Dallas, TX

Laura, was still dazed by her head trauma but was beginning to come back to her senses.  Everything was still disconnected in her mind, but suddenly in a snap everything came back into focus.  She saw the mob pressing forward, and she looked down at Daphne and Kitten.  A flashback of the night of her eruption came unbidden to the forefront of her mind, and she began to panic in that memory.  I have to protect my girls, it doesn't matter what I have to do, they are going to be safe!!!

Serenade stood taller and more confident, as she let herself melt into the chaos of the riot.  Her mind danced along the sounds of the riot, she was the Mistress of Music...this was her symphony to conduct...what it needed was a sharp crescendo the climax before plummeting to piano pianissimo.  Her arms lifted from her sides as though she were conducting a symphony, her eyes rolled into the back of her head, and her mouth opened in a soundless shriek as quantum erupted from her body.

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
Oh wow...the dice roller loves me tonight!!!  23:22, Wed 02 Oct 2013: Serenade rolled 6 successes using 11d10 with the Target Number system with a target of 7 ((5,4,1,10,2,10,10,7,3,7,9)).  That is actually 9 sux due to the Creative quality of Wits.  Unfortunately or fortunately the number of sux is moot with this technique, lol.  She is activating Storm.  With her reduced damage everyone in the field takes 5 bashing every turn, their dice pools are reduced by 2, and their movement and vision are halved...okay vision doesn't make any sense for this use.  They should be deafened though.  They are all being attacked by a cacophony of sound cranked up to 300+ dB

---

Dillon nodded.  "She has a point.  You built that borehole out at Jackass Flats for a reason.  How about I give Las Vegas the keys to a 21st century energy grid?"

Gale examined the crowd, spotting Daphne and Serenade.  It looked like there were two or three other novas with them.  Surely a group that size could take care of themselves for a few moments.  "Ok, we need to make sure that they aren't armed.  Last thing we need is someone hiding in here with weapons.  I'm going to make the terrain more difficult for them, and then start causing a distraction.  You take care of the weapons and then try to break them up a bit if my efforts aren't enough."

She reached up and the skies suddenly darkened.  A thunderous boom, and then it was raining buckets.  She gave a salute to Johnny with a smile "Hope your equipment is waterproof!", and then swooped down to the crowd.  She headed for the center of the fighting, hovering just above the reach of the crowd.  "You want to protest against a nova?!  Well, here's a nova for you!"  She held out her arms, challenging them, but also reminding them of what they were facing.  The goal actually was to get them to stop fighting and flee.

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
20:16, Thu 03 Oct 2013: Gale rolled 7 successes using 13d10 with the Target Number system with a target of 7 ((9,2,7,9,1,6,6,8,7,1,5,2,10)).  Int + Mega-Int + Weather Manip - Weather Alteration from Sweltering Heat or Clear/Sunny to Strong Rain/Thunderstorm.

20:58, Thu 03 Oct 2013: Gale rolled 1 success using 4d10 with the Target Number system with a target of 7 ((2,3,7,2)). Appearance + Intimidate. Flee!  + 1 success for Awe-Inspiring for 2 successes total.

Quantum spent: 3 (Weather Manip) + 1 (Awe-Inspiring)

---

If it was possible for Wilhelm's carapace to shrug, it shrugged.  "You'll have to decide that for yourself.  My wants are irrelevant to what you are going to do.  If indeed I want anything."  Wilhelm's vocoder switched modes from equivocal to pensive.  "It just seems natural that if one didn't trust Utopia's judgement in policing novas one might not trust Utopia's judgment in other spheres."  Another vocoder mode-shift, this time to the adumbrative.  "Certainly if you were to go into some sort of business it would make it easier to enter into contracts.  Of the mutually beneficial variety."

Dillon had dealt with more obtuse diplomats and more insipid PR events.  But not when he had so much on the line.  "This isn't a business.  But if you want to see good works before you'll commit, you'll have them."

The sudden wind, thunder and rainstorm in Texas did not bode well.  "Maybe sooner than later ... Slider?  Can can you get Saul and Antonio down there?"

Illinois Safe House
Slider nodded, then opened a portal for Comstock's devoted follower and the old healer to pass through.  Slider continued to monitor the situation as it grew worse, turning to alert Dillon to the intensity of the nova response.  "Serenade and the novas with her are tearing up that crowd.  People are going to die soon if we don't do something.  Do we do something?"

Hell Kraken watched the scene unfold, carapace revealing no emotion, as he was forced to remain out of contact with his empire of automated drones and the flow of data updates he was accustomed to.  When next he had access to his messages though, he would find an unanticipated windfall: Texas was apparently interested in acquiring some of his police drones to handle hostile novas.  They were willing to buy in bulk, for a reasonable discount of course.

Dallas, TX
The crowd parted in absolute panic as monstrous creatures manifested from the impossibly attractive nova, the contrast making them somehow even more frightening.  They ran amidst the crowd as Kitten's efforts at soothing the rioters was completely disrupted, not just by Baroness, but by the storm of sound that welled up from Serenade.  The cacophony of the pop star's voice bludgeoned the crowd, knocking several down, forcing them to crawl away or die.

The air above the crowd held another storm, it's effects much more far reaching.  Clouds rolled in, thunder boomed, and fierce winds blew across the landscape.  The downpour of water quenched any fire remaining within the baselines below, sending them running to the edges of the festival toward whatever shelter they could find.

The only danger remaining was the threat the crowd posed to itself.  People trampled one another in their haste, parents were separated from children, and the infirm were confused and helpless in the panicking mass of humanity.

---

Singapore
Dragon took out the retreating cyclist, shoving him off the speeding bike and into the median at breakneck speeds.  The nova would live, but he was quite unconscious as he rolled to a stop.  Gravitas maintained his gravity field as Solitaire floated above the scene, forced to choose between chasing after the last motorcycle and taking down the remaining flyer who was attacking the area around what initially appeared to be a civilian yacht taking evasive action, quite unnatural evasive actions at that.  The nova presence required for that type of maneuvering suggested the boat might be somehow involved with the encounter as another nova randomly on scene was fairly unlikely.

As Joe turned the yacht the remaining nova aggressor broke off from the search after realizing that there was no way to salvage the situation, flying off to the northeast in hopes of evading capture.  Joe wasn't clear of the nova threat though, not yet.  As he maneuvered the boat he noticed that the other flyer, the one that fell into the water, was clinging like a barnacle to the hull of his ship, probably attempting to hide.

At the bottom of the harbor, Sean recieved another communique.  "Nova hostiles are in full retreat, extraction is a go.  Return to harbor, your contact is waiting for you there.  Move in while the other novas are cleaning up your pursuers."

Dallas, TX

Baroness kept her severe gaze on the crowd, but was all smiles behind her eyes at the chaos that ensued. She was pulled away only to watch the display from the other novas. She found it exhilarating to watch the orchestra of power over the scurrying baselines--but she was certain to make note of what she saw...and who to be wary of.

She looked around, assuming her date had scurried off long ago. She gave a flip of her hair--She hadn't had high hopes for the vain, pushy man anyway. She snapped her fingers in command of her homunculi, pulling the two creatures back up to her. They flanked her as she waited for Serenade's shriek to end before she went over to the dazed woman. She gave Kitten an appreciative smile on the way. Baroness hated cute and cuddly things, but she found that the nova's manipulative talents certainly left a good impression all the same.

She walked slowly toward Serenade, keeping her bodyguard Daphne between them so as not to make anyone uncomfortable in this tense moment. She let concern wash over her face as she asked as softly as she could over the din of the riot, "Are you alright? That can't have felt good," while she remained calm her two homunculi kept their watch, scowling, barking, and making swipes at the crowd.

Dallas, TX

Daphne looked on in horror as the chaotic situation went from bad to horrible. I don't have any ability to control this situation, but maybe I can calm Laura down and get her to get this under control

Daphne turned to Laura and grabs her hand. "Serenade, you need to stop hurting these people. They are going to start killing each other. This is not what we need, please calm this crowd. Many of them are just your fans."

Daphne looks quizzically at Baroness while she grabs kitten and moves closer to Baroness. "I am going to try and get us closer to Gale and get her to try and stop this storm. We need to prevent this from becoming an even bigger catastrophe. If there is anything either of you can do to help I'd appreciate you doing so. A lot of people are going to die today if we continue going about this in this manner."

Daphne moves the group slowly through the crowd, trying to take blows for the people around her.

"We read you loud and clear, Control, proceeding to tertiary evac point."  The sub extricates itself from the muck at the bottom of the harbor and headed closer to the surface.  Sean cruised along at around 5m down, his matte dark grey hull blending perfectly with the dark water below.  Breaching almost silently at the quay the now car drove up the boat ramp and towards the operative waiting near some public toilets.  Sean opened his doors, allowing Operator out before he shifted back into human form, the limp body of his client held easily in his arms.  After the handoff he picked his briefcase up off the ground and nodded to his oddly silent partner, then toggled his headset and contacted their most excellent distraction.  "This is Wheelman, many thanks for the assist, we owe you one."
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:31, Thu 10 Oct 2013.

"We do something."  Dillon went heavy, droplets of metal seeping out through his pores and hardening into his second skin.  He tapped his own ear-piece, switching on and off channels as necessary.  "Sol, Grav, Dragón: when you're done there, tell the local authorities why you came, leave them a calling card in case they find themselves in another crisis, and bring those elites with you.  Ask nicely, there's no sense in starting another fight, but I want to know what precipitated that little chase."  The calling card was another of Phantasm's ideas: an independent smart-phone-in-box with preprogrammed numbers and encryption keys to securely contact Vigilance.  It wasn't a bat-signal, but it was the best Phantasm could do to meet Comstock's demands.

"Phantasm, please keep Mr. Kraken company for a few minutes.  Mr. Kraken, if you've had enough, just ask and the lovely Miss Phantasm will see you home and leave you one of our calling cards."  The stupid industrialist would probably disassemble it anyway, and for all Comstock knew the frequencies and encryption keys on the thing would give him full access to their computer network.  It was an acceptable risk.

"Antonio, you're with me."  The young man had become something of a sidekick.  "Slider, put us on that stage.  Any nova making trouble gets two warnings.  Keep your eyes on any that don't listen, I'll want to have a talk with them."

On Slider's cue, Comstock and Antonio arrived in Texas.  He folded his arms across his chest and waited, letting the rain bead up and run over his silvery face.  The crowd had about thirty seconds to calm itself down or start listening to Gale before he did his best Impetus impression.

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
OOC: Commanding Presence, but so far all he's doing is standing where people can see him.

---

Above the chaos, Johnny Afterburner considered his next move very carefully.  With Utopia and T2M:A already moving people and equipment out of Vegas in favor of Mexico City, he wasn't feeling particularly loyal.  And though the pay was less than what he was enjoying now, he had just negotiated a deal with the City of Las Vegas to become the city's first official Public Defender.  The offer was on the table ...

Intervening in this without calling in the rest of T2M:A would almost certainly burn a bridge with Utopia.  As would participating in this ... whatever that Gale and Comstock and Phantasm had been putting together on the downlow.  But since he had a way out ...

The urge to make some trouble, be the center of attention, and save the day boiled over, overriding common sense and all sense of duty.  "Alright, Lady, you've got their attention.  Want some spotlight?"  Johnny didn't have a riot control kit available, but he did have lights and sirens.  If Gale asked it, he'd blare sirens and put on the flashers, then illuminate whoever wanted to do the talking.

Meanwhile, his sharp eyes tracked some nova cutting out of the crowd, and one very, very attractive lady in the crowd spawning little ... things ...

"Roger that, Comstock," Dragón replied.  "So, Sol...who are we asking nicely, the local authorities to let us take 'em, or the thugs we just trashed?" he asked, trying to keep the humor out of his voice.

Running under the premise that asking unconscious mercenaries for permission to take them into custody would be an exercise in situation comedy, he scanned over the police and other emergency responders for the one in the nicest suit.  He carefully scooped the elite out of the indentation in the center median and flew over to the "suit."

"Excuse me," he said in careful English (his Cantonese was limited), "could you please tell me who is in charge here?"

Gale took in the chaos quickly.  It wasn't quite what she had meant to do, but if it was getting the crowd to disperse, that would still be an improvement.  There were suddenly a lot of novas showing up.  Did Comstock seriously think a riot in Texas was this important?

But, the arrival of the others made it a little easier.  She pointed Johnny toward Comstock.  "Let the big guy do the talking.  I'm gonna get the source of the trouble out of there."  She had spotted Daphne moving her group through the crowd.  Time to get them out.

Swooping down, she offered a hand to Daphne.  "Tell everyone to hang on!"  She offered her other hand to whoever else grabbed it first.  She was stronger now, she could probably lift a group of 4 or 5 novas.  She hoped.  Once everyone was joined, she headed back up into the sky, wings straining with the effort.

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
Have Mega-Strength 1 with the Lifter enhancement.  Hopefully that's enough.

---

Baroness raised an eyebrow at Daphne's compassion for the baselines--but there was no accounting for taste and wasn't about to bring it up. Instead she sauntered forward with the rest of the group. Her homunculi harassing any rioters who got too close.

When they made it up to Gale, Baroness frowned. She barely knew any of these people and now she was going to what? Hop a ride on one of them. Beyond the issue of familiarity, she was most certainly not dressed for the occasion. Still, she enjoyed a good gamble now and then. Any place where powerful novas like these were going was a place she'd be curious to see. She sighed and snapped her fingers. Her homunculi stopped and turned in unison before rushing up to and leaping onto her. Where they hit turned into a bubbling mass of flesh that was subsumed by her eufiber dress before being absorbed back into her body. She found a suitable grip on Gale and had to work harder than she expected to keep her face relaxed as they rose into the air.

Operator slipped out of the transforming submarine/car with the panache expected of a comic book super spy. He straightened his jacket, tucked his weapon a bit further out of sight, and strolled up to the contact.

"Hey, great to see you!"

Operator shook his hand.


"I think we're about ready to wrap things up here, and our mutual friend here needs a lift home. You up for that?"

Operator helped shoulder the package and helped them towards the contact. Things needed to start calming down and fast, and as long as they had a job to do, Operator couldn't really start with that yet.

Dallas, TX

Serenade stopped her assault on the rioters, and blinked while slowly surveying the situation.  Most of the baselines were running from her, but they weren't trying to attack her girls...her girls...she saw them.  Daphne was taking Kitten from her, Kitten needed her protection.  She began to take off after them, to protect them...then the fog of the young Nova's personality began to lift.

Laura stopped in her tracks and looked again at the scene below her.  Children were separated from their mothers, people were beginning to trample each other to get away from her and from the mysterious yet beautiful woman and her "pet".  She felt sick...she never meant to hurt any of them, just get them to stop the riot.  So...this is what a social whammy feels like.  I need to be responsible with that...so dangerous.

Daphne's last words came to her mind unbidden.  She had to calm this situation down...she didn't know if she could though.  There were so many of them.  Maybe...maybe if she pushed she might be able to calm them down enough.  This was her fault...she had to make this right.

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
Okay, I am going to try maxing a power for the first time, it's exciting!!!  Never mind...that was somewhat anti climatic:  20:42, Sun 13 Oct 2013: Serenade rolled 1 success using 5d10 with the Target Number system with a target of 7 ((8,6,1,4,2)).  So next round that will go off, but this round she is ramping up.   

---

She stood tall with her head back arms outstretched and began to float in the air her toes barely touching the earth, as her body began to thrum with a painfully slow slurred melody...a fugue that seemed to bring to mind an opiate induced haze.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:05, Mon 14 Oct 2013.

Heading out of Singapore Harbor

Easing the yacht back into the water properly and waving away the paper thin "sail" of water he'd made, the boat was more or less dead weight again and momentum quickly tugged it to the bobbing state of rest that it had been in before, slowly pushing its way toward the harbor mouth at a leisurely pace.

Making the windvane but keeping the autopilot off in case he had to jump back to action, Joe walked over to the rails and peered down at his clinging passenger.

"Excuse me? Private property, dude. You want a charter you need to find another ride."

He cleared his throat and pushed his cheap sunglasses up onto his nose with one finger.

"Or else... No hard feelings, kay?"

Singapore
As Sean made a welcome broadcast to the new arrivals, tapping into their headset frequencies with casual ease, Operator passed off the unconscious billionaire to their contact.  Contrary to what Devries told their customers, teleporters were NOT always available; they were in high demand and short supply, forcing others to fill in gaps.  The contact was a woman completely wrapped in strips of many-colored cloth that fluttered in the breeze coming in from the harbor.  Silently, she took the helpless man from Operator, turned, and faded away from sight, leaving only a few strips of cloth to fly away on the wind.  The carp commented "Oh, to fly.  It must be fantastic."

---

The man Dragon picked up was vaguely conscious, and apparently thought Dragon was talking to him.  The man shook his head emphatically, he wasn't talking, wasn't telling anyone who was "in charge." Not surprising really, since Dragon had a reputation for fairness and decency that the man's employers most certainly did not.  If he talked he would be denied the luxuries of jail; a long, painful death would be his only reward.  With an the patience of a saint, Dragon ignored the criminal in his arms, and waited for the suits on the ground to decide whether Dragon was a threat, who was in charge, and whether the person in charge was going to talk to a foreign nova with no jurisdiction.

Finally, a man came forward.  In his 50's, balding, a clean-shaven face, cold eyes, the man looked like he had seen his share of tragedies. He replied in English, "I am Agent Tan.  You are a long way from home Mr. Devarga.  While we appreciate your help, I hope you are not planning on visiting for too long.  Things could become complicated if you were to do so."

Solitaire, meanwhile, let the last bike escape.  It wasn't that she didn't care, it was that more important things were pressing on her consciousness.  It was the quantum fields in the area.  Something just didn't gel.  It was like someone was looking over her shoulder, their shoulder, but not like ESP.  She'd never had the knack for detecting that sort of thing, that was always Zero's bag, but she was increasingly in tune with quantum harmonics, and there was something off.  So, instead of chasing after irrelevant mooks, she listened.

---

Joe watched as the ultimatum sunk in, the woman's waterlogged face set in grim determination.  In british-accented English, the woman tried to negotiate.  "I can pay you, in money or favors. And my favors are worth a great deal.  Just hide me, and you have me in your debt."

Gravitas watched the scene play out from his vantage above the harbor.  His senses were sharp, and though he didn't catch every word, he understood where things were heading.  The blue man seemed to be a random variable in the situation, and chaos was seldom a good thing in his world of plans and calculations.


Dallas, Texas
Daphne, Kitten, and Baroness all took to the air with Gale, but Serenade was in a fugue still.  She refused to grab on, instead starting to hum another melody, her sonic assault replaced with a calming vibration that was still building.  Serenade paid only cursory attention to Baroness as she spoke, or even her friend Daphne; apparently Laura handled stress poorly and the panic, her injury, and her own instinctive reaction combined to lock her in to the situation.  As the four took to the air, Slider opened a portal above Gale, so that she could fly through to the safe house.  As the four climbed higher, they saw the famous singer engulfed by the rain and crowd, her song a low bass felt in the bones rather than heard.

Comstock played his part as well.  Johnny, diverted by Gale, lit up the metal man, and the crowd easily spotted him as the light reflected from his polished skin.  Some ran from him, but many more flocked to him, a calm rock in turbulent seas.  His reputation, his presence, his good works all combined to instill trust in the panicked crowd.  Antonio escorted Saul through the crowd, healing as he went.  The man's power had grown in astonishing ways since his eruption; his touch, even his presence, was enough to heal minor injuries and instill a sense of renewed vigor to the fallen.  As he passed, those injured by novas and the crowd were able to stand and calmly walk away.

Safe House
Phantasm, Kraken, and Slider sat and waited.  It wouldn't be long until they had a full house. Well, actually they already did, but it would get a fair bit more crowded.  Flare was there in reserve, there were at least half a dozen strays they had picked up before Utopia could get to them, and a few other old friends and contacts.  They were in other parts of the safe house, waiting for the big man to come back and make his speech.  Most of them were happily consuming the punch and pie laid out for them.  Novas were always hungry, those that didn't consume cosmic energy or radiation or whatever for sustenance, and what was a resistance movement worth if it couldn't provide punch and pie?

Phantasm turned and smiled a friendly smile at Forster. "Oh, no.  You don't get to escape.  You have to stay at least until everyone's back.  There's a party, and charades."  She joked, but she really had no intention of sending him back just yet.  Hopefully he was more entertained than he let on, but if he wasn't, at least some of the others should engage his interest.

While he waited for the appropriate official to make his way to the chaotic scene, Dragón tried again to reach Operator by phone.

"Operator," he said after the obligatory beep, "I hope you guys made it out of the area okay.  Listen, the ringmaster of the little 'flying circus' I belong to would really like to meet with you and your mechanical partner.  Get back to me as soon as possible.  If you call within the next...say...hour, we'll even arrange transport for you."

Touching the earpiece to end the call, he got on his radio to check in with Solitaire and Gravitas.  "How are things looking for you guys?  I'm down here waiting to meet with a government official.  I've left another message for those elites Comstock wants us to talk to.  I told them we'd be here about another hour before we 'ported home.  It will probably take most of that time to make nice with the locals, but do either of you foresee a problem with that?"

When Agent Tan arrived, Dragón put on his 'meet the in-laws' smile.  "No, I assure you, Vigilance isn't here to set up shop.  We simply detected that you needed assistance and came to try to wrap up this dangerous situation as quickly as possible."  He handed the harried-looking agent the calling card and said, "If you find yourself in similar need in the future, you can use this to contact us."

Lowering the battered nova to the ground, he gave him a quick dose of mox, then turned back to Agent Tan.  "Here's one of the bunch that was shooting up your downtown.  This mox should keep him docile long enough to get him safely tucked away."

Singapore Harbor

Joe snorted.

"What you think you got that I need," Joe replied. "Wind and sea, lady... I don't care if you're the Queen of England - my boat, my rules. And my rules say: No stowaways, no boarders, and no backtalk about it."

"Push off, whatever problems you got are nothing I need or want," he waved a hand. "Pick another boat. Or swim. I don't care."

Dallas, TX

After moments of humming and thrumming, the music began to roll over the crowd like the gentle laps of the ocean on the beach.  The people present had to struggle or find themselves swaying to her orchestration, their very heartbeats struggling to slow down to meet the agonizingly slow beat.

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
00:00, Tue 15 Oct 2013: Serenade rolled 3 successes using 10d10 with the Target Number system with a target of 7 ((5,3,8,6,1,3,10,5,5,9)).
  That will wind up being 5 successes with the 10 and the success from the maxing of the power.

---

Operator glanced at his phone.

"Oh right. Someone's trying to contact me."

Rather than listen to the ponderous voice mails, he merely transferred the information from his voice mail back to himself. Thinking through Dragon's message, and the timeliness of the help they had received, Operator found the answer quick and easy.

"Hey Wheel, I'm gonna meet up with El Dragon and go see whoever his boss is. You in?"

Without waiting for a response, but watching for one, Jonas called El Dragon back.

"I'm in, just give me when and where to link up."

"Dragon has a boss? I thought he quit Utopia?" Sean was confused, and curious.  "If some mysterious powerbroker wants to have a meeting, I'm in, it could be good for the company."

Texas

Once things had settled down, Comstock marched off the stage to speak to the protestors.  "Your freedoms are guaranteed under this country's law.  Freedom to engage in violence is not one of those freedoms.  Move back a ways and continue your protest if you still want, but you will respect these people the same way they respect you."  He stared, daring one of them to continue rioting or throw something.  No one seemed to move.  "I am watching."

With that, he turned his back and made his way back into the crowd toward the other source of the trouble.  The hypnotic effect of Serenade's luminous display gnawed at him, made his head ache.  "Finish your encore, Serenade.  Then we're making your exit and having a talk."  He did not appreciate tampering with people's minds, even if it had calmed everyone down.  More than that, she'd attacked the crowd.

He withdrew handcuffs from a pouch on his belt.  "You are detained by Vigilance.  Your cooperation is advised."  He hoped that she would pick up that this was the easiest way out.  "I won't need these, will I?"

The glare of Afterburner's spotlight was not helping matters.  "Ladies and Gentlemen, please enjoy the show!"  Comstock looked up into the storm and made a 'cut it' gesture toward the man.