RUBY CITY DEFENDERS! Issue #1 - Requiem for a hero...

Captain Conduit coughs and splutters black dust as he trails a sooty path through the air and circles the large house looking for a way in.

OOC Perception Int 6 + Roll(2d12)+0: 2,7,+0 Total:9 (15) vs
OV6 (strenuous) + range 3 + Roll(2d12)+0: 9,11,+0 Total:20 (29) Failed

If there's some way in other than through the house Captain Conduit fails to spot it.

The guards in the garden don't fail to spot him though - how can they when he's a jet black sooty guy flying steadily through the air as he circles the house and looks for something!?!?

"What th' heck is dat?" yelled one of the guards. "What?"

"You blind? DAT!"

The hero circles round the blind side of the building but knows the goons will be chasing him round with pistols and maybe even tommy guns!

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OOC Desperation recovery costs 15HP (Lightning Bullet has HP6). If on body 0 or less it costs 1HP to pay for desperation recovery and someone else can pay the fee.



Lightning Bullet fumbles about, rifling through the pockets of the big man (now smaller) and finds a pistol, a box of matches and a wallet. He hears the goons outside gathering themselves and knows he's about to be rushed!

Fred thought being covered in dark soot would make him harder to see at night, but apparently not. If Captain Conduit saw either a pool or a lake, he dives in and shocks the water, so much so that the water, cloud of soot and electricity around him makes him a difficult target. He then flies out into the woods, hopefully a little cleaner.

If there is no handy body of water, then he'll head for a garage and break into it, with the intention of using it as a safe base until the goons can also get inside and also where he might be able to use his electrical powers to "hotwire" a vehicle.

Lightning Bullet fumbles about, rifling through the pockets of the big man (now smaller) and finds a pistol, a box of matches and a wallet. He hears the goons outside gathering themselves and knows he's about to be rushed!



Still using the body of the big man, Lightning Bullet waits for someone to open the door while catching his breath. He plans to Flash the group of them as soon as they do. He also wonders what happened to the animal he had let out of its cage. Was it still in the room with him or had it fled out the door when he wasn't paying attention?

With pandemonium reigning through the place Fred Aster/Captain Conduit swooped up into the sky, now more likely to be hidden instead of only twenty or thirty feet above ground level.

From here he could see...

OOC Int 6 + Roll(2d12)+0: 10,3,+0 Total:13 (19) vs
OV3 + Roll(2d12)+0: 2,1,+0 Total:3 FAILED OV0 (zero)
+6 (to EV10) vs RV3=7 RAPs

Following the way the hill swooped and angled, Captain Conduit saw the distant glitter of a stream and made for it. It would take him half a minute or so even at top speed but he could be clean of the soot and trailing cloud of dust he left in the air behind him!

He heard the gunshots tail off at the house behind. Had they finished off Lightning Bullet or had he escaped?

OOC once washed down (and no longer trailing jet black soot) is CC heading back to the house?

==========

Plunged into darkness in the room as he fumbled through the now shrunken man's pockets Lightning Bullet regains enough of his senses to glance about.

Hard to see in here but there were animals running about - he could hear them. He wasn't in too much trouble he figured. He could - at any time - disperse, make himself almost imaginable but that was a fledgling ability he knew. It would make him immune to the attempts of the smaller animals to harm him but not so much that bullets would pass through him... Bullets. Well he was now pretty sure small calibre gunfire wasn't an issue!

Hearing growls behind him he sees dark shapes in the room move about as his eyes adjust.

OOC The animals are scurrying about trying to avoid each other for the most part. They are predators and having just escaped from cages somewhat confused but soon their instincts will kick in.

Lightning Bullet keeps still and waits. Maybe the door will open first or maybe an animal will head his way. Either way, he needs time to recover, ready to flash whoever come for him. And he remembers to close his eyes a split second before he uses his power because it might affect him as well now that he is in the dark.

Hearing the gunshot, Fred wonders how he has come to this... hurrying to clean soot off in a river, so he can get back to a place where goons were shooting at him. At least he now feels justified in taking aggressive actions toward this place. Maybe he should burn it down. Nah, then he's have to change his name to Captain Arsonist.

He does need to do something big to distract that gang of trigger-happy thugs though. As long as they keep firing, he has hope his fellow longjohns-wearer may still be okay. But that won't last forever. What if Captain Conduit focusses his lightning blast for maximum thunder volume? A bit loud thunderous roar to scare those creeps straight. It's worth a try, at least when he does it from behind the cover of a tree or two.

Action: Blasting lightning, but instead of damage he wants the electricity to be as thunderously loud as possible.
Move Action: Fly through the trees, so he is not near the position the thunder came from if anyone comes looking.

OOC Apologies for the delay Andy. David M has been aware of the issues with my ongoing house buying (or not as the case turned out to be) saga but not sure if you were.

Captain Conduit considered how to use his power and figured that whilst it couldn't emit a sonic blast or boom (OOC as the Sonic Beam power would) there may be other ways to draw attention away from the house.

With a glance at the house he fired his lightning at a rock...

CRACK! Admittedly it wasn't a very large rock but it split apart with a thunderous snap of stone as if it had been blasted by dynamite! He could do the same with trees, or attack the house itself, say the roof. That would certainly draw the attention of the gun toting goons, though it might put Captain Conduit himself in danger...

=========

Lightning Bullet waited until his head cleared. There was a distant CRACK! from somewhere outside the house.

"Hey!" muttered a voice on the other side of the door. "you hear dat?"

"Who cares? Yo! You in dere! You come out wid ya hands held high an no funny business an we won't fill ya fulla holes! Honest." said one of the gun toting goons.

There was growling from behind Lightning Bullet somewhere in the darkness. His head clears enough so that he knows he can use his powers again. The distractions someone provided - perhaps his fellow cape - have bought him the time he needs to think clearly but he knows he's still in danger...

=========

The goons in the yard leave the compound and look out into the darkness.

Moonlight casts a silver sheen across the landscape but hidden in the trees as he was, Captain Conduit was sure they hadn't seen him. Mostly because they were looking in the wrong direction.

If the goons were searching the area outside the compound, chances were he could fly over to the house and get in without being seen, especially since he wasn't dragging a billowing cloud behind him now...

=========

"Last chance!" yelled someone outside the door.

"Ready boys!" hissed another voice... the handle started to turn and Lightning Bullet heard the growling behind him... either he was about to be bitten by something nasty... or he might get perforated by bullets!

Guessing that the goons who left the house, would be too stupid or lazy to have locked the door behind them, Captain Conduit quickly but quietly flies to the entrance they case from, goes inside the house and then silently closes and locks the door, while the bozos are still outside looking for him.

=========

"Last chance!" yelled someone outside the door.

"Ready boys!" hissed another voice... the handle started to turn and Lightning Bullet heard the growling behind him... either he was about to be bitten by something nasty... or he might get perforated by bullets!



"I wouldn't come in here if I were you," Lightning Bullet shouts out.
Taking a chance, Lightning Bullet flew up to the ceiling, pressing himself up against it, close to the door, hinged-side. He shouldn't be spotted there and in the distraction of angry animals if and when they opened the doors, would give him a chance to do something.

Captain Conduit smirked as the goons continued to search outside, following the trails of soot over the light gravel and generally rushing about in random directions.

He moved into the house and quickly through the place, finding what he needed - a a door ajar with stairs leading down and there - distant shouts.

The gunshots seemed to have stopped for now. Could that mean...? No. His newfound partner seemed tough, versatile and capable of looking after himself. Still, a bullet would punch through even the toughest skin and bone ... Unless the target were bulletproof.

CC himself hadn't quite known how he would stand up against automatic gun fire or a well aimed rifle shot. Right now he knew/hoped he could take a shot or two. Any more than that...?

He looked down the stairs into the darkness and listened...

=========

"Ready boys!" yelled the goons outside the door.

"I wouldn't come in here if I were you," Lightning Bullet shouts out.

Taking to the air and floating up to close to the ceiling Lightning Bullet waited knowing what would happen...

"NOW!"

The door crashed open and a myriad of wild animals rushed out from every corner and cage!

"Argggh! Lookout!"

"What the heck!!!"

"I can't... Get out th' way!"

"Arrrrggggh! Dat's a tiger!"

"Shoot it!"

"Shoot? Screw dat, da boss will strangle us! Run!"

=========

Captain Conduit heard a bunch of shouting...

Then he heard heavy footsteps... coming his way!

OOC the stairs are in absolute darkness save near the top where CC is. However once eyes adjust it's possible to move about with caution... except there are figures at the bottom of these stairs (about fifty feet down - quite a depth!) moving up the stairs - and in a hurry!

=========

Lightning Bullet risks a peak and sees snakes, various animals and spiders... basically all manner of dangerous critter... escaping out of the room he floated in and saw the place outside was empty of goons - for now.

Despite the darkness his eyes had adjusted and he could see a corridor with several doors off it.

"Not sure if any of these animals are illegal to own," Lightning Bullet thought to himself. "Need some hard evidence of some crimes here or I am in hot water. Let's go check out the other rooms and see what I can find."

By the heavy footsteps, Captain Conduit knows it is not his new little pal coming. Her shuts the door to the stairs leading down, steps to the side, and sets his trap. Fred electrifies the door handle so that anyone trying to open it from the other side will gets the shock of their life!

Lightning Bullet moves carefully and quickly, hearing the thud of feet on steps as the goons charge upstairs with guns.

First door. Storage. Some kind of... scientific supplies? Next... a makeshift lab with things half unpacked. Beakers and flasks with strange coloured liquids, pipes and tubes feeding into other stuff... LB was smart but this was beyond his high school chemistry knowledge.

Next door... he took a step back.



A voice (out of sight) shouted. "Vas ist der racket our zer?" Clearly accented, very probably German. "I em trying to verk here und all zet shooting und noise is disturbing ze process!"

Lightning Bullet tried to figure out what he was looking at...

OOC Int 5 + 2D Scientist + Roll(4d12)+0: 12,11,12,3,+0 Total:24 BOOM double plus Roll(2d12)+0:
5,4,+0 Total:33 (38) vs
OV6 + Roll(2d12)+0: 9,3,+0 Total:12 (18) +6 (to Will 9)
EV9 vs RV6=3 RAPs

1) This place is new set up, within the last few weeks. Some of the packing crates are still lying around and it appears that there is still a 'newness' about the place, including the fresh painted walls.
2-3) Lightning Bullet doesn't know what the machines do, or the process involved, but his best guess is that the superhuman brute he put down gained his abilities here. Might this be what Darkraven discovered before he was killed?

Looking across the room Lightning Bullet saw a man wiping his hands and stepping from behind a machine. He looked about but didn't seem to have noticed the diminutive hero at the moment. "Hello? I thought I heard some von come in."

Captain Conduit cleverly (OOC nice touch) points a finger at the door handle and an arcing electrical bolt leaps from it to the metal!

Thudding steps... wait, wait and "YEEEEAAAARRRRGGGGHHHHH!!!" then Thud thud thud thud "Arrrggh! What the ..." "I can't..." "Get OOOFFFF!" RATATATATATATA! as a machine gun went off.

Moments later, silence.

CC risked opening the door for a look, holding up his glowing hand for some light and ready to blast. There was smoke on the other side of the door and looking down the stairs he could vaguely make out dishevelled forms sprawled in a heap at the bottom of a steep staircase. Really steep, like going down several storeys. If these guys were down, chances were they wouldn't be getting up for a while. The smell of burned ammunition hung in the air and CC heard one of the tangle mass of bodies groan. Not completely out for the count but probably with a few broken bones to show for their fall...

1) This place is new set up, within the last few weeks. Some of the packing crates are still lying around and it appears that there is still a 'newness' about the place, including the fresh painted walls.
2-3) Lightning Bullet doesn't know what the machines do, or the process involved, but his best guess is that the superhuman brute he put down gained his abilities here. Might this be what Darkraven discovered before he was killed?

Looking across the room Lightning Bullet saw a man wiping his hands and stepping from behind a machine. He looked about but didn't seem to have noticed the diminutive hero at the moment. "Hello? I thought I heard some von come in."


Lightning Bullet debated on what to do.
1) Surprise attack? Flying up and touching what appears to be a German mad scientist and shocking him unconscious?
2) Blind him and move up and start questioning him?
3) Appear in front of him and demand to know who he is and why he is there? Maybe find out if he has a big ego and is willing to brag?

From the other sounds he heard before, it looked to him like Captain Conduit had made his appearance. So ... maybe he had time for option 3.

Flying close to the floor, Lightning Bullet approached the German scientist and then seemed to pop up in the air right in front of the man - hovering.

"Name's Lightning Bullet! Who are you and what are you doing here?"

Captain Conduit carefully hovers down the steep staircase toward the semi-conscious guy at the bottom. If he sees or hears nothing to indicate where to go from here, he tries to intimidate the goon with the broken bones into telling him what made him rush up the stairs all of a sudden and if he's seen a little blue man.

"Vat?" spluttered the little man. He must have been - at most - about 5'5" tall. fearful too, and he backed off several paces whilst taking in the fact he faced a guy 3' tall and muscle bound!

"Zis is... zis is remarkable! Who are you? how did you get to be so small und yet viz ze correct proportions?" he said, adjusting his glasses and peering. "Zis ... remarkable. Remarkable."

"I em Professor Herman Schmidt." he says, whilst still peering at Lightning Bullet and his scientists curiosity getting the better of him.

"How did you get in here? I heard all ze gunshots..." he looked at the door and paled slightly "Are ze goons viz guns coming beck?"

Captain Conduit comes to the bottom of the stairs, mindful of goons getting up but they were dazed for the most part.

They might not remain that way forever but for now he would be ok. Looking down the corridor with a hand held up to shed some light he saw... something small scurrying across the floor. A weasel of some kind. Or similar. There! A snake? Something bigger!

Cripes! That was a badger, but one of those crazy fierce ones from Africa that took lions on! What was going on? Was this place a zoo or...

Down the corridor he saw a green glow from a slightly ajar door. There were other doors but he heard distant voices from the place. He glanced at the groaning or otherwise still goons. He could clobber them but with his powers and strength he risked doing a lot of damage to an already injured foe.

Captain Conduit decides to stick to the ceiling as he goes to check on the glow coming from the slightly opened door. There is no point risking stepping in badger poop or tackling a snake, when he can ride waves of static electricity overhead. He just hopes there's not a bird of prey in here too.

CAPTAIN CONDUIT

The hero floated up to the ceiling. Whatever had gone on in here... he saw emptied bullet casings and passed a room full of cages, some with animals in, others without occupants as they went for cover and ... ROOOAAARRRGGGHHHH!!

He stopped, backed up, did a double take.

There was a panther in the room, and it looked like it was pawing at something. A man. A man dressed in tattered clothes.

Up ahead on the other side of the corridor he could hear voices from the slightly ajar door of the room with the glowing light...

"Remarkable..." he heard in an accented voice.

"Rrrrrraaaagggh." said the Panther, settling down as it considered which part of the unconscious man to eat first.

Admin wrote:"Vat?" spluttered the little man. He must have been - at most - about 5'5" tall. fearful too, and he backed off several paces whilst taking in the fact he faced a guy 3' tall and muscle bound!

"Zis is... zis is remarkable! Who are you? how did you get to be so small und yet viz ze correct proportions?" he said, adjusting his glasses and peering. "Zis ... remarkable. Remarkable."

"I em Professor Herman Schmidt." he says, whilst still peering at Lightning Bullet and his scientists curiosity getting the better of him.

"How did you get in here? I heard all ze gunshots..." he looked at the door and paled slightly "Are ze goons viz guns coming beck?"

"I'm Lightning Bullet," he replies. "You are afraid of those goons, Prof. Schmidt? Why? Don't you work for them or lead them? Or are you forced to work for them?"

... ROOOAAARRRGGGHHHH!!

"Hmmm...I guess the panther hasn't left the room yet," he said out-loud. "But you don't have to worry about that, I can take it down if it decides to come here instead of fleeing out into the desert."

He shifts his position a bit so he can see both Schmidt and the door the panther might come in through.

Captain Conduit does not want to see a man eaten by a cat. So he tries to stun the panther, by zapping it with a shot of electricity. He hopes this works because that beast might be able to pounce up and rake Fred with a claw.

OOC Easy roll, this.

Lightning 8 + Roll(2d12)+0: 1,8,+0 Total:9 (17) vs
OV3 + Acrobatics 1D + Roll(3d12)+0: 3,5,8,+0 Total:13 (16) Hit +1 (to 4EV, reduced damage to discourage it) vs RV3=1 RAP.

The great cat YOWLS! then races out of the room, down the corridor and out of sight!

In the room almost opposite lightning Bullet hears a CRACK of electricity then the YOWL of the cat before he sees it as a dark blur race by the ajar door...

The scientist looks petrified! "Zey are coming beck! If zey find you, zey vill shoot you little men! I hef to admit I am intrigued by your size and ability to fly. You are clearly Ubermensch but zen ouor verk for ze third reich was years behind America's own super soldier program."

OOC Captain Conduit hears all that.

Admin wrote:OOC Easy roll, this.

Lightning 8 + Roll(2d12)+0: 1,8,+0 Total:9 (17) vs
OV3 + Acrobatics 1D + Roll(3d12)+0: 3,5,8,+0 Total:13 (16) Hit +1 (to 4EV, reduced damage to discourage it) vs RV3=1 RAP.

The great cat YOWLS! then races out of the room, down the corridor and out of sight!

In the room almost opposite lightning Bullet hears a CRACK of electricity then the YOWL of the cat before he sees it as a dark blur race by the ajar door...

The scientist looks petrified! "Zey are coming beck! If zey find you, zey vill shoot you little men! I hef to admit I am intrigued by your size and ability to fly. You are clearly Ubermensch but zen ouor verk for ze third reich was years behind America's own super soldier program."

OOC Captain Conduit hears all that.

"So you are experimenting on criminals to give them super-powers," Lightning Bullet asks. "You are the boss here? Or working for someone else?"

Captain Conduit looks in the room to verify that the little flying man mentioned is the one he expects and not a male pixie or something. Then he says, "Hey pip-squeak, I'm glad you're alright, but the gunmen I zapped won't stay in a state of paralyzed shock forever. And there's a wild zoo lose out here too! Can we maybe talk to the Nazi-man someplace else? Like maybe a World War II veteran reunion party? I bet they'd be thrilled to meet this guy."