[The Human Element] Alliance City Streets

[Belial]

Vlad reached out and touched Drakes mind with all his effort using his telepathy to send him the message "I offer my apologies for the Intrusion, but I dont know know of any other way to send you a message. There is some one here, some one watching and they arent quite human, It was only faint so I cant tell who or what it was or even what they were looking for but I touched their mind just as they brushed against mine. Now Im going to do something very odd." He sent the message to Drake as he grabbed his chin with his right hand and the back of his head with his left and jerked with all his might. A horrid cracking noise followed as Vlads head twisted backwards and he stumbled about for a few seconds before crumbling to the ground, In the back ground some one had their stereo system blaring Abraham's Daughter by Arcade Fire while lightning bolts and thunder cracked all around them. (Incarnation points redistributed. There is no check for this)


After a few seconds Vlads skin grew pail, a few seconds more and his head snapped back and his limbs began to twist and contort, his jaw elongated and fur began sprouting from his skin his eyes grew red, the entire process looked painful and left him in a very vulnerable position, and after a few more seconds Vlad kicked off his skin and clothing Leaving only a rather insidious looking wolf standing in the middle of the group, His fur was oddly beautiful, while appearing menacing and completely unnatural.


"well thats knew"


Barghast Form

Spoiler

[dice]1486[/dice]


(Damage is 15, so save is 30 i rolled a 4 so I failed by well over 15.)

 

[gatherer818]

"Fiction would have you believe that vampires and werewolves are enemies. Experience tells me that while that's true, they have much more in common than you'd think. It's probably bad that Vladimir is what disturbs me most here... time to go see what I can learn at the crime scene. Glad there's others here, though, no worries about getting you two in the line of fire." Stefan heads down before he hears more about the shooting that might taint his view, gets as close to the place Stryker was standing when he died as he can without damaging the scene itself (identifying himself briefly if anyone tries to stop him), and settles on the ground. "You three go ahead and ask the questions that brought you out here, I'm going to see if I can get a closer look at the crime for a minute and then I'll join. Yes, I said you three, keep them company for now, Nicky. Tether, disable static filter and scan for outlying threads." Backing up his voice commands with a few touchpad strokes, he sits and concentrates, hoping he'll be able to see the scene unfold and garner some clue the investigation wouldn't otherwise turn up.

Spoiler

So, his Post-cog is Uncontrolled, he can't demand answers from it, but he is at least trying to activate it. *looks pointedly at the ball sitting in Lady Jane's court* I figure if it's going to trigger, this would be the perfect time - murder site, very emotional, with the victim's student, very recent, crowds of shocked onlookers, everybody's hero, whole nine yards.

 

[Lady Jane]

The crowd screamed and many scattered as Vlad's body crumpled to the ground and rose again as something much...different. The officers and investigators with guns pointed them at the transforming monster. Allen found a new shade of pale, but didn't move, clenching his fists in preparation for a fight. Electricity crackled between Marcus' fingers.


By the time the vampire was done with his transformation, Drake stood over him, arms crossed, unimpressed. It was almost a pity he was wearing a mask so they couldn't see the epic eye roll. "Really, Drakul, in front of the children?" With a flick of his wrist, he waved off the gunmen, and the boys--somewhat reluctantly--stood down.


In Stefan's boyhood history lessons, this moment never happened. In his study of the multiple timelines, this moment was deemed inconsequential and therefore easily forgotten. But in the grand scheme of things, in the multi-layered organic network of time itself, this moment was the cornerstone of the Earth-bound multiverse. Where the timelines diverged was still vague, and when was a mystery, but this...this was the why.


That sense was conveyed ineffably as the scene played on Stefan's holographic display. A bullet fired from an empty, unrented hotel room some distance away, its screaming trajectory keening with an unknown frequency that sang death for the Gifted in its crosshairs. An explosion of bone, blood, and gray matter. The mess spraying over Blink's masked, shocked face as the bullet carried the ravaged flesh though the window as it shattered. People running, screaming. The world was ending.

 

[gatherer818]

Stefan looks more worried than he has in quite some time.... he skips rejoining the boys for now, walking off toward the least crowded spot he can find and motioning with his head and eyes that he'd like Drake to join him there. (He mostly ignores Vlad, not knowing whether he's capable of real conversation in his current form, or even if he can understand human speech in that form. Vampires seem to have a different explanation and totally different powers in every timeline he's heard of them, despite the same base traits - Stefan is just glad Vlad isn't the sparkling, diamond-hard, overly affectionate kind of vampire.)

Spoiler

"I'll use the simplest language I can. This timeline just split, and this branch appears to head toward an end. The bullet's ability to overcome the defenses of powered persons was physically palpable even through a frayed, distant replay of the shooting. I... A timeline can be prevented from ending. That's actually what I do. Before, I was more of a contractor, scratching your back so you'd scratch mine, but saving timelines that are headed for destruction is actually what I do. I think the tether dropped me here for a reason. Consider me a full member of Delta for the duration of this crisis.... and besides, it's not like I have a way to leave yet, anyway. Even if I weren't dedicated to saving this world, I'd have to keep it alive long enough for me to find a way off it." Stefan extends a handshake Drake's way.

 

[Lady Jane]

Drake took his hand and held it firm for a moment. "Then as a full member of Delta, I need you to do something for me." He leaned his head in and spoke just loud enough for Stefan to hear. "You're going to take lead on this investigation. Feel free to make use of my expertise, but I'm only going to act as a consultant. Stryker wasn't just a colleague, he was a friend, and so help me god, I want to see the ones responsible burn in hell. That makes my leading a conflict of interest. We're going to do this by the book. It's a new track for me, I'll admit, but I'm a quick study. I just don't want any bullshit red tape when we nail this bastard to the wall.


"I've been watching you. You're a capable leader, and you know how to give and take orders. Find yourself a team and get to the bottom of this. I'd recommend Desmond as your second. He's got military experience and a natural charisma, which you'll need. Girl Prodigy is smart. She'd probably be able to put this whole thing together herself, but she lacks experience. Vlad makes up for that in spades.


"That's my recommendations, but if you're on board with this, it'll be your show. Whadda ya say?"

 

[Belial]

Vlad finally recovered from the sudden burst of extra ordinary senses that he was most definitely not expecting.


After a few moments he turned adjusted his senses to an array he was more comfortable with. He looked to Stefan and Drake. "Sorry my head finally stopped collecting and processing literally every bit of information within a 2 block radius. Im going to go check out that room and see if I can pick up more information on what happened. Oh and he says yes its a great opportunity... Only a fool wouldn't." He said using his shadow walking to teleport into the room.


After a few moments He focused all his senses into his precognition and tried to pick up any information he could about the killerer.


(has acute senses sight and hearing)


Rearranges his shadow control power array and Super senses power array as follows.

Spoiler

Shadow Control power array: 10 points:


Primary Array


Teleport threw shadows 10


Shadow Form ( Insubstantial 2 gasius form)


Strike (2 points, mighty)


Enhanced Sences power array: 16 ranks


Standard Setup:


Accurate: 4


Acute: 2


Extended: 1


Radius: 5


Additional Sences:


Awareness 1


Microscopic Vision 5


Darkvision 2


Detect (sight) 2


Direction sense 1


Distance sence 1


Infravision 1


Low Light Vision 1


Scent 1


Trackin 1


Ultra hearing 1


UltraVision 1


Post cognition 4p

Barghast Form stats (what he looks like and his stats)

Spoiler

Race: Vampire


Str: 20


Dex: 14


Con: 0


Int: 16


Wiz: 13


Cha: 14


Attack bonus


Deffense Bonus +10 dodge


Toughness: 31 (Total of +16)


Fortitud: -


Will: 1


Reflex: 0


Skills: 5 (20)


Knowledge history: 4


Climb: 1


Bluff: 2


Disguise: 2


Intimidate 4


Language: 5 (Walachian romanian, Latin, Hungarian, aramaic, ancient egyptian, )


Skills 5 ranks (20 points)


Survival 5 ranks


Search 10


Notice 7 ranks


Feats:


Attractive


Dodge focus 10


Eidetic memory


Equipment Sword


Attack focus melle: 9


Barghest Form: 25 (All points allready factored)


Move 28 points of strength and 2 points of con into 10 pp


Growth: 2 (fullpower -1, Action -1, allways on -1) (2 pp)


Grants + 4 strength +2 con


Density: 2 (fullpwoer, action-1, allways on -1)(1 pp)


Grants a plus 4 strength +2 protection Plus 1 imovable and superstrength


Enhanced Sences power array: 16 ranks ( action-1 Movement action to activate ) 8 pp (32 pp to spend in power)

Spoiler

Standard Setup:


Accurat: 4


Acue: 2


Extended: 1


Radius: 5


Additional Sences:


Awareness 1


Blind Sight 4


Danger sence 1


Darkvision 2


Detect (sight) 2


Direction sense 1


Distance sence 1


Infravision 1


Low Light Vision 1


Scent 1


Tremor sense 3


Post cognition 4p


Can loose an of the above sences to pick up th following sences assuming enough points are made available.


Radio 1


Time Sense 1


Trackin 1


Ultra hearing 1


UltraVision 1


Xray Vision 4

Shadow Control power array: 10 points: (20 pp)


Primary Array


Teleport threw shadows 4 ranks (2 pp) (can only teleport threw shadows -1)


Shadow Form ( Insubstantial 2 gasius form) 10pp


Anamate Darkness (limitted only works on darkness -1) 6 ranks (90 points)


(Darkness Construct


Strength 40, Dex 20, Wis 10,


Feats: improved grab,


Protection 2, supermovement slithering 1, Combat attaack 10, Deffence 14, Initiative 5, TOughness +10, Strike 5 mighty,)


Other alternate powers:


Darkness controll, animate Shadows, Blast, Create Object (shadow constructs),


Dazzle (visual), Drain Constitution (life-energy drain), Fatigue (energy


drain), ESP (visual and auditory, Medium: darkness or shadows


–1), Snare (shadow bonds), Strike (shadow weapon),


Barghast Howl:


Emotion control Fear 5 ranks ( Action-1, sence dependant -1 Limitted to one emotion -1, full power -1, Area of effect Burst +1 No test +2, Linked)


Emotion Control Dispair 5 ranks( Action-1, sence dependant -1 Limitted to one emotion -1, full power -1, Area of effect Burst +1 No test +2, Linked)


Superspeed 2(Already factored in)


Vamperic drain: (drain 3) 10


Drain single trait Constitution, inate, slow fade 6 (1 day)


Vamperic Immunitys power array (32) innate 17 points spent


Fortitude effects 30


Immunity to Criticals 2


Features 1


Special Effects


You have some special effect, like a gust of wind at the right dramatic moment, or ideal spotlighting, or personal theme music. The GM may give you a +2 bonus for favorable circumstances when your special effect is likely to impress people or otherwise aid you.


Auspex: (Telepathy 5) 10


Vampiric Physique Power Array: 11 power points


Celerity: (Super SPeed 5) 15


Quickness 3, speed 3, Feats: improved initiative, Rapid attack (15 ft radius)


Potence: (Super Strength 1) 5


+5 str carry capacity, Heavy load 3.7 tons, +1 str some chekcs


Ground strike, shockwave, thunderclap:


Leaping: (2) 2


Vamperic Regeneration Power array: 10 power points spent


All have the Flaw Doesn't work if staked in the heart with a wooden stake or Against silver:


Recovery Bonus 10 ranks (5 points) Alternate Save willpower +1


Resurrection 10 ranks (3 points)


Recovery rate Disabled 8 (3 points)


Recovery Rate Staggered 6 (2 points)


Recovery rate Bruised/ unconscious 3 ( 1 point)


Recovery rate Ability Damage 6 (2 point)


Innate, regrowth, Persistent Reincarnation



[dice]1492[/dice]

 

[gatherer818]

Stefan's surprise at being put on top of this case is only momentary, and isn't caused by any perceived lack of his capabilities. He just didn't expect Drake to be willing to hand over the reins, but it seems today's events managed to pierce the most impenetrable emotional armor as well. "No worries, I know how to work the red tape in at least twenty-five time periods and sixty languages. We'll get your guy, and he'll pay."

Spoiler

Short post today, will probably be back tonight to elaborate if things haven't already moved on by then.

 

[Lady Jane]

Drake clapped Stefan on the shoulder. "Damn straight. Now, let's catch up with Vlad. There's a rather important bit of information I have, and I'd really rather not repeat myself. I see he might have developed super hearing because he didn't get our conversation from my mind, however, I'm not going to talk about this loud enough for him to hear three blocks away. He's not the only one in the city with super hearing."


With Stefan's agreement, he lead him down the street to the hotel that was used as the sniping position. They walked right through the lobby, though both were probably quite capable of sneaking in the window. The hotel staff, however, had just been unwitting accomplices in an assassination. The Legendary Mister X was going to put the fear of God into them by simply walking through their front door.


He didn't even acknowledge them with a nod as they went up to the fateful room. With the time he had to sniff around, he'd picked up the sense of a man that had been in the room. There was virtually nothing remarkable about the man; average height, average build, average gait. He unloaded and assembled his weapon with expected precision. The weapon was equally unremarkable for its intended use. There were no distinguishing marks, no custom made accessories. He took the shot cleanly and quickly and left.


When Stefan and Drake entered the room, Drake shut the door behind them, leaving the three of them with the darkness alleviated only by the streelights outside the window. "You were onto something when you asked if Stryker had a weakness. Where he comes from there are people known as the Gifted who are granted powers by their deity. Doesn't matter if you believe it or not, the important thing is they do, and so long as they believe, their powers are untouchable. Of course, it's not going to surprise you that there are some in that world who are unhappy with the idea. They've developed an army supplied with powerful armor that can emit a soundwave that will disrupt the Gifted's brain functions rendering them unable to access their powers. Stryker's invulnerability wasn't penetrated. It was turned off."


He turned his hand over, palm up, and dozens of pieces of metal floated in the air above his hand. They were no more than half a millimeter cubed. A closer inspection showed them to be shaped much like squarish puzzle pieces. "This is the bullet that killed him. More than a bullet, it was a machine with the purpose to emit that specific frequency to nullify Stryker's powers mere fractions of a second before impact.


"You might notice that the technology design is very similar to what Vorg's suit is made of. That's no coincidence. With all due respect to the man in the tin can, he had no idea what it was when he put the damn thing on. It was one of the suits of armor used to hunt the Gifted in Stryker's home world. That said, Vorg's suit has had that frequency deleted. Permanently. Also a notable difference. Vorg's suit is not metal; or at least what we would call metal. Its composition is made up of elements not seen on this planet. This bullet, however, is. Its design is alien, but its materials are not."

 

[Belial]

(also totally meant to say postcognot precog. >.<)


Vlad thought for a moment. "No matter what the time period, or dimension, there have always been those who hunted down the those of us with extraordinary ability's. My parent and Regent told me storys of the first of my kind being created by the Anunnaki of Babylonian myth and being hunted down and killed by the population of the time. In my earlier days men of the Church calling themselves Paladins and boasting power gifted to them supposedly by their god, not dissimilar to what you described Dr... X., arose to hunt my kind down, they didnt last long though, like all beings with supernatural ability's they were deemed witches by the church and hunted down and killed or slayed by my kind. As times went on witch hunters and other organizations most of witch evolved into solstice would arise developing skills and weapons to hunt my kind down, And as the beings you call "meta humans" began to become more prevalent they would develop the tools necessary to kill them as well. I would assume that your killer is some equivalent of solstice from that dimension if he isn't solstice from this dimension. Now our killer unfortunately was completely mundane in every way except one, the fact he was so remarkably mundane its practically a super power, even the fire arm he used was completely unremarkable, no identifying marks what so ever. Now Your strikers dimension sounds like it might be one of the mystic realms, if you have any information on his realm or some place I can preform study on it I may be able to get to that realm. But I dont know until I try." He passed the room still trying to sniff for info. "I wonder what that metal would do to me?" He asked out loud walking about. "Either way I would wager we should be careful any one willing to go to other dimension to kill one man, however extraordinary he is, is probably planning more then a single murder, while Im sure we are probably all in danger, I would suggest you check in with the other members of your team X and be careful." He looked at Drake suddenly realising what he had just told the most neurotically paranoid man on the planet to be careful... He shrugged and started thinking again trying to figure out another angle to hit this with.

 

[gatherer818]

"So, either our assassin is part of a group that figured all this out or he's from Stryker's home world himself, or at least is in contact with them. The only thing that stands out about the assassin and his weapon, besides the power-nullifying effect on the bullet, is how incredibly unremarkable they are. And there's a good chance he's either with Solstice or sent by a power-armor-wearing army of... militant atheists." Stefan shakes his head. "So, Mister X, have you already done the groundwork on this side? I imagine by now if there's anything to be found, you've already found it, but if you think there might be a chance of evidence here still, I'll do it again with at least four sets of eyes." He sticks to Drake's public name here, just in case of people with ears larger than their brains.

 

[Lady Jane]

Drake thought for a moment. "I'm not sure I'd characterize his home dimension as mystic." He pointed a finger at Vlad. "Keep in mind 'mystic' is often a lazy-man's term for 'something we don't understand yet.'" He held up his phone. "Case in point--my 'magic box' as one might have seen it given eight hundred years ago.


"As for details on the setting, ask Blink. He spent the better part of a year there. Or his lady, seeing as she was born there. Not tonight, though. Tonight they have enough to deal with.


Drake nodded at Stefan. "That's about the size of it. Though I wouldn't so much call them atheists so much as opposing religion. As I understand it, new religion pops up, hands out super powers, old religion doesn't like it, starts trying to make the new religion go away. Like I said, Blink knows more about this than I do.


"So. The assassin himself. Remarkably unremarkable. Almost as if he expected us to check the scene with a post-cog scan? Sam's abilities in that regard aren't exactly a state secret, but the man obviously did his homework. You know, besides discovering one of the most closely guarded secrets in the Delta Division. Also, as I stated, the design might be alien, but what it's made of can be obtained easily enough here on Earth. I wouldn't rule out someone who has nothing to do with Stryker's home world. The man, and whoever hired him, is meticulous and careful. I couldn't even find a shell casing here. And these aren't just bullet fragments, they're bullet powder, which will make ballistics a pain in the ass."


He took a breath and made a self-deprecating noise that might have been a laugh. "I did say I'd stay out of this, didn't I? Not my strong suit. I've been here since we touched down, so I think I've found everything we're likely to find. The boys have no training on a crime scene anyway. Local authorities are taking care of statements--at least from those the puppy dog didn't scare off." He looked pointedly at Vlad. "I think we can leave the techs to do clean-up."

 

[Belial]

Vlad paced for a moment. "Only a man can kill a monster." he mumbled. "but how do we find the man in a world of them?" he questioned himself pacing the room trying to put things together. "We find a motive, we find accomplices, we find some one who hired him... We find who would want to make a point to let Every one know that they are in fact able to kill the big unkilable person... " he continued to think. "i think I am going to go find a monster in mans skin... And ask our Mr Mcnally some questions, his name has been thrown around entirely to many times this night for my taste and its been entirely to close to solstices name for my liking."

 

[Lady Jane]

"Waxing a little philosophical are we?" Drake said to Vlad. "Fine. But watch yourself. Don't screw up my operation there. And stay close to your phone. This has already been a long night, and it's not over yet."


He picked up his buzzing phone. "HQ calling. Might not be a bad idea to head back to give them an update." He hit the talk button and grunted into it.

 

[Belial]

"Ill try not to ruin all your plans, or atleast if nothing else survive ruining them.. Or let any one else survive." He mumbled.


He paced the room some more then stretched his front paws out in front of him and shook his fur witch started bleaching white, after a few seconds he rolled to the floor in a sort of fetal position as his fur was shed and replaced by feathers, his form convulsed and curled into itself as it began to shrink Until finally nothing but a whispy white Raven stood there shaking its feathers out. "Im going to head over to that fight club and ask around." he squeaked like a bird but any who could hear him could understand what he said perfectly.

 

[gatherer818]

"I'll go update Nicky's new playmates... to an extent, I'll leave exactly how much to tell them up to the usual leadership." Stefan takes the stairs - faster than the elevator - back to the first floor and heads back to the other end of the crime scene. "Well, that was... interesting. I reported something someone already knew, and now I'm in charge of the investigation. I ~did~ say that you'd have an easier time getting a look around if you stuck with me, didn't I? Huddle up, kids, and I'll share what I know." While Stefan tells them that the bullet was specially created to penetrate Stryker's defenses, he doesn't go into too much detail about how the assassin might have known how to do that or about off-world armies that might have nothing to do with anything.

 

[Lady Jane]

"Be there in a moment," Drake muttered into the phone, then disconnected the call. "New plan," he told Vlad. "Sam's been attacked. Stand by to teleport back to HQ." He began reprogramming the teleportation app on his phone to include Vlad, Stefan, and the boys--Nicky included--as he booked it down the stairs and made his way to Stefan.


As Stefan updated the boys, Allen frowned, but stayed silent. Marcus blinked in surprise. "Wait. You're in charge of the investigation?" He was immediately embarrassed by his own incredulous tone. "I-I mean no disrespect, I'm sure--what I mean is, D--Mister X isn't handling it?"


"Conflict of interest," Drake interjected. "We play this by the rules. Hasn't Thundra taught you anything?"


Marcus made a face. "Since when do I listen to anything my sister says." He paused. "For that matter, since when do you listen to anything my sister says?"


"Your sister's not a smart-ass man-child."


While Marcus worked his mouth to try to come up with a witty return, Drake put his hand on Stefan's shoulder and spoke low, only just enough for him to hear. "Sam's been attacked. Poison. She's alive, but this is either world's worst coincidence or a piece of a larger puzzle."


He backed up and included the boys in the rest of the conversation. "We're heading back immediately. Prepare to teleport."


And with that, he activated his device and provided them with instant transportation directly to Sam's office back at HQ.


----------->Office of Samantha Clive

 

[Lady Jane]

Marcus and Mitch were squabbling again. Marcus was feeling an awful lot like he'd rather be with his sister, given her mentally regressed state, and Mitch wasn't helping. To make matters worse, his girlfriend, Lindsay, hadn't been seen since Stryker's memorial service.


"Maybe she got tired of waiting for you to be a real man...if you know what I mean," Mitch taunted Marcus with a cheeky grin.


"Shut the fuck up, Roberts. Mind your own goddamn business."


"Oho, did I hit a nerve. Oh, don't tell me, Delta's star couple haven't--"


"Shut your hole. Of course we--you know, why the hell should I defend myself to you."


Allen was with them as well. He looked a little like he just wanted them both to stop yelling at each other and get their job done, but the poor kid was too shy to open his mouth. They were supposed to be covering a quadrant of Alliance City in a reasonably expedient fashion, and they couldn't do that when they were at each other's throats.


They were deployed via teleportation on the side of a highway that ran through the city, connecting the local suburb to the downtown area. Glass littered the lawns of the cookie-cutter houses. A three-car accident had resulted in a pileup on the road. On the other side of the highway, the sign that advertised office buildings, two competing banks, and several chain restaurants was blown out and halfway to the ground. Neon glass sparkled in the green grass. A first-aid station had been set up inside near the doctor's office. A stone's throw away was a power plant. It would take a closer inspection to see the damage done inside.

 

[Millershipper]

Jacob had seven copies of himself out and about. He'd been assigned this sector as one of the few Metas able to cover most of the area himself. His green eyes stared flatly out into the devastation. Strands of red hair draped his cheeks, the brilliant red somehow duller now.


He'd missed the funeral. He figured someone would need to be watching other places and hoped his absence wasn't noted. Or if it was, attributed to grief. He wondered if he'd have seen anything had he been out in the field. But he hadn't been.


Now he walked the quadrant of the city containing the power plant. His copies were mostly slinking around gathering intel. No point in advertising his power too much at the moment. His pockets held several boxes of paperclips. Who would consider those weapons, after all? As he walked he heard an arguement ahead. Slipping along much more quietly he worked his way forward to see who was there.


Marcus and Mitch. And Allen. Allen looked to be the steadiest of the three but not ready to take on the other two alone. Jacob figured it was time to step in.


"As if anyone's private life matters when you're supposed to be on patrol. Don't the three of you have a job to do? Can you even remember what your assignment is, let alone get it done without fighting each other?" Jacob stood there, his scuffed boots and blue jeans showing under a long battered duster. He looked at the three boys, hands in his duster, shoulders squared. "YOu have a job. Delta needs everyone working right now. Given you're in my sector you'll tell me what your assignment is."

 

[Lady Jane]

Marcus ducked his head. "Yes, Sir," he said, and Allen echoed it. Mitch stuck out his chin defiantly and looked like he was going to say something that would earn him a time out if he were in kindergarten, but they were interrupted by a violent explosion. Black smoke and flames burst from the shattered windows of the power plant, and chunks of concrete rained on the dammed highway with a tattoo of thunks in an unpredictable pattern, tearing up the asphalt and damaging cars. Allen reacted quickly, and dashed under a large chunk of wall and caught it as if it were made of Styrofoam before it collapsed in the roof of a minivan with a child strapped into a car seat. People screamed, a few trapped inside their vehicles. Fossils fuels were nearly a thing of the past--only the really old classic cars from the turn of the century and beyond ran on gas anymore, but the electricity that they ran on was a danger on its own. That was going to have to get under control quickly, or the people were going to get hurt.


Most of the crew of the plant had evacuated and made their way to the first aid station, but it wasn't hard to see the team leaders frantically looking from the crowd of employees to their attendance lists and back again, counting and recounting. It seemed there were others stuck inside the building. From the perspective of one of his others, Jacob could see a wire, open and sparking near the opposite side of the plant. Any second, it was going to trigger another explosion. Worst case scenario, it was going to rain its flaming disaster on the 1950s style burger joint, hitting the barrels of used oil that hadn't been taken away yet.

 

[vinom]

For a fae who spend an irregular time in any one place or dimension, money is a hassle that seemed more aggravating every time it had to be dealt with rather then just taking what he wanted... it's not like people could chase him down. Quinn had just spend the better part of a day pretending to be a sixteen year old busker in order to get the money together for a hot meal, and as he was about to walk into the dinner and enjoy a burger and some soda when the explosion tore his plans asunder.


The fae leapt into action, if for no other reason then habit. He let his form shift back to his native own, a male form about three feet tall. Indigo skin, wild dark blue hair, and eyes of black save white pupils. He tracked the flying chunks of wall as best he could, shadow leaping out and grabbing people who were about to be squished, only to send them stumbling out of a different shadow yards away. He thought Earth was more stable then this. Most of the time at least, for most of the planet... what city was he even in right now?

 

[Millershipper]

"There you go. I don't even know what any of you are able to do to help. Clear the vehicles, get the civilians away from the danger area. Use whatever powers you have to make that happen." Jacob whirled to help clear cars and direct traffic, splitting another 13 copies of himself off to get to cars himself. That gave him 14 copies to head to cars and help direct the other three Metas. He immediately started freeing people from cars and directing them away from the power plant as fast as he can.


The version that could see the sparking wire swore softly even as he drew out a handful of paperclips. The first solution that came to mind was cutting the wire. Cut it far enough back that the sparking end couldn't reach anything flammable and the immediate danger was dealt with. He charged the first paperclip, launching it at the wire, aiming for as far back as he could see.


[dice]4358[/dice]

 

[vinom]

Quinn see's another tumbling piece of building shrapnel, a red hot thing of rebar. He ports over and pushed the red headed guy trying to get people to safety out of the way. "Maybe you should take your own advice man, this place isn't safe." He says to one of Jacob's duplicates, the rebar embedded in the concrete between them.

 

[Millershipper]

Jacob glanced at the newcomer, mind storing the face and voice for later analysis. At the moment too many people required his attention.


"Appreciate the thought, but it's less dangerous for me than most. Clear the area if you must, help as many as you can on your way out."


Jacob made sure his copies were all getting people to head the same direction: away from the blast and onto a cross-street to put buildings between them and another explosion. Get enough going fast enough and the rest would follow. He knew most people would follow the herd.

 

[vinom]

The small fae fellow shrugged, and continued to teleport around, pulling people from crashed cars or getting dazed and stupefied ones moving, all the while making it closer and closer to the site of the explosion. He heard Earth was getting a little feisty, but this just might have been an accident. Either way it warranted an investigation.

 

[Lady Jane]

The second the flames erupted in the building, Mitch's eyes lit up. "Mine!" he called, like it was a beach volleyball. He dashed backward to the factory. "Lemme show you losers how this hero shit's done!" He disappeared into the doorway.


Marcus just shook his head. "Flamebrain controls fire, and is immune to most of its effects. I'm the same with electricity. Allen--" He whirled around to see that Allen had disappeared. "...Is faster than I thought he was. He's got super strength and toughness and all that crap. I...should probably go help in the power plant." He jogged off in that direction muttering something about how he wished it was possible for the other kid to go die in a fire.


Allen's eyes went as big as saucers when he saw Quin leaping around. He'd never actually seen a Fae, not really. At least, he didn't think so. Of course, by all accounts, he could have seen one, and they could have made him forget, which made him entirely uncomfortable. But the rumors had been floating around Delta of their existence. The small creature's appearance was unmistakable.


With a metric ton of concrete poised over his head like he'd been caught with his hand in the cookie jar, the stunned kid could almost have posed as much of a threat as the disaster around them. Fortunately, he shook off the stun and hoisted the large rock to the side of the road where it would do no harm. There was no telling how much of a threat this creature was--if at all. Right now, he was helping the people get to safety, and that was all that mattered.


The herd of victims moved along efficiently under Quinn and Jacob's combined efforts. They seemed wrapped up in concern for their own safety or that of their children, and almost no one made eye contact with any of the heroes. If any of the terrified people made note of Quinn's unusual appearance, most of them said nothing. A four-year-old girl asked, "Mommy, why are his eyes funny?" but the child was whisked away by the crowd before her parent could answer.


Jacob's paperclip struck the side of the building, just barely catching the wire in his kinetic blast. The severed wire fell to the ground, pooling like a large, possibly drunk snake. That kept the area safe long enough for Marcus and Mitch to get the situation under control inside. A few minutes later, the two stumbled from the smoke-filled front doors with their rescuees in tow. It might have been coincidence that Mitch was supporting the pretty (albeit a little worse for wear) short-skirted secretary, while Marcus was stuck with the heavy security guard who leaned heavily on him to keep from walking on a broken ankle. A half a dozen other factory workers shambled out after them.


By the time the car pile-up was cleared, Marcus and Mitch had gotten their charges to the first-aid station--and Mitch was pocketing his cell with a new ten-digit number. "Everyone's out," Marcus informed Jacob, a little breathless. The guy who had leaned on him was an easy two hundred and fifty pounds. "Blast should be contained. What's the status on the evac?"


Then he looked behind Jacob at Quinn and did a double take. "Figures," he muttered a little cryptically, then said, "Who the hell are you and what do you want?" His fists clenched and he stood defensively, feet planted apart. Behind him, Mitch flared threateningly. Quinn's presence may have gotten the two of them to agree on something, however temporarily.