The clock finally counts down. The group backs out of the doorway just in case but there is no explosion.
After a few moments the group reenters and finds everything as it was except that the computer is now powered down.
As they begin to gather intel once again, Midnight says;
I replied. I said I wanted to meet.
Napalm approaches the computet again. He pauses, then powers it on.
"Sounds good, Midnight. It seems like we need some answers." His eyes never leave the computer screen.
The computer begins to power up, but the screen is blank, not even a boot-up sequence.
After a cursory glance, it appears as though it has completely wiped itself, even of the operating system.
The cellphone beeps again and Midnight glances down.
It says; "Just you Midnight. Frank was planning something but he wouldn't tell me what it was. The others need to look into it and stop it, whatever it is."
She holds herself up tall.
I do not believe this is a trap. But even if it is, I intend to go anyway. With the computer dead the files and the board are all we have to go on. What do you think?
on the contrary Trysst I am not at all disappointed I wasn’t riddled with shrapnel from another one of the punishers traps Sterne says glibly as he moves back into the room
if you trust Daredevil then you should go Midnight, the rest of us will work out what Frank Castle is up to...it looks to be a long night he says as he makes his way over to the board this will take some time he says taking off his jacket and beginning to look through the mounds of data
All players make one action per round. Each player must pick a relevant skill/character ability/spell and describe how they use it to accomplish the goal. Each player is only allowed one success with a particular skill. If they fail with a skill, they are allowed to try again in a future round. Only players trained in Knowledge can use those skills, but anyone can attempt an untrained physical skill.
Players are told the win, loss, and mid-game punishment conditions (if applicable), and all DCs needed. They are not told the final rewards or consequences. Spells can be substituted for a skill. Once again, can only cast the same type of spell once. Instead of a skill roll, the caster must make a concentration check (d20+ caster level+ ability modifier) as if they are casting defensively (DC: 15+double spell level).
Character abilities can also be used, with a roll of D20+character level+ character's relevant attribute modifier.
SKILL CHALLENGE: Deduction
Scenario: You may have access to the Punisher's files but there is enormous amounts of information that seems incredibly disparate to sift through. You need to make sense of this mess and try to get ahead of him.
Remember: You can use any skill, any spell, any character ability as long as you provide a good explanation for how you use it to accomplish the goal.
Example turn: Hero 'A' decides there must be some meaning to these seemingly unrelated newspaper clippings. He attempts a Sense Motive check.
Success!
GM listed skills: Perception DC 12, Sense Motive DC 15. Any other relevant skill that you determine: DC14
Spells will require a concentration check.
Win: 8 successes.
Lose: 6 failures.
In this case, every attempt takes 1 hour.
If any of this is confusing then please ask as it's something I'm just trying out :)
Please be creative in your spell and skill use.
Napalm slams his hand down on the computer keyboard in frustration. "I should have had you just tear it apart, Spore! Now it's all gone! Who knows what evidence we just lost!" The mutant turn away in frustration. "A simple password and we would have had it all!"
He turns back to the wall of photos. "Now, we have to make sense of this f@&*ing mess."
Napalm spends the next hour looking through files and photos. He tries to see if there is anything which matches known mutants, superheroes, or villains.
Ebon steps over to Midnight and takes a hand. "If you think this isn't a trap then so be it. It's the best lead we have and I know you can take care of yourself." He smiles, and bows slightly. "Go get us some information we can use and we'll see you soon." Squeezing her hand he moves into the room ready to focus on the large job ahead.
---
"Napalm, please don't blame yourself. We were all here, we just now have to deal with whats left." He takes a look around at the vast amount of paperwork and board with pictures and string. "We now spend our time trying to work out the spider web of information. We do it together.
Ebon clears a table and then begins to move files onto it in some order, he takes a look over the board of pictures first attempting to pick out anything or anyone he might have some information on.
Spore makes sure to leave enough room for the others by moving to the back as they examine the board closely. With his height, he can easily see over their heads, and thus most of the board, regardless. Occasionally, he recognizes the others missed, and comments on it.
ok everyone let’s try and keep focussed, we don’t want to miss something by being too hasty, I will do what I can to help you see the things you may normally miss he says as he draws in a deep breath and expands his mind outwards , touching each of them.
He can feel their concentration all around him and he subtlety shifts their focus, clearing their minds so they can concentrate on the tasks at hand.
Spore is the only one he cannot “feel” he remains a blank slate to Sterne and beyond his abilities to help
Satisfied that he's shared what he knows with Napalm, Spore sets about to examining the rest of the room. He sits down in the center of the space, closes his eyes and slowly extends dozens of tendrils out in every direction.
"Er, please don't step on me," he says to the others. "This might take a while."
Each vine grows at a snail's pace, slowly seeking out the contents of its own small fraction of the room. Spore himself meditates quietly as he processes all the information.
After about an hour or so, he stands up suddenly, and all the meandering vines instantly retract into his body. "Interesting..." he rumbles.
Sterne sits in the centre of the room watching the others as they sift through the huge amount of data, Putting aside the pile of files before him he begins to focus his mind, he becomes utterly still as his consciousness expands exponentially as he attempts to see what the Punisher was doing here.
His eyes glaze over with a milky white film and as his vision fades he begins to see in a whole new way. The darkness that clouds his sight suddenly explodes in a mealstrom of sounds and images that sear into his brain like bolts of lightning.
Napalm returns to his examination of the bomb materials. While the others looks for the target and thinking of the Punisher, he tries to determine the man's method of delivery.
Ebon continues to move about the room, picking out documents and matching them to the pictures on the board. Where once was chaos he is starting to see a very clear picture, in all the madness there is reason.
He is quick to jump out of his seat holding up a very interesting peace of paper, moving over to the board and pinning it.
Several hours pass as the heroes dismantle the evidence board that the Punisher has so carefully put together and begin to reassemble it in something akin to order.
By the end the group is drained. There is so much here that seems completely irrelevant and yet when another small piece of information - a photgraph, a newspaper clipping, a paragraph in a police report - pieces of a deadly puzzle begin to fall into place.
Much of Frank's investigation seems to have revolved around tracking down the links between seemingly disparate companies such as Metrocab and Activa Pharm as well as others you haven't come across, at least in relation to this investigation, such as Gorenjska Bankk, Atlantic Airlines, Lomax Industries and International Parcel Services.
Through precise financial investigation he has managed to determine that each have linked, and unreported, financial dealings that involve the movement of large quantities of money (both electronically and physically) and goods - though those goods are largely disconcertingly labelled as 'medical supplies' or 'biological products.'
Everything seems to come to a point at the tip of which is Activa Pharm and the CEO Vanessa Fisk.
You are disturbed to then put together a very detailed and clearly effective ambush plan for the assassination of Vanessa Fisk
Sterne rubs at his tired eyes and puts down the papers he is holding and looks around at the others
so he plans on cutting the head off the snake, assassinating Vanessa Fisk in the hopes of stopping this ...whatever this is. he says sweeping his hands over the piles of paperwork but what is he frightened of? Is it these biologicals they are moving? Are they biological weapons? You mentioned before they were experimenting on some kind of plants, could they have developed something quite deadly from them? We need to find out.
We need to stop the Punisher from killing Fisks wife and we need to find out what is going on. Let us hope Daredevil has some answers for us
Ebon sits on the floor legs crossed as he attempts to wake up from the long information gathering. He flexes his arms and stretches he places both hands on the ground and pushes himself off holding it and then slowly lowering himself before jumping to his feet.
"Vanessa Fisk is dead, he got to her. His just shows how detailed it all was." He says looking at the board. "The hand is a part of this, it's so much bigger than anything we through." He starts to go over all the lines that connect everything. "What exactly does Activa Pharm do, they were doing experiments on people. We had that plant attack us." He looks to Spore. "It wasn't like any I had seen before."
So this is a plan that's already been executed. If Castle is right, he cut the head off the snake. But maybe we can still learn something about this organization. And who knows what's happening now."
Napalm looks through the material for more links to Active Pharma, other locations they may have and who runs the organization under Fisk.
Remember what he said Dr Sterne. Midnight offers. For me to meet him alone. He also said not to trust anyone. You've given me no reason not to trust you but something is going on here so I'm going to take him at his word
if you can, contact us as soon as you have spoken with him, let us know what he has to say, and be careful Midnight he says to her wondering again if she is walking into a trap.
"So we have two leads. Micro, whoever he or she is. If we can find this hacker, then we may learn more about what Castle plans. But the other lead is the train and it's due to soon. Castle might even continue with his plans to ambush the train. We could try and intercept him. Whatever he's doing, he knows something. Active Pharma is up to something. We need to learn that too."
the train should be our priority, even if the Punisher doesn’t go through with his plan we need to figure out what it’s transporting. Now we just need a way to board a moving train he says looking around at the others any ideas? he asks
"The train, I agree that is the priority. Let's focus on that and find out about this Micro after." He steps up to the board. "We need to work out when it's going to be at this attack location. We have something here finally."
Sterne steps up beside Ebon and says
we know where the Punisher planned to ambush the train, that is where we need to be. We need to get as much information on the location as possible, we need maps and aerial photographs or satellite surveillance stills. There must be something here