Gwenyth paused when she saw the distinctive glowy energy arms of Agent Shiva. The techpants mutant. Gwenyth already felt out of place among all the others, still in some part of her mind considered mutants to be fun villains to fight in action thrillers and not real people. Then that man had to start dragging her out of her shell and getting her to face up to the fact that yes, she was a mutant, and she would never be able to go back to believing otherwise. If it hadn't been for him, she might have still been up in that helicopter. The helicopter whose debris she had definitely run past on the way here, which she might have been able to save had she been at the controls or just by sheer virtue of her untouchable presence.

Anger! Rage! She raised her rifle, sighted the man through the scope, and pulled the trigger. Some part of her is distantly grateful for the fact that she's still loading rubber bullets, though at the moment she couldn't imagine why she might not want to seriously hurt him.

15:30, Today: Gwenyth Blake rolled (6,11,5,6) using 1d10+1d12+1d6+1d6.
Ouch, sorry Shiva! I'll buy you a coffee later? At least the rubber bullets means I'm not adding my Dangerous SFX!
17 pool, d10 effect.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:34, Fri 08 Apr 2022.

In reply to Gwenyth Blake (msg # 138):

Suddenly, his defense arm warned him of the incoming attack. His sheild arm intercepted, while he rolled along the roof to avoid the gunfire. His HUD revealed the shooter by following the trajectory and sound.

"Gwenyth? She hates me!? Why!?" He said, and paused. That sounded so dumb even he had to remark on it. Six transformed the end of its length into an image of Agent Windtalker. It made sense. Some other telepath was causing her to act this way.

"Right...right. Mind Control. Duh. Man, am I clueless."

16:49, Today: Shiva rolled 1,10,6,6,1 using D8,d10,d10,d8,d4 with rolls of 1,10,6,6,1.  Reaction vs Gwenbang.

Ooc:

Physical-d8
Senses-d10
Asset-d10
Acrobatics-d8
Uber nerd-d4(+1 pp)

Spending 1 pp to add to roll.

Total=22
Effect die=d4

One good punch was all that Frank needed.  His fist shattered the giant's jaw with one blow, and his grip on Frank loosened as he rolled over and curled up in a fetal position:

"yaw bwoke ma ja!'

Blockbuster rolled 9,4,4,8,11 using 1d10,1d8,1d12,1d8,1d12 with rolls of 9,4,4,8,11.  reaction vs Tank.  Total 20 vs 23.  Physical stress stepped up beyond 1d12.  Blockbuster eliminated.  Grappled condition removed from Tank.
This message was last edited by the player at 07:47, Sat 09 Apr 2022.

Scalphunter's cyber-limbs were not really implants or devices.  They were part of his Mutant body, formed in some odd way using his powers.  Same as the knife.  And the Rifle.  And the bullets...   His control over his limbs was absolute, and nothing sort of a real telepath could read his mind, or take over his body.

But that didn't render him immune to the energy arms grasping him.  As the second of Shiva's arms curled around his waist, and with a second one pulling at his leg, he lost his footing, together with any hope of prying himself free.  He looked upon the arms that lifted him off the ground with a blank, frozen face - as if he was a real cyborg.

OOC:
Scalphunter rolled 2,7,7,6,2 using 1d10,1d8,1d8,1d8,1d10 with rolls of 2,7,7,6,2.  reaction roll vs Shiva.  + 1 PP to Shiva due to loaning 1d8 from the dice pool.  Total 14 vs 20.  Effect stepped up.  Scalphunter eliminated.
This message was last edited by the GM at 08:05, Sat 09 Apr 2022.

Shiva reeled in the sniper, constricting him like he did Harpoon. He began to move away from Gwenyth's line of sight, steering clear of the sides of the building so she no longer had a shot on him. However, he knew she could move acrobatically as well.

"Come in, Freedom Force! Agent Blake as been compromised! Possibly by some telepathic attack! I need back up and restraint on her ASAP!" He contacted the rest of the team over the comms.

He used his arms sensors to lock in on Agent Windtalker to get her postion precisely in the sky.

OOC-not using an action yet.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:06, Sat 09 Apr 2022.

"It's their telepath.  She's too strong - I can't stop her! You need to find her before it's too late!!"
Technically, 'Windtalker' wasn't lying, only omitting a very crucial piece of information about said Telepath already possessing their teammates body.  Deluding them for just a little bit longer should give her the time she needs to completely override their thoughts as well:

Windtalker rolled 6,3,8,1,6,5 using d10,d8,d8,d6,d6,d6 with rolls of 6,3,8,1,6,5.  Mind Control effect.  Total 14, effect 1d8 vs Frank, 1d6 vs Kate.  Opportunity available. 

"It's already IN Ana!" Kate yells out as she tries to fight off the mental manipulation, letting a bit of her inner beast out, letting it's instincts guide her thoughts in fighting back, hoping that her animalistic side has a better idea of what and how to keep it out than she does.


Reaction
Wits 1d8
Telepathy 1d8
Distinction 1d8
Previous Asset 1d8
Feral Instincts (opportunity stunt die from Ana's roll) 1d10

15:24, Today: Kate Messer rolled 7,3,3,6,2 using d8,d8,d8,d8,d10 with rolls of 7,3,3,6,2.  resisting mind control.  Total 16 Effect D10 Spending PP to keep additional die
PP = 0  If possible Kate would like to use that D10 effect

Unsure of how much longer she would be able to keep resisting Kate shifts forms again, this time to a great horned owl and flies up after Ana, both to put herself out of Tank's Reach and because maybe attacking her physically will jar her back into control, maybe.


Action
Prowess 1d10
Shapeshifting 1d8
Combat 1d8
Distinction 1d4 +1 pp
15:32, Today: Kate Messer rolled 8,7,8,2 using d10,d8,d8,d4 with rolls of 8,7,8,2.  attack ana back to her senses. Total 15 effect D10
PP = 1

Tank could feel the icy grip of mind control digging into his brain, but couldn't resist.

Wits: d10
Brains Plus Brawn: d8

Tank rolled 8,2 using d10,d8 ((8,2)).

Total: 10

When Kate spoke aloud, several things happened for Shiva. All the facts leading up to this moment began to add up. It certainly explained a lot of the events that occurred. It was tempting to blame this hostile telepath as to why the people in the chopper where now dead.

But he knew better than that.

More importantly, the input in his mind that only worked without emotion began to take shape. It started giving him options in that intensely fast way only computers can. Then he had some bare bones of a plan.

Two limbs kept hold their prisoners. One limb kept the shield up and kept track of Agent Blake's motion...and the rest of the team in case they attacked next. John tired not not to think about that, as it filled him with dread.

Six moved down to Tank, and made a screen slightly above his head. Showing him a hologram of Agent Windtalker in the sky. It also showed where he should aim when he throws something at her, a sort of digitally assisted targeting system.

But it was limb five, who was using all these other movements to distract the telepath. After all, the enemy could not sense Shiva's thoughts. It would be hard for them using normal human senses to see Five grab the sniper's rifle. Surround the weapon in smaller robot like tendrils and proceed to operate it...

OOC: Targeting Windtalker

07:43, Today: Shiva rolled 8,5,4,8,4 using d8,d10,d10,d8,d8 with rolls of 8,5,4,8,4.  Targeting Windtalker.

07:46, Today: Shiva rolled 6 using 1d10 with rolls of 6.  Windtalker stress.

Physical-d8
Senses-d10
Assests-d10
Computer-like mind-d8
Windtalker Stress-d10

1 PP into adding a third die, 1 PP into a second effect die.

Total roll=22
Effect die=d10 targeting asset for Tank, d10 Attack on Windtalker via rifle. Using nonlethal means, as I use my senses to avoid any shot to her organs, and if I can get away with a graze all the better.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:33, Sun 10 Apr 2022.

Kate harried Ana, staying above her and clawing but not willing to really go for the kill more trying for light painful injuries than truly debilitating blows.

stepping down the d10 to d6 stress because well, she's a friend.

Ana Sofía struggles...

The owl clawing at her arm with her talons, and a bullet grazing her thigh, enraged 'Windtalker' to a frothing frenzy.  She wanted them all dead.  Not for the money (which she had no use for), but for the pure chaos that would ensue once America's heroes tore each other apart limb from limb.

Down at the street, the entire neighborhood walked out to the street.  Men, women - even children as young as six, and elderlies in their walkers.  They armed themselves with whatever they could get their hands on; baseball bats, crowbars, kitchen knives - and handguns.  The mob swelled by the minute, growing in numbers as more and more people stepped out of their houses and walked over from the adjacent city blocks, searching for the heroes with zombie-like gazes.

That's a 1d6 physical stress from Kate.  The grazing bullet, though painful, isn't enough to release Windtalker from being possessed.

He was still feeling as weak as a kitten, and now his head was spinning. He felt this unreasonable rage creeping in around the edges of his mind, and he was powerless to fight it for much longer. He needed to stop Ana Sofia from getting her hooks any deeper into him, or he might just murder his entire team before they could stop him.

He needed something to throw. And he spotted something in the gutter that might serve pretty well for that purpose. He picked up the old boot and felt its weight. Even as weak as Tank was, he could barely feel any mass at all. It was leather and hard rubber, and a hint of char... oh, damn. It was the pilot's boot.

Oh well, it was still better than nothing.

It was only after he'd drawn back and let it fly that he came to wonder if the pilot's foot might still be in it.

Ew.

Prowess: d8
Gentle Giant: d4+1PP
Godlike Strength: d12
Combat Expert: d8
Targeting HUD: d10

Tank rolled 1,3,4,6,1 using d8,d4,d12,d8,d10 ((1,3,4,6,1)).
((Wow, that sucked))
Using 1PP to keep 3rd die

Total: 13
Effect die: d4 (default)
1PP remaining

It was incredibly difficult, trying to hit a target he can't perceive using his own senses.  And Ana could not only fly around to make herself a more difficult target to snipe, but could use her telekinesis to deflect the projectile.  Even with all those things going against him, Tank nearly tagged her with the boot:

1d8,1d6,1d6,1d6,1d8 with rolls of 6,3,3,5,3.  Ana's reaction roll vs Tank
Burrowing 1d8 from doom pool: +1 pp to Tank
Keeping a third die: - 1d8 to doom pool
Total 14 vs 13, attack dodged. 

The entity possessing Windtalker vividly felt every scratch of talons - one of the disadvantages of possessing a corporeal body was opening herself to visceral sensations, and the current ones she was experiencing were far from pleasant.  She hated the bird clawing at her face most of all at that point.  It sure would be nice if someone dispatched it for her:


Wits 1d10, Malice Unbound distinction 1d8, Mind Control 1d8, Psych 1d6, additional targets 1d6, 1d12 Kate & Tank's mental stress
The Watcher, on behalf of Windtalker, rolled 5,8,7,4,5,11 using d10,d8,d8,d6,d6,1d12 with rolls of 5,8,7,4,5,11.  mind controlling Kate, Tank.  spending 1d8 from doom pool to keep extra die.
Reaction needed for Total 26, effect 1d10 vs Kate, 1d10 vs Tank

This message was last edited by the GM at 04:32, Mon 11 Apr 2022.

Gwenyth scowls and advances further on Shiva, drawing her rapier as she does. And then she... stumbles. WRONG, something inside seemed to scream. Her blood itself felt like it was embarrassed to be a part of something so WRONG. Freedom Force are beautiful shining examples of mutantkind, hurting them is WRONG.

It's Shiva's fault she is feeling icky! He did something to her yesterday! In the lab! With his... pokey... things! So she will poke him! If she can get her... damned... shaking body under control!

Gwenyth's Uncontrollable Limit activates due to trying to act in an "un-beautiful" way. Her Godlike Reflexes becomes a d12 complication.

01:43, Today: Gwenyth Blake rolled 15 using 1d8+1d4+1d8+1d6 with rolls of 4,4,3,4.  Dangerous rapier attack!

Effect pool 8, d10 damage if it hits.

In reply to Gwenyth Blake (msg # 152):

Shiva was amazed how easily and quickly Gwenyth made it up to the rooftop where he was. He also knew his arms where no match for her speed and deadly grace.

Expect...she did not have any deadly grace when she attacked him. His sensors detected her sluggish movement and block her sword like she was moving regularly. Not because of anything he did...because she was moving without her near perfect agility.

"Fight it, Gwenyth! You can beat this!" He said to her, even as she tried strike after strike to get by his defender arm. He made sure to dodge between chimneys and tv antennas as she chased him across the rooftops.

Ooc:

Reaction vs Gwen attack.

Physical-d8
Senses-d10
Asset-d10
Acrobatics-d8
Uber nerd-d4(+1 pp)
Gwenyth's complication-d12

Total=16
Effect die=d12

07:17, Today: Shiva rolled 7 using 1d12 with rolls of 7.  Gwen complication.

07:11, Today: Shiva rolled 8,3,4,8,1 using D8,d10,d10,d8,d4 with rolls of 8,3,4,8,1.  Reaction vs Gwen.

I get a +2 more pp! I needed that! Thanks Gwen!

:)
This message was last edited by the player at 11:23, Mon 11 Apr 2022.

Wits 1d8
Telepathy 1d8
Anti-telepath Asset 1d8
Distinction 1d4
22:43, Today: Kate Messer rolled 4,5,4,1 using d8,d8,d8,d4 with rolls of 4,5,4,1.  forlorn hope resistance roll vs mind control.


Despite everything she can do Kate can't stop the commands, her mind going feral, with the need to attack, to rend, to hurt, to kill.  The only directive being that she do so to Freedom Force.  Given she has her claws in one of them already she doesn't question it and goes for the member closest to her, which just happens to be Ana.  Perhaps this wasn't what the telepath had intended but well, it perhaps should have considered that before tearing away Kate's control.



Superhuman Reflexes 1d12 _> 2d10 from versatile
Prowess 1d10 _> 1d8 from dangerous
SFX Dangerous 1d6
Combat 1d8
Distinction 1d8
06:49, Today: Kate Messer rolled 5,10,2,3,6,6 using d10,d10,d8,d8,d8,d6 with rolls of 5,10,2,3,6,6.  Kate Unleashed! Total 22 Effect D10_>d12 dangerous PP to keep extra die
PP = 0

Kate grasped her prey with sharp talons, her beak ripped through the neck, searching to severe the jugular.  She was no longer an owl, but a fierce eagle, a predator attacking its target without remorse or restraint.  Windtalker's delicate fingers were sliced open as she tried to force the creature's beak from her neck. Her hair was torn off in patches, and blood gushed out of the deep wounds and lacerations in her arms and shoulder where the eagle's beak dug into her flesh.

Only when her prey plummeted to the ground did the blood frenzied Kate finally regained her faculties, together with Tank, Gwyneth, and a very confused and terrified mob gathered in the street below.

The Watcher, on behalf of Windtalker, rolled 2,3,2,5,6 using 1d6,1d8,1d6,1d6,1d8 with rolls of 2,3,2,5,6.  reaction roll vs Kate.
1d6 Prowess, 1d8 Unleashed Malice distinction, 1d6 flight, 1d6 acrobatics, 1d8 loaned from doom pool.  Total 11 vs 22, effect die stepped up twice.  Windtalker defeated.  Mind-controlled condition removed from all heroes.
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:57, Mon 11 Apr 2022.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 155):

Almost all of Shiva's limbs shot out, save for the two holding thier prisoners. The four limbs extended to their full length up, forming a net made of energy under the plummeting Ana. The net would stretch, allowing her to bleed off her terminal velocity without striking the ground.

Maybe.

Ooc-16:05, Today: Shiva rolled 1,10,4,4,3,4 using D8,d10,d10,d8,d8,d8 with rolls of 1,10,4,4,3,4.  Trying to catch Ana pre splat.

Physical-d8
Stretching-d10
Assests-d10
Acrobatics-d8
Shapeshifting energy limbs-d8
Stunt-d8

Spending 1 pp to stunt, spending 1 pp to add 3rd die.
Will spend 1 pp of needed for second chance if needed.

Total=18
Effect die=d10

This message was last edited by the player at 05:41, Tue 12 Apr 2022.

As she came back to her senses Kate was grateful for the darkness of the night, and ashamed and horrified by what she realized she had done.  She couldn't even tell if Ana was still alive.

She couldn't do this, she couldn't face Tank and the others and so she flew to the nearest tall building where she could hide upon it's roof, from the people, from Freedom Force, from herself perhaps.  'I'm sorry!' she sent in an anguished mental voice to those she could still reach, but shied away from paying close attention to if Ana could receive it or not.

Tank shook his head, coming out of the mind control. What had happened? And why was he holding a car over his head like he was about to throw it?

He set the wreck down and looked up. The HUD was gone, and with it his ability to see where Ana Sofia was. Had she left? Had she fallen? He didn't know. But the bright blue net being formed of Shiva's limbs suggested that she was falling.

Catch her, man, he thought. C'mon...!

Tank's feat of strength was met with an awe of silence. People slowly backed away from him; those who weren't frozen with fear.  Slowly, they came to grips with what happened to them, and the realization filled their hearts with existential terror.  Some sobbed. Some ran away, barefoot, into the night, in their pajamas.  A few even dropped on their knees in supplication before Tank as he effortlessly set the sedan back on the road.  But most just stood there, waiting for someone to wake them up from this nightmare.

Not far away, Shiva managed to break Ana's fall without causing her any harm.  After setting her down safely, he could make a quick examination and determine that while she was bleeding from deep gashes all over her body, despite how ugly the wounds looked none were deep enough to damage any of her internal organs.  She would still require urgent medical care, or she could very well bleed out.

Shiva's arms netted Ana, bled off her terminal velocity by having the energy net act as a cushion from impact. Expanding with the force of her fall while then bouncing back up, until all the kentic force had been used up. Very similar to bungie cord diving, but actually safer as this made sure Ana's body remained secure.

Once that was done, the arms reformed into a stretcher and carried her up into the rooftops. Bringing her back to Shiva, Gwenyth, and the two restrained villians still helpless in the John's coils.

Shiva reached into his belt and pulled a medical kit out. One of the arms scanned Ana's wounds, showing John an x-ray  like view of the damage. John got to work, using his human arms and two energy limbs to assist him in cleaning and binding the wounds.

One arm was still in sheild mode, putting itself between Gwenyth and John. Another limb...Six prehaps, smacked the sheild arm away, causing it to back off but still hover nearby. Still watching Gwenyth and the enviorment for other attacks.

"Sorry about that...ah...they are a little paranoid right now. I am not worried. If you wanted me dead, I would be dead. That's why you did not hurt me. You where resisting the whole time." John said, briefly looking about at Gwenyth. She could not really tell what his expression was under his mask, but his voice was kind.

ooc-15:39, Today: Shiva rolled 6,3,4,6,4 using D10,d10,d8,d8,d8 with rolls of 6,3,4,6,4.  Medical aid to Ana.

Wits-d10
Senses-d10
Computer like mind-d8
Resources-d8
Medicine skill-d8

Spending 1 pp to add to roll.

Total=16
Effect die=d10


This message was last edited by the player at 19:52, Tue 12 Apr 2022.

Gwenyth took a little longer than the other memebers of Freedom Force to come out of it. She had been taken by the foreign influence so quickly and completely that she hadn't had any time to process what was happening. She stood near Shiva in her combat pose but steadily looked more and more confused as that irrational hatred drained from her. "Wait, why am I...?"

The sword-arm fell limply to her side. She stares blankly at Shiva. "Resisting? ... Why was I so angry? Did something happen? ... oh god!" She throws herself on John -- or tries to, at least, as realization sets upon her. "Ohgodohgod Iamsosorry Idonotknowwhatcameoverme Ishouldhavefoughtitharder Ireallywantedtohurtyou oh god I am so sorry that I am so bad at this I should go die!"

In reply to Gwenyth Blake (msg # 161):

John was so shocked when Gwenyth ran to him, dropping her sword just to hug him-the arms pause. The ones doing the medical tasks only stop for a second before getting back to work on Ana. The ones holding the villians nearly crush their victims, but keep from breaking any bones.

The shield arm nearly intercepts, but Gwenyth is too fast. Then Six wraps around the other arm, pulling it away by force. The two arms look like they are about to come to blows...somehow...but stop and observe John and Gwenyth. Then they return to thier normal duties.

John himself is paralyzed for a second when she hugs him. He had not touched anyone for any reason...with his actual flesh that is...for nearly a year. He had remembered being hugged by his parents, his sister. Holding hands with his teenage crush. His first kiss.

Now, he was a freak. A monster. His whole world was online, and he would never have anything even close to what every other human being could look forward to. No one wanted to touch the humanoid energy squid.

Expect for Gwenyth. She was hugging him. She, even when controlled by that hateful telepathic mind, had refused to use her full power. Which meant something...but John was afraid to say it out loud, lest he screw this moment up.

He slowly wrapped his human arms around her, holding her close but not too tight. Brushing the back of her hair and letting her just cry herself out.

"You saved me." He whispered. "I could never fight you at your best. Even with 12 extra arms. You knew that...by instinct. And you did not want to hurt me. So even while you where controlled, like the others where, you did not shoot me, or stab me, or hurt me at all. You held back."

He gently moves her face so she can look into his now unmasked face. "Because you care about me. A lot."

He really hoped that was not too much. He wanted to do or say more, but this may not be the right time for that. He would have to find time for that, but it was not now.

"Because you made sure not to hurt me, I was able to save Ana. You are good at this. Even under mind control, you saved me. And because of that, Ana will live." he brushed away her tears, and stared into her amazing eyes.
This message was last edited by the player at 10:28, Wed 13 Apr 2022.