Wolf Spider trots in, moving up to the cell indicated. "I can also pick the locks." he offers.
Mindjack seems to be dazed and delirious, hardly aware of what's going on around him.
There are over 50 prisoners in this building, and all of them are clamoring for you to let them out. You hear promises of wealth or powerful weapons, and pleas involving getting back to family members, etc. Every one of them is wearing a nullifier "collar" around their necks.
The young woman in the cell across from Mindjack's, with odd spots on her face and hands, simply says in a Latina accent "My name is Valerie Ramirez. You are an Omega cell, no? Take me with you. I promise you won’t regret it."
But you know that the ship Dr. Destruction is going to pick you up in can only hold about 15 more people.
What do you do?
Toxic shrugs - he doesn't know her.
He will look down the row of cells, seeing if there's anybody he knows as powerful or useful.
Alpha moves to Gamma's spot at the entry point and Gamma joins the others inside the building.
"I believe the orders were to extract Mindjack. We could use more hands to fend off the next wave, but I doubt the boss would care for rabble. So how to sift to find the useful ones..."
Dr. Toxic spots a couple of the more powerful super-villains in the community that he knows of.
He will zip down and open those cells. "Villifier and Spineripper. I think that the Doctor might be able to use you."
What is anybody else doing?
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Thomas comes does, appearing and incorporealizing before Valerie with an eloquent bow. "Greetings to, Madam Ramirez. I regret that thy reputation does not proceed you. But you've got an honest face, and I consider myself an excellent judge of character. And as it so happens we have special on letting people out of their cells just now. So long as you promise to hate the V'sori and wreak havoc with chips, dips, chains and whips, and I can't find anything in your permanent record that would cause me to keep you here.
Please do keep in mind that we have a rather strict no-turncoats policy. If at any time you are found to be a double agent, Enkidu will rips your arms off while Doctor Toxic melts your face. So, for your own good, please do keep to the path of villainy."
Tom buzzes his blade to life and takes a moment to slice neatly through the jail's lock before again taking to the air.
As the other prisoners see the others being released, they clamor all the louder to be set free, as well. Some shout "Just let us out of our cells!"
Wolf spider looks for any notable villains he recognizes, wondering if he can even work with any of them.
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Enkidu walks down the cellblock looking in on all the inmates.
"Void, good to see you again. Rockface, you seem useful. Bleeder; you're a bit messy for my taste, but I'm sure the V'Sori will spend all sorts of resources to recapture you. You I don't know but I like the look in your eye. You... ah, why not."
He wanders down the line cutting, ripping, and tearing cells open. Super human strength combines with a set of exaggerated claws grown on one hand that cut through steel and concrete almost as easily as flesh.
He raises his voice to call out to the others sent with his Omega group, "You know, I'm not seeing much of a downside to letting them all go. They have collars afterall, so we can choose whom to allow to power up first. The others, well, they'll no doubt cause plenty of trouble for their former hosts. Those we don't take with us can make a break for it in those jeeps."
Having judged enough time to have passed, Nature begins the process of creating an earthquake: it starts with a low thrumming near her position that can be felt throughout the entire complex, as the storm overhead finally breaks.
Gamma walks around, trying to see if he recognizes anyone that might be useful.
"I was wondering why I haven't seen you around Packmaster. Could have used you for scouting job a while back. And even Nemora?"
Gamma stops in front of a rough looking man who hasn't shaved in a while. While the man could probably hold his own in a fight, his true talents lay with controlling herds of animals as makeshift armies and spies. Nemora was being kept under warmer circumstances, to the point where her usually slick skin was drying out. Atlantean heritage gave her an edge in the water, and there was no one more skilled at controlling currents.
He turns to the others.
"I can vouch for these two. Specialists that I've worked for and against. Put them in their elements, and we'll have an easier time."
"I've still got Nature's power banked, but if we working on freeing people, I can double up to make it faster."
Alpha, outside, takes time to split out Beta, who seems to retain the personality of someone who recently died.
"You okay?" Alpha asks him, steadying his dupe.
"Yeah, those drones pack a whallop, don't they?"
"Gamma's inside, something about freeing prisoners. Back him up"
"On it."
Beta heads inside to join Gamma.
Valerie looks at you and genuinely smiles, saying "Thank you, kind sir, for helping a lady in distress. I don't suppose it'd also be possible to get this nasty piece of jewelry" (pointing to the collar) "off my neck as well? The drone guards carry a special key that fits in right...here." And she points to an oddly-shaped hole in the collar.
Everyone feels an ominous rumble, and everything in the building rattles a bit.
Is anyone else helping to open the cell doors?
Toxic will assist in opening doors.
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Thomas, realizing that others with much, much greater proficiency in opening doors are opening doors, he tries to help where he can. "Alas, milady, you can see that we are currently in the midst of both tumult and chaos. However I can take you to the aforementioned site where the swiftly-cooling bodies of thy previous guards lay, and perhaps, between the two of us, we might find the key thou doest seek?"
As they walk to the battle site, he yells at Nature as the rumbles start, "OY! Can ya wait until we are -out- of the building before you destroy the building? That's just good manners!"
Thomas escorts her outside and starts looking for the key. "Any idea what it looks like, Valerie?"
= 22
Wolf spider will move to stand outside, concerned that their ride won't be there in time.
-Posted with Wayfinder
The ground continues to rumble, and Nature continues to focus on her task. Meanwhile, unlike everyone in the courtyard, Nature is not drenched in the massive thunderstorm that wasn't here moments ago.
Valerie says, with some excitement in her voice "Yes, that's the key! Would you please be so kind as to unlock my collar?"
Hmmm...let's see...2 people opening 50 cells, with 60 seconds to go...that's 2 seconds per cell to get them all open before the Big One hits and brings down the entire building.
But, considering the 2 people who are doing it, I think that's doable.
The last prisoners, along with Dr. Toxic and Enkidu, exit the front door, and mere seconds later the entire building begins to shake, and it slowly collapses in upon itself, kicking up a huge amount of dust (in 30 years, you will all have to make a Vigor check or come down with lung cancer).
The first prisoners out started ransacking the guards' pockets, looking for the collar keys, and as more prisoners come out, there's a free-for-all in grabbing for a key to unlock collars.
Between those of you who know of and recognize some of the more powerful super-villains, you manage to pick out about a dozen of the best, and tell those that were hoping for a free ride to get lost.
Many of the prisoners merely scamper away into the night (including Valerie, unless she's asked to stay). A few of them notice Jack's Motor Pool, and come up to him to ask if they can take a jeep.
Jack - what do you do?
Remembering Dr. Destruction's promise to land in the courtyard when you all assembled there with MindJack, you all finally gather together in the center of the courtyard with MindJack and a few selected prisoners. Off in the far distance, you hear the sirens of the V'sori's military police vehicles, slowly getting louder.
A few of them notice Jack's Motor Pool, and come up to him to ask if they can take a jeep.
Jack - what do you do?
Scenes from a parking lot
"Roll up! Roll up for the Mystery Tour!
The Magical Mystery Tour is dying to take you away!"
....
"No pushing, plenty of room, plenty of room. You! Give that seat to the lady!"
....
"Ready to go? Alright remember to keep all limbs and sidekicks inside the vehicle at all times. Drive safe."
....
Waving as the last car drives through the gate.
"Y'all come back now ya hear!"
Sotto voce..."What awful people."
........
Jack returns to the group..... "This is really a lovely place. We simply must come back for the season."
...just as Nature collapses the building.
A mangy looking street dog wanders over to one of the concrete slabs from the collapsed prison... and raises a leg to relieve himself. It then trots back over to the assembled crew and sits on his haunches to wait with the others like a well trained hound.
(in 30 years, you will all have to make a Vigor check or come down with lung cancer).
"So Valerie, nobody seems to know much about you. Convince us why we should risk our hides recommending you to our boss. Be quick, there's not much time."
As the building collapses, Lightning hits it five times for good measure.
For her part, Nature simply appears among the group with nary a sound to signal her arrival.
Now that things are a bit more calm, you all notice that she is barefoot. The asphalt does not seem to bother her at all.
The storm continues to rage overhead, but a hole opens in it to allow Doctor Destruction's vehicle through.
Valerie says "Well, now that I'm out of the cell and collar, I can make my way on my own, thank you very much. I don't need a ride from your boss, whoever he is." She looks at Thomas and says "Thanks again for all your help. Maybe we'll meet again." And with a quick smile and wink at him, she takes off into the darkness.
Well that relationship will end well...
. . Just missed.
Jack looks at Valerie, then Shackle, then Thomas.
Yes, end well...
Enkidu shifts from the dog shape, back into that of a Crow, taking a perch on Nature's shoulder.
His rather creepy sounding low pitched crow voice caws out, "She who seeds wind, shall harvest storm."
[dice=Notice]d10
Enkidu shifts from the dog shape, back into that of a Raven, taking a perch on Nature's shoulder.
The Doctor will chuckle as the two fade away. He doubted that they'd do well, but then again, their own prospects were questionable.
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Thomas sees Val's look and raises her a wink and a blown kiss. "Au revoir, mon cher. The moments till next we meet will pass as would the Lifetime of Man."
He gives Jack a knowing smile and nod, whispering to him, "This is -not- like that aerobics instructor from Maryland. So just...just no."
For some reason Thomas was looking right at Shackle, wondering where he had been, as he returns the signal and disappears. 'Huh. Nice trick.'
"Well! I hear sirens and I've yet to see our benevolent benefactor. As a wise man once said: I've got a bad feeling about this."
"Wait for it..." Wolf Spider says. "I know him. He likes to make his entrances."
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"Heh, we'd all do the same." he replies.
Nature sags a bit under the weight of the bird then says to it in return "Those who copy Gaia's forms are not happy with their own." as if by magic, thunder punctuates her statement.
About a minute after the rejected villains all leave, you hear the whine from Dr. Destruction's aircraft approaching. The wind from its anti-grav thrusters scatters Nature's storm, leaving the compound empty.
The rear entry door opens, and Dr. Destruction is standing there. "Did I *say* you could bring others along?" he says, but then pauses, looking over your selection. "Well, it seems you have chosen...wisely. And that was a nice touch, destroying the entire prison building so that it can't be used again to hold our kind. I'm impressed."
You know from his reputation that Dr. Destruction is not very easily impressed, so those two simple words carry a lot of meaning.
You all climb aboard, some of you standing between the two benches which fill the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle's whine increases, and you take off.
"That place defiled Gaia, and she wanted it gone. I simply obliged." says Nature by way of explanation. She then takes a seat.
"Soo... what's next?" Wolf Spider asks. "We have a mixer? Meet n' greet?"
"Or we could crash another alien facility. I'd be good with that." he comments.
Beta and Gamma were gone, just Alpha left.
He sat back and remained silent, going over the operation in his head, finding ways he could have done it better, faster even.
Silent pondering, as the vessel carried him to whatever job came next.
Dr. Destruction looks at Thomas and says coolly "You may call me DOCTOR Destruction. I am not familiar with the name." And he doesn't say anything else for the short trip.
The aircraft eventually lands, and as the back door ramps down, you see what appears to be one of the rattier neighborhoods of Southpoint.
Dr. Destruction beckons the 8 of you out, and points at a seedy-looking warehouse, and tosses one of you a key. "I thank you for your service tonight. You performed better than I thought you would. I suggest you come up with a team name for yourselves. You’re an Omega cell now, whether you want to be or not, and that's your new headquarters. I’ll be in touch." With that, he heads back inside the aircraft, the back door ramps back up, and it takes off and flies away into the night.
What do you do?
Taking the key, he lets the group into the warehouse and closes it up once everyone that's going in goes in.
"Well this is nice. Job with room and board. Cozy." he observes wryly.
"We will strive to emulate the name you have given us." says Nature, who then fades from existence. When you open the door to the warehouse, she is standing inside looking at the layout.
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"Mmmrmph. We have a job, but there seems to be a lack of board, or pay, or, indeed, any recompense at all. That is, except for what we take from the enemy," Thomas observes of the dilapidated building. "Not that I'm complaining. Well, there's no use standing out here."
Thomas walks through the wall and opens the door from the inside. "I call a room with a window! All I ask is that this place has a hot tub. That's not too much to wish for is it?"