Forzare just putters along in the sub, ready to blast anything that looks unfriendly.
|
Imagine continues her idle distractions of gaming with the Sec squad, and the squaddies return the leisure in kind, each personally conceding that the the shapely and beautiful Imagine isn't so bad when there's no eminent danger afoot and no space-lasers trying to kill them.
That they're heading for a major battle is simply an acknowledged ubiquity.
Each person checks in with LexCorp to give an update on the mission so far, and to see if there are any last-minute orders or updates.
Shale phases himself onto Manta's sub, walking into the bridge without preamble. A head shorter than either of the goons stationed near the door, he just gives them a stern eye before walking past.
The instant his weight settles on to the ship, the whole beast shudders, alarms start blaring, and the vessel starts dropping into the deep much more rapidly.
One of the crewman at the helm mutters, "What the hell? We've gone into an uncontrolled dive. I'm reading insufficient ballast, but the ballast tanks themselves read only minor adjustments?"
Shale walks to take a position near the captain's chair.
"That would be my fault. I assume your computer adjusts automatically when new personnel and cargo comes abord? Have your computer adjust my profile to account for atypical density. Alter the default assumed density from the humanoid average of 0.985 grams per cubic centimeter to a level of 59.100 grams per cubic centimeter. Add in an additional 1150 kg to account for gear, and the total ballast offset should equal approximately 5650 kg."
Looking down at Black Manta in his chair he says, "Permission to come aboard, Captain."
He stands beside the captain's chair facing the front port/viewscreen, in a military-esque, ready position, feet wide, hands behind his back. It is obvious that the question is an observation of formality only.
"Granted, of course."
"Impressive," Neil comments as he studies the Leviathan.
"Captain Robo, are you able to repair the damage to the construct? If it be so, how much time wouldst thee require?"
"It appears our endgame lies ere upon this gate, and the vessel foretold to bear it. We need to locate it, and mount our strength upon it. What resources can we summon to speed our search? Imagine, have you any grasp of what form or function this ship might take? Should it be a vessel within these depths, I think that we could locate it handily. Yet, if this bearer of doom descends from the heavens, or from outside our sliver of reality, the task becomes grander in scale."
|
|
'Keep it yer pants, honey. I amazed even myself that I was able to get any words outa him that weren't "OMGLORDSTARROIST3HROXXORZZ!!!" It's a ship, and a high probability that it's under water.
What say we go make a quick raid on th' Atlantians, an' see what that looks like? Mebbe th' gate is right there? Most like it's probs nearby, Lord Starro doesn't strike as the kinda guy that likes to walk too far.'
"A raid sounds good. It's kind boring out here. I seem to scare off all the fish. "
Controlling the Leviathan, Manta uses the construct as a propulsion device, wrapping the sub in its tentacles and travelling at completely improbable speeds into the Pacific Ocean and into the Marianas Trench.
With nothing else to do, Robo takes the time to observe the Leviathan, and probably its control override aboard the sub.
After further observation, it becomes clear that the construct is not of Earthly origin. Or of any alien construction Robo is aware of. At its core, it is a mechanical organism, and buried within is a powerful subspace communications array that has no application for an Earthbound military weapon. The construct also possesses a gravity manipulation system.
You sink into the depths, the bridge of the Manta sub swathed in red light, screens filled with passive sonar feeds and light enhancement.
Manta stands with his hands crossed behind him, gazing at the main screen.
"Prepare yourselves, heroes, we will meet resistance soon..."
A Manta Man calls out, Contact, Captain.
From below rise three massive shapes...
They look at first like sperm whales, but larger, and rougher, and with bigger teeth. A careful inspection will note that they have gills, not blow holes.
Manta announces, "It seems they have brought their own Leviathans. To avoid confusion, let us call them Melvilli. What is it that you people say? Justice League, Action!?"
Initiative
Shale
Robo
Dolnam
Sinter
Black Manta
Imagine
Melvilli
Shudder
"I've never said that, and if I ever do I want one of you to shoot me right there and then." Forzare says.
He prepares to maneuver the sub in to attack, but is interrupted by a communique from VICTOR.
"Forzare, your presence is required on the Watchtower." VICTOR says.
"Wait, but I'm piloting a-" Forzare manages, before disappearing with a soft *pop*.
The submarine crashes into an underwater cliff face at something above 200 miles per hour.
"I'm pretty sure it's not Justice League Assemble. The lawyers said to avoid that. "
and he will blast away at the closer Moby after flying up close enough that the water won't dissipate the energy too much.
power attack
DC 35 toughness.
"I'm pretty sure it's not Justice League Assemble. The lawyers said to avoid that. "
Shale pulls his sleeve up from his right wrist, revealing more of the sophisticated looking medieval styled gauntlet on his right arm. He checks the symbols on a display screen, and apparently dissatisfied with what he reads there, he moves his wrist, his arm momentarily vanishing in a blur. A bare moment later he is holding the long, slightly curved and single edged sword he has sported on previous occasions. His whole body blurs, and he sinks into the deck, and then vanishes from the bridge.
Moving out of the ship, he moves out through the water, though it can hardly be called swimming, as he is less displacing the water as he is briefly occupying the same space.
Shale's voice crackles onto the come, "Imagine, might you take measure of their hearts and bear witness that the shadow of these "Starro's" do forsooth o'erbear their countenance?"
|
|
Exactly how Imagine can break the fourth wall is not entirely clear.
The eleven eminently prepared Luthor-representatives power up their life support, engagne their shields, and eject out of the airlock.
'Take measure of their hearts? Um, I don't think they have hearts, being machines, but that would so METAL if they did! Okay, I call that as an idea! And my personal machine will have a heart of gold. Because awesome.
Now gather 'round boys an' girls. Time to get your game face on!'
The LexSec gather into a rough sphereoid and Imagine screws up her face, like a 12 year old girl looking indignant. 'It's...
...time...
...to...
...
The water around the security guards bubbles and churns as forces not fully understood infuse their bodies, elevating them to super-human levels of physical performance.
As one the team of iron-suit clad guards scatter into a diffuse formation and make their way forward, toward the oncoming Melvillian juggernauts.
Well it's better than Xtreme justice
The ring reaches into the fairly intelligent, complex mind of the strange cetacean. Pulling from its deepest primordial fears, the ring summons up an image of a massive shark, like a Great White but 60 feet long.
Robo and Dolnam, then I'll go.
Dolnam darts in at lighting speed and jabs his spear into the nearest whale.
"We'll eat well tonight, I think"
Whale 2 is bruised and stunned.
Melvilli 1 rises from the deep, hesitating at first to chomp down on a ball of fire and steam. Something external drives the beast on, and it attempts to chomp down on Sinter, but is unable to overcome its natural instincts and bit fire. (Rolled a 1)
Melvilli 3 swims through its fear, clearly driven by outside forces, not behaving at all like an animal should, and attacks Shudder, but its foot long teeth glance off of his force field.
Melvilli two recoils from Dolnam's spear, almost as if he recognizes the Atlantean.
Manta seems unimpressed with this first wave of resistance.
"I'm sure the Justice League can handle three prehistoric whales, right? Make this quick before something, or someone, serious shows up."
Round 2 Go!
Sinter continues to blast away at his same target, trying to make fish sticks (the concept that whales are not actually fish is well past Sinter's level of sophistication).
"Charlie Sent me!" (old, old reference, we'll see who gets it)
power attack
DC 35 toughness save.
So bruised again, and stunned.
Something appears to be driving them to attack. I have no idea if they are intelligent or not, but I think it a wise idea to try and disable them if possible.
He targets the least wounded of the creatures, and instead of using his sword to open it up, attacks with his fist, trying to inflict non-lethal damage.
Shale's voice crackles onto the coms again, "This reminds me of an amusing anecdote. Two fish are sitting in a tank. The first fish turns to the second and says, 'I'll drive, you man the guns.'"
With that, his fist slams into the fishwhale with a massive left cross.
I believe that means the whale is stunned and bruised, but avoids staggered. Tough whale. Shockwaves roll through the sea.
Indeed, the Dark God would not have done as well as the whale.
*Sigh* Come on I an just a speck and your afraid of me, Ha...HAHA!
That would be bruised and stunned.
|
|
"Ha! Great plan, Shudder! You keep it busy!" Kara shouts, as she struggles mightily to move laterally away from the beast. As she moves toward the rear, a single bullet extracts itself from her low-slung gunbelt and bursts at the giant whale as a nail to a loadstone.
The bullets sails past the advancing Lex Sec guards that stoically close on the beaten and stunned leviathon as Shudder treats it roughly.
To a man, they hover about it's mighty, but now sluggish, form. From their weapon belts they each extract a fist-sized lump of what appears to be a child's play-dough. The try to attach the small lump, then withdraw, in caution of what comes next.
'You know what happens to a 10-ton whale when it gets hit with 20 pounds of plastic explosive?' rhetorically asks the smirking Imagine behind them.
'The same that that happens to everything else.
heehee. I've wanted to say that your -yeeeeeears-.'
"Luthor, are you certain these beasts are not sentient? If they are being controlled by Starro creatures, should they not be afforded the same measure of grace we'd issue the Atlanteans?"
Concussion waves blast through the water and the thick blubber of the whales. Blubber ripple blubber ripple blubber ripple. The internal organs of the whales are liquefied by the explosives.
Dolnam spears his whale again, tendrils of blood spreading through the water.
Bits of whale float upward, downward, and hang in the water depending on their relative buoyancy.
"Excellent work,"says Manta."We have sonar contacts rising again. Several more fish and 7 Atlanteans. Looks like wave 2 is going to be nastier. Gird your loins, boy and girls."
Team 1: Aquagirl and 5 twelve foot long hammerhead sharks
Team 2: Tempest and Dolphin (not a dolphin)
Team 3: 4 members of The Drift and a massive pale white Megalodon, a 60 foot Great White.
They will get to you in a round, but take a round to either go to them or do whatever you wish to get ready.
It should be noted that each of these people have a good sized starfish on their face.
I am at my best hitting hard or taking on numbers. I suggest you leave The Drift Members and the White to me. I suggest Dolnam engage the smaller morsels and Aquagirl. That pits Shudder against the duo. Manta and his forces should lay down cover fire, and the LecSec should follow suit, and watch for any opening that might present. Lady Luthor, I would suggest you act as reserve, and whilst there see if you can find a means to attack the Starro's directly by means immaterial."
Edit:
If there are no objections, Shale follows through with his share of the plan, rushing forward in a blur to strike out at the Drift soldiers, as well as the ancient shark.
The Drift are Atlantean Special Forces, but beyond that, I know precious little about them. I know not whether their defenses ere more towards hale health or nimbleness. I suppose I must try a trial strike, and take measure of their defenses from there... I wish to kill no one acting under influence other than their own, and yet, prey, disabling wounds from a blade should not prove mortal.
Rapid Attack vs. all 5 Drifters and the Shark
"I'm going to attempt to use my magic to override the Starro's mental control."
"Uh what do I do?" but he just trails Shudder to help him.
"Understood Dolnam. Sinter, would you be so kind as to counter Tempest and Dolphin's approach."
"Roger. " and he keeps doing what he was already doing.
|
|
"Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...okay,' Imagine think-says, agreeing to the plan. 'Imma first help out Dolnam with A-girl. Dolnam, both of us concentrate on pWNZring the star-fish. Let's see how that goes. My d00dz will keep the fish-fish busy.
D00ds, keep the fish busy.'
Aterro and the squad greeted the sublime explosion of the massive whale-thing with a hearty chatter, and their internal radio-signal was busy with congratulations and promises of adult beverages when they next see land.
Aterro receives the midling order with stoicness. The command goes out and the squaddies prepare to receive the giant sharks. Since their guns are proving difficult to handle underwater, they holster their guns and pull their long, mono-molecular combat knives, forming into a screen to but Imagine time to do...whatever the hell she's doing this time.
"Roger. " and he keeps doing what he was already doing.
SHALE quickly puts the 4 Elite Atlantean Warriors down with the speed of thought, but the massive Prehistoric Shark shakes off his attack like the bite of a small parasite.
Seeing his initial sweep of strikes through the gathered soldiers and the massive shark disable the former but not the latter, he prepares himself for another strike.
Shale moves past the living fossil in a blur, striking at its flank with the intent of leaving a massive, deep rent in its flesh. Whether or not his Blade pierces the hide, he moves past quickly (Move-by-attack), and blurs back to a position near his allies, in order to present as an alternative target for those ememies that may have moved closers.
(Though he does not come to a halt, so he can retain the advantage of his blur effect)
Team 1:
Aquagirl rises toward Dolnam at incredible speed, surrounded by a sheath of Atlantean magic. As she approaches she spins her entire body until she becomes almost invisible. A spiral of water reaches out toward the Avatar of the Tuatha, catching him up and spinning him at high speeds.
Team 2:
Tempest charges directly up toward Sinter, while Dolphin takes a lazier arc upward toward Shudder, as if ascending a massive spiral staircase.
Tempest’s right hand glows blue, his right hand red. He extends his right hand toward the fire monster that is Sinter. A stream of magic winds through the water like an errant current, tapping Sinter and drawing heat away from his form.
Not enough to overcome Impervious Toughness.
Dolphin
Dolphin’s hands glow green with eldritch power, but that isn't going to hit anything.
Team 3:
The Meg launches itself like an attack sub at what it thinks is SHALE. He may be hard to see, but all of that speedforce lightning tickles its ampullae of Lorenzini.
Shale's swift strike opens up a long deep gash along the animal's belly, filling the water with blood and viscera.