RUBY CITY DEFENDERS! Issue #3 - Calm before the storm...

Lightning Bullet swoops in to see how he can save the person in the burning car. While his strength is impressive, it isn't super but he hopes it will be enough.

Why couldn't Fred's challenge be fire. Captain Conduit can absorb fire. But no, he has to save a baby from a big truck and he can't absorb being squished. But Fred bets that the baby can't survive a trucking truck falling on 'em either.

"I'm on it!"

Movement Action: Fly to the baby.

Free Action: Grab the baby carriage or just the baby in it, if it's stuck.

Dice Action: Dodge to avoid both him and the baby from having a truck land on them using Acrobatics(Dodging) 6 to add 6 APs of Acrobatics to his OV (Dex) of 6. (12 total OV?)

If successful, he hands the baby over to the woman and says, "No time for thanks, get yourself and this kid to safety. I've gotta go fight a fire."

If he has any movement left, then he'll make his way to the fire that is spreading, hoping he can absorb it.

ooc: Lol! small spaces are good for Lightning Bullet and fire is bad for him. Got our wires crossed. So rare for electrical heroes, don't ya think?

andyman wrote:Why couldn't Fred's challenge be fire. Captain Conduit can absorb fire. But no, he has to save a baby from a big truck and he can't absorb being squished. But Fred bets that the baby can't survive a trucking truck falling on 'em either.

"I'm on it!"

Movement Action: Fly to the baby.

Free Action: Grab the baby carriage or just the baby in it, if it's stuck.

Dice Action: Dodge to avoid both him and the baby from having a truck land on them using Acrobatics(Dodging) 6 to add 6 APs of Acrobatics to his OV (Dex) of 6. (12 total OV?)

If successful, he hands the baby over to the woman and says, "No time for thanks, get yourself and this kid to safety. I've gotta go fight a fire."

If he has any movement left, then he'll make his way to the fire that is spreading, hoping he can absorb it.

LIGHTNING BULLET

The diminutive hero swoops in to the burning car. There's enough smoke around it now to be quite blinding and people try to get close but stumble away, coughing. The pitiful cries of "Help!" have gone quiet now as the person inside struggles to breathe!

LB lands on the cars front hood side and steps up to the passenger side door - the car was on its side. Taking a grip of the handle he heaved... and of course it came off. Great American craftsmanship! The driver inside was a guy who appeared to be semi conscious and bleeding from a cut to the head. The roof had partially caved in and squished the screen and trapped him. He looked up seeing the costumed figure look down in the car.

"Tell my wife and kids..." he croaked. "I love them!" he said, before resuming his coughing.

=========

CAPTAIN CONDUIT

The lightning hero swooped in towards the pram and saw the truck sliding again, the tyres making a shredding sound as the shifting weight overcame their grip! There was no way he'd make it in time! The truck was going to fall!

No!

OOC First lets see if the speed of the Flight is fast enough vs the 'speed' of the truck dropping on the pram...

AV6 (speed) + 2d12+0 3,8+0 = 11 (17) vs
OV4 + 2d12+0 8,2+0 = 10 (14)
Success +2 (to EV8) vs RV4=4 RAPs. Total Success!

The Hero swooped under the arc of the truck body, grabbed the pram and spun, diving out!

OOC Should be easier. Same again albeit the Truck is slightly faster now as it crashes down but you can use Acrobatics...

AV6 + 3 Dice Acro + 5d12+0 11,8,8,12,2+0 = 16 DOUBLE plus 2d12+0 1,7+0 = 8 (24 rolled + 6=30 total) vs
OV5 + 2d12+0 2,4+0 = 6 (11) +6 to EV
EV6 + 6 (EV12) vs RV5=7 RAPs. Total Success.

Captain Conduit swooped in, grabbed the pram and stepped out just as the truck crashed down behind him - but he knew he'd managed it easier than it looked to the onlookers. His astounding reflexes and acrobatic moves had saved the childs life...

The mother ran over, heedless of the dust and smoke and scooped up her child from the pram, sobbing and thanking Captain Conduit all the while...

=========

LIGHTNING BULLET

The diminutive hero shrank down to his smallest height, dropped into the car and grabbed at the seat belt, heaving...

OOC Str 4 + 2d12+0 6,7+0 = 13 (17) vs
OV4 + 2d12+0 12,1+0 = 13 (17) No adds
Ev4 vs RV4=0 RAPs

It wasn't budging! Jammed!

He was about to tell the fellow to turn away but didn't need to - he'd blacked out.

Using his lightning touch he tried to burn through the seatbelt...

OOC AV7 + 2d12+0 7,11+0 = 18 (25) vs
OV4 + 2d12+0 3,10+0 = 13 (17) +4 to EV
EV9 + 4 (EV13) vs RV4=9 RAPs success.

With just the touch of a finger Lightning Bullet sparked through the belt and winced. There was a really strong smell of gasoline in the car now! He reached under the fellow, grunted with the effort of freeing him from the mashed front end and up towards the smashed side window... Leaning with his shoulder he pushed outwards and the door popped with little effort - the catch must have stuck when the door buckled slightly.

Flying up from the car he passed Captain Conduit who was swooping in and stopped to hover and help... and the car exploded!

People screamed, running for cover and dashing away, fearing to look back at the costumed do gooders who must surely...

The smoke cleared revealing Lightning Bullet setting the fellow down on a clear stretch of sidewalk whilst Captain Conduit simply dusted off the arm of his costume, unharmed! Indeed, he patted down the flames and they vanished near instantly with but a touch!

When they realised what they'd seen the people on the street forgot the danger, the smoke, the peril they were in and started clapping, cheering, whooping and yelling!

Here were two outlandish looking people in bright costumes, capes and all, swooping about and defying danger to save them... they were their heroes, Ruby Cities heroes!

"Whooooo!" shouted a young kid holding a camera. "Who are you guys? Can I take a pic? It'll make the front page!"

"I'm Lightning Bullet," the 18" hero told the kid, hovering in front of him.  "My partner here is Captain Conduit.  Does anyone else need help around here?  IF not, we got a giant gorilla to look after."

Captain Conduit doesn't wait for an answer or a photo-op, he flies up into the air for a birds eye view of the area. His view is better than a bird's eye actually, because he can detect heat, like that of another fire or a large mass of infra-red coming from a giant gorilla.

The youngster snaps Lightning Bullet then pulls a face as he whirls the camera about to try and catch a shot of Captain Conduit.

"Awww shucks! Ah well, one outta two ain't bad!" he grins. "Golly mister, you sure are tiny but I ain't never seen anyone do things like you two can do!"

People seem to be recovering from the shock of vehicles being tossed about like confetti.

Up in the air Captain Conduit scans about with his super vision. Unfortunately the light and heat of the day and the city seem to 'white out' his vision but the heat of the small fires that have broken out do tend to stand out more. Switching to his ordinary vision he scans about. Whilst he doesn't see a Giant Ape he certainly hears...

SMASH!!!

People scream and run as a car tumbles through the air a couple of hundred yards away, pings off the side of a building showering bricks and glass about and the remnants of the car crash to the street below, sending people screaming and running for cover!

Joining him in the air Lightning Bullet can 'zoom in' with his vision. He sees a cop frantically using the radio in his car and holding his pistol with trembling hands. Whatever was along the next row of buildings could toss cars about like they were weightless!

"ROAAAAAARRRRR!!!!"

The noise rang out, shaking windows and chilling the blood of anyone who heard it! If that wasn't a Giant Ape... it must have been a closely related buddy of equal size!

Flying up and looking over the buildings the pair look down on the grid like streets below.

THERE!

On all fours the ape stood fifty feet high at the shoulder, the behemoth ignoring shots from petrified Police Officers who waved people to get clear! Indeed, the shots were like gnat stings and served to make the giant ape more annoyed as it prowled down the street and casually batted cars aside with ease, flattening some and flicking others through the air with a contemptuous backhand!

Looking back the way it had come... columns of smoke rose in a straight line which, unless CC and LB missed their guess, might end up somewhere in the vicinity of Ruby City Zoo!

"Yep, big monkey," Lightning Bullet quips. "Really big monkey! Don't think a single bunch of bananas will settle him down. Bullets don't seem to affect him, how about we try double-teaming him and see if a double dose of lightning will bring him down?"

ooc: suggesting team attack here for the bonus.

"Music usually soothes a savage beast, but I didn't bring a violin. So let's do it your way." Captain Conduit lands on the roof of a building, so he can put his full concentration into team attacking the big ape with a Lightning blast.

Lightning Bullet will try to fly in behind the big ape, trying to avoid being seen by it, so he can do his lightning touch attack.

CAPTAIN CONDUIT

The superhero swoops around and lands on the roof of a building, landing with a slide and dextrous spin then moves in a couple of steps to the edge of the roof and takes aim.

He sees the tiny hero known as Lightning Bullet zip about and behind the ape which is currently picking its nose. The Giant creature produces something unmentionable on the end of its finger and flicks it.

People scream and run for cover as a small car sized booger flies through the air and explodes against a building, showering horrified shoppers in mucus! Aside from ruining their clothes and the rest of their day, they don't seem hurt.

LIGHTNING BULLET

The tiny hero energises his fists and with a look towards Captain Conduit on the roof flies in!

At the same time Captain Conduit lets loose with his blast! To be honest with something this big, how could they miss?

OOC Hitting isn't the problem, but an 80' high ape might be tougher than the average primate...

Cap Conduit AV8 + 2d12+0 4,1+0 = 5 (13) Not the best... anyway, vs
OV0 (after modifiers incl team attack) + 2d12+0 2,6+0 = 8
Hit +3 (to EV11) vs (wait for it) RV15=No damage!

Lightning Bullet AV7 + M Arts 2 dice + 4d12+0 9,10,6,1+0 = 19 (26) vs
OV0 (after mods) + 2d12+0 4,9+0 = 13
Hit +5 (to EV14) vs RV15=no damage!

Zeeeeapp!

The air lit up with lightning on a clear blue sky day as Captain Conduit unleashed his power at the ape at the same time Lightning Bullet impacted with a punch that would have dented a vault door!

The ape turned, frowning. No, not, frowning. ANGRY!

It took a swing, swatting at the tiny superhero!

OOC No chance of a hit but lets see what the dice say...

AV3 + 2d12+0 11,7+0 = 18 (21) vs
OV12 + 2d12+0 10,11+0 = 21 (33)
Nice try but nowhere near! Missed!

The Giant Ape probably doesn't even know what its swatting at, so wide is the swing!

Unfortunately it catches a side of a building and the creature howls in pain... whilst the building starts to shudder as brickwork and glass explodes across the street and the supporting walls around the area of the strike start to crumble inwards!

Inside, office workers who'd been at the windows cower in terror at the ape they can see through the now missing wall and huge cracks start to appear on the outside of the building as the top three floors creak under the sudden loss of support!

The Ape is mad now, having slapped its hand and turns to start moving off, sending people screaming and running for cover as each mighty footstep cracks asphalt and crumples now abandoned cars underneath!

OOC The heroes can easily hit the ape... but will have to put some OOMPH! into their blasts! The Ape will struggle to hit Lightning Bullet - he's far too small and agile - but with a creature this size even an unintentional strike on infrastructure will start buildings toppling! Those inside the top three floors of the office building are now in serious danger!

"LB! It seems this thing can't touch you. Can you stay with it while I go check out the source of where this thing came from? Maybe I'll find a clue as to how to make this thing regular ape sized again."

Captain Conduit then heads to where the gorilla came from. He guesses it was the zoo, but he'll follow the trail back to be sure.

"Talk about a size difference," the diminutive hero mumbles as Captain Conduit flies away. "I wonder if I can lead him away, down by the docks or the beach. Less people there and fewer buildings to destroy."

He then flies up in front of the gorilla's face and zaps his nose then flies again in the ape's face to make sure he sees him and starts flying towards the beach.

People scream and rush back from the hole in the building, scrambling for elevators and stairs.

Paper and rubble waft in the air mixing with smoke and noise. Sirens wail, cars crash as they are nudged aside and the Ape moves on, growling and staring about with an ominous look.

Lightning Bullet zips about like a mosquito in the Gorillas' face and the creature stops, roaring with rage!

Meanwhile Captain Conduit takes to the sky and swoops up. He doesn't have too much to figure out where the Ape came from.

Across various intersections and a trail blazed across a park - downed trees, huge footprints, scattered picnics and dazed people - he sees what he probably expects as he swoops towards it. Ruby City Zoo.

Long a place for schoolkids to visit and families to hang out whilst they admire all the wonderful variety that nature has on offer, it seems to have had a tornado go through it!

That's still some way off - around a mile or so from the site where the Ape is now. To get any better details Captain Conduit would have to get closer.

OOC A mile is 10APs distance minus CC's top speed of 6APs = 4APs of time. He flies roughly 50-100mph, in that range. That's the beauty of the DC Heroes system... and its weakness. In that range everyone is grouped together so someone who runs at Cheetah speed (60mph) moves the same distance as someone who flies at a diving Kestrel speed (100mph). Is what it is (that is, still the best system I ever used for Supers!)

MEANWHILE...

Lightning Bullet tries to zap the creature again...

OOC LB takes a swing...

AV7 + 2D M Arts + 4d12+0 1,9,1,6+0 = 15 (22) vs
OV0 + 2d12+0 3,4+0 = 7 (7) Success +5
EV9+5 (14) vs RV15=No damage

Despite getting in a great hit - it was practically impossible to miss this thing - Lightning Bullet figured all he'd done was get its attention. That was fine, because he zipped up and looked about, got his bearings then headed to the beach... then the docks. Beaches on a sunny day would be busy with moms and their kids. Dock Workers wouldn't need much encouragement to have a day off work.

Flying in close again he zipped about and the Gorilla swung...

OOC Av3 + 2d12+0 3,11+0 = 14 (17) vs
OV12 + 2d12+0 12,10+0 = 22 (34) Missed. A lot.

...and once more pounded a building on its side! The whole structure shook, windows shattered spraying the street below with tumbling glass and ominous cracks appeared in the brickwork! Lightning Bullet figured the longer this thing hung about in the city the nastier things would...

... he turned.

Somewhere in the distance he could hear the buzz of high pitched engines - planes! That meant the military! He looked about. Ruby City would remain busy and gridlocked and bullets wouldn't do zip against this thing! Once the army figured that out they'd have to ... gas it? Or worse. Bomb it?

The Gorilla roared, getting LBs attention and it started to amble towards the diminutive bright dot ... until it stopped, twitching, and roared again. Then it turned and started marching once more towards the centre of the city.

Captain Conduit is about 100 yards up and away from the Ape now and seeing the distant sprawl of the park and the Zoo beyond. He can head there... but he too hears the distant buzz of planes headed towards the city. Things were about to get nasty!

Captain Conduit continues flying toward the zoo, keeping an eye out for his cop friend. He did ask the gumshoe to go to the zoo to find tranquilizers. He now understands the problem would be administering them. That ape's hide is nearly impenetrable!

The giant ape twitching and changing course led Lightning Bullet to surmise that perhaps the animal was being controlled somehow. But he couldn't let it keep heading back towards the crowds. This time he decided he would put his most powerful attack against the big galoot and hope that did something besides irritate it. But just before he let loose, he looked more carefully at the ape's head, trying to see if there was some kind of device around its head or in its ears. If not that, then recent scars that might indicate a recent surgery and perhaps some kind of device inserted into its brain.

After checking he flew up behind its head and wacked it with his strongest electrical blast. ooc: Devastating attack is the most powerful one, right? If not, then whichever is the most powerful.

CAPTAIN CONDUIT

...flew towards the Zoo, people on the streets below looking up and pointing. Sure, they'd heard on the radio about mystery men and women who could do astounding things but to actually see one in person? This was something they'd be telling their grand kids about!

Getting closer to the zoo Captain Conduit saw the problem. The trail the Gorilla had left caused mayhem with cars burning, overturned, flattened. He winced as he imagined some poor guy explaining to his wife how the family car had been trodden on by a hundred foot high ape...

OOC Perception check...

AV6 + 2d12+0 7,3+0 = 10 (16) vs
OV4 + 2d12+0 4,3+0 = 7 (11)
Success +3
EV4 +3 (EV7) vs RV4=3 RAPs

1) One of the cars looks familiar near the zoo. It's in traffic and gridlocked in both directions like everything else.
2-3) It's Conways car and sure enough, the grouchy detective is walking - or more likely shoving and pushing - his way through crowds of people on the sidewalk and in the roads who are trying to sort out the mess of fender benders. A poor beat cop looks at his wits end with thirty people around him and more queuing to have a word.

Conway is fishing in his pockets for something, with bits of paper and parking tickets and the like spilling out as he does so.

LIGHTNING BULLET

...took a swing at the ape from behind. There'd been no device, no visible means of control or coercion. If there was such a device, it would now be microscopic and lost in the mass of hair that the gorilla was! With that in mind who pulled his fist back to deliver a blow...

He really put some zing into it, his most potent punch!

OOC Devastating Attack it is...

AV7+2D Martial Arts + 4d12+0 7,5,3,5+0 = 10 DOUBLE plus 2d12+0 8,10+0 = 18 (35) vs
OV6 (Dev attack less flank -2) + 2d12+0 10,1+0 = 11 (17)
Success +6
EV9 +6 (EV15) vs RV15 - 12 (Dev Attack) (EV3)=12 RAPs
Gorilla is DOWN, and OUT... and you may have a problem...

With a terrific flash of lightning and WHACK! the diminutive do gooder sends the ape falling forwards! It's limp and toppling slowly, but speeding up as it goes down!

In its path are cars and people in them who are looking in their rear view mirrors and wondering what they are looking at. Other pedestrians stand dumb struck or gasping at something they can't quite believe with their eyes - King Kong come to life!

Come to life and about to splat them with its dead weight about to crush everything underneath it!

Meanwhile the roar of planes got louder and louder...

OOC You have one chance only to try to save the people. Most have departed in terror but there are still a few stragglers and the biggest casualties will be abandoned cars and shop fronts as this thing slams down. Heck, it might go through the floor into the sewers and cause a collapse of the street!

Fred remembers Conway saying multiple times that he'd have to arrest the heroes if he saw them in public. He hopes this might be an exception, but decides to play it safe for Conway to have plausible deniability. Instead of approaching Conway, Captain Conduit flies to the rescue of the beat cop who is surrounded by civilians trying to get his attention. "Folks, leave this poor beat cop alone if you just want to file a damage report. Ruby City's best will get to everybody on that. But first we need to stop that giant banana-eater. A pal of mine is keeping big, bad and hairy busy, but if it is to be stopped and contained, I'll need the city's help getting tranquilizers and a giant cage. Or if anyone here knows how it got so big or how to shrink it back down to size... TELL ME! My name's Captain Conduit, by the way."

CAPTAIN CONDUIT

"Hey!" yells the Beat Cop! "We've gotta... I mean..."

People gape, point, gasp, scream in excitement, fear, amazement, surprise...

"Stow it!" growled Conway as he pushed through the crowd waving his badge. "Conway, 13th. Sort this mess out, I'LL deal wid th' cape."

He looked about and pointed at the roof of a flat building across the street then pushed and shoved his way through the crowd to head to the building...

OOC Presumably Captain Conduit takes the hint...

Breathing hard Conway stumbles onto the roof, waving someone back - the building superintendent with the keys

Sweating, breathing hard and fumbling for matches for his cigar the cop shakes his head. "Kid, am I glad ta see you! The city is in uproar. There's traffic jams from here ta the freeway an' the Mayor is doin' his nut. In..." he looks up and his face drops. "The next few minutes there's gonna be Military planes shootin' in our cities at this ape thing! Someone has ta stop em! Get a message to 'em or somethin! Place has gone crazy!"

Shaking his head and taking a drag of his cigar, the cop scowls. "Besides, apart from the Giant Ape causin' havoc, what brings you downtown? Shouldn't you be watchin' that Nazi Scientist? You still have him, right?"

ooc: I'm kinda of at a loss here. Lightning Bullet doesn't have super strength and due to his small size can, at best, grab two people assuming their clothes don't tear when he grabs them. Any suggestions? Int roll maybe?

Admin wrote:LIGHTNING BULLET

...took a swing at the ape from behind. There'd been no device, no visible means of control or coercion. If there was such a device, it would now be microscopic and lost in the mass of hair that the gorilla was! With that in mind who pulled his fist back to deliver a blow...

He really put some zing into it, his most potent punch!

OOC Devastating Attack it is...

AV7+2D Martial Arts + 4d12+0 7,5,3,5+0 = 10 DOUBLE plus 2d12+0 8,10+0 = 18 (35) vs
OV6 (Dev attack less flank -2) + 2d12+0 10,1+0 = 11 (17)
Success +6
EV9 +6 (EV15) vs RV15 - 12 (Dev Attack) (EV3)=12 RAPs
Gorilla is DOWN, and OUT... and you may have a problem...

With a terrific flash of lightning and WHACK! the diminutive do gooder sends the ape falling forwards! It's limp and toppling slowly, but speeding up as it goes down!

In its path are cars and people in them who are looking in their rear view mirrors and wondering what they are looking at. Other pedestrians stand dumb struck or gasping at something they can't quite believe with their eyes - King Kong come to life!

Come to life and about to splat them with its dead weight about to crush everything underneath it!

Meanwhile the roar of planes got louder and louder...

OOC You have one chance only to try to save the people. Most have departed in terror but there are still a few stragglers and the biggest casualties will be abandoned cars and shop fronts as this thing slams down. Heck, it might go through the floor into the sewers and cause a collapse of the street!

Lightning Bullet decided to take a big gamble. He was going to try to use his lightning touch to cause a spasm in one of the falling gorilla's legs to cause the leg to twitch and cause the big ape to drop away from the crowd.

ooc: Guess Devastating Touch unless there is some kind of special combat maneuver to cause a foe to drop in a certain way?

I'm thinking this is one hefty gorilla and its weight subtracts from the knockback. So let's keep devastating attack and hope I can knock him back a few spaces.

Admin wrote:OOC Planned Knockback...



This might be tricky. A critical blow will give a certain amount of knockback. A devastating attack might give you A LOT of knockback and send the giant ape flying into another building or bouncing and tumbling down the street like a giant car squashing ape thing.

Your call. The dice can do some crazy stuff and throw out all predictions too...