The devil went down to Georgia, he was looking for a soul to steal.
He was in a bind 'cos he was way behind: he was willin' to make a deal.

Silverburg's Auditorium, Charlotte, NC

"You understand what I want Tombs?" Walker purred into the cell phone as he watched the crowd shuffled into the modified theater across the street.

"Yo, Walker..you are paying me 20 large to break the bank open and keep the fuzz busy for at least 45 minutes, I get it. Where do you want to meet with the dough after I get clear?"

He cringed as the woman on the other side of the connection mangled the King's English. He missed the days when folk such as her did as they were told by him. People these days had no understanding of their place or how to behave to their betters.

"Don't. Keep the cash too. You're just to keep folks from being to interested in my side of town." He clicked the phone shut and sighed. If he had known what would have come of dealing with the thug, he'd have hired a group of normal crooks but they didn't have the 'presence' that she did. Still, he reminded himself, she had to learn that just because the 'mundanes' couldn't hurt her that didn't mean he couldn't put her in her place, but that was something to worry on later. His gaze returned to auditorium's front and took in the sign out front.

Mary Lafouche, one night only.

Twenty minutes later, inside

The concert was surprisingly good. Mary, a New Orlean's native who had just made the big scene was doing a charity concert to raise funds for the renovation of the French Quarter. The singer/guitarist worked though a variety of songs both rock, jazz and blues. The performance has a 'magic' to it that seems to be so powerful that the audience can't but be taken in with her performances of a myriad of dead musicians. She seems to perfectly copy each artist's style as she plays a few songs from each in turn. John Lenon, Elvish Presley, Darrell Abbott, Jim Morrison and nearly a dozen other stars play into her act.

OOC: Okay..here's the start of the game. Sorry about the wait. Here is the breakdown. Alec (need to come up with a name or risk me coming up with one!), Yeoman, Volt and Remarkable all got tickets. Alec/Yeoman got it from Yeoman's bossing tossing him a pair from the stack of a dozen he had gotten to give away at the store. (turn's out the boss is a big blue's fan). Volt won them in a radio contest. Remarkable got a ticket in the mail, one ticket that he appeared to have gotten by accident.

Nighthawk, by winning/losing the draw (you can call it which you want), is currently out on patrol on the edge of the city limits
This message was last edited by the GM at 04:59, Sun 12 July 2009.

In reply to Kain (msg #1):

Simon made his way through the small crowd standing at the back of the theatre carrying two glasses of beer. A combination of size, balance, and the fact that he looked like he belonged in a much rougher crowd allowed him to slide through the distracted fans with relative ease. The house of Archer was a place where spilling beer was a crime and he managed to stay on the straight and narrow thought the glass on the left was maybe a half inch lower than the one on the right.

"You know this chick is way better than I thought. I was expecting some kind of hippy blues-fusion mess". He addressed his much smaller brother extending his left hand with Alec's beer in it while turning to face the stage.

In reply to Yeoman (msg #2):

Able stood in a small cluster at the foot of the stage. As he looked to his left, he saw a gorgeus woman dancing beside him. he pulled his thumb to his lips and blew in it, his muscles blew up accordingly.

Ben sat near the front row, tapping his foot in time to the beat. The tickets had been a surprise, seeing as his knowledge of movie trivia was less than stellar. But, hey, here he was. Jenny sat beside him, caught up like most of the audience in the performance. He hadn't seen her in years and just happened to remember she lived in the area before driving down. Luckily, she was free for the night and turned out to be a fan of Mary LaFourche.

Ben sighed as the guy in front of him's cell phone went off AGAIN, drawing looks of consternation from the people around him.

"That's enough," he thought as he concentrated and told the phone to turn itself off. As the man lifted the phone to see who was calling, it gave a weak little triple beep and the screen went blank. The man's confusion was a little comical, but he put it away. Ben settled in to watch the rest of the show, Jenny's arm looped through his.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:57, Sun 12 July 2009.

Taking the beer from his brother Alec smiles appreciatively towards the stage.  "Can't beat the classics, bro.  If you could this chick would be close".  Alec drinks his beer in quiet contemplation while he focuses his full attention on the performance.  After a few moments he looks toward his brother and says "She kinda looks like that girl I went out with in middle school.  Except... curvier."

In reply to Alec Archer (msg #5):

"I'll take your word for it. I only saw her the one time when I was on leave and I thought she looked kinda like a talking mop" Simon settled into his seat with a smirk. He knew damn well that Sarah McKeigh had gone on to win Homecoming queen and even finished 3rd for Miss Junior North Carolina.

"It's kinda weird she mostly does dudes though innit. Sings their songs I mean"

In reply to Yeoman (msg #6):

   Having no luck with the girl, able deflated himself and walked over to the bar(next to the archers.)

"Um, milk please."

Feeling this would not sound inpressive to the two large men sitting next to him, he added,"on the rocks!"

In reply to Remarkable (msg #7):

Andy pushed her glasses back up on the bridge of her nose as she studied the incoming data. "Diagnostic is complete and it looks like this last round of modifications took care of the heat sink problem."

Nighthawk lowered his altitude and settled into a comfortable cruising speed as he neared the outskirts of the City. "Yeah well I'm still sweating my balls off."

Andy rolled her eyes. "Charming.  You know it is July in Charlotte, pretty much everyone is sweating something off." Andy looked at her watch. "Still, we can look at a complete redesign on the coolant system.. Monday.  Mary Lafouche, one night only, and I'm already running late."

Morgan smiled. "Thanks Andy have fun."

Andy packed up her things, hitting a few key strokes on the computer. "You too, at least for another thirty seven minutes at your current speed, then it's time to refuel."  Andy adjusted the blue tooth on her ear and headed out the door locking it behind her. "And seriously Morgan if you run out of gas again I am so not coming to pick you up.  Night."

Morgan grinned a bit more as the communication ended and then quickly refocused on the report he was picking up on the police band.  Altering his course Nighthawk headed for the area SWAT was being dispatched too.

Once in the area Nighthawk will begin running a full sensor sweep.

(OOC: sorry for the late post My Internet was out all weekend.)

(OOC: Edit Dice Roll Added 10:50, Today: Nighthawk rolled 27 using 1d20+9. Notice.)
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:17, Tue 14 July 2009.

Alec looks toward Simon with a frown on his face about to argue the point when hears an order for milk on the rocks.  "HAHAHAHA".  Alec's laughter is cut off as he looks towards the customer placing the order and realizes that it's a real order.  Alec turns his head back to Simon, now with a smirk of his own.

Somewhere along Billy Graham, South Charlotte

Nighthawk's first impulse is to join SWAT as a single word makes this an dangerous night for the police. Hardbody. Everyone who has lived in the Carolinas in the last few years knows about the Tarheel state's most dangerous metahuman. Muscle for hire and a stone cold killer.

The train of thought is interrupted as something goes weird. One moment Nighthawk's navigation systems are online and properly working the next they are all errattically indicating all sorts of things. Down on the street below, he spots what can only be called a 'gateway' to somewhere not of Earth open and several forms bolt out of it, and speed away into traffic. Advance optics let Nighthawk spot at least half a dozen.. mastiff like dogs. Assuming you can find a breeder who breeds them the size of a small pony with flaming eyes and muzzles. They are bee-lining in the opposite direction of the majority of Charlotte's police force.

The choice is simple. Follow the 'doggies' or help the cops with Hardbody. And no one else knows about these puppies.

Inside the theater

Alec is about to make another comment to his brother as they collect a second beer, while on stage Mary is cranking out another tune after pulling out an old bluesman's hat and acoustic guitar. It's early blues, but something very powerful in the song as the New Orlean's native sings it. At the point she starts singing, Alec feels a touch of something that had been in the background all night.
Magic. Nothing he can locate, or quantify..but now quite tangible and present and building all around him.

      Early this mornin'
      when you knocked upon my door
      Early this mornin', ooh
      when you knocked upon my door
      And I said, "Hello, Satan,"

      I believe it's time to go."
      Me and the Devil
      was walkin' side by side
      Me and the Devil, ooh
      was walkin' side by side"


OOC: Alec and Nighthawk have to post actions. And there are PMs for them.

In reply to Kain (msg #10):

Nighthawk didn't hesitate, SWAT was in route and though they were likely not equipped to handle Hardbody Morgan hoped they could hold their own long enough for help to arrive.  What ever these creatures were they posed an immediate threat to everyone around them.  Rolling left Morgan gave the fuel gauge on his heads up display a brief glance before focusing in on the Creatures.


Cursing slightly under his breath as the fog rolls in, Nighthawk begins flying at street level adjusting his speed until he is just over the pack preparing to blast as many of the creatures as he can with his entangle foam.

Alec looks toward at his brother with sudden realization.  "Bro, something is happening.  I can feel magic energy...".  Alec leans back and closes his eyes in an attempt to focus in on the source of the magic.  "I can't feel where its coming from or what it's doing... it's too subtle".

"Hoodoo mumbo jummbo I was just starting to like this crap!" Simon spoke barely loud enough to be understood.

Rolling his weight subtley forward so that he was prepared to rise quickly he glanced around the room looking for signs of trouble (or unecessary concentration). "Damn" he thought checking under his arm where the ASP rode,"it's a long way to the truck."

Reaching in his shirt pocket Simon surreptitiously placed his earbud comm-link in and finger tapped it to contact his jury-rigged commo suite back at the shop. The thing was supposed to ping when there was a problem but he had removed it because it was hard to enjoy music with one ear blocked.
This message was last edited by the player at 05:38, Wed 15 July 2009.

In reply to Yeoman (msg #13):

Able sat watching the two men. "I'll bet those guys do something really important. Like a Fireman. Or a barber."

Nighthawk's gear was top of the line, cutting edge in a lot of ways.  The word Prototype comes to mind. Particularly as he lines up the recital on the dog and triggered his restraint foam, only to have the discharge of the foam throw his aim off unexpectedly. His shot pulled up and in front of the lead dog of the pack.

A long surreal howl started at the realization the unearthly hounds were not alone. What happened next almost unbelievable to Nighthawk as the pack leader literally leaped though the car in front of it. Though the foggy night, it came out the other side of the car and turned to make a beeline towards the now visible theater mere blocks away. Clearly the pack's target.

OOC: Nighthawk rolled a 1. BaH!
Everyone in the theater give me a notice Roll (15) to hear the doggies coming.

Simon grabs his brothers arm "What the hell is that?..I think I better go to the truck."

Yeoman takes off through the crowd like an icebreaker throwing half-hearted apologies over his shoulder as he goes. On the way out he taps his comm-link switching ti to the police band.


(OOC: He rolled a 19 on the Notice check. He will be heading to get his Yeoman gear from the truck and then toward the disturbance wherever it may be by then)

As the music reached a crescendo, Jenny snuggled closer, the music working its magic on the crowd. The song reached a rest, leaving a momentary silence, and allowing the sounds of something... odd to reach Ben's ears.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me," Ben muttered. He knew that sound. Sometimes, it was a different noise or a different volume, but it always carried the same tone. Trouble.

Jenny looked up at him as he slid his arm from out of hers, a look of concern on her face. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"Uh, nothing, nothing... just gotta hit the restroom for a second," Ben replied, making a slight look of embarrassment cross his face.

"Well, hurry up. Wouldn't want to miss the end of the show," she said, a slight smile tilting the edges of her mouth.

Ben grinned back and made his way towards the theater's entrance, the familiar buzzing feeling of the electricity building within him.

(OOC: Volt rolled 24 using 1d20+8. Notice. Volt will be heading towards the nearest side exit to change.)

In reply to Volt (msg #17):

Able watched as the big man ran through the crowd."Must be a fire. Or a mullet."





(Remarkable rolled a 14 on 1d20+8. grrr.)

In reply to Remarkable (msg #18):

Alec rushes out after his brother.  Hearing the noises from outside for the first time.  "What is that?"

(Got a 28 on my notice check)

As the two brothers (and Volt) come out of the theater, the night has gone from the forecasted 'very clear and hot/muggy' to 'hot and muggy, with lots of fog and an after taste of sulfur'. Visibility has to be about 30 yards  and you can JUST make the edge of the parking lot out.  Beyond that you hear the howling baying sound and see flashes that seemed to be headed this way.

Nighthawk

With the polyfiber restraint system making ominous noises, he switched to some tried and true alternative. A quick juicing of the suit sent him ahead of the lead.. dog and the launcher huffed out a small shaped charge straight at it as it came ouf of the side of a semi. The shaped charge's concussive blast went off right were it was supposed to, about 3 feet from target and with a flash and a loud WOMPH the dog is blasted back into the side of the semi. This time it hits the truck and slides to the ground totally stunned. Out for the count.

Of course it's pack mates are continuing towards their target, which Nighthawk realizes with a shiver is the theater.


OOC:
Okay.. Nighthawk downed one (beat it by a bit) and it's out and stunned. The others (and he can't tell in the thickening stew of fog) are about 2 rounds from arriving at the theater. Everyone but remarkable (who needs to make another notice roll DC 15) have 2 rounds to set up.

"Alec, Brimstone...either this is a frat prank or some kinda Hoodoo. Wanna bet on which?"

That said Simon fades into the mist and, recovering it from the truck, begins to don his Yeoman gear.

(OOC: Stealth Roll= 25, Despite having some of his Eq. on already it will take him all of the two rounds to get geared up)
This message was last edited by the player at 19:23, Thu 23 July 2009.