This is obviously the thread for in-character discussions between missions and other activities...

Oscillator takes a break from his work in a lab and prepares some food in the hero's VIP lounge.

He bites into a sandwich from a vending machine.
"I wonder if there is a  frequency which may enhance the taste of foods...?" he mumbles to himself.

He searches his lab jacket to make a note of this incredible concept.

In the Rec Room, Eddy had the stereo system turned up to top volume.  As Dion's "The Wanderer" faded out, the sound of the ping pong ball that Eddy was punishing against the wall echoed from the room, until it was drowned out by the electronic beat of Little Eva's latest hit, "Locomotion".

Eddy's fur glistened with sweat, as he spun and danced to the beat of his own sport.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:36, Tue 20 Mar 2012.

{{ damn you Ozzy, I thought I'd be the first to post.  Kudos }}

On the naked rock atop the mountain, kneeling in the naked sun, Nightmare is still. As he focused, and waited, the sun had traveled a full third of its daily path; just as the shivers begin to overcome his will to resist them, he raises his head and stands.
Retrieving and donning his clothes, he descends to the base. After a quick shower, he changes into slacks and a sweater, dons his loafers, and quietly enters the commissary, it's time for a sandwich.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:17, Tue 20 Mar 2012.

   Onyx nodded his neatly trimmed not-quite-an-afro to Martha and the Vandellas, singing along with the tune, "It's like a Heatwave!  Burning in my soul.  Heatwave!"

   "Hmmph, mmm, mm," He said, entering the Rec room from his own where Martha still called loudly, "Now that sangin' loco Poco!  You gotta get with that soul!  That Motown sound!  I'm tellin' ya, it's gonna be big!"

   His slight, skinny-yet-athletic frame bounced to the rhythm as his feet stepped in a pattern that would have made Sam Cooke proud.

   He frowned entering the room and listening to the new sounds.

   Then recognizing the tune, he cracked a wide smile, "Well, alright!  That's what I'm talkin' about!  It ain't Ray Charles, but I can get with that surf stuff, alright, yeah!"

   Bruce began miming what he thought riding a surfboard must be like.

   It was immediately obvious that he had never stood on a surfboard in his life.

As Onyx entered the room, Eddy turned to look at him.  Almost without effort or observation* he reached out and caught the Ping pong ball as it threatened to fly past him.
He smirked at the hot-head, and his love of that 'Motown' music.  Eddy didn't know anyone but black folks that liked that stuff.

'Loco Poco'!   That always made Eddy smile.  Onyx had started calling him that a week or so ago.  Eddy didn't know if Onyx knew what it meant in Spanish ... but it was just a little bit true.

Eddy had to laugh when his friend did him inept imitation of surfing.  The guy was a crack-up.
Of course, Eddy was an avid and very competent surfer.

He tossed the table tennis bat to the hot headed one, and reached for the other. "Prove your worth, little one", he said, turning back to the table tennis table, and pulling it away from the wall.


{* thank'ye Agility 30!}

"Would you MiiIIiiND turning that ruckus down?  Some of us come here for a calm moment, to organize our thoughts."

But the muscle-heads were busy playing ping pong, they ignored Oscillator.
"Never mind." he said.

He glided up to the radio, phased his hand through it.  The stereo stopped making any noise.
"This is a community area, people, not your family's living room."

Oscillator floated back to his journal at the table, and continued taking notes and finishing his sandwich.

In reply to Poco Tehuantl (msg #7):

   Onyx made an offended "pssch" sound with his mouth. "Oh, you gone find out, Poke!  I'm gone hit this ping long ball so hard it's gone travel at the speed of light.  If you think you, gonna beat me, well then you just messed up in the head or sumpin.  It ain't happening!"

   Bruce got down in a squat flexing at the knees, "Bounce the ball, fool, let's volley fa serve." he said with mock contempt and a silent "L."

   When Ocillator turned off the music, Onyx slapped the paddle on the table loudly, "You jive turkey!  Turn dem tunes back up, jack!  What's yo problem?  Music and "recreation" go together like Martha and the Vandellas!  Turn that music back on, sucka, or you gone feel a "heat wave"- burnin' yo booty up!"

   Bruce let out a cackle of good-natured laughter at his own joke.

Eddy was about to say something himself, when Onyx arced up.  He smiled.

"Tha's right, Ozzy.  That's two votes t' yer one.  An' if you is going to use powers to get yer way, then so is we ... and you gotta be wondering if getting yer own way on this insy matter is worth that kind of devastation.

Now, for the love of Tehuantl, fix the tunage before Onyx done explode, yeah? Cos I ain't gunna hold this flaming'  fool back none".

Eddy was willing to give the egg-head this one opportunity to avoid conflict.  He even attempted to be the bigger man by adding a half-hearted "Please" as an after thought.

"Go ahead, turn the stereo back on...  If YOU can."

Oscillator wasn't so foolish as to ignore them.
These were large, dangerous, and sometimes nasty muscle-heads.
BUT, he couldn't turn the stereo back on if he wanted.

Then again, he wasn't sure these two could turn on a light.

"The device should resume functioning in approximately 30 minutes.
And I plan to return to the laboratory by then, friends.
So, if you don't mind, I'll return to my writing...?"

Eddy looked to Onyx with a mischevious grin, then quickly stepped over and snatched* up The Oscillator's Journal.
"Nyah uh, Ozzy.  If we can't enjoy our music for half an hour, then you are not writing in your Journal for half an hour" he said, tossing backwards over his shoulder to Onyx.


* or, we can make rolls and stuff to see if Eddy is successful.  I am happy for narrative for this: but Ozzy might like feel I am meta-g'ing the scene. If you do want to make it a mechanical test, Ozz, I am happy to do so.  Eddy may well not succeed

@ Poco <-- no need to roll this stuff in our 'in-character' playtime thread, unless we need to.  This is just character development, plus I figure you guys would do something like that.  HA

Oscillator stands up.  "No!  You must be careful with that!  Those are irreplaceable records of my newest theories -- I apologize for dis-vibulat-ing your stereo!  I apologize!  Please, may I have my research back?"

Without moving in a threatening manner, Oscillator attempts to reclaim his journal.  A casual glance at the journal would denote a messy looking journal full of notes and scribblings, but anyone who were to examine the journal more closely they'd see page after page of very elaborate physics and geometric equations.

"Poco Tehuantl and Onyx, I may have started our interaction on the wrong trajectory.  Shall we re-align our position vectoring for enhanced synchronized transpersonal harmony?  Doubtless we share similar propensities as heroes imbued with our transmeta super-normative abilities."

Oscillator stiffly offers a handshake.

"You may know of me as Oscillators, but my incognito identity is Professor Jonas Oslow -- perhaps you've heard of my work?"

"Well it's ...", Eddy glanced at the ruined radio, "nice ? to meet you, Professor. I'm Eddy. Eddy Romerez.
And no, I haven't heard of you.  Have you been on the tube?

Don't worry, Onyx'll take good care of your little notebook.   But you don't get it back until we hear music again" he said, then glanced at Onyx with that mischevious smirk again, "Unlesss ..." he continued, and spun the table tennis bat in his hand, "you can beat me in a game of Tennis".
The smile on his face was one of those 'shit-eating' types.

His sandwich consumed, with milk, Lamar made his way to the recreation area. Entering the room, he nods at the others by way of greeting before claiming an ashtray and a copy of Wilkerson's The Cross and the Switchblade. Making his way to a chair, he sits and lights a Chesterfield as he begins to read.

It should be noted that the surgeon general's report came out in 1964.

A blast of wind flew into the rec room, then, coming from the doorway as if someone had left a window open during a storm. A blurred figure whizzed to the counter.  In a torrent of ultra-fast motion, something was assembled on the counter in a hurricane of clinking and clattering.

When the seeming-tornado subsided, Vosper stood before her creation, the slight slip of a blond Brit holding a mammoth foot-long sandwich in hand, a plate balanced in the other beneath, to catch any falling crumbs.

"Never a bloody dull moment with you Yanks," she commented wryly. "Gettin' so a girl can't even eat in peace.  Well let's have no bloodshed this early in the day, shall we?  If music's the problem, I can fetch a bleedin' radio from the gym and be back in a blink."

"Or you lot can play table tennis," she added, taking a mammoth bite out of the large sandwich.  "am sord id oud fr'm dere," she continued as she chewed.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:23, Tue 20 Mar 2012.

Without looking up from his book, Lamar opines, "If you just want music, I've been thinking of taking up the harmonica. Perhaps we could locate one and you could help me practice by making faces at my miserable failure to sound like Sonny Boy Williamson."

"Vosper, perfect -- if you wouldn't mind championing my cause with Poco Tehuantil and Onyx?  Either a game of table tennis in my 'stead, or another radio," or quietly he says,  "or even if you might re-acquire my journal? -- but that latter proposition could be dangerous."

Oscillator looked at Nightmare smoking.  "In 30 years, it will be common knowledge to the public the dangers of cigarettes: they are a leading cause of lung cancer, lung disease, heart disease, emphysema, brain aneurisms, strokes, enlarged prostate, shaking disease, kidney wasting, liver atrophy, sterility, loss of smell perception, heightened blood pressure, and ..."

Oscillator looks about.  Nightmare doesn't seem interested, and the others seem fairly unsure of what Oscillator's talking about.

"Far be it from me to instruct you in the disease causation of biophysiology.  Nicoteine is a causative factor, a disease vector, a carcinogen which enhances geometrically other toxins ... "

"Anyway, Onyx if you please, I would like my book.  It is most invaluable to me -- and it's valuable SMITE classified property as well."

One last pleading look from the doctor.  "Please?"

Far from disinterested, Nightmare closes his book and hears out the doctor. As the doctor begins to describe the role of nicoteine in the product, Nightmare is stubbing out his cigarette and nodding. "I had heard that, before, but wasn't sure what to believe."
Standing from the chair, he walks to the ping pong table as he speaks, "I don't believe you need to worry about your notebook, doctor. The youth of the day may seem highly spirited, but it would be unlikely that these two would be here if they  were not also responsible and upright. I'm sure they wouldn't wish to hinder the search for truth."
"It's probably a good thing the radio isn't playing. Building relationships with those around you is much more satisfying than listening to music, anyway."
This message was last edited by the player at 21:03, Wed 21 Mar 2012.

  "Here you go, man," Onyx said, tossing the notebook at Oscillator's chest, "Just don't mess with my tunes no more!"

   Bruce looked at the Nightmare with his face twisted in a crazy questioning way, "Whatchu talkin' bout, man?!  You sound crazy with all that mumbo-jumbo, jack!  Talk regalar, man- don't nobody want to hear all dat gobbley-gook!" Onyx said, assuming (quite possibly incorrectly) that no one else wanted to hear any "gobbly-gook."  Whatever that was.

   Looking at the strange man up and dow, he added, "But can you get down on the table, jack?  We can play teams!"

   The speed with which the man could shift from unintentional, culturally appropriate slight into friendly, familiar banter was astonishing.

Lamar replies to Onyx, "Sadly, I've no idea what you mean."
As he walks around the ping pong table, approaching Eddy and extending a hand, he goes on, "You know, I haven't played ping pong since summer camp. I doubt I would be very good at it."
As he introduces himself, he approaches each of the men in turn and offers his hand. "I could probably manage an introduction, though. I'm Lamar Cragson, though some of the papers have recently dubbed me 'Nightmare'. From what I understand, we are to be working together. I am certainly looking forward to it."
Finally arriving at the young lady, he gives her a nod and greets her as well, then stops as he is turning away and speaks over his shoulder, "Miss."
"Did you happen to see where they've put the coffee pot?"

   "Nice to meet you, jack!  Nightmare, huh?  Spooky name.  I like it!  I'm Onyx, but you can call me Bruce if ya want.  You gotta learn how to talk that jive talk, jack!  I'm tryin' ta make sure this team is swingin'!  You know, boppin'!"

   Looking appreciately at the female speedster, Onyx remarked, "Hey girl!  You a stone fox!  This team just got a lot better lookin', ya dig?"

   Bruce shot an open hand out in Poco's direction, apparently looking for "five."

This was the trap all outsiders and newcomers are placed into, Vosper thought sardonically, working on her monster sandwich.  Choose sides.  Pick me, pick me!

"I'd rather not take sides," she smiled and shrugged apologetically.  "But if you need a trannie to replace the one you bolluxed up, that I can fetch."

"In a sec." 

With that, she devoured her entire sandwich in an eighth of the time it would take a normal person.  The thing just began to disappear in a blur of motion and then, in a few seconds, it was completely gone.  No muss, no fuss.

"I was completely famished, sorry," she added with a charming smile.  It seemed inconceivable that a 5'4" slender girl could have eaten that entire sandwich, much less done so in 30 seconds.

Nightmare was talking, and the trio of men bantered.  Onyx handed back the book.  All seemed settled, radio forgotten, in only the time it had taken her for lunch.  Well, mission accomplished, then, she thought.

"Coffee's right here, mate," she replied to Cragston, and in a blur, she had the pot in one hand and set it down, handle out, on the counter before him.  "Callsign's 'Vosper'," she added with a smile.  "But if we're to be livin' an' workin' together, you lot can call me Ellie.  Eloise Sutton."

She smiled at Onyx's compliments and replied, "Cheers, mate, you're a pretty rightous bab yourself," and lifted a mug of coffee she'd gotten for herself.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:26, Thu 22 Mar 2012.

"Miss Vosper, no need to take sides.  Despite appearances, I trust we are all on the same side.  We are the last defense for the good people against those with evil intent."
"Despite their lack of care for my personal goods, I admit I was rash with the stereo.  My apologies, gentlemen."

Oscillator puts the journal in his white lab jacket's inner pocket.  Clearly the rec room is not a good place for him to journal -- right now.  Anyway, he was hoping to make friends with this new team.

"I'm glad we are all here to have a chat, anyway.  I haven't heard word yet, but my suspicions are that we are to be a team.  Why else would SMITE would have gathered up such a powerful bunch of people as ourselves?"

Oscillator puts his hand out to shake hands with the others - anyone that's willing.

"My heroic pseudonym is Oscillator, which refers to vibration, the locus of my powers.  My actual identity I prefer to keep a secret, although I am well-known in some circles for my research.  I hope you'll forgive me for just using this name?"

The man-beast smiled ... and heartily gave Onyx the high-five he was looking for.
His hot-headed friend wasn't the only one appreciating the lady's appearance.

The egg-head might have talked his book back into his hands, but that was fine.  And the fact that he had apologies went a long way with Eddy.

He flicked his mane of black hair out of his face and shook the mans hand, "No worries, Professor Oslow.  You keep your identity to yourself for the time being.  Bruce," he said, gesturing to his fiery friend, "and I won't be prying.

I'm Eddy, by the way.  I used to be a regular kid, till the essence of Tehuantl decided to make itself at home in my soul ... now I'm constantly running out of razor blades.

Vibrations, eh? We seem to be well endowed with energies here, then.   Vibration, Momentum," he said, looking to the lady, then at Bruce, "Light and Magnetism.
I'm kinda feeling a little left out" he joked, "How about you, Spooky?"

Relaxed now, the little cat-man seemed to a happy enough sort of guy.

Lamar looks at Vosper, apparently taken aback by the delivery of the coffee pot, and says, "Thank you, Miss Sutton. I didn't mean for you to trouble yourself with fetching it. I prefer a little chicory in my coffee, and thought you would be the one most likely to have seen the pot, as you cover more ground, so to speak."
"Spooky? When I was growing up that was the name of my best friend's horse."
"As to what I do, I've been to the mountaintop and learned some things which I use to contend with the evil men do. I'm sorry if that's frustratingly vague; it bothers me, as well."

Vosper gave Oscillator's hand a firm shake - her grip surprisingly strong for her size - and nodded.  "Right, then," she grinned.  "That's what we're all here for, I'm sure.  Doing the right thing and fighting the good fight."

"And I wouldn't feel left out, mate," she smiled to Eddy.  "Not all of us can claim to be the heir of a cat-god.  I'm just fast, that's all there is to it.  No gods involved."

"Suit yourself," she said to Nightmare casually, unoffended at his preference in coffee.  "No trouble at all. Dunno if there's any chicory about; the coffee stuff's in that cabinet there."

It was an interesting collection of members, Poco had that right.

   Onyx looked at Spooky, "Chickory?  You from Nawlins or sumpin?"

   Bruce looked around the room at the others.

   "Well, we some righteous crime fighters!  I like it!  Yeah, ahm Onyx 'cuz I got a way with metal and light," to prove his point he moved his hand from palm down to palm up and revealed a small glowing globe of light.  He abruptly closed his hand and the orb winked out of existence.

   "I'm pleased ta meetcha!" He slapped Oscilators hand on the front side, then the backside, then went in for a complex shake, trying to show the square how to do it properly.

   Stepping back, he said, "Anyway.  I want Vosper on my team fa the table tennis!  We can't lose with speed and the speed of light!  Even if there are cat quick reflexes on the other side of the table!"

   Bruce made a fast motion with both hands as he said "cat quick."

Oscillator attempted to do this, but failed.  (Epic fail!)
Further, he didn't see the point.

"I don't know what you are doing.  Can't we shake hands like gentlemen, like adults?"

He adjusted his tie.  "I'm concerned that our group may be too diverse and lack team-cohesion by each person forcing their personal agenda, their individuality on everyone."

"Can we all agree to respect the 'natural American culture' and lessen these rude counter-cultural maneuverings?  Their intent is to separate and alienate rather than build camaraderie."

OOC: as a 'real-life' alt person, this role as a straight-laced guy is kinda fun!!

Ellie laughed.  "Well I never was much for team play," she said. "I usually play solitaire... both sides," she grinned.

Then, to Oscillator's comments, she smirked lopsidedly and said, "I dunno.  I don't think I can follow the 'natural American culture'.  Unless you lot can agree to use the Queen's English and get on like proper Britons?  Nah, didn't think so," she chuckled.

"Seriously, Oss - there's diversity, and there's unity, and the two don't have t'be mutually exclusive.  We can all come from different places and get to the same goal.  Lighten up a notch.  Have some coffee," she offered, producing a mug full of steaming java. "We'll take it easy on you.  Won't we, lads?" she offered, hoping Poco and Onyx would ease back for the sake of the stiff collegiate type.

   "Yeah, man, shoot, we can take it easy on the Man- but the Man gotta take it easy on us, ya dig?" Bruce, grinned at both of them.

   "See Ossy, you gotta lighten up, jack!  You squarer than a pack a smokes right now!  But it's cool, daddy-o, it's cool.  You got yo thang, that's what makes you, you.  That's outta-sight!" Onyx pointed both index fingers at Oscillator, thumbs extended upwards, like guns, and shook them quickly, "But you gotta let me be free ta be me, ya dig?  Martin and Malcolm- they both got good points- from different sides of the same coin- but we all gotta right to be free- all men is created equal, jack!  Not the same, but equal.  Can ya dig it?"  There was an odd sense of urgency in Bruce's eyes, as if the concept was intensely important to be acknowledged and agreed upon.

   Almost uncomfortably so.
This message was lightly edited by the GM at 13:59, Fri 23 Mar 2012.

"Depending on where you have come from, we are all equal. There are those that hold our souls have come into existence numerous times in numerous states, to hold that our state in this life is more or less than someone else's is to claim our previous existence may have been of lesser worth."
"Still, none of that should matter between us. About two decades ago, a great evil split the entire world. There were those in the vanguard on both sides, and we are fortunate that right triumphed. At this point, we are together to insure that doesn't happen again. I doubt we would disagree on that."
Lamar begins to rummage in the cupboards. "My grandfather was creole, he taught me to make coffee. I'm actually from the midwest."

Oscillator is impressed to see that, despite first appearances, Onyx is both moral and intelligent.
In fact, this team in general may have significant merit.

To Onyx he replies, "All have equal rights to existence and freedom to be oneself, I agree without reservation.  I conjecture this is a foundational social and moral dilemma, and one which it seems we share the same perspective."

He continues, "Men AND women, and also children.  In terms of vibrational quanta, experiential processes, and the bio-energy potentia in living matrices, I could also propose that animals and plants merit similar rights as well, however I question if our conteporary society is prepared for this type of reasoning at this time, such as it is."

Last point, "And no doubt, one must be true to oneself.  But what do you mean, 'square as a pack of cigarettes'?  Wouldn't that be a complex quadrilateral oblong with many cylindrical pyro-meta-oxygenic dispensers contained within?"

"HA HA HA  -- I'm kidding, I'm kidding."  Does anyone laugh?  SILENCE.
OOC: I sure hope no one laughs -- if so, I wanna know WHY?!? heh

"No doubt I might appear to you to lack the social 'savoir-faire' which you display.  Interpersonal interaction has never been one of my strong points, I acknowledge, and thus I will not seek to be team leader for public representation purposes -- however my services would be more valuable as a primary analysis source for strategic planning and tactics."

Oscillator comes across more as a lecturing college professor than a nice guy, but when facing a deadly mind-bender challenge, would you rather have a cheerleader or an Einstein on your side?  Assuming Oscillator can learn to speak concisely.

   Onyx looked at Nightmare and then Oscillator, his features stone cold.

   Finally, after a moment of silence, his face slowly cracked into an expansive smile.

   He clapped his hands together slowly, saying, "Alright, alright, alriiiight!" His grin increased, "This team really might be about somethin'!  And y'all can use all them fancy words to ya talk that equality!  I love it!  Ossy," Bruce gave Ossilator a friendly, soft punch in the shoulder, "You alright wit me, jack!  And Spooky- I knew it was somethin' ta that chickory, bwoy!  Laize ay lay, Bon Tomps, Spooky!  Dats what my cousin say.  She from Nawlins."

As everyone in the group enjoys themselves in their own ways and feel each other out the warning klaxon sounds and red lights in each room start flashing brightly....

OOC: This is it! The first mission alert (you hope), so people should make their way to the Situation/Ready Room thread...

OOC:  Situation / Ready Room thread: link to a message in this game

Vosper threw her bullet-holed, blood stained leather bomber jacket against the wall in a fit of pique.  Storming through, a proverbial black cloud over her head, the lithe Brit made a beeline for the kitchen, scowling and not stopping for any pleasantries.

Once there, in a blur of speed, she made a giant hero sandwich and began to devour it silently, tearing into it like a shark feeding on its prey.

Without a word to anyone, Nightmare calmly finds his way to medical care. Unlike Vosper, he does not heal faster than any other human. Right now, he needs an aspirin.
Plus, he wants to check his hearing to see if there's any degradation.

"Well, that was certainly disturbing", says Oscillator, in the kitchen with Vosper, watching her hi-speed eating, "but at the same time, I am most impressed with your enhanced healing.  Did you know I pushed some of your innards back -- while some of them slid back in of their own accord?  Astounding!"

He watched Vosper eat.  Not only was she pretty, but her powers made her quite an achievement as well.

"Might you let me study a sample of your tissue in my lab?  My expertise is in emitted wavelength variations, but I do have a rudimentary understanding of biology."

By rudimentary, Jonas actually had a degree in biology -- but not a Phd.

During the missions conclusion and wrap up, and the subsequent travel home, Eddy had been in the finest of moods; joking and playing around in a mischevious, playful way.

She still seemed pent up on endorphins and adrenaline, but now in a relaxed state that reminded one of small, enthusiastic baby animals.


Upon returning to base, he joined Nightmare towards the medical facilities; walking alongside the quiet PI type, nattering on about the fight they just had (who did what, and 'did you see ...').

His enthusiasm seemed almost uncontained.

Vosper had the courtesy to finish chewing before she answered Oscillator.  She'd done her level best to just ignore Poco; the cat-man's incessant cheer was annoying as all get out, given her sour mood.

"Lovely," she replied dourly. "Well, sorry to bleed on you, mate.  Seems to be about what I was good for in that one."

"I've been poked and prodded in labs since I was a nipper," she added.  "But if you want to take a look, why not.  Seems you've seen me in worse shape."

"I suppose I could've taken samples when your tissues were all over --- ha ha", says Oscillator.  Even as he says it, he realizes this joke will not do well.

Vosper saying she'd come by his lab was a success.  He didn't need to tell her that he'd developed an attraction to her -- particularly not in the kitchen, it was too public.

"Ahem, I mean... 'cough cough'  Hey, Poco, my you look happy.  What makes you so full of good cheer?"  Oscillator awkwardly changes the subject.

Just off from the kitchen, a young woman sits on the couch, reading a book.  When everybody comes in, her first response is to lift her book a little bit higher, as if trying to hide behind it.

For the moment, her plan seems to be working.

"Don't get cheeky," Vosper retorted when Osc mentioned her being all over the place.  But though she pouted, a moment later, the first hint of a smile she'd worn since the ill-begotten battle touched her lips.

"Here now," she said, her gaze focusing over his shoulder. "Who's this?"  There was a young woman on the couch with a book just off the kitchen.  One she'd never met before.

After a fair bit of Poco's nattering on, there is a somewhat awkward prolonged pause as Poco awaits an answer to a question. After a moment, Nightmare smiles at him, saying, "Sorry, I'm a little distracted from the ringing in my ears. You did quite well, but I think I missed most of the action. I was attempting to hide behind a desk to get the drop on one of the enemy."
"Next time, I'll have to do things a bit differently."

Oscillator jumped in to answer Vosper, "Didn't you read the memo?
Apparently Onyx has left our acquaintanceship for the time,
so we've gained a fascinating new teammate.  Amaranth --"

OOC:  I cut off Oscillator here so anyone can introduce Amaranth, including herself.
As I didn't get an actual memo, I don't really have any info on her.
But in-game, Oscillator would probably be 'in the know' ... er, maybe?   :D

Eddy smiled at 'Mare Man, "You did awesome.  You are our freaky weird dude^TM. And you did your thing" he said.

Sticking a clawed finger in his ear and wiggling it about, he continued, "Yeah, that boom stone really did a number on the drums, eh!"

He'd heard Oscy call something out from the kitchen area a while back, but hadn't made it out, exactly, and had not responded.

He looked at the medico who was wrapping some kind of bandage around the wound on his arm.
Eddy knew THAT wasn't going to last there long; it was already annoying him.

And he was hungry.
"When these sawbones get through with us, you wanna hit the kitchen. I can smell me a huge steak in that there fridge, and it's got my name all over it".   His feline nose twitched appreciably.

Nightmare peels his mask off, a different lividity and flecks of dried spirit gum showing where it was. He smiles at Poco and says, "Steak? Perhaps. I think I'm just going to have some coffee, then a nap."
"Interesting times, we'll just have to try not to think of it as a curse."

As the others are speaking a well built man in the uniform of a Master Sergeant serving in the newly formed US Army Special Forces. He is about six foot one, with an athletic frame and carries himself with a military bearing.

"I am Master Sergeant Patrick Muldoon." Muldoon said with gravely voice, somehow at the same time both gentle and threatening.

"Uncertain whether I was expected, but my orders say I am now a member of this project. If there are a few beers to go along with that steak, then count me in." Muldoon was always hungry .. and thirsty for a beer.

He seemed unfazed by the odd assortment of those gathered or the wounds.
This message was last edited by the player at 09:05, Fri 11 Jan 2013.

Quirking a blond brow, Vosper nodded crisply to Muldoon.  "Hail and well met, Master Sergeant," she said in an elegant British accent.  "Callsign Vosper, attache and liasion from M-I6, at your service."  She brushed a breadcrumb from her lip and regarded their new arrivals.

"Of course, being in the Colonies I made sure to be properly supplied," she allowed with a smile.  "So while the beer may be a bit strong for your liking, there's a cold Newcastle in the fridge."

"I have crossed paths with your agents before ma'am." Muldoon said with no hint of what judgement he might have made in that regard, or in fact what the out come had been.

"As far as being a colony, I think we straightened out that little misunderstanding back in 1776." The Sergent said seeming a bit put out.

"But I'll forgive you seeing how much I like a good beer.", but then a big grin appeared on his face. "As far as strong .. I think I can handle ma'am."

Amaranth looks at the Sergeant, honestly somewhat relieved at the distraction, but she still finds time to nod to Oscillator.  "Amaranth," she confirms.  She carefully puts a bookmark into her book and sets it on the end table, standing up to offer a handshake if anybody's interested.  "And, I don't know about fascinating, but yes, I'm told I'm a new teammate, too.  `Orders' is a very apt description," she says, a bit wryly.

Vosper raised a brow at Muldoon's brass.  "Oh, we're going to get along swimmingly," she said deadpan.  Without further ado, she blurred to the fridge, got a pair of ales, and popped the caps, offering one to the cheeky yank.  "You wouldn't happen to be from Texas, by any chance, sergeant?"

Glancing to Amaranth, she said, "Well then, welcome to the zoo," and took the proferred hand in a right proper shake.  "Don't mind the bandages and bloodstains, we just got back from a toss up with a right sorry lot and came out the worse for it."
This message was last edited by the player at 00:25, Fri 11 Jan 2013.

"Not a Texan, just an American." Muldoon downs half the beer in one gulp.

"But like a lot of Americans my folks are from somewhere else. Mine were a penniless Irishman and a Russian maid. Though to hear my mom tell it she was the third cousin of the Czar himself. Heck on a Friday night my old man used to say he was descended from kings as well." Muldoon downed the second half the beer in one more gulp and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. Then with a big smile added "Thanks for the beer ma'am."

"So little lady guess what makes you so special, besides your beautiful eyes, is being as fast as quicksilver."

The Sergent glanced around the room, settling on the cat like man beast a moment longer than the others.

"Guess some of our gifts .." Muldoon said the last word a bit uncomfortably "..are more obvious than others."
This message was last edited by the player at 09:08, Fri 11 Jan 2013.

With the medico's done working on them, Eddy gave Nightmare a hearty slap on his tired shoulder, and led the way towards the kitchen ... For said steak and coffee.


He ... the midnight black Mancat ... managed to walk in just as Vosper made mention of 'the zoo'.

"Indeed they are, Captain" he answered the man in military attire, snapping of an exaggerated salute. "Aye aye and welcome aboard, over, roger and out" he said with a mischevious smile.
"Permittion to scarf a raw steak in front of the troop, major?
Come to check on the 'men' I'm guessing, sir? See what the troops are really like?" he said, as he headed for the fidge at entirely non-quicksilver speed.

"Fast is what I do," Vosper replied with a grin.  She took a bit longer to savor her own ale, leaning against the counter.

"That's 'Master Sergeant' to you, Poco," Vosper grinned as Eddie entered and made a sloppy salute. "Meet our newest members, appointed by the higher-ups: Amaranth and MSGT Muldoon.  The good sergeant here was just about to tell us what his gifts are," she inferred with a smile.  "So far, we've established he's a charming conversationalist with a strong sense of patriotic pride."

"Cor, mate, if yer gonna eat it raw, at least don't get no blood on the floor," she chided with a tsk.

Amaranth lifts an eyebrow.  "So, you do want him to get blood on the floor?" she asks, teasingly.  Then she laughs.  "Super grammarian powers, that's me."

Eddy smiled at Vos, then more startled when Amaranth spoke, spinning around to face her.
Standing up very straight, he leaned over closer to Vosper and whispered, loud enough for everyone to hear, "Oy, Vos, there's a girl among us.  You better start acting with a bit of decorum". Then, he stepped forward to offer her a huge, black furred paw ... Very gently, yet firmly, shaking the hand she had on offer.

As a huge Catman, Eddy was (as usual) dressed only in a pair of jeans.  It was obvious, though, under that fur, he was a very fit and strong young man.
"Pleased to meet you"

Muldoon looked at the catman and smiled "Got to like a guy with a sense of humor."

"You are alright with me Pussy Cat." Muldoon smiled a little more.

 ... and yet, the cat was already distracted by its next new shiny.

"Well all that talk about steak, I am going to cook one up."

"Anyone else want a steak that isn't raw. Vosper mind if I have another beer." The burly soldier said heading into the kitchen and pan frying a steak or two and opening another beer.

Nightmare smiles at the new arrivals, and nods, "They call me Nightmare, though I'm not sure why. I tend to sleep fairly soundly."
"Although that may change if the sergeant happens to be partial to grenades. I've decided I dislike grenades."
"I wonder if they've got any chicory, yet."
As he walks on towards the kitchen, Nightmare looks at Amaranth, "Perhaps we could call you Rose, for short."

Vosper favored Amaranth with a lopsided smirk.  "Right you are," she said simply.  Then when Poco added his two bits about a girl being present, she rolled her eyes and laughed. "Sod off, you," she teased, favoring him with a short elbow.

At Muldoon's request, she nodded. "Fair enough, Sergeant," she replied.  "Another Newcastle?"  She offered him the beer.  As he went to pan-fry the steaks, she said, "Best toss two or three more on there, mate.  Or we can grill 'em if there's a 'Q in this place."

"Nightmare huh? I don't normally use grenades to cook a steak." Muldoon said.

"Thanks for the beer." Muldoon put a pan on the stove poured in some olive oil, and put in some butter before getting the pan hot and dropping a couple of steaks into the pan. Smoke began to fill the kitchen as he sipped his beer.

"Already on it sugar."

"Got to say I was expecting something a whole lot .. odder than this when I got this job. You all mostly seem like regular Joes." Muldoon spared a glace at the cat man ".. well mostly."
This message was last edited by the player at 06:17, Sat 12 Jan 2013.

{I'd like to give Ammy a chance to respond; but if she does not in the next day or so, I beg her forgiveness, and will turn my attention elsewhere}

Amaranth takes Eddy's hand to shake with surprising comfort, seeming not at all put off by his catlike nature.  Indeed, she does give his musculature an automatic and rather appreciative look-over as she does.  "Thank you.  It's nice to meet you all," she affirms.

Then Nightmare offers his own greeting, and her head almost snaps over to look at him - with an expression first confused, and then with a tentative grin.  Cautiously, she offers, "Nay, for though I may envy the rose its beauty and its perfume, it doth flourish for but a brief season."  She pauses a moment, and then gives a quick shake of her head.  "but for, a brief season," she corrects herself.

As he continues to the kitchen, Nightmare remarks, "Not the rose of jericho, but by any other name, so be it."
As he boils the water to make the coffee and mumbles laments about the lack of chicory, he crowds the burner as if trying to warm himself, occasionally shivering.

Muldoon give the one known as Nightmare a look "You might want to watch out I'm cooking steaks here."

Muldoon took off the first two medium rare "How do you all like your steaks?"

After sorting out the steaks, the sergeant fries some onions and mushrooms as the steaks rest.

"So you all look pretty beat up. What did we miss?"

Oscillator takes a steak too.  Despite being an excellent scientist, he's also a horrible cook.  And his conversational skills don't flow as well as the rest of the team, so he hadn't said much during the banter.

He tried to jump in.  "Thank you for this excellent steak, Mister Muldoon.  I'm a civilian, I believe that relieves me of having to speak militar-eeze?"

He enjoyed everyone's commentary.  "I'm Oscillator, or Professor Jonas Oslow if you prefer -- here, at HQ, not out in the field of course -- and my abilities revolve around vibration, or molecular harmonic interstitial velocity dynamics.""

He looks at Amaranth, then at Vosper, and blushes.  "It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Amaranth.  I'm unfamiliar with your literary references, but it is apparent you have quite an impressive repertoire."

Likely the conversation stalls at Oscillator's wordiness.  At which point he focusses on eating the tasty steak, and trying to look comfortable while overcome by nerdy introversion and shyness.

"I'll take one of them juicy rumps, colonel. Ta", Eddy said, and helped himself to a large bottle of milk from the fridge to wash it down with ... then made himself comfortable at the table.

"You'd have loved being along with us today, colonel. We had to infiltrate a secret US military bunker that was taken hostage by some villainous Russian types intent on stealing our hard earned secrets" he said, hacking into the steak with knife and fork.

"We kicked their asses", he concluded, as he shoved a great, dripping chunk of meat into his maw.

His other hand flicked some errant strands of mane out of his face and whiskers.
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:16, Wed 16 Jan 2013.

Vosper raised a brow at the term 'sugar'.  "Why shore," she drawled in an astute impression of a southern accent.  "But that sugah business just makes me feel like a long-tailed cat in a room full'a rockin' chairs."

Smiling smartly, she returned to her usual crisp British tones.  "That's well enough for me, Sergeant, thank you," she said.  Collecting her steak, another beer, and a bag of crisps, she took a seat next to Poco and Osc.

Then glanced his way, bite halfway to mouth, and stared as he described the battle.

"No wonder he's so happy; I think he took one too many blows to the head.  You feelin' okay there, Poco?" she asked with concern.

"Ohbshowootwe", Eddy responded, talking while he chewed the steak in his maw.

Then, with a gulf, more reminiscent of a lion swallowing than a human, he smiled and continued, "M' mum always joked about dropping me on my noggin.

But isn't that what happened", he said, looking at Oscy and 'Mare with a confused look, "or was I at another secret base fighting someone else?"

Amaranth has to think another moment after Nightmare's response, but then it clicks.  "Oh!  St. Mary's Hand! I hadn't even though of that.  Medium, please," she tacks on in reply to Mess-- Master Sergeant Muldoon.

She shrugs across the table to Oscillator.  "I do read a lot.  Mine was Aesop;
  A Rose and an Amaranth blossomed side by side in a garden,
  and the Amaranth said to her neighbour, `How I envy you your beauty and your sweet scent! No wonder you are such a universal favourite.'
  But the Rose replied with a shade of sadness in her voice, `Ah, my dear friend, I bloom but for a time: my petals soon wither and fall, and then I die.
  But your flowers never fade, even if they are cut; for they are everlasting,'" she recites, stopping in her path for it.

 "Nightmare's suggestion is really much cleverer."  She continues over into the kitchen area, standing a few feet away from where Nightmare warms himself by the oven.  "And it offers the beauty of a rose with the longevity of the amaranth, which is certainly sweet to say," she allows, although it's clear she doesn't think she warrants the beauty of a rose.  "Are you alright?" she asks, noticing his shiver.

Cooking his next batch of steaks, Muldoon nodded as Poco spoke about the mission.

"The Soviets have a number of supers. They have created many of them with very dangerous and cruel programs leaving thousands of their citizens dead and maimed behind."

"But they don't just experiment on their own, they have conducted even more heinous experimental projects on prisoners of war."

"So yeah I always welcome the chance to pay the Ruskies back. Wish I had been there Kitty." Muldoon said as he took a long drink from his beer.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:05, Wed 16 Jan 2013.

"You and I remember events very differently," Vos replied casually, then neatly sliced herself a bite of steak.

"What I remember is stumbling into the middle of a professional Russian operation and having a bunch of mooks with rifles - well-trained mooks mind you - fight us to a standstill.  And then get away."

"At least, that was the view from when I woke up with Osc stuffing my guts back in and my blood all over the walls," she conceded sourly, chewing the steak heartily.

Glancing over to Amaranth and her citation of poetry, she shook her head and smiled. "Lovely.  You immortal, then, luv?" she asked.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:46, Thu 17 Jan 2013.

Sitting on the couch, with just a cup of coffee, Nightmare shrugs, "I was a bit close to some fireworks, but I'm ok. Your name brought up some memories of a... colder clime. There was an accident, and just before the disaster, I was meditating on something my father had taught me. Best I can remember, it went 'ἀμαράντινον τῆς δόξης στέφανον.'

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
but it sounds like - amarantinon tEs doxEs stephanon
yes, it's Greek to me, too

---

"Were the Russians supers or just trained operatives?" Muldoon asked. He had not been briefed on the operation, probably because he was in transit from Indochina. He had been there as part of a CIA team to eliminate key assets of the communists, the work had been covert and dangerous. Given what he saw there, Muldoon figured he would be in the region for sometime, this assignment had changed all that.

"Yeah, like you said ... a team of enemy supers and well trained, well equipped 'mooks', in a fortified location ... and we drove them out.
We kicked their asses" Eddy smiled.
He had obviously reworded her statement, deliberately.  And, it seemed, he did indeed remember events very differently.

He didn't seem to be attempting argument; simply agreeing that they each had different viewpoints.  And his viewpoint seemed to be a very positive one.

Oscillator continued, somewhat concerned with Poco.

"As I recall, a number of our team were shot -- including me.  Vosper was seriously hurt.  We countered special operatives and possibly several enhanced Russians.  My mind was dominated, I was forced to concede the mission.  Onyx was hit by a grenade -- and he's apparently left the team.  And Poco, weren't you covered in some deadly powders -- which we never really checked...?"

Oscillator takes a look at Poco.   "Considering your elation and altered memories, perhaps you could use a scientific work-over?  I'm concerned that we never investigated that powder, which seemed part of the trapped locale we invaded.  Perhaps you (and Vosper) could come to my lab?  I'll run some tests..."

Oscillator is dissapointed to share his private time with Vosper with Poco, but first and foremost he is a professional.  He was a scientist for decades before he discovered harmonic transference resonance capacitation.

OOC:  Not sure we need to roleplay out the lab visit?  But if GM wishes, maybe we could 'fast-forward' through it?  ie -- they go to the lab, Oscillator & assistants determine X (or are waiting for test results to come back), etc...?
This message was last edited by the player at 08:54, Thu 17 Jan 2013.

Amaranth laughs at Vosper's question.  "Oh, hardly," she counters.  "Well, maybe," she allows, after a moment.  "I mean...ask me again in a thousand years?" she suggests.

She listens to Nightmare, tilting her head, but shakes her head.  "Sorry to bring up bad memories.  Your father taught you Greek?" she asks, curiously.

"Yeah, Yeah. I got shot too", in a very upbeat manner.   Pulling aside bits of fur on his torso, chest and arms, he proceeds to show anyone at the table (trying to eat) his cleaned up wounds.
The doctors in the med wing had done the best to sort them, but without shaving this pussy, they could only clean the wounds out and up.

"And that sniper got me in the head", he gushes in excitement, "right here" he continued, displaying another nasty gash above his right ear (which twitched slightly).
"It REALLY hurts" he finished, with a huge cat-like grin on his cat-like face.


"You can prod me a little, if you like, Oz", he said, with a slightly dismissive wave of his pawed hand, "but I took a shower when we got back".  And proceeded to lick the back of his hand, and wipe it across his face.

"Lucky that sniper did not hit you anywhere vital." Muldoon said with a wry smile when Poco mentioned he had been hit in the head.

"As far as checking you all out in the lab, that is a good idea. The Soviets specialize in dangerous chemical weapons."

Nightmare responds with a negative head shake, "My father was a minister. He had me memorize some things in the original tongues. 'Amarantinon tEs doxEs stephanon' means 'the crown of glory that will never fade away'."
"Perhaps Poco could have used one of those."

"A shower.  What a lovely idea," Vosper commented.  Her own outfit was bullet-riddled and bloodstained.  While her injuries had completely healed, that didn't make the grime and gore go away.  She had, of course, mopped up the worst of it, but a shower sounded capitol.

The steak she'd been eating had been consumed in record speed.  A price of her heightened metabolism.

"Oz, can I go clean up before you do your prodding, or do you need me dirty?" she asked, without stopping to consider how that would sound.

Oscillator turned red, but didn't let that stop him.  "Ahem, errr...  You don't seem so dirty, but if you'd let me examine your tattered costume, and yours too, Poco.  I can do some tests before I look at you directly.  Come to my lab in 30 minutes or so, and I'll do some rapid (er, non-invasive) tests on you."

Oscillator walked to Vosper and took a few pieces of her shredded uniform and placed them on a plate.  He overlayed that with a napkin, then did the same for anything which remained on Poco's fur -- particularly if there were any remnants of the powder.  He used a spoon to slide some powder from Poco -- was that salt?  Hmmm....

He made to leave and make way to his lab, his 'samples' held with care.

As Ossy left, holding his samples with care, Eddy was tempted to sneak up behind him and scare the egghead.  But decided not to.

Turning to the new comers, he said, "I'm the living avatar of an ancient Jaguar God": pride evident.

"Vos, here is like lightning, and of course, Prof Vibrator there.  Nightmare, well, he's just Fear on legs, if you know what I mean.
So what's your gig, if I may ask.  Do either of you have supernatural massage powers, cos my shoulder's still stiff from that shotgun shell I took this morning"

"It would be a stretch, not to mention sacrilege to call myself a god. But I got a hell of a punch and can bounce back from a hangover with the best of them." Muldoon said. Beyond his vague reply it was clear from the hash marks, awards and insignia on his Class A uniform that Muldoon had been there and done that. That he was a member of the newly formed elite US Army Special Forces suggested that he had some specialized training and skills in the area of guerrilla warfare and counter insurgency.

"Plus I got a few other surprises."
This message was last edited by the player at 19:59, Mon 21 Jan 2013.

"Roight.  I'll go grab a shower then, and meet you in the lab in 30," she said, after letting Oz take a few scraps of her soiled and tattered outfit.

Rising, she frowned at Muldoon.  "Can't say I'm overly fond of surprises," she added, since Muldoon was playing coy with his abilities.  Jingoists or zealots, either, she thought to herself.  "But I do trust you'll let us know if you need to put a fishbowl on your head every hour, or glow in the dark, or any other such?  We are all on the same side, after all."

"Wouldn't that have been the Vib---Oscillator?" Amaranth has to catch herself from using Poco's nickname, as she answers his own question about anybody with super massage powers.

"I'm afraid not.  I... get up again."  She shrugs.  "I've died a few times now, and so far it hasn't stuck.  I'm a little bit stronger than average," she adds, "But hardly superhuman.  For what it's worth, I don't mind dying - it doesn't hurt, or anything.  Nothing does, actually; I think at some point my brain decided that I don't need pain the way everybody else does.  So don't worry about asking me to do it if we need it for some reason."

Nightmare grins at Poco's categorizations, "I'm really not that scary. It's just that most people don't care to notice me."

"No need for a fish bowl." Muldoon said as he downed his beer. "Though I did once win a bet by drinking two goldfish bowls full of some mystery alcohol in Thailand. Won a few other bets there, but I cant tell those stories in mixed company." Muldoon said with a wry smile.

Muldoon laughed as he got Amaranth's joke. Her powers were certainly interesting. To be able to rise from the dead would be an advantage on battle.

Having devoured his steak at a speed that might rival a tired Vosper, Eddy stood.

"Anyone want to watch a movie with me?" he asked the table in general.
"I noticed down in the projector room that they've got The Brain That Wouldn't Die on reel. Virginia Leith is such a spunk".


The Brain That Wouldn't Die ...
 is a 1959 science-fiction/horror film. The film was completed in 1959 under the title The Black Door but was not released until May 3, 1962, when it was renamed. The main plot focuses upon a mad scientist who develops a means to keep human body parts alive. He must eventually use his discovery on someone close to him, and chaos ensues.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:54, Thu 31 Jan 2013.

Oscillator returns to the rec-room just in time.  "Poco, would you accompany me to my lab -- I only wish to examine you for several minutes. Afterwards you are free to see your cinematic masterpiece."

Maybe if Poco came and left, Oscillator could have a few minutes alone with Vosper...?

Assuming Poco comes willingly, Oscillator shows him to the lab, takes non-invasive samples AND some blood, and then they are done.
Before Poco leaves, Oscillator says, "Poco, I sense you are elated from our survival of the combat.  My concern is that your memory seems out of synch with our common memory.  I was forced under mental control by that Russian villainess.  How can we know you are not under some sort of influence...?"

Nightmare attempts to raise a single eyebrow, and instead appears to half-scowl. Then smiles as he asks, "Do they really have a movie by that name, or were you just trying catch the attention of the Jericho Rose? It sounds fascinating, I might watch a little before I hit the sack."

"They sure did, 'MareMan.   And of course, you are welcome.  Just give me ten minutes to get probed"

Not long after:


Eddy mock considered this for a moment, then leaned in towards the Professor and whispered, conspiratorially,
"Not mind control, Doc. It's because I'm Poco Tehuantl. The Little Jaguar God.
And it's because I'm Eddy Romerez, and I'm not as pessimistic and fatalistic as the rest of you wet blankets", he said, leaning back again as he playfully patted Oscy's cheek in a condescending way.

"Now, if you're done with me", he concluded, hopping of the bench and heading for the door before awaiting an answer, "I got me some mindless gore to finish this delightful day off with".

"I look forward to getting you results promptly."
Osc said goodbye to Poco.  A Jaguar God.  Why not?
Maybe it was true, even though it seemed unscientific.
Magic and science often converged -- as science advanced.

Oscillator focused on his new samples, beginning to run tests.

It was maybe 15 seconds after Eddy left Oscy's lab, that everyone in the facility (those in the lab behind him, those in the kitchen ahead) heard the horrible gasping, choking sounds.  It sounded like a cat being strangled; a high pitch whining choke.

Those arriving, alerted by the sounds, found Eddy on hands and knees, one hand clutching it throat. Bloodshot red eyes bulging from his head as he rasped for breath.

Oscillator stopped his work and vibra-flies through the wall.

He spots Poco and flies to him.  'Could it be a massive hair ball?' Oscillator wondered, but tried to get that thought out of his head as he attempted to help Poco Tehuantl.

"What is amiss?  Poco, can you indicate what is causing your problem?"

OOC:  Is it that the game has stalled out?  J/K
-- sure hope we continue somehow...?

Vosper was coming around the corner, freshly showered and dressed and her blonde hair pulled back into a damp ponytail, when she saw Osc trying to revive Poco.

"Bloody hell!" she cried, dashing forward in a blur of motion.  "What's happened?"

Muldoon looked around for other dangers as the others moved to aid the cat man. "It might be that the Soviets had used some sort of bio or chemical warfare and it was only now showing symtoms."

"Master Sgt Muldoon, can you call for a doctor?  I'm not a medical expert."

Oscillator was not flustered, but he was concerned.  Maybe the team needed a medic or doctor on the team?  On their first mission, their opposition had snipers, grenades, and -- maybe more.  This was starting to look like chemical weaponry, but assumptions were generally unhelpful when dealing with super heroes.

Amaranth had turned down the movie and settled back with her book.  She'd heard Eddy start the noises, of course, but hearing others gathering around, had stayed where she was, just listening.  Now she closes her book and stands up, walking over.  "My father was a doctor," she notes, "But if he's choking, the best we can do is let him fight it out.  I remember a study one of father's friends did suggested that people trying to just makes it worse."

Nightmare stands back, watching, "It is times like these that I feel the most useless."

Eddy's back arched, as he tried feebly with one hand to push Oscy away.
His eyes rolled back in his head, and his form convulsed.

And with a throat wrenching cough, a vomitus projectile hurled from his mouth, and hit the nearby wall.

Leaving gut juice and a substantial clump of black fur dripping down towards the floor

Eddy, apparently exhausted, slumped to the floor an curled into the faetal position, mewling and whimpering like a kitten.
Tears ran down his face from the effort, and he panted for deep lungfuls of air.

   Onyx, entering just in time to witness the fur ball, looked aghast.

   "Oh, hell naw!  What the- who's gonna clean that up?!  I ain't cleanin' that up!  Sheeet.  Look like some kinda ugy gremlin just came outta him!  Day-um!  That's nasty, cat-man!  Thas just nasty.  We still cool, but thats nasty.  You gone have to clean that up ya seff."

   Onyx gagged a little, pointing at the hair ball, "I'm not cleanin that up.  Unh-unh."

"Ah.  Well then, at least we know he should be optimal shortly."
Oscillator waits a minute for Poco to recover, and then returns to the lab.

As he works, he has a moment of gratitude that his powers don't require him to vomit hairballs.

Amaranth looks at the mass, and then shrugs.  "Well, if we'd known he was trichophagic, we'd have been expecting it."  She bends her knees, crouching down next to Eddy, and pats him on the shoulder.  "You alright?"

Eddy nodded gently, then looked up at Amaranth with a big, yet weak, kitty cat smile, "Oh yeah.  But it got a little HAIRY there for a moment".

He then began the slow process that anyone with a cat has witnessed ... stretching himself into a standing position.
His stomach rumbled.

Rubbing it, he said "Man, am I hungry" he said to those nearby, "Just freed up a whole steak worth of space in there. Are you still cooking, General?" he asked Muldoon.

Putting down the phone Muldoon laughed as he saw that it was only a man sized hairball.

"Finished cooking. But there a few extra steaks in the fridge." The master Sergent said in reply.

Shaking her head in disgusted amusement, Vosper said, "You're one of a kind, Poco." Then, smiling and shaking her head, she headed to Osc's lab, where she was headed in the first place.

"Christ, it's like grade school all over again," she commented as she entered.  "So.  What d'you need, Os?"
This message was last edited by the player at 18:07, Wed 13 Feb 2013.

Amaranth stands along with Poco, glancing again at the gooey mass on the wall, and then seems to decide Onyx has a valid point.  She starts walking back towards the couch, but pauses half way, looking back towards Poco speculatively.

She struggles with herself for a moment, but ends up giving a sharp shake of her head and going on to sit down and pick up her book again.

All the same, the observant may note that she's as much watching over the top edge as she is actually reading.

"Thanks" Eddy said to Muldoon, "Kinda feels like I've eaten a rabbit. Or a hare, eh" with a smirk.

He wandered off to the kitchen, making small gagging noises, as though to spit out last bits.

Gargling could soon be heard, then Eddy came back with a small bin, and a wad of paper towels.  It seemed he was used to this part ... The cleaning up afterwards.

He whistled a gay tune as he did so, then went wandering back into the kitchen.  Shortly, more gargling could be heard ... the the fridge opening and closing.

Nightmare has been looking back and forth from the mess on the wall, to Poco. Then he sits down, and looks back and forth from 'The Brain that Would Not Die' and the kitchen. Finally, he says, "You know, domesticated felines cough up wads of hair because they brush their fur with their tongue.."

   Hearing Nightmare, Onyx is hit with a visual he didn't really want to see.

   "Aw, man, say you don't.  At least not there.  Please brotha, say you don't...not with the high leg stretch and what not..."

   Onyx looked terrified of the answer.

Oscillator returns from the lab after ~ 1 hr of hard work.  Instead of being tired, he looks happy (& relieved?).
"I've got excellent news, friends.  Poco, and anyone else that touched that white powder on our mission, you were exposed to a reagent known as Drema (Dream). The only known side-effect is feeling very hung over after exposure. Drema acts quickly then breaks down to be inert in a short period of time."

Osc pauses.

"Perhaps I should re-articulate.  The good news is I can't detect any exposures that were toxic or lethal.  But I did detect Drema exposure."

"Perhaps for future missions we should add chemical weapons 'hazmat' equipment to our field kits, and while we're at it, maybe at least one of us can carry a bomb-defusion kit as well.  You never know what these agents might do...!"

Another pause as everyone digests his information -- or those who can't digest it simply look at him, slackjawed & clueless.  It happens, he's a scientist and others are not.

"Right then, I'm back to the lab for some more work.  Um, has anyone heard anything about our next mission?"

As Onyx and Nightmare question Poco about his cleaning methods, Amaranth glances up from her book with a distinct grin.

She doesn't blush, though.

Eddy looked around a little, to see who was going to talk.

When it appeared that nobody would, he chimed up, "We infiltrated the secret bunker. We kicked their asses". It seemed simple enough to Eddy.
If Barnes wanted more detail, he'd undoubtedly ask*.


* Eddy hoped he wouldn't
This message was last edited by the player at 04:28, Mon 25 Feb 2013.

Oops, that should have gone into the other thread ... thanks for quoting me over there, Vos.

No worries. ;)

A loud blast booms.  Smoke billows out from Oscillator's lab.  The fire alarm goes off.  Oscillator flies out from his lab, his lab coat shredded, spraying fire retardant.

"Please, don't worry everyone.  It was just an experiment -- a failed experiment."
His disappointment is apparent, but Oscillator knows success is built on failures.  Often many many failures.

From inside his jacket, he pulls his notebook (which is unharmed) and scribbles a line thru 'Compound Vx162', then notes 'unstable & explosive.'

He thinks, 'It will require quite awhile to synthesize another batch of those Vx compounds.  I'll put the materials order into the clerks today -- and I suppose I'll need a new lab, too.'

Once the fires are out, he flies to the rec room to watch ping pong -- and forget about that invention for awhile.

There was no ping-pong to attend, as Oscy was nearly bowled over coming out of his lab by a large ball of muscle and fur on four bounding legs.
Unable to avoid colliding with the Professor, Eddy simply scooped the man up and carried Oscy with him for those several meters that it took Eddy to slow and stop ... eventually, with the aid of a wall.

When Professor Egghead revealed the nature of the explosion, Eddy insisted on entering the lab 'to make sure everything is ok'.  In truth, he just wanted a better view of the Professor's blacked results.

But he did also stay to help put out the fire.

"If you wanted blow up your lab I would have been glad to do it for you Doc." Muldoon said straight faced looking over the results of the explosion.

"Maybe a little more C4 next time."  This time Muldoon laughed a little.

Only his eyes flinch from the explosion, and Nightmare murmurs to himself, "When the uncertain experiencing of reality is dawning upon me, with every thought of fear or terror or awe for all appearances set aside, I will recognize what visions appear as reflections of my own consciousness; thus I will know them to be apparitions, and I will not fear the bands of wrathful deities that spring from my own thoughts."

Oscillator heals up quickly (just a few minor burns) and restores his lab to fully functional.

He's not sure what could have gone wrong, either -- this project was not particularly complicated, and his success was a virtual certainty.

Perhaps their mission has been infiltrated, maybe there is a double-agent on-board?
He'd never considered the possibility before, but now -- it seemed more likely than ever.

Muldoon's comment of helping him blow up his lab lingers in his head for a long time.
But he thinks, 'If Muldoon were the double-agent, he'd have to be an idiot to sabotage my work
and then offer to sabotage my work in front of everyone.  Unless perhaps he's trying to throw off suspicion...?'

Oscillator would keep his eyes open going forwards.

Muldoon grew more serious when he saw the extent of the damage. Perhaps this was sabotage. The Soviets might be seeking to eliminate the team. It also might be that Oscillator was a Soviet plant an was seeking to keep suspicion from falling on himself before he began to try and eliminate the team. Muldoon decided to keep a closer eye on him.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:38, Sun 07 Apr 2013.

Eddy looked about at the mess the explosion had created.
He couldn't help but wonder if someone had sabotaged the Eggheads work; maybe a hidden spy within their own ranks.

He himself had been nowhere near the lab when it had got up: suspicious, yes!
Yet he'd got here fast enough.
And had there really been a need to tackle the scientist? Or was that an assassination attempt, cleverly disguised?

He vowed to keep a closer eye upon himself as the days went on.

Amaranth turns a page.

Nightmare suddenly pipes up to those sitting around in the lounge. "Does anyone want to play hide and seek? As long as we resist using lethal force it might help build our teamwork skills."

"No."  Oscillator is deflated from blowing up his lab.  Despite his gut certainty that it couldn't have been his fault, his ego is suffering.

"Sorry, Nightmare.  I believe that was premature.  Yes, I'll agree to team building activity -- anything to encourage me forgetting about that ... smoking crater of a lab."

"Sure," Amaranth agrees.  "I doubt I can hide as well as someone who calls himself Nightmare, or from anyone who can smell like Poco - um, not saying you smell, of course, except in a somewhat pleasantly musky you know what?  Nevermind.  Hiding sounds fantastic right now."

"I am always up for some training." Muldoon said.

Nightmare smiles at Oscillator, "Actually, if you had been trying to synthesize a new explosive compound, you could say you'd done a bang-up job."
"Seriously, I feel like it was easy for those guys to get the drop on us, and thought we might practice avoiding that situation. We choose someone to be it, and then scatter through the complex. If it surprises you, you come back to the lounge in disgrace. If you surprise it, then they go back to the lounge in disgrace and you become it."
"Once we're all back in the lounge, we can discuss what worked and what didn't."

"How do we pick?  Do we roll dice?  HA"

As everyone is gathering and brainstorming about what "training" for the group will actually consist of the warning klaxon goes off, almost deafening. Simultaneously over the intercom a frantic message is heard; "Red alert! Red alert! The base is under attack! This is guard outpost 1, we will attempt to hold off as long as...." The message breaks off suddenly as the intercom cuts out but not before the sound of something heavy smashing into the vicinity.

A few moments later the intercom crackles into sound again, a deep voice speaking through it; "Vykhodi myshata , vykhodi i igray!" In the background sounds of yelling and gunshots are heard before the intercom cuts out once more.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:30, Sun 14 Apr 2013.

"Crikey, ALWAYS when I'm in the bloody shower!" Vosper cursed.  She'd gone to wash the soot and chemical ash off of her from the lab explosion and was halfway through when the alarm sounded.

But at super-speed, she yanked on her fighting togs and dashed out into the hallway in a blur, still dripping wet.

"It's the bloody Russians, and I don't think they're here for tea," she commented wryly. "Something about little mice come out to play.  Christ, I forgot my billy," she notes in frustration, her club still back in her room.

"Well, that's just rude. I'm going to go get a pistol or two, meet you out front."
So saying, Nightmare calmly went to his room to get his guns.

OOC: If everyone goes up together so as not to split the group it will take 6 turns (1.5 minutes) to get to either the elevator or stairs and get outside.

OOC:  Not sure why Oscillator or Vosper would 'all go together',
esp since if we're under attack it'd be easiest to take them all out
-- but I'll go with the flow.

Oscillator spends .0005 of a second being impressed with Nightmare's fake 'practice mission', a staged Russian operation attacking the base.

But then that fleeting thought has vanished and he's flying towards the starewell to leave the building with the team -- and help take any injured people outside.
This message was last edited by the player at 10:37, Mon 15 Apr 2013.

                                    {So, this is he day after our last mission? The day of the debrief?}


Eddy turned to listen, then went bounding off towards the exit on all fours, at an impressive gait.

OOC: I was not saying everyone *has* to go up together, just how long it would take those in the group without enhanced movement to get outside.

Also, I believe I had posted somewhere that an amount of time (1 month) has passed since the debrief for Poco and Vosper to learn their stunts and Oscillator to destroy his lab; therefore everyone is fully healed. Poco and Vosper make sure to mark off an Inventing Point please.

16:29, Today: Master Sgt Patrick Muldoon rolled 16 using 1d10+15 with rolls of 1. initiative.

"Guess they want to get some payback for the last operation." Muldoon did what he could to aid others get outside and stuck with the team.

   Onyx's eyes widened at the sound of the alarm, "What the-"

   Then he immediately took to the air, streaking towards the elevator, hands already beginning to glow with energy...

"Be right with ya," Vosper said.  Then she blurred back to her room, scooped up her gear, and strapped it on as she ran for the stairs.  "Don't trust the lift, lads," she commented.

As the group gathers and makes for the stairs to confront the threat they are able to feel one very heavy *thud* and a pair of lighter ones, just moments apart. The heavy one actually shakes some dust from the roof tiles.

"I'd have sworn we were supposed to go after them," Amaranth mutters.  She nods as Vosper zips past, and starts jogging up the stairs also.

Although compared to Vosper, she appears to be taking it pretty easy.

Nightmare walks along, probably behind the others, and quips, "Take it easy, folks, old guys like me can't run like we used to."

Has most of the group formed up in the stairwell?

When he sees Nightmare, Oscillator says, "Compliments, Nightmare, on a training excercise promptly delivered -- and quite unpredictable so far."

Oscillator says, "Alright team, now's an opportunity for us to work on teamwork and strategy.  Anyone has a great idea, say it.  Does everyone have their radios?"

He flips his radio on.  "HQ, the is Oscillator.  Any idea who or what we are up against?"

While waiting to hear back from HQ, he levitates above the team.  "It appears the baddies are located on the roof.  This could limit the amount of non-combatants from sustaining injuries.  Vosper, I suggest you and I 'round up' any civilians and place them away from the conflict.
The rest of the team -- engage these attackers, try to get a sense of their identities, motivation, and allegiances -- before you take them out."

Oscillator's not a leader, but until someone steps up to take on that role, he is likely the smartest of the bunch -- which could give them some strategic advantage.

Muldoon nodded as he listened "Sounds like a plan Ossie."

"You can bet they are briefed on whatever tricks they saw you all do the last time. But luckily for them there are a couple of new additions to the team they might not have planned for when they threw this little party."

"I find having a trick up your sleeve is never a bad thing .. ." Muldoon said, and even as he spoke he began to change. His flesh grew grey and rubberery and enveloped his clothing and then expanded until he was a well massively built grey skinned humanoid.

".. well not that I have sleeves at the moment."


This message was last edited by the player at 08:25, Thu 18 Apr 2013.

"My guess is they were not expecting the Inhuman." The thing, which looked like a wall of rubber which seconds before had just been Muldoon said in a deeper version of his voice.

"I will draw their fire and go after the ones on the roof."

OOC This is Muldoon transformed into the Inhuman.
This message was last edited by the player at 07:46, Thu 18 Apr 2013.

"Interesting.  Eeeeew.  Ugh.  I, um, didn't get a briefing on your powers.  Excellent, Sergeant, you do that..."

Watching Muldoon transform, Oscillator was at a loss for words.

oh, absolutely.  Eddy is the very model of Restraint and Patience.  'Strategic planning' and 'tactical consideration' are both his middle name.
Not.


No, the moment that he was aware of the attack, he'd gone bounding off with a speed borne of immense strength and agility; racing through the complex on all fours, bounding of walls and nearby objects*.

Upon reaching the battlefield (the roof, is it?) he had torn into the enemy with a vicious, and somewhat joyful snarl that would put most big cats to shame ... and possibly reached into the primal, ancestral fears of the enemy present and awakened terror that their modern selves have forgotten.



                                 * anyone who's witnessed a cat suddenly go tearing through a house will know how this looks

-  rolled 36 using 1d10+30 with rolls of 6. Initiative.
Giving actions on 36, 21 and 6, please
This message was last edited by the player at 11:15, Thu 18 Apr 2013.

09:56, Today: Master Sgt Patrick Muldoon rolled 5 using 1d10 with rolls of 5. initative for a total of 16. Actions on 16 and 1.

"Right you are, Osc," Vosper replied as Oscillator began outlying a plan.  Her speed would be best served - at least at first - in getting bystanders out of the way.  And 'bystanders' pretty much covered anyone who wasn't well-armed or super-powered.

She blinked at Muldoon's transformation.  "Don't see that everyday," she commented.  She'd imagined Muldoon as some sort of super-soldier, not... whatever The Inhuman was.

Dashing out, she took a quick survey of the scene and prepared to act...

10:10, Today: Vosper rolled 43 using 1d10+39 with rolls of 4. Inish.

OOC: Do allow me to summarize the 6 rounds it takes to get topside and set the scene outside before people tear into stuff. *grin*

(I am at work right now so be patient)

As Nightmare finishes checking his .45, he glances at Muldoon, and murmurs "Maiṁ burā dēkhā hai."
Holstering his pistol, he says, "You do realize I could go take a look without being seen?"
This message was last edited by the player at 02:37, Fri 19 Apr 2013.

   Onyx saw the sergeant's transformation and visibly jumped, despite the fact he was already airborn.

   "Cot-damn!  You wasn't a lot to look at before, but now, youse a fugly mo-fo! ...no offense, brutha."

"Keep making with the wise cracks and I will drop you like a bad habit Onyx." Muldoon said in a deep gravely voice.

It was hard to read Muldoon's expression was he was Inhuman to know if he was joking. But considering he was nearly a thousand pounds of inhuman muscle it was probably a good choice not to find out.

OOC GM If you want to narrate us upstairs and give us a good description of what we find up top.

   "You gone haff ta cetch me furst, Muldoon!"

   Onyx grinned at the big marshmellow man, and flexed a bit, a small, visible wave of energy distorting the air around the flying hero.

OOC: Activating Onyx's Magnetic defense. PR=1

As the group makes their way up the stairs occasional heavy thuds are felt and the faint bursts of gunfire are heard. Once the group reaches the last flight of stairs the thud is heard as a definite smashing of metal or concrete. The bursts of fire have become fewer and the occasional yell is heard in addition to single shots of a different sound. Reaching the landing there are noticeable piles of debris that have fallen from the ceiling.

Opening the door reveals that the front part of the outbuilding has been demolished with concrete, rebar, and bent steel beams as well as broken glass and smashed furniture. The group can see the guard outposts have been smashed flat and several soldier bodies lie scattered around the area, their condition unknown from this distance although none are moving.

Also standing just outside the smashed front is a behemoth...

...the behemoth is built like a tank and clad in red, with the hammer and sickle prominent on his chest. He holds a jeep in his left arm with ease, brandishing it like a knight would a shield. His right fist is huge even for his body and appears almost knobbed like a mace. Seeing the group entering topside he grins and his deep voice booms out; "Akh, yest myshata! Vse gotovy igrat?"

Finishing his statement he moves the jeep into position and sets his feet wide, beckoning with his huge right hand.

OOC: Initiatives please, I will honor the ones already rolled.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:29, Mon 22 Apr 2013.

Oscillator rolled 18 using 1d10+15 - INIT.

Upon seeing 'Big Red', Oscillator says, "He's going to throw a vehicle at us -- this bodes poorly!"

09:56, Today: Master Sgt Patrick Muldoon rolled 5 using 1d10 with rolls of 5. initative for a total of 16. Actions on 16 and 1.

Evade

Unaware of the threat beyond what he can see, The Inhuman used the elastic nature of his body to evade the massive Soviet villains attack.


The Inhuman's own fist forms into a mace as he prepares to avoid the other man's attack. " "Konechno,nas dvoye mogut igrat' bol'shuyu krysu . Mne nravitsya eta igra . No kto iz naskotom? "


If your character speaks Russian

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
"Sure, the two of us can play big rat. I like this game. But which of us is the cat?"

---

This message was last edited by the player at 22:54, Sun 21 Apr 2013.

OOC: Moving combat to a new thread... link to a message in this game
This message was last edited by the GM at 04:25, Mon 22 Apr 2013.

This message was deleted by the player at 04:26, Wed 12 June 2013.

Despite enjoying the fresh air as he skulked the perimeter, Nightmare returns to the base, and the ready room, with as much alacrity as he could muster. His only stop on the way was the coffeepot, and he sips the brew he retrieved while quietly awaiting the inevitable debriefing.

Oscillator flies through a wall and sits down by Nightmare.

"Quite an unpredictable day, yes?"

Amaranth follows everyone else out of the briefing room, and drops down into the couch.  "It's funny," she notes.  "I'm sure they have just as many listening devices in here, but it's more comfortable than the briefing room."

She pats her cushion, and muses, "I wonder if we could put some couches in there."

Eddy had led the exodus into the kitchen, like a tummy-growling Moses, and was now piling meat substances next to the cooktop, upon which he already had a huge frying pan array set up.

As he went about cooking, he mildly danced to some tune that only he could here ... but, from the movements, was probably Regae in essence.

He seemed to have neglected any vegitable matter in the meal, however.


"Or," he smiled at Ami, "we could just move the meetings in here" he said.  Pointing at the wall across the room, "Stick a TV up there, and Barnies can join us.
And, I can watch some late night movies when I come in for my midnight, and 3am, snacks".

Eddy's 'midnight' snacks often left the morning kitchen looking like it had a whopper hangover.

Oscillator vibrates thru a wall and sat down.

"A form of 'tele-presence'?  Interesting.  Seems challenging, but with a few TV cameras and cables ..."

Oscillator spends some time thinking about it -- and trying to look 'sociable'.  (And failing.)

"Osc, you'll sprain something," Vosper said as she was suddenly there where she hadn't been a moment before.  Grinning, she headed for the fridge, famished after all her exertions.  Her metabolism meant her caloric demands were far higher after she used her speed.

"Poco, I bet I can out-eat you, mate, but I do at least TRY t'clean up after meself," she quipped as she dug out the roast beef.

Nightmare looks at the pile of meat sitting by the stove, and remarks, "Did you know there's a lichen that grows in the Himalayas with a flavor remarkably similar to pork ribs?"
"Of course, it's a bit delicate and doesn't stand up to barbecue sauce well."

Muldoon opens tears the top of his steel beer can and pours it into a mug. "I don't know what you are going to watch on the television at 3am besides maybe the national anthem and test patterns."

Muldoon replied to Nightmare. "In Taiwan they have cho dofu, stinking tofu. it smells like dog crap but tastes like barbeque."

After a sip of beer "I am think we might want to take the fight to Boris."

As Nightmare sips his coffee, he expresses his opinion, "They do have one up on us at this point. We don't know where they are. Assuming the information we were given on Shroud was correct, they would have needed a staging area nearby. It wouldn't hurt to find it."

"Well, we have to be careful, mates," Vosper said inbetween bits of the sandwhich she'd whipped together at speed.  "Otherwise, the cold war could get very hot, and then, where does it end?  With nukes flying?"

Muldoon smiled at the sexy British speedster "Sugar, I am just back from Indochina, the Cold War is already pretty hot. Shroud and Big Red attacked us on our ground, and when he had the advantage of surprise."


"I say we try to get a line on Shroud. But if we can't then I suggest we set a trap and pick the time and the place. We can leak some Intel that we have been assigned to guard a particular top secret project for a limited time." Muldoon said with a shrug.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:43, Mon 01 July 2013.

   Onyx, not a big eater, as just lightly picking a scraps of this and that in the kitchen.

   At Muldoon's idea, he perked up, "I like that, jack!  Trick 'me with they're own get-up-and-go!"

   He pointed his fingers like a gun at Muldoon.

Oscillator notices Vosper's food fest.  'Amazing, she can eat more than Poco -- and still keep that figure!'
As he realizes where the train of his thought is going, he forces himself to focus on something else.

Nodding at Muldoon's observation, and then Nightmare's comment, Osc joins in.  "A few observations:  When you say we don't know where they are, actually we do.  Or at least, Red Sledgehammer most likely knows, and we have him.  It's also possible our computer system knows.  Lastly, Commander Barnes may know."

Oscillator takes a beer, opens it.  (Oscillator never drinks beer (or any alcohol) -- not good for brain cells.)
But he holds the beer and acts like he intends to drink it.  He wants to be part of the group.

"Take the fight to Boris.  HA HA!   I concur that it would be best not to fight in our HQ again."

Vosper smiles tartly at Muldoon. "Well, Sergeant, it may be hot in places but we don't want it to break out into a big fire, now do we?"

"That said, I'd love to put a hit back on these clowns, if we can do it.  We'd need t'know where they are, when; an' all the bloody details."

Spinning the cap off of her beer like a top, she caught it in midair and took a swig straight from the bottle.  "It's a wonderful world we live in, mates," she sighed with a smile.  She held out her bottle towards Oscillator first, but the others as well.  "Cheers," she said, clinking her bottle against theirs.

Oscillator toasted his beer and smiled.  He put his beer to his lips...
And to his own surprise, he drank it!  But not too much.  Just a sip.

He thought, 'I'd be more effective studying samples of Red Slegehammer in the lab, or figuring out how our base was discovered, or searching the computer and familiarizing myself with the databases -- but for now getting to know my team may be best.'

And then he smiled at everyone.  He didn't know why he was smiling.
He did feel like this team could come together somehow & transcend their individual weaknesses...?

ooc: 'weaknesses'.   Eddy doesn't have any weaknesses, just ask him


Eddy had the steaks and bacon and sausages well and truly cooking by now, and as the beers were pasted around, the smell of BBQ filled the air.
How could anyone NOT relax in that kind of environment.

Eddy took a beer, and quaffed a good quantity ... after accepting Vossy's toast.

Muldoon tapped his mug against Vosper's beer. Then Muldoon took a cigar from his pocket , bit off the end, lit it and after a puff said "Ossy having a prisoner does not mean you have you have his secrets. You have to break him. They say everyone breaks eventually but it might take a long time. In the meantime he might run us in circles."

"I think we need to take control. I think we learned from the last big one you can't let your enemies push you around either. You need to stand up to the bully when he starts pushing you around. Shroud is not going to stop until he gets what he is after. I say we give him another shot but we do it on our terms."

Nightmare retrieves a carrot from the refrigerator, washes it, and takes a small bite. After chewing and swallowing, he renders Muldoon a smile and says, "I predict we'll get our turn sooner than you think. Although Shroud might have come here on his own, I doubt he picked the previously infiltrated installation. Assuming our boys are as good as theirs, it won't be long before we're doing to them just as they did to us."
"After all, we really haven't been given any orders, yet."

"I hope you are right Nightmare." Muldoon said. Muldoon had been on both sides of the intelligence business. During his time in the army Muldoon had seen his share of intelligence snafus. But since being placed on detached service to the CIA, Muldoon had learned that intelligence successes largely went unnoticed.

Muldoon had not asked for what he had become. For a time he had done his best to hide it. But eventually he had been convinced to use his abilities in the service of his country. Now he was assigned to this new team. It was going to take some getting used to, but at least now he was not the only freak.

Replying to Muldoon, Osc says, "I have no wish to 'break' anyone.  People can be confused, disoriented, convinced, deals can be made, or there may or may not be psychics at our disposal.  After this 'hang out' I will investigate into that possibility."

"As for us 'bringing it to them', you forget that in general, we have had very little information prior to every mission.  We were exposed to bio agents and psychological manipulation, placed in a dangerous situation with an ambiguous target, again with insufficient pre-planning or information.  Now you think we will somehow find their base and attack?  If that were to happen, I hope we'll be informed beforehand where we are going!"

It's not that Oscillator doesn't trust Barnes or their organization
-- he now doubts the competency of the organization to inform them, 'the operators', fully.

If this is the issue, Oscillator will have to even the odds somehow.
'I'm going to get really good with that computer', he muses.

Muldoon ignored Ossy's reply. Oscillator was a smart guy, but sometimes smart guys did not know enough to know when they did not know what they were talking about. Ossy had assumed that "break" had meant from physical methods alone.  It was likely he had never been interrogated much less tortured. Muldoon knew first hand what a man could take before he broke. Muldoon knew that it was that it was men's minds that gave way. Muldoon hoped Ossy would never find out.

"I agree. Sometimes the intelligence sucks. I have gone down that hole more than a few times. But the job still needs to get done, and this is a dangerous job. Bad things are going to happen. Some us will likely be killed. Some will be taken prisoner. Others will be left mental or physical cripples. As Vosper said our job is to keep the Cold War from getting hot. We get burned so the world doesn't." Muldoon struck a match and lit his cigar.

"That is the game. But we can improve our odds. We don't have to play the hand we get dealt."

"We set up the game. We make up the rules, the field and players. Among our team we have two experienced intelligence operatives. Our team is composed of seven individuals that our government classifies as super human. That includes one of the smartest men on the planet."

"We pick a time and a place where we have the greatest advantage and we choose a bait that will draw out Shroud and whatever other assets are assigned to him and we spring the trap."

"So what do you say Ossy? How about you put that super brain to work and come up with a stainless steel trap for us to catch Shroud in like a rat." Muldoon smiled. Muldoon had seen Ossy's file, so he knew that Oscillator was as smart as he bragged about being.

Sorry it is so long winded.

"We'll agree to disagree, Sargent Muldoon.  I disagree that any of us must become crippled or killed."

He paused.  He looked at Muldoon, briefly, and then broke the eye contact.  He couldn't hope to match Muldoon in a stare-down.

"The problem I have with capturing Shroud is we have no motive for them attacking us here, and also no idea where or when we will see Shroud next.  But I can definitely work on a Shroud trap for when we encounter him next -- and maybe I can have it ready for the next time we meet him?"

He took a sip of his beer.  "Let me muse for a moment -- who would be the best counter for Shroud?  We'd want someone who could get to him quickly enough, which would be myself, Vosper, Onyx.  That person should have an attack which could disable the target in one shot, which I believe rules out Vosper."

"So we need either a trap which works with Onyx's magnetism or light powers, or my vibration powers -- or both.  And if we worked together, Shroud might have a really hard time."

Oscillator tried to see if Onyx was listening -- could he eat steak, drink beer, chat with others, and follow what Oscillator was saying?

OOC:  Were there 'flashbang' grenades back then?  Doesn't seem like they are that new...?  Why not just equip all 3 of us with Flashbangs and when we encounter Shroud hit him with one of those?  It should throw off his teleporting, yes?
If there ARE flashbangs, feel free to chime in Muldoon!!! 
:)

   Onyx shrugged.

   "I can hit him, I just gotta find him first. He goes invisible, remember?  I can sense him kinda- if he's got metal on 'im- but otherwise, he's tough ta spot.  Not sure how a trap would work like that. He was able to take a few licks and keep on tickin', so I'm not sure how we are gonna, just, all of a sudden overpower him."

   Onyx shrugged again.

"I never saw him go invisible, actually, um, if someone could SEE someone going invisible.  Ha Ha."  A bad joke.
But Oscillator tried, so that's a start...!

Oscillator tries a different tactic -- since it seems Onyx is paying attention.  "I was thinking we could focus on disabling either his weapon or his teleportation.  Your magnetism and my vibration seems like an effective way to disable that weapon, and your light zaps might also be able to disorient Shroud so he couldn't teleport.  I'm not sure if his vision affects his ability to teleport, but I would think a disoriented sniper generally misses the mark. no?"

After Ossy's last reply Muldoon knew he had overestimated the man, he was a fool. Clearly he did not understand the dangers that they faced. Other then Amaranth, who seemed to be immune to death if there is such a thing, any of them might be killed. But perhaps the misunderstanding we a means of coping with the danger.

But at least know he was working on the problem rather than just be argumentative for no reason. Muldoon had actually been discussing the trap in less mechanical terms, but given Oscillator's proclivities and capabilities he had made the assumption that the trap would be a physical one. But a system of preplaced mines and grenades might be useful.

"Sounds like a good start." Muldoon said hoping that Ossy would come up with something useful. "Perhaps something like a mine with a proximity fuse."




OOC Flashbangs were not is use in the early sixties. My understanding is that they were developed after Munich, but I have seen stories that said they were developed in the late 1960s. There were inferior versions. But I am sure Ossy has the capacity to invent flashbangs.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:33, Sun 07 July 2013.

"Well I have suggested a trap. But I am curious if anyone else has something else in mind?" Muldoon asked.

Vosper took a long pull from her beer, swallowed, and frowned, shaking her head.

"Well, we either bring them to us, or we go to them.  If we can get solid intel on when and how they're moving about - surely Shroud isn't teleporting all the bloody way from Russia - we might catch them with their knickers down."

Nightmare has been quietly musing, "You know, I've been assuming Barnes and his people would have locals on the lookout for operations that might indicate someone had prepared a place to launch operations from. Perhaps that's not a valid assumption, and we should do that ourselves."
"Before we do, however, we should let Barnes know; wouldn't want his people to waste time following us around."

"Another thing we dare not rule out -- this operation could have a mole.  I have no problem with letting our hierarchy know of our maneuvers, but perhaps we might keep the information limited, perhaps we let only Barnes know, and get his approval, before we go seeking out these Russian instigators?"

And they had no idea where they would look.  Maybe Barnes had some ideas?

Osc set his almost full beer down.
"Perhaps it's time I start fiddling with that computer.  I'll be in my lab."

He nods to everyone and starts to head out.
He had other projects in his lab that might need checking on as well.

Eddy cooked, and ate.   He really didn't have any good ideas on the strategies that the others were talking about, and less interest in it all.

He was enjoying his meal.

Osc had an idea about how to stop Shroud.
Maybe he could rig together something before the next mission which might enable Onyx to take Shroud out...?


OOC:  Wrote about the 'idea' in OOC thread.

One afternoon, a little more than 1 month after the fight topside, the intercom clicks on in every room of the base. The familiar voice of one of the higher-ranking base guards is heard; "Attention to all team members, please assemble in the Ready Room in 30 minutes. Commander Barnes will be calling in to brief the team on a recent development and possible mission. That is all."
This message was last edited by the GM at 12:38, Wed 11 Sept 2013.

As the call came, Eloise Sutton was in the gym, ducking and weaving as she drilled a series of specially-designed speed bags with her best jabs.  Jabs delivered at super speed, even as she ducked their return rebound.  Faster, she urged herself, sweat streaming down her pale face.  Stronger! She pushed herself hard, trying to improve on her skills for the next battle.

And of course, when the call chimed, she glanced up, and ate the speed bag in her face on a strong rebound, knocking her on her kiester.

Cursing up a blue streak, she shook her head, but nodded at the words from the guard. "Roight," she commented aloud.  She had enough time to get cleaned up and in uniform all proper-like... no need to show off and be the first one there, as usual.  Still, in a burst of speed, she dashed from the gym.

Showered and dressed in her field uniform, she was sitting in the Ready Room 29 minutes later.

In the last two weeks, Eddy had been chillin' like a champion around the centre.

He'd set up a nice little umbrella + deck chair space upside, in the sun.  His request for a pool to be installed had been denied by Barnesy.

He could often be seen dancing to the beat in his own head as he spent hours in the kitchen cooking ... and regularly, it was Eddy's cooking that the team (and a lot of the soldiers) ate each evening.  His cooking skills were improving, and he seemed, like many Latino people, to be able to cook in quantities to feed extended families.

He was also spending a lot of time in the motor pool, learning a lot about auto and aerial mechanics. His strength and enthusiasm seemed to have won over most of the mechanics and staff there.   Eddy had taken quite a shine to being something of a greasemonkeykitten.


And his romantic interests in Amaranth had become obvious to all during this time.
While he was no stalker (pun intended:  cat --> stalking !?!), he'd tried his best, in the way of any young man still in his teens, to seek her attention and show off.
He usually served her first, if he was serving dinner, for example. And flowers had 'miraculously' appeared at her dorm door on occasion.


Today: he was 'working out' in the gym: which meant that he lazed in a way only a cat can, across the weight training equipment consuming several hamburgers and soda's and watching Vosper (and any other teammates present) as they challenged themselves against the equipment.   In this, he figured, he would loose some weight by witnessing her excersise.

And he nearly fell from his lazy perch amoung the weights when Vosper got served onto her ass by one of the contraptions.  Mewing and laughing to himself as she gave him a filthy look, then sped from the room.


So Barnsie was ready to talk to them again.  Eddy dragged himself up off the floor, gathering his plates and soda bottles, and headed to the kitchen to clean up.

Nightmare divides his time between reading, meditating, shooting at targets, and working out. On the rare occasions he actually has a conversation with anyone, he invariably asks how their 'karma' is. So far, he hasn't bothered explaining what he means.
Upon the intercom's interruption of what might have been fruitful meditation, he takes the time to prepare by grabbing a pencil and a pad of paper. Scribbling Devanaagarii on the pad, he ambles to the briefing, greeting others along the way with the bemusing notion that at least Barnes didn't send a telegram.

In Oscillator's Lab:  The bunsen burner was bringing the catalyst liquid to boil, beginning a complex alchemical procedure which would take several hours of careful handling and observation to create the first of a new compound Oscillator had been researching.  A compound which should mimic the healing powers of --
Then the intercom squawked out the orders.

Oscillator moved with amazing speed and snuffed the burner.  "Whew, that was close!"  The catalyst hadn't boiled, the process could be stopped without any problems.  If he had started the procedure and had to leave, the catalyst could be dangerously explosive.  Or cause allergies.  Or possibly smell really bad.  Whatever the case, Oscillator's self-esteem had barely survived the last lab explosion.

Who would believe he was a globally renowned scientist, an esteemed expert in vibration wave theory, if he kept blowing up his lab??

Oscillator took the catalyst and put it back in containment, then took his notes and locked them in the lab's safe.  (A safe was not much good vs anyone that could move through matter, as he could, but it was the best they had.  Oscillator needed to solve that problem without high-powered forcefield generators -- he added that to his mental checklist of things to invent research.)

Actually, it would be good to get out of the lab and back with the team.  At least, he told himself that...

Oscillator flew through the building to the Ready Room, with just 5 minutes to spare.

Although Amaranth healed up nicely after the battle, she does withdraw a little for the next week, frequently thwarting Eddy's attempts to feed her by skipping mealtimes entirely.  She gradually emerges, though, in large part due to his determined efforts to interact.  Still, if his interest her has avoided anyone's notice - it appears to have been hers.

To Nightmare's question, she says, "Probably neutral, if I still have it at all," with a wry smile.  She occasionally watches people at their training, but she doesn't join in.

And... she appears to be working her way through the HQ library at a steady pace.  After a week and a half, she offers to both Oscillator and Nightmare that if they need anything worked on overnight - anything she doesn't necessarily have to understand, but can just keep an eye on, keep stirring, read through and highlight, whatever - she'd be glad to help.

--------------------------------------------
Strolling into the Ready Room, she grins at Vosper.  "First again?" she asks, amusedly, settling into her seat.

   Onyx had been working on making his energy attacks coalesce into a truly debilitating explosive attack.

   He hadn't really perfected it yet, but he was still happy with the progress.

   As he entered the ready room he announced: "What's up?!  Y'all ready ta pound some more skuzz buckets inta the ground?!"

   Bruce flew quickly over to Poco giving him a high five quick enough to test the cat-man's remarkable reflexes.

   He then did the same to Vosper, then Amaranth, then less emphatically to Nightmare, unsure of the mans response, then half heartedly to the square, Oscillator.

   As soon as Osci went to return the five (or even if he didn't), Onyx quickly moved his hand away saying: "Sike your mind!"

   Bruce burst out in laughter, then extended a regular "five" and said, "I'm just kidding brotha, you cool, you cool."

   Onyx put his attention on the boss, settling into his seat.

Oscillator stands with his high-five up, unreturned.  Onyx leaves him and he stands for a little longer, then he drops it.  "Ah yes, of course.  Ahem, right."  And he awkwardly takes his seat.

'True genius is never respected', he thought.

"Not this time," Vosper grinned as Amaranth asked if she was first again.  "Took me time.  A girl has to eat," she commented with a wink.  She cooly and purposefully did NOT look at Eddy.  He'd seen her eat speed bag when interrupted in her routine and laughed his furry arse off; she wasn't going to dignify him with a glance.  Hmph!

She gave Onyx 'five' as he did his rounds, but shook her head when he stood Osc up.  Boys.  She couldn't help but smile as Bruce gave him five after the fake-out, though.  At least he wasn't a nit.

Muldoon was in the gym when the call came. Even in his human form he was a powerfully built man. Clad in a tank top and seat pants, the soldier picked up his towel he wiped off the sweat and tossing the towel around his neck headed to the meeting.

Muldoon nodded as he entered the room and stood by for the briefing.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:49, Tue 10 Sept 2013.

As everyone settles in in their own way there is a moment of awkward silence, broken seconds later as the speakers crackle on and Commander Barnes's visage appears on the monitor. He is silent as he appears to look around, doing possibly a mental count, before smiling wryly; "Everyone here and on time, excellent. I hope you have all recovered well and did some training since we last spoke. In case anyone is curious, Red Sledgehammer is still well-contained although our scientists have not been able to refine Oscillator's suspension manacles but they continue to work on it. Of Shroud there has been no word or sign, but that is not what I brought you all here for.

One of our spies in Egypt uncovered an interesting piece of information on something the Soviets are looking for. Apparently they got hold of some ancient texts describing some kind of 'all-seeing eye' that was lost to time. Some recent information has apparently come up stating the location has been roughly located. Now, we don't know what this 'all-seeing eye' means or is supposed to be however we know the Soviets have been ga-ga over any psychic phenomena since Stalin's days. They haven't mobilized yet, at least at this time, and whatever the item is we don't want them finding it. The possibilities behind an all-seeing anything, if true, have dire implications.

That is where you all come in. We will be sending you over to Egypt with the goal of stopping the Soviets from getting their hands on this item. Acquire it if you can but if not we would rather see it destroyed than fall into Soviet hands. With Egypt being more-or-less neutral to the politics of both the US and Russia it should be pretty quiet on that front but we don't yet know what Russia may be sending. Any questions or comments at this point?"

Muldoon looked around at the others as Barnes spoke. This was a very different sort of operation that the others has been involved with before. Muldoon had not been in Eqypt since the Suez Crisis, and had not had much of a chance for sightseeing that time.

"Assuming we want to keep a low profile, what kind of cover are we going in with Sir?" Muldoon asked.

As soon as Muldoon finishes, Nightmare breaks in with an unrelated question, "Yes, commander, and is there any more information about the object, itself?"

Oscillator also spoke up, "Ahem.  Commander, are you quite certain this is an object?
I could imagine a person or entity as well.
Perhaps we might have some reference materials before we fly?
And any intel on how we came by this 'tip'?"

Another thing to consider was it was neutral territory between USA and Russia, but it was not territory where the USA team would have any advantage.  Russians traditionally were better with languages.

"Ummm, might anyone on our team speak fluent Arabic?"

Vos listened to the briefing, then glanced to Osc after the genius spoke up.  "Sorry mate," she replied.  "I'm fluent in German, Russian, Chinese and English - but not Arabic."

She pursed her lips in thought.  "If there is some kind of scrying device," she said, "imagine what somebody like Shroud could do with it.  He could go anywhere."

"We've got to get it first."

Commander Barnes listens in turn to the various questions and comments, waiting until an opportune moment to reply to each in turn. Looking at Muldoon he says; "Yes, a low profile is what we are going for. You will be going in as archeologists investigating a new dig site, guides will be made available when you arrive. The big trick is going to be how to make Poco inconspicuous."

Addressing both Nightmare and Oscillator in turn Commander Barnes continues; "What information exists is anecdotal and fragmented. The scrolls that contain information about the site and what is allegedly found there are in poor condition thus some educated guesses needed to be made. What we do know is the location is southeast of the ruins of Heliopolis, an ancient city that was primarily devoted to worshipping Ra. According to the scrolls Ra himself came down to the priests of his temple and collected an amount of 'suitable acolytes', saying they were going southeast to a special temple hidden among the hills and canyons where they would be shown things beyond mortal sight. Leave they did, in search of this 'all-seeing eye of Ra' and as they never returned it was assumed that Ra took them with him to the heavens.

Oscillator, as to your questions we do not know for certain anything neither apparently do the Soviets. It is possible it could be a person, but again the information is ancient and incomplete. All the information we have to date will be uploaded to the HQ computer for perusal. As far as the intel we have our own operatives of Egyptian descent that were recruited, trained, and infiltrated into the archeological societies and museums. When the Soviets came forward around the scrolls our men were able to glean the data we do have. As far as your concerns about the language not only will porters and guides be available but translators as well.

Vosper, we have thought long and hard about the implications of such a thing, whether it is an object or an entity. Obviously teleporters would gain much from such in-depth scrying, so yes we do need to get it first or destroy it if that is not possible."
This message was last edited by the player at 16:19, Thu 07 Nov 2013.

Nightmare waits a moment, to see if there are any pertinent questions, then turns to Poco, and suggests, strait-faced, "I understand Egypt's hot this time of year. You might want to shave, I've got a razor you can borrow."

"I don't speak Arabic either." Muldoon said.

Hearing Nightmare's comment, Muldoon looked at Poco Tehuantl "Not sure Poco is going to want to shave. If not getting him won't be easy. But we will need him if things get ugly. Best option seems to be smuggling him in with the equipment."

"Do we have any academics that would be willing to accompany us on this expedition, or let us assume their identity? Or at least an institution willing to verify our identities? If not our legends wont hold up to much scrutiny."
This message was last edited by the player at 03:59, Wed 11 Sept 2013.

"Aw," Amaranth grins. "He can be my kitten," she proposes.

"Well, as appealing the idea of shaving the 'cat' is," Vosper replied with a slight grin - still a bit vindictive over Eddy's laughing at her, "Consider the part of the world we're in.  I don't know how you tolerate heat, Poco, but wrapped up like a sheik you'd be much less conspicuous, with dark glasses."

   "Yeah, cat!" Bruce blurted out, obviously referring to the slang term as opposed to the animal, "We could wrap you up like the Shiek of Baghdad, jack!  No one'll look twice!"

   Onyx clapped his hands once, loudly- a bright flash appearing as he did so. His excitement was palpable.

   "Hot dawg!  We goin' back to the Motherland jack!"
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 06:39, Wed 11 Sept 2013.

Commander Barnes smiles and nods at Vosper's idea and the obvious enthusiasm of Onyx; "Actually Vosper, that just might work and is certainly worth a try. Muldoon, the group would be provided with the appropriate credentials. They would be fake of course but would stand up to the tightest scrutiny."

Vos nodded in response to the Commander, glad she'd at least had a decent idea.  If her combat skills were lacking, she'd still spent a ton of time training in espionage and intel.

"Well, the UK has been plundering - I mean exploring - the middle east for artifacts for over a century.  It wouldn't be a stretch for a Brit to be taking another expedition there," Vosper offered.  "Perhaps Cambridge University?  I may be able to coordinate with MI6 to gain us further resources."

   Onyx looked down at the skin on the back of his hand, thinking.

   "Im sure I'll fit right in, but do I need ta learn some kinda hum-da-lah words or sumpin'?  I know cats gonna be runnin' up on my tryin' ta shoot the sh*t wit me in Arabic or Sanskrit or sumpin'.  I don't wanna look like a idiot.  Can I get a crash course?"

Commander Barnes listens then responds to both Vosper and Onyx in turn; "Vosper, you can explore that avenue if you wish but trust me that you all will have the necessary documents and credentials to pass any inspection.

Onyx, there is nothing we can do quickly enough to give any useful level of knowledge in Arabic but it is not unusual for new research scientists to arrive and use tranlators to get around. Do try and keep the slang down as much as possible to cultivate an educated appearance. Not that you are not educated but some of your language choices would not be appropriate from an esteemed scientist."

Nightmare mumbles, in a somewhat desultory fashion.
[Language unknown: Koron ssne terwhiver Onno-sewh m Pelilo, eartiough adun.]

"So we have a plan to get into Egypt and covers to operate under. Our mission is to obtain this 'all-seeing eye' or destroy it. Either way we will need an exfiltration plan. If I remember from mummy movies the Egyptian government restrict objects such as this from being removed from the country. So we had better have a plan."

"Next, since we don't know the location of the 'all-seeing eye' or the kind of security or other hindrances to our acquiring it, we should probably put together a few ideas and make sure we have any equipment we might need on hand."

  Onyx nodded at the boss-man, "Sho nuff.  I kin git some specs or sumpin', and talk," Bruce straightened suddenly, playing at holding a lapel, looked down his nose at those around the room and said in his best Vosper imitation, "In the rich and cultured manner accustomed to those who deign to speak <i>the King's English."

   He looked over at Vosper and nodded his head sharply, "Cheerio, Gov'na!"

   Pausing to see if be got any chuckles, he picked up Muldoon's line of thought quickly, his voice returning to his own comfortable slanguage, "I'm pickin' up what you're throwin' down Sarge.  I'll say this: if it's metal- and I'm close enough- I should be able ta feel it and snatch it.  I should be able ta break it up too, unless its some kinda crazy strong metal...which seems like it might be the case since its all magic and stuff."

   His eyebrows furrowed at the sometime-blob, "What kinda equipment are you thinkin we'll be needin?"

Oscillator gives Muldoon a nod.  It's a minor gesture, but it's a significant first.  Perhaps Oscillator appreciates having another planner on the team?  Or maybe it's the value of Muldoon's field experience becoming clearer?

"As for 'exfiltration', a term I'm unfamiliar with but can accomodate, we have myriad options -- depending on the object's size & weight, Onyx or myself could fly it back.  Onyx could perhaps disassemble it, but we lack any guaranteee that re-assembling the eye would preserve its abilities -- or be possible.  I'd recommend against that tactic unless we are destroying it.

Similarly, I could make it rather hard to access by depositing it inside of bedrock or underneath a large building.  This move might also disable it's abilities."

Oscillator chimes in, not having a lot to contribute, but he is sensing a change in the group.  With the addition of Muldoon, and their last painful battle, it seems the group has finally congealed into a team.  Or they are getting there...

And Osc also notes that Nightmare is muttering something in a language he's never heard before.  This could be a bad sign.  It was likely that a teammate could crack under the pressure.  Would Nightmare be the first?  "Nightmare, are you alright?"

"Well after that fight with Red Hammer having means to secure prisoners might be useful. Tools if we need to do any breaking and entry work. If there is a chance we are going up against Shroud we might want to have some of those specialized weapons."

Muldoon replied to Oscillator "Exfiltration or extraction will also involve us getting out of Egypt which might get tricky if we get into a skirmish with the Soviets or others. Best we have a few different options ready to go."

Nightmare smiles wryly at Oscillator and responds, "I'm just fine" before he speaks to the Muldoon and Osc, "Assuming there's an available aircraft, and it's not extremely new, I've some experience at crossing borders above the clouds. Perhaps this could help with 'exfiltration'."

Commander Barnes pipes into the back-and-forth conversation between the team; "As far as exfiltration there are 2 ways it can happen. If you have to destroy the target you won't have anything to smuggle so could come out the way you came in. Alternatively regardless of the outcome we could have choppers come in from a carrier to the northeast in the Suez Canal take you out.

I would need to have specifics on tools and weapons to see what there is that can be provided for the team."
This message was last edited by the player at 16:27, Thu 07 Nov 2013.

Muldoon considered the tools he might need to infiltrate and enemy instillation or break into some other location.

"I get you a list Sir."

Eddy's snoring slowly ingratiated itself through the room, starting as a low rumbling sound, but gradually intensifying to a gentle purring growl that sounded like a distant sawing of wood.

His head had fallen forward onto his chest, creating the illusion of one large, black, furry lump, as he leaned against the wall next to his seat.

Commander Barnes glares for a moment in Poco's direction as he snores then chuckles for a moment before putting on a straight face; "OK someone wake up Sleeping Kitty over there.

Muldoon, the team will not be using vehicles but instead horses and camels to get to the location. The area is pretty rugged and vehicles won't do so well. With that in mind, be judicious on what you choose because weight and bulk will be a factor."

"Not a problem for what in had in mind." Muldoon said. He wondered where in Egypt this object was hidden.

"What about a helicopter Commander?"

Commander Barnes replies to Muldoon; "We will have choppers available for exfiltration, but to maintain the facade of archeologists the group will need to get to the location the old-fashioned way. Archeologists don't tend to have access to helicopters."

   Bruce grinned and said, "I kin see it now!  Some hot, foxy Egyptian queen starin' me in my eyes as we get on the Chopper flight to come home.  Her elaborate, long eyelashes battin' back tears, cuz she never seen such a vision of Afro-American manhood, ya dig?  It'll be just like sumpin' outta Casablanca.  'Cept I'm better lookin' than Bogart, jack!"

   Onyx smacked Poco on the shoulder- half to wake him up and keep him out of trouble- half to point out: "Hey Cat!  Don't they worship felines in Egypt?  You might be like a foreign-but-friendly demi-god, daddy-o!"

Eddy awoke with a slight snarl, and then slowly unfolded himself in a series of stretches as only a cat truly can acheive.

"Wha?", he said to Bruce. Then looking around, he took in the room, the faces all staring at him, and the electronic counternance of ol' Barnsie.

"Sorry. Sorry", he says, sitting up straight again, and giving the meeting his attention.

"We were just talking about having you shaved," Vosper said, deadpan, to Eddy.

Then, to Commander Barnes: "What about cash? Nothing gets done in that part of the world without money, not even archeology. We'll need some liquid to make things flow."

Commander Barnes shakes his head slightly at the antics of some of the group then replies to Vosper's question; "The group will have on hand the necessary supplies for an archeological expedition and there will be discretionary money available just in case as well."

Nightmare nods, then gives Barnes a sly grin and says, "I guess we'll have to brush up on our Wilde. When do we leave?"

Oscillator wanted to give it a shot.  He stood up.  "We'll be busting our humps on this mission, team.  We can lead our camels to water, but we can't make them drink.  And who can exfiltrate while dying of thirst on camelback?  Heh heh!"  Oscillator chuckled.

No one else laughed.  In fact, the room was completely silent.

Osc wasn't embarassed as much as confused.  He seemed to have missed out completely on the humor gene.  The lab was where he shined.
How did Onyx do it?  He was so easy going.  And Poco, he was ... fuzzy.  The women seemed to love that (minus the hairballs).  And Muldoon -- well, Muldoon wasn't funny either -- but he was tough.

"Ahem.  Well, which reminds me, I'd meant to inform you all about my successful completion of the trans-motration refinement process, resulting in several quick-burst distillate injection cartridges which should prove viable assets in the field --"
Now it seemed everyone looked unfocussed, uninterested, lost.

"Ah yes, right.  Please, let's continue then."  He sat back down.

hell man, you've just confused this player ... let alone my character.

Well done, on the eggheadery.

Eddy figured this was probably just as appropriate a time as any other.

He stood, and faced the group, like he was about to introduce himself at an AA meeting.

"Actually, I've been trying something new too.
Been playing around with it a little at night, when I've been alone in my room".

When Bruce sniggered, Eddy looked at him with an annoyed, confused look.
Then he realized what he'd just said, and a huge sheepish grin came across his face; the others could almost see the blush even through his thick fur.
"Not that", he berated Bruce ... but couldn't get the snigger out of his own voice.

He took a deep breath, and refocused himself; which was hard, because being all serious wasn't like Eddy at all.

"You see, I've been watching Lieutenant Rubberguts over there.  And I got to wondering.  Remembering what it felt like before I was ... this.

And so, with concentration, I've managed to teach myself to ..."

He closed his eyes, in concentration ... and the fur started to recede back into his body, as did the claws and some of the muscle bulk. His face sank, loosing the feline snout, whiskers and ears ... and within a moment ...

... a young, teenage, Latino Eddy stood before the group.
He was obviously teenage, maybe 17 or 18. And athletic; strong fit, agile.

He opened his eyes, and looked down as though to check it had worked. Then he looked back up to the group.
"This is me, without Tehuantl.
It's tiring for me to do this; but I can completely suppress the Jaguar.

I'm weak, though. Well, weak compared to what you know. No claws, no strength, no reflexes.  Just me; a regular kid.

I can hold this for maybe 12 hours or so, at best. But it's soooo draining. After that time, I'm good for nothing but a sleep.

But, given what we've just heard, it might be an important step for me"

   Bruce's eyes went wide at Eddy's transformation.

   "DAMN!" he exclaimed, "I was used to Cat-man, not Pretty Ricky from I Love Lucy!"

   Bruce nodded at the smaller Eddy, "But dats cool, slick.  You can get thru the border like that I bet, a little turban and some shades- you'll be good. We just can't get detained or nothin'.  I'm not sure how long I can keep up that fake brittish accent- and you "Poco"-in' out would be an even bigger give away...though maybe not by much." Onyx gave a sly smile.

   He looked around the room, "But it looks like we ready, unless we wanna burn some more clock pushin' hot air around the room."

   Onyx arched his eyebrows at the others in the room, wondering if the meeting would be adjourned soon.

Commander Barnes's eyes widen for just a moment before returning to his normally cool expression; "Well, *that* solves the disguise issue, at least short-term. Well done, Poco, good initiative.

If there is nothing more I will await the requisition list from you Muldoon and the team can gather whatever gear you each have in the interim. As soon as that is done transport will fly the team to the nearest airbase for the 1st leg of the journey."

"Aww," Amaranth mock frowns.  "I liked the idea of sneaking him in as a kitten.  If you concentrate the other way, can you do that?" she asks, curiously.

"Nice job pretty boy. But you need a hair cut." Muldoon said after Poco's transformation.

Shifting back to business "I'll get you the list sir."
This message was last edited by the player at 03:10, Tue 17 Sept 2013.

Nightmare stands and starts for the spartan room that seems to be his quarters. "I think I'll trust Muldoon's list for anything not personal, I'm going to pack."
Which is, essentially, what he does.

When they reconvene to board the transport, Nightmare has re-purposed his clothing to fit a desert explorer. His formerly black clothing is now khaki, and his trench coat has been exchanged for a brown leather jacket. Even his fedora has taken on an earth tone, and is now a somewhat weathered grayish-brown.
He carries a small pack, and has no other luggage.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:17, Tue 17 Sept 2013.

Oscillator looks like a normal 'professor' type with a suit & tie, briefcase.  Packed in his bags are white lab jacket, his HAART collapsed to a smaller 'tuning fork', clothes & notebooks, and his costume.  He's got more lab gear packed in another bag -- nothing dangerous.

OOC:  Hey, just realized -- this is the "good old days" where we could fly with almost anything!!!
Oooh, we can take as much shampoo as we want!  Aaaaah...

Oscillator walks over to Nightmare.  "Appears you travel quite light.  So what arrangement did you make with your guns?  Will you go without?"

Eddy looked to Amy when she spoke, hoping to hear ... well, he wasn't sure.

The truth, which he'd not admit to anyone, was that he'd been practicing this for the last month, for her.
He'd figured that if she didn't want to make out with a big old hairy cat, she might be more interested if he could 'dumb-down' like Inhuman could.

He shook his head, in response, though, "No" and sat down again, not making eye contact with anyone.

By the time everyone was wrapping things up and headed out to prepare for their journey, the black fur was and muscle was already regrowing across his body like a primal reforestation reclaiming a post-apocalyptic ghost city.

Vos arched an eyebrow at the interplay between their mysterious immortal and the youthful cat-man, and pursed her lips in thought.  Then she shook her head and rose, walking by Eddy and putting a gentle hand on his shoulder as she went.

"Well 'least we won't have to shave you," she said gently, a faint smile on her lips.  "Handsome devil."

She wanted to say more, but this wasn't the time or place.

At her speed, packing and changing took less than five minutes.  She met the team back at the transport dressed in a khaki safari jacket and shorts, with a safari helmet and large round-framed sunglasses, looking every bit like the Imperial British archeologist or expeditionist.  Glancing at Nightmare, she nodded in approval at his similar-but-different attire.

   Bruce went about getting ready in his typical fashion, blasting the radio and (over)packing.  Today it was a lot of James Brown and Onyx "camel walked" more than a few times.

   When he emerged he was wearing a brown leather jacket, black Malcolm X sunglasses, a white t-shirt, some green cargo pants, black combat boots and a black beret.  Somehow the outfit managed to look, military, exploratory, and street, all at the same time.

   After greeting the others, he raised a fist in the air and said: "Black Power."

   With a self amused smirk on his face, he then lifted his bags magnetically by their metal fastenings into the air and sauntered cooly to the vehicle with the bags floating beside him, ultimately guiding them into the trunk of the vehicle.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:13, Sat 21 Sept 2013.

In reply to Oscillator (msg # 248):

"I left them in the bag, it's a bad idea to fire a weapon on an airplane... you could hit a tire. Besides, I still got this."
Lifting one corner of his jacket, Nightmare reveals that what first appeared to be a wide belt is actually a bullwhip wound around his person.

Amaranth strolls up with a small knapsack slung over her left shoulder.  Seeing everyone else's luggage, she shrugs a bit self-consciously.  "I don't need much."

She needn't.

Eddy turns up, wearing pants only, as usual.  He carries one small knapsack, which contains a small selection of clothes to wear in 'human form' ... A few shirts, a few pants, some socks and underwear, and a pair of outdoor shoes.

He also carries a holstered pistol and Bullet-proof vest, which he tosses in beside his knapsack.


Climbing aboard the transport, he smiles at everyone, and seems in good spirits; glad to be doing something other than hanging around the military base.

OOC: Move conversation to thread A Mote in the Eye... here: link to a message in this game
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:46, Sun 22 Sept 2013.

For her part, Vosper had been quiet and withdrawn the journey back.  She composed her reports to MI6, of course, giving them a full rundown on the Russians and the encounter.  She didn't spare her combat inefficiency in her report, and did recommend MI6 find a more competent operative to work as a liasion to SMITE in the future.  Pending that, she went about her duties.

Eddy had some bitchin' marinated rump steaks to prepare for the team that evening; with lasagna and roast vegetables.

The next day, he was back out in the garage workshop, watching and learning from the mechanics there, and helping out however he could
Having someone who could lift a truck engine was mighty useful to the grease monkeys; and Eddy's enhanced agility and fine manipulation skills also helped.

Laid back, he could be found in the Rec Room with Onyx, as usual, playing table tennis and pinball; and howling out to Bob Dylan, the a each Boys, the Beatles and the Cascades.
Often, he'd enjoy belting out his own version of Lesley Gore's "It's my party, and I'll cry if I want to".

As usual, he got around base in shorts, cargo pants, or torn off jeans; and that was about all.
His fur covered body created enough modesty otherwise.

Oscillator is also withdrawn on the way back.  He does spend a lot of time scribbling into some notebooks, trying to take note of anything from Rammeses base which might help him with future work.

When Osc thinks of the science lost ...

So he tries to think instead of the potentials.

When they return, he flies to his lab, and strange noises can be heard from Oscillator's lab for many days.  (Let's hope nothing explodes!!!)

Oscillator does take quick breaks for meals and debriefing.

Like most of the team Muldoon had a lot on his mind. He had gone under some sort transformation, he was still trying to get a handle on what had changed. He was going to need to do some experimenting when back at the base.

But seeing Vosper was still beating herself over her performance in the fight, Muldoon pushed his own worries to the back of his mind and did what he could to help bolster her confidence.

"Elly you are being way too hard on yourself. If it had not been for you I'd have slept through the rest of that fight, and we would have been on the losing end. I am thinking what you need is a moving punching bag to practice on, and I just so happen to know a guy who would make a perfect punching bag." Muldoon said with a boyish grin.

Back at base, true to his word, Muldoon trains with Vosper and any of the others to improve the teams skills.
This message was last edited by the player at 07:18, Mon 23 June 2014.

Upon their return, Nightmare retires to his quarters. Although he still fires his daily allotment of shells at the range, he is otherwise only out of his quarters for eating and the occasional search through the library.

Onyx watches Muldoon and the other train but does not join in with them. He plays a few games of ping pong with Eddy, but seems less the loud and colorful presence than he was before. Something has changed in him. Instead, he spends his time in the weight room and following the news. He writes his father a couple of letters as well.

OOC:

Looks like Onyx has a new team of writers.

What year is it right now?

OOC: It is early 1964, around the beginning of March. I did some rough figuring and the 1st mission took place right between Xmas and New Year's. The month of healing/downtime took the team to almost the end of January. After the fight with Red Sledgehammer and Shroud then the month of downtime it was almost the end of February. Taking into account the time for the flight to Egypt, the mission, the flight back to SMITE HQ, and a couple days rest that puts the time at the beginning of March.

Eddy is still spending a lot of time in the motor pool.

He is learning a lot from the mechanics there, and the tasks and old engines that they are giving him to work on.
He's becoming quite the grease monkey kitten.

Muldoon trains with the others. In addition he complained to Vosper a lot about the Beatles suggested that they need hair cuts. Heck he thinks Elvis could use a hair cut as well.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:50, Sun 27 July 2014.

Oscillator is in the lab incessantly.  He goes to the rec room to eat and drink coffee, and he tries to engage in small talk unsuccessfully.  Either he is insulted, or he insults unknowingly, and occasionally he insults knowingly (in the form of 'idiot, moron, buffoon, ignoramous, did you fail kindergarten,' etc).

In other words, despite all the bonding from the adventures, Oscillator's demeanor has totally reverted to strange nerdy scientist.

He also spends several hours at the computer database, and he surprisingly makes a couple friends among the computer scientists there. 

Nightmare and Vosper's invitation to visit the lab goes unanswered ... but strange laughing can be heard from Oscillator's lab late at night.  (The laughing is Oscillator venting his frustration at being unable to duplicate even a smidgen of Ramesses' futuristic technology.  It's a combo of crying and laughing and general upset.)

Near the end of their month of downtime, when the teammates see Oscillator they may notice he is wearing some new headgear over his forehead.

If someone asks, he awkwardly says, "Oh that?  Well, it's experimental technology.  Very complicated." and that's about it.


OOC:  Revised post b/c the final form of the headgear is still being figured out.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:40, Mon 28 July 2014.

Muldoon seemed very focus on training. His time in the chamber had changed him, and it was clear he was trying to get used to his new form.

"The sooner we hit those Ruskies the better. Who knows what they are creating in this secret lab or how."

About 3 weeks pass as the team members work on various projects or just try and unwind. One thing that comes out is Amaranth's resigning from the team. She decided that her personal talents are of more use to the team and joined the medical staff in the base. She did thank the team for providing her with an experience she will never forget.

Not long after Amaranth's decision one of the soldiers shows up during dinner in the mess hall and places an envelope on the table in front of the team. He says it is some information from Commander Barnes that he wants the group to look over. The soldier says that Commander Barnes will be in touch in 1 week to gather the team for a briefing on the information in the envelope. He leaves the team to look in the envelope and discuss what is within it.

Inside the envelope is a document and a map of Antarctica with a mark on it. Looking at the map the mark is near to the known Soviet research station Vostok. Going by the scale the mark designates a location approximately 50 miles from Vostok. Looking over the document provides some more information; satellite imaging has shown an unknown facility in the location marked on the map. Further observation has shown that vehicles deliver supplies and fresh people weekly. Notes from Commander Barnes state that this is location referred to by Ramesses. How many of the new people that swap in weekly are researchers and how many are security is not clear due to the resolution and magnification of the images.

It is obvious the team has 1 week to finish whatever they are working on and this envelope also provides an opportunity for discussion. What each member of the team brings to the table in this situation/discussion remains to be seen...

OOC: OK here is a little something for people to chew on and discuss. I don't expect it to go on at length but it will set-up things for the mission briefing impending in 1 week. (game time)

When Oscillator reads -- and rereads -- the info, he ponders aloud, "Great, from dessert to frozen wasteland.  Let's see, maybe we can outfit Muldoon with something hot, and get Vosper something for low-friction running (on ice, snow), and ... hey, I'm going to need a warmer jacket!!"

It's unclear where Oscillator upbeat mood is coming from -- maybe he's had enough time in the lab, and he wants to get back in the field?  Or maybe he had another invention success?  Or maybe he looks forward to a reason to be with other people in a social environment?  Or ...?

Muldoon looked over the file. "Even if we insert through a US or other ally base in Antarctica, it sure ain't a cake walk. Isolated location, little cover or concealment to assist in our approach. Add to that the climate will be doing its best to kill us."

"The other option would be to some how infiltrate the Soviet base via a resupply run or even as new base personal. That will require language skills and training in clandestine techniques."

"I think it would be possible to combine the two options, with Vosper and I passing ourselves off as base personnel, and the rest of you stashed in supplies. Once the two of us are in place, we can link up with you and do the job."

"Not perfect .. but possible."

"It wouldn't be necessary to smuggle all of us in the supplies. I've seen Ozzie do something like it before, so I'ld bet if he were close enough he could hide in the ground and walk right in."
"Vosper, and I'm waiting till I really need to annoy her before I call her Harriet, will just need to time it and run in when the guards aren't looking. The ones at these remote location are usually there because someone doesn't like them, and tend to get lazy."
"I've been preparing something to counter the cold, and people tend to not notice me unless I want them to, so once nearby I could probably get in easily, as well. If we're dressed like we're on our own scientific mission, we can pretend to be lost and they'll take us in and lock us in their holding area. Those are usually not difficult to get out of."
As he looks at the map, he offers something more. "You know, if we knew the weather was going to be clear, with the right plane I could fly us in, we rip the place up, and then fly out. Wouldn't be the first time I landed on snow."

"This isn't the snow, this is the Antarctica. If they have radar they will spot a plane. It is not like there are a lot of flights. If we stray too far away we will have to traverse deadly terrain to reach the base."

"I am suggesting we find a way to get on board one of the supply planes and then slip into the base from there. If we strike fast, before that plane takes off we can use it for our escape."

"Da , tovarishch . My mozhem v kachestve personala pitaniya i okazaniya pomoshchi drugim iznutri," Vos replied to Muldoon in excellent Russian.

"Muldoon has the best plan I've heard.  If we could get some info on what's there BEFORE we go, we would be a proper intelligence team."  Oscillator said.

Although she has officially resigned from active duty on the team Amaranth still does hang out with the team for meals and recreation. She listens to everyone then quietly puts forth a piece of information; "I may be wrong but I seem to recall getting the impression from Ramesses that he would be able to gate the team to the location once everything was ready, assuming the mission was accepted. If that IS the case it would remove a number of the variables and difficulties of how to sneak in AND be prepared for a possible long trek through Antarctic weather. I am sure once you all meet again with Commander Barnes that Ramesses will probably be in touch also at which point that option can be confirmed or denied."

Nightmare is smiling as he adds to Amaranth's statement. "Besides, I specifically mentioned the weather because it is such a determining factor on what sort of vehicles deliver the supplies to the station. It's pretty much guaranteed that they don't have weekly planes, even though they receive weekly supplies."

"Gating us in?  I missed that --
I was under the impression that Ramesses wished to remain a neutral 3rd party and was only supplying us with information when absolutely necessary?"

Osc didnt mention the question on his mind -- if Ramesses gave them info on Russians, wouldnt Ramesses give the Russians info if USA were doing anything horrible too?

"Supply planes, trucks, trains...  the vehicle type is not so relevant."

"I can promise you all this. No Russian is going to confuse me for one of them," Onyx says. "As close as most brothers get to the Arctic Circle is the penguin cage at the zoo."

Eddy chortled, "Nor me!"

Of course, he'd managed to master that ability to human-down into a mundane form ... but that was draining, and he'd only use that trick of necessary.
Besides, he had fur, which would be a bonus in that environment.

"Our team features two super soldiers -- Vosper and Inhuman.  They will be the infiltrators, and we will just go along for the ride.  Mmmm, Poco, I think you'll have to masquerade as a human -- or maybe ride in a crate as a sample?  ... I know my preference would be the freedom to roam.

So are we ready to go?  I'm ready."
Oscillator was looking forward to field-test his newest gadget. 

Which reminded him of a conversation he needed to have...  "Um, Nightmare, we talked specs on that whip, but you never came up to test anything out.

I have a bunch of half-assembled prototypes, but nothing near ready.  We'll probably need a few weeks to get something operational."

He smiled at Vosper.  He had offered to make her some truly amazing darts, and she also had been a no-show.  But at least Nightmare had discussed ideas with him.  She hadn't put in a micro-second of effort -- and neither had Oscillator.  But it still hurt.

Nightmare nods to Oscillator, "Thanks. I found I really liked using the thing when we were in Egypt. But I don't think it's appropriate for this mission. Remind me when we get back and we'll try out the prototypes. Oh, I had another idea, also. Could you make a whip that explodes as soon as someone tries to use it?"

"Can I make a whip that explodes as soon as someone tries to use it?" Oscillator repeats.  And then he starts laughing.

"Oooh, that's a good one!  HA HA HA!  You had me going, Nightmare!"  He laughs and laughs.

Finally when he stops laughing (takes awhile), but still giggling Osc says "I mean, any idiot could make an exploding whip, right?  Oh my, you really have me in a fit here.  HA HA" and then launches into more laughter.

OOC: So I am opening up the Ready Room thread for briefing. I am not posting that message in here so people can still talk about whatever for the week before Commander Barnes contacts the team. But yes, it is time to nudge the game along.

Motor Pool

When the team arrives at the motor pool they see a number of base crew finishing up the placement of mission equipment. There are 6 snowmobiles in arctic camouflage that have a large storage compartment on each one, likely containing various bits of arctic survival gear. There are also 3 cases near them, two of them marked with a "Warning: Explosives" label, while the other is pretty obviously a rifle case. Everything seems to be proceeding apace and deployment should occur on schedule.

OOC: Feel free to inspect the cases and the storage compartments. If there is anything specific gear-wise let me know and if it is available/appropriate it can be part of the loadout.

Onyx looks over the cases with a mild annoyance for a moment.

"I told that fool ..."

But then he spots the small black bag. He opens it and rolls three steel ball bearings into the palm of his left hand. Each one is about the size of a Ping-Pong ball.

"Not getting caught without any steel this time."
This message was last edited by the player at 01:20, Sun 18 Jan 2015.

MOTOR POOL
Oscillator vibrates through the floor and hovers up to the gear.

He's wearing some new stuff (headband, his HAART looks a little different, some packs snapped to his belt) and he's wearing a snow camo outfit with goggles.  He's wearing a backpack.

"I intend to field-test some new equipment, and perhaps rig a few things on the mission."

After a cursory glance at the explosives, Nightmare opens the rifle case.
"If I use this, does that mean I'm starting to act like the enemy?"

Eddy was already going through the packing cases looking for a rifle (his pistol already at his hip).
As usual, he currently wore his cargo pants and flak jacket.
As he looked for the rifle, he tried on the attic camo bodysuits (complete with goggles) until he had one in his size (to wear over the cargo pants and flak).

Three silver steel ball bearings float and rotate above Onyx's left hand as he walks over closer to Nightmare.

"It means you ain't takin' no more chances with the enemy."

"Don't confuse being prepared and deadly with turning evil.  We've gotten lucky this far, we can't rely on a last minute save to survive encounters going forwards."

Hearing himself, Oscillator realized he had learned a lot as well.  But he sounded more confident than he really was.

"I don't mind shooting back, I'm just wondering if my karma would be seriously affected by shooting first, unseen, from a safe distance."
"I'm considering tactics, not resources."

Replying to Nightmare, Oscillator offers, "Perhaps you are right.  It may be a better 'Karmic' tactic to position yourself in plain view lacking any cover, and wielding a weaker, less efficient weapon.  Perhaps your Karma would like you to wear a blindfold as well?"

Sarcasm aside, Osc didn't follow Nightmare's logic: his name was Nightmare, not The Pacifist.
Was he really worried about this, or was it just a cover for something else?

"Sorry for my sarcasm, Nightmare.  Are you truly concerned about tactics?  You know our opponents had no qualms shooting at us from a distance.  It's hard to imagine using a similar tactic -- only as needed -- would make you a bad guy."

Nightmare shrugs, "I'm just giving the use of this rifle the same consideration I would give anything else that needs used. I think if we were to fire upon the exterior forces before we had penetrated the facility it would increase their alertness and make our job harder. I still think I'll have to shoot someone, just not at that point."

"I ain't no guru but the way I understand karma is you earn it if you act of not. If you kill the enemy or don't kill the enemy it still loads you up with karma. sO may as well kill the enemy." Muldoon said.

Nightmare smiles, and quietly states, "No one understands karma, it's like an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us, penetrates us, and binds the galaxy together. Considering its true nature, humanity's contact with it is no more than a grain of sand on one beach on the edge of an ocean that is karma."

"You make it sound rational, but this is mysticism not science.
Vibrations reach everyone and everything, but they are science.
And no one says 'that gives me good vibrations'...!"

OOC: (Yet.)

Eddy wandered over and gave 'Mare a healthy slap on the shoulder.
"Where I come from, we have a saying ..." he said.

Then, after a moments pause, he smiled and said, "'Get thee out of my way, bitch!"

With a grin of self-satisfaction, he picked up one of the cretes that several soldiers were trying to lift, and carried it onto the waiting snowmobile.

"Bloody showoff," Vos sniffed, feigning offense, but unable to keep a smile from her face.

"All right, you lot," she said to her teammates, "we got everything we need?"