reaction!

"Not too well actually," Miss Victory says with a small smile and shrug as she pretends the prod hurt her more than it did. "Got blasted by that jerk Lightning Overlard, outside. Then I get blasted by Mind Guy while here on the inside. Then I get a couple of gals doing the school bully routine. Not a great day at all."

"You have a point" said Cattle Prod guard as she jarred it into Miss Victory a few times until it actually started to irritate her!

The young prisoner came back in with food and the guards stepped back. One of them insulted her whilst the other stuck her finger in the food, gave a lick, pulled a face then spat in it. Then mixed it. Deeply unpleasant was one way to describe these two.

As the young prisoner hesitantly stepped forward one of the bullies tripped her, sending her sprawling and throwing the mush all over herself and Miss Victory! The laughter rang out and others came in for a look. The young woman looked annoyed and her eyes crackled with electricity before she calmed herself and started to scoop the slop up into the bowl. The laughter from the other prisoners behind signified their genuine mirth at the mess.

As she was scooping the stuff up the Prisoner slipped a little and she stumbled, smearing gunk all over the side of her head. More laughter! One of the guards finally had enough and dragged the young prisoner by the scruff of her neck and thrust her out. "So much for that! Oh that was so funny! Oh I can't wait for breakfast!" she laughed.

Miss Victory scowled. She was dripping in slop... and there was a straightened paper clip near her sleeve...

Miss Victory waited for her chance to try and use the paperclip to pick the locks on her handcuffs. She would have to wait until she was alone or the guards were totally inattentive.

She wondered who the picked on prisoner was. She asked for help but then when things got too tough, it looked like she about to let loose with her power and then stopped herself. Maybe her story was true, maybe it wasn't.

She waited and watched.

It took time. The guards were attentive - with Mindshark prowling and happy to punish any who displeased him that would be a good idea.

Finally when someone brought coffee they turned their backs, and Miss V could swap the paperclip to her mouth and try to unlock the cuff, just like she'd seen in the movies...

OOC uh oh. This is an UNSKILLED skill check so it's not going to be easy!

When chained to a wall the OV/RV is 8 apiece. Then add unskilled and it's up to 12/12... Still, the way the game works now you might not need a gigantic roll like the existing rules required... a good roll for Miss V and bad roll for the cuffs and you never know... let's see...

Dex 10 + Roll(2d12)+0: 7,5,+0 Total:12 (22) vs
OV12 + Roll(2d12)+0: 9,9,+0 Total:18 DOUBLE plus Roll(2d12)+0: 3,6,+0 Total:27 (39). Ummm, failed.

Gaaaahhhh! This was easier in the movies than trying it when chained up to a wall! Still, she couldn't give in, not when... A glance at the criminal guards. They were chatting and laughing but almost finished with their coffee.

Miss V could try again to free herself but risked discovery if she failed to free herself, and the loss of her paper clip. Furthermore they'd want to know where the paper clip came from and that would point to Miss Victorys mystery helper... Dare she risk it?

No, wait until a better chance comes up. Take time to think through the steps needed. Also, if she ever gets a chance with the guards outside for even a couple of seconds, try to break the cuffs with her strength.

More time passed.

The guards changed and one of them was a leering man who had to be warned off any 'funny business' but the woman was just as bad, and free n easy with the cattle prod. Miss Victory wondered how Mind Maiden was getting on... then she found out...

She cringed as a pair of hulking male guards dragged the unconscious form of Mind Maiden past and a middle aged man in poor shape with glasses and balding head stepped into the doorway. He was wiping his hands with an oily rag.

"You're next. Your companion was strong willed but she will be broken. It's... what I do. Bring her, and if she tries anything, beat some sense into her." he said, and nonchalantly walked away...

What now?

Several hulking men moved into the room and one stepped up, pinching Miss V's chin in his hand and leaning in close. His breath wasn't... pleasant.

"Right, you try ANYTHIN' and we'll beat th' snot outta ya. Ya see, we're locked in down here an we got time on our hands. This is how it's gonna go. We release you from the wall, chain ya feet to an opposite hand an' pucnh, drag, kick and bully ya ta the other cell. You don't wanna know what's goin on in there. Let's just say I'm glad it's sound proofed. Course, I coulda told em I'd break you ladies faster'n anyone with mind powers but the Shark guy said ta lay off. He'll get his, if I have anythin' ta do with it... or my name ain't Deathblow!" he laughed.

Just then Miss Victory felt something in her mind... a faint... tickle... it was more of a 'door knock' than a 'kick door down' request, if that were the right analogy. She didn't have mental powers but someone else did and they were making contact... if Miss Victory opened her mind to it. Of course, it could all be a trick...

Taking a chance, she opened her mind up though not sure exactly how to do that she did her best.

She also prepares to fight Deathblow. If she had that one second between being handcuffed and freed to be shackled some other way, she was going to use her martial arts skills against him. She figured the "guards" were the low-powered thugs and maybe she could beat them with her fighting skills. But this depended on what the "knock" in her mind resulted in.

'Miss Victory! It is I, Mind Maiden! They tortured me for hours... their plan is to brainwash me into being their unwitting agent and letting me out of the prison. I managed to resist them by 'retreating' into my own mind. My body is bruised, broken, battered... I dare not go back into it for the pain would overwhelm me! The women were brutal! The man... Mind Master...' an image of the fellow who came in 'was truly the brute though. He can plant suggestions, a form of mind control, and each more difficult than the last to overcome!'

'As my body lies bleeding and dying in the next cell I can help you resist their attempts to control you. I will be with you, and their attempts will rebound against my shields. There you can weather the storm and fight your way free!'

Miss Victory knew she had to make a sudden choice. To go along with Mind Maidens plan or try to break free right now!