It's a week later. For whatever reason of your own, you are at, or very near to, Manhattan's Columbus Circle, right at the southwest corner of Central Park.

What are you doing there (or very near there)? (Making a withdrawal at the First Manhattan Bank, perhaps, or accompanying someone who is?)

And what time of day is it?
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:52, Sun 12 Aug 2018.

It is just after dawn and Mochizuki is unwinding after a hard nights crime fighting by throwing crumbs to the pidgeons. Her gear is stashed in a hold all at her feet and most of her nighttime garb is obscured by a garish poncho that reaches just past her waIst.

Saul had already changed into his heroic form, he thought that a creature of magic might be hiding out in Central Park, it offered a wide enough area to hide away if it were smart and only human to horse sized at the largest. But he had no luck, so he was being either paranoid or ineffective.
Worst of all, while he was able to excuse it as "night bird watching", it was only excused if he was able to be at the First Manhattan Bank later on today. His father, Joe Samson had said that he needed to learn about banking and the basics as a man of the house someday. Saul was not looking forward to forcing himself to be awake after such a failure this night had been.

Today might just be a bad day indeed he thought to himself as he felt the dawning sun rise a little higher into a sky partially obscured by gray skyscrapers, wondering how much coffee he would need and hope he didn't have eye bags in his human form.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:43, Sun 12 Aug 2018.

Jim rides a bicycle through Columbus Circle, loaded with parcels. This was out of his usual area, but he had volunteered to cover an early morning shift and could use the extra money. Besides, he smiles to himself The boss doesn't ask questions. He couldn't care less HOW I always get these routes done - just that I always come through.

Jim turned after a block towards his next stop: the First Manhattan.

Frankie was coming out of the bank with her Auntie Jessica, she had just set up an account for her and they were on their way towards the park for a stroll.

The young lass had been positively gushing ever since the incident with the van, she was finally a proper hero!  Despite how many times she heard it her Auntie was always happy to entertain the kid's enthusiasm.

Time flew by as Mochizuki fed the birds. After a few hours a street vendor set up shop by her bench. Mochizuki lent across and ordered herself something far too greasy to call itself breakfast.

You notice a young man with glasses, maybe 17 or 18, walking up to the front doors of the bank. He seems pleased about something... he might be quietly humming a happy little tune.

What's noticeable about him are two things-- which are probably related--

1. He's dressed like he's walked out of a Jules Verne science-fiction novel-- Victorian clothes, with little gears stuck to them here and there...

2. He's got some sort of machine that he's carrying in front of him... it looks like it weighs 30 or 40 pounds, so it's held up mostly by a strap around his neck... It looks like a really complicated and expensive radio that someone's taken the outer case off of. It's got some really intricate electronics involved... and they're just exposed like that, it's weird...

Jim slows his bike as he pulls up behind the strange fellow. He eyes him for a moment before backtracking into a secluded alley. In his experience, fancy-looking technology usually meant he was about to get shot at - especially when it was near a bank. He quickly stashes his bicycle and work gear behind a dumpster and leans against a wall, watching. He wanted to be ready to change as soon as possible, but nothing had warranted action yet. After all, it was innocent until proven guilty...

"Come on, kid. Go show them your fancy gizmo, secure a business loan. You're just eccentric, is all." he quietly roots for his instincts to be wrong.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:12, Fri 17 Aug 2018.

Mochizuki watched with interest as the strange man walked into the bank. She shook her head in between bites of her greasy burrito.

"American gaijin are weird," she thought to herself.

Seeing the scene of an odd man with odder tech walking into a bank was concerning for Saul, but for a very different reason.  If you had pride in selling your tech, wouldn't you protect it from prying eyes? Company secrets were a thing, like his father explained before.

Something else was afoot, but in his sleepiness, Scorch Scale realised he needed a coffee, and that was something Saul could do better.
So the reptilian found a bush to hide in on the edge of the park. He transformed into his mild-mannered form, though it took a while to tidy up the hair and remove the twigs to only look tired and not disheveled. In there he found his messenger bag in its spot, grabbed it and proceeded to get a coffee from a nearby vender.

When he was away from others he straightened out his thought pattern. "No one should pay me any mind. I'll stay in the reception or tail him from far away. He will probably be too absorbed in himself to notice me." He monologued in a whisper to himself while waiting to cross the road. He had to keep his distance to find a spot to transform into his heroic identity.

Upon seeing the odd man Frankie couldn't help but become intrigued, you didn't tend to see people like that wandering around and NOT have them cause or encounter trouble... at least that's how it was in her comic books.

Watching him out of the corner of her eye, Frankie slowed down, drawing a querying look from her Auntie, but at least for the moment she wouldn't have to answer any questions.

Inside the bank, the strange young man walks up to a teller... As he walks, he says "Excuse me... pardon me... heavy equipment coming through... excuse me..." but you notice that people don't seem to have much choice but to get out of his way, as if something pushes them out of his way before you get there.

He walks up to a bank teller. "Hello, yes, my name is The Cogster? I am a criminal, and I would like 40,000 dollars in 20s, please." He removes a large, folded duffel bag from one of his pockets, and pushes it toward her. "Please put the money in there. If I don't get the money in seven and a half minutes, I will begin destroying this building." He adjusts something on his machine. There is a subsonic rumble, and the whole building begins to rumble in sympathy, like there's a very low-level earthquake. He adjusts it again, and the vibrations cease. "Not the whole building, of course, since I'm in here too. I was thinking I'd start with that area back behind you."
This message was last edited by the player at 14:48, Mon 20 Aug 2018.

To endanger so many people through the ruinous power of artificial earth quakes, how reckless could someone be? The greed to demand so much money for himself was just the icing on the cake in Saul's mind.
Witnessing the gizmos in action while insignificant, while unseen, Saul knew that this Cogster would be a danger to everyone in the building. The technology looked experimental, the danger, was very real.

Saul gently put down his bag and moved around, looking for a space to use. The restrooms were too in line of sight, the reception table is too centre stage and going outside merely trades people inside the bank seeing him transform for people outside the bank seeing the same.
Luckily he found someone's opaque glass office nearby, but right now he had the opportunity to understand more of the situation before he dived in, to gather intelligence that might tip the balance his way. Quite different to the Blue Dragon encounter just a week prior.

Look before you leap!
21:38, Today: Scorch Scale rolled 6 using 2d6+1 ((3,2)).
Ironic that thinking things through might make things worse for him. Whelp, more exp to spend later.

(Yeah, keep on keeping careful track of that XP...)

Scorch Scale, unfortunately, knocked over a coatrack near the door of the office, and the loud noise attracted The Cogster's attention.

Figuring things out:
15:50, Today: The Cogster rolled 4 using 2d6+1 ((2,1)).
...Fail.

The Cogster misinterpreted Scorch Scale's intimidating appearance.

"What in the wo-- Oh dear, you must be another empowered criminal here to steal money. What are the odds that we'd choose to strike at the same moment? Oh well. It simply can't be allowed... until I've completed my transaction, of course."

The Cogster adjusts his machine...

15:51, Today: The Cogster rolled 8 using 2d6 ((6,2)).

Scorch Scale takes 1 stress.

There's a high-pitched whine, and the glass wall next to Scorch Scale shatters. Fortunately, the glass vibrated in a way that Scorch Scale detected in time to start dodging, so he only took a little damage.

Jim continues to wait after the young man enters the building. He runs a hand through his hair and shakes his head, smiling at himself. "I must be losing my mind," he sighs "Starting to see bogey men everywhere." With a chuckle he gathers his things back together to complete the delivery as scheduled.

Then he feels the rumble. It was just a moment, but even from a distance Jim could see the building shake, then still just as suddenly. "Well that ain't right." Jim straightens up. Looks like it might be time for business after all. In a flash he changes into his trusty costume and zips towards the bank.

The Silver Streak takes advantage of the freshly shattered glass to make a flashy entrance - better to have the trouble focused on him than an innocent teller. "Everyone, keep calm," vaulting through the broken wall, he addresses those in the bank as reassuringly as he can. "You'll get back to your day in no time."

OOC : 21:31, Today: Silver Streak rolled 8 using 2d6+1 with rolls of 2,5.  Play to the Crowd.

You are buoyed by their cheers and take +1 Ongoing until they are seriously threatened or the scene ends

The rumble got Mochizuki's attention and the shattering glass assured her that something was wrong. Throwing her burrito to the birds she sprang into action. Darting across the circle and speeding up through fire escape Mochizuki took up position on the roof of the bank. She changed into her Usagi outfit and stowed her bag out of sight.

Twirling her sai in hand she steeled herself for the coming fracas and phased through the roof of the bank looking to take purchase on the ceiling below.

OOC: This is probably going to take me a round to complete. Once I do phase through the ceiling I want to stay attached to the roof if at all possible.

The menacing rumble, the flash of what could only be The Silver Streak, Frankie knew it was game time!

It took a moment to pry herself from her Auntie's concerned grasp, all the while making promises of her own safety, before she was able to rush back towards the bank.  As she entered the door she realised that there wasn't exactly a good level of cover to 'change' into her costume, so for now she had to watch and wait as a mere bystander.

"Oh dear, the Silver Streak. Let's see... Ah... I wonder if I can... Hm... Let me try to convince you to take my capabilities seriously..."

13:35, Today: The Cogster rolled 10 using 2d6 ((6,4)).

The Cogster adjusts his machine, and a vibration starts that heads toward Silver Streak... he can see it, because it cracks the linoleum tiles on the floor as it progresses...

Well it's no match for Silver Streak--

--Oops. Then Silver Streak notices that it's headed straight for a security guard, who's too shocked to get himself out of the way...

Mochizuki instantly recognises the powered people from the other day. This time however it is much more obvious who is a cape and who is a fear. She decides to put an end to the Jules-Verne looking fool before someone gets hurt. Leaping from her vantage point with her sai aimed at the theatrical villain she moves in for the kill.

OOC: 06:45, Today: Ultima-Usagi rolled 9 using 2d6+1 with rolls of 5,3.  It's clobberin time. I'll go for +1 stun as well as +1 stun from swords

Ultima-Usagi attacks The Cogster-- but bounces off... something. It feels like some sort of wall of... wind, but still... an emanation of force. It tingles, a little...

It also makes Ultima-Usagi very irritated. (Ultima-Usagi takes +1 toward her next move.)

"Ah, you've encountered my defenses... I believe you'll find that nothing harmful to me can pass through it... My, there certainly are a lot of you. ...Are you... a team...?"

Mochizuki is sent spiralling through the air but manages to take control at the apex of her fall. She lands gracefully on both feet and one hand.

"What the hell was that?" she thinks to herself. Pausing for a moment she scans the arrogant machinist, looking for a way to land her blade.OOC: 16:22, Today: Ultima-Usagi rolled 12 using 2d6+2 with rolls of 4,6.  Look before you Leap.

-What should I be on the lookout for? Specifically to breach his defenses.
--What is the biggest threat here? With regard to his capabilities.
--Where is something I can use to help? Get through his defenses.

It seems that, for all intents and purposes, he's surrounded by a solid wall... thinks Mochizuki...




It's that machine in front of him... maybe the problem isn't damaging the man, but damaging the machine...? she thinks...



Maybe the answer lies more in what I'm capable of... she muses...

In reply to The Cogster (msg # 18):

"Watch out!" the Streak moves to pull the guard away from the blast - or at the very least, to use his body as a shield.

OOC: 11:55, Today: Silver Streak rolled 6 using 2d6+1 with rolls of 3,2.  Romantic Idiot.