‘And that what happens when you grow soft’

The she-hulk was obviously still under the control of the man upstairs, but that didn’t matter.  He wasn’t going to wait till she made her move on him; he had no qualms about throwing the first punch.  OR hitting a woman, for that matter.

He stared into the eyes of the amazon just long enough to figure something was off.  Once he did, his training kicked in: setting his entire body in motion, he stepped forward and threw a vicious punch right at her gut, intending to catch her by surprise and end the fight quickly



OOC:

Solo 1d6, Uncompromising 1d8, Enhanced Strength 1d8, Menace Expert 1d8, She-Hulk physical stress 1d8

Today, Bishop rolled 5,7,5,4,5 using 1d6,1d8,1d8,1d8,1d8 with rolls of 5,7,5,4,5 resist intimidation

Using 1 PP to add 1 dice to the total.  Total: 5+7+5 = 17, effect 1d8.  Intimidation attack resisted.

Using 1 PP for opportunity to inflict 1d8 physical stress on She-Hulk, stepping up her physical stress to 1d10

PP total: 4-2= 2

She-Hulk takes d8 Emotional Stress from Bishop's counter-attack


Bishop throws his punches at She-Hulk but he soon finds the only damage done is to his own hands, against the indestructible hide of the jade giantess. She does not move in the slightest, but looks down at the mutant, without a hint of recognition or emotion in her eyes. As Bishop's punches connect to the stone wall of her guts and the bones in his hands threaten to splinter, the Avenger blinks.

Iron Man, bashed helmet and all, vaults from the landing to the area downstairs. “Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!” he exclaims as he jumps between She-Hulk and Bishop. “This is not bridging the divide between mutants and Jolly Green Giantesses.” He looks up at She-Hulk, who blinks again. “Jen! Jennifer!” She blinks again, then repeatedly, and when she stops there is some recognition -- some life -- in her eyes.

She staggers backward away from both heroes and takes her head in her hands. “What the -- ?”  After a moment, she holds her head up. Her dark green hair falls in a tangle around her face. “Where -- What happened?” She looks around. “How did the place get on fire?” She looks up at Justice on the landing, with the old man floating in the air. “How did -- ?”

Iron Man’s metallic voice brings her back to their place on the floor. “You can catch up later. Right now, I need to know that you’re with us.” He looks straight up at her, nearly a head taller than him even in armor, and speaks sternly. “Are you with us?”

The sound of another rafter of the mansion coming down comes from nearby, through the flames. “Can we please get that fire out? There’s a guy made of ice and that’s the best you can do? Stop trying to put out the flames and take care of what’s on fire!”

Anyone taking Iron Man’s command when affecting the flames can add his Science Expert d8 to their dice pool

Next Action: Ms. Marvel, Captain Marvel, Bishop

The hand She-Hulk uses to pull her hair back over her ear shakes more than it should. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm okay. Okay." Under a brow that's already starting to swell, her eyes do their best to show she's staying strong. She speaks lower, to Iron Man. "Tony, I -- I don't remember anything. I don't recall anything from after we walked in here. I'd ask what's going on if I thought anyone had an answer." She puts a side-eye to Bishop, not with hostility, but like squinting will help her place who he is.

Iron Man nods. "I -- I might know what you're talking about. There's something going on here. I have a feeling the old guy's not the only thing happening here. We haven't even found her yet."

Iron Man looks up at Justice on the landing and calls, "What're you planning to do with him, kid?"

Finally the villain is defeated and the heroes "win". Not much of a victory, but at this point, Carol will take what she can get.

But there is the injured to think about, so Carol flies outside to see about Natasha's condition.

Carol is going to do a recovery roll to deal with her d8 Mental Trauma:

Solo: d8 (She's flown outside)
Take-Charge Attitude: D8
Psyche Expert: d8

Captain Marvel rolled 4,8,2

Total: 12 Effect: d8

Reaction: Doom Pool

Bishop was content to see the giantess come back to her senses; he had no intention of harming anyone who didn't deserve it,  not to mention that combat between the two would be hard fought.
His interested was piqued when the iron-clad man mentioned they were looking for someone.  That would explain why they didn't clear out of the inferno just yet.
Not wanting to interject himself into their conversation, he instead folded his big arms together, took a deep breath, and remained standing by their side to better keep a close eye on the two interlopers.

"Well..." it suddenly occurred to Justice he had no idea what to do with Mastermind "I guess I'll keep slamming him at things until he would lose the appetite to mess with our minds... after that I was hoping you could take over and restrain him somehow."

Doom Pool (5d6, 3d8, d12) reaction to Captain Marvel's attempt to recover mental Stress, Total: 12, Effect: d8 (msg #211):
Indoor Fire Scene Complication d10

Watcher rolled 6,5,5,6,4,7,3,6,9 using d6,d6,d6,d6,d6,d8,d8,d8,d10 ((6,5,5,6,4,7,3,6,9)).

Total: 11, Effect: d8

Captain Marvel's mental Stress steps to d6

Captain Marvel turns to go outside but finds all escape routes blocked. The mansion has caved in, from the outside initially, but with the scuffle in this room, it's had plenty more damage from the inside. The fires from the back, which Marvel saw originate, still rage, though how much more they spread could be up to Iceman's ice bowls. But if the inferno wasn't already an issue -- to Marvel's compatriots, if not to herself -- then the smoke would be. But being here, in the center of the action, where she can help the most, gives her some comfort, and a moment of calm helps her clear her mind. Though at the back of her mind she knows this can't be it. Even with this conflict, it's too easy. No matter how they try, it never gets to be easy.

She-Hulk turns from Iron Man slightly to regard Bishop. There is no recognition on her face toward him but there is also now no outright hostility. "Who are you? What's your story?" she asks the mutant.

"I can't tell you what to do with him, kid," Iron Man calls to Justice, then looks down at himself to examine the damage done to his armor. "I'm not the leader here. If we can find where Natasha went, we can get what we came here for, then we can, uh, apologize."

Mastermind's face does not change, if he took Iron Man's command -- or lack of command -- as a threat or not. If anything, a hint of a smirk shows that he's amused. He keeps his eyes on Justice and does not bother to squirm in the tight, telekinetic grasp.

"Start by helping put the fire out" actually doing something about the situation would be better than any apology the man could ever make.   Ignoring the emerald giantess for now, he started to get a move on; he's only been in the place for a short while, but he did vaguely remember his 'orientation' day including the mansion's sophisticated defenses.  One of them was the high tech extinguisher conveniently hidden in a secret nook at the corridor.

'Right; let's see if I remember how to use one of these things...'

Grand, Stately Mansion 1d8
Team 1d8
Tech Expert 1d8
Iron Man's guidance 1d8

23:12, Today: Bishop rolled 8,4,2,3 using 1d8,1d8,1d8,1d8 with rolls of 8,4,2,3.  (un)burning down the house.

Total: 12, effect: 1d8
Total PP: 2

Doom Pool (5d6, 3d8, d12) reaction to Bishop's attempt to reduce  Indoor Fire Scene Complication, Total: 12, Effect: d8:
Indoor Fire Scene Complication d10*

Watcher rolled 4,3,2,4,2,4,7,4,4,5* using d6,d6,d6,d6,d6,d6,d8,d8,d8,d10* ((4,3,2,4,2,4,7,4,4,5)).
(*Wrong value used for Scene Complication, so die is disregarded.)

Total: 11, Effect: d8

Indoor Fire Scene Complication steps down to d6

Bishop's memory serves him well and he finds the extinguisher exactly where he thought it was. Its contents are spent far too quickly but it is enough to put out the flames in their immediate surroundings. Escape routes are still cut off but there has been some progress made.

As the container sputters empty, Bishop spies the other two behind him helping out: a pair of small tubes sprout from the palms of Iron Man's armor which he points toward the flames. When the tubes release nothing, Iron Man sighs and starts blasting -- as delicately as possible -- objects that are on fire, sliding them around to combine them in small piles, so as to put out their flames more efficiently. She-Hulk follows him, using a massive rug she pulled from the floor to smother the flames. It is slow work but even if it takes a while to eventually put out the flames, at least they won't increase. "The sooner we get this done," She-Hulk says, swatting out another group of flames, "The sooner we can find her."

Justice waggled a finger at Mastermind warning him not to do anything funny before turning his attention to the flame. Mr. Stark was right, they had to deal with the flame and now that it was subsiding he knew using his force field to choke down the flame would have a better chance to work.

Spreading his hand he covered all the flames in purple force field making it tight so that nothing could pass through it especially oxygen.

OOC
INTENT: Remove fire complication
POOL: Team (d10), Brave New Warrior (d8),  Superhuman Durability (D10),  Iron Man guidance (d8)
ROLL:08:14, Today: Justice rolled 10,2,3,8 using 1d10,1d8,1d10,1d8 with rolls of 10,2,3,8.  Remove fire complication.
TOTAL:18/D10/-
RESULT: ?

PP: 2

Doom Pool (5d6, 3d8, d12) reaction to Justice's attempt to remove Indoor Fire Scene Complication, Total: 18, Effect: d10:
Indoor Fire Scene Complication d6

Watcher rolled 1,2,6,2,3,5,7,3,5 using d6,d6,d6,d6,d6,d8,d8,d8,d6 ((1,2,6,2,3,5,7,3,5)).

Total: 13, Effect: d8
Higher reacting Effect die steps acting Effect down, to d6
1 Opportunity (available first to Justice)

Indoor Fire Scene Complication removed

Justice hits upon a sound idea, even if he lacks the vantage point to see the rest of the fire and his telekinesis only affects a small portion of the overall disaster. But between the heroes' combined efforts, the fire comes under control, the last few flames minor enough to blow themselves out.

As Justice tends to the fire, Mastermind drawls, “The illusions have dropped, hero. You can let me out. Unless you’re going to do something." Then softer, "Like harm your own kind." As he hangs in the air, he squirms minimally, more as if to get comfortable rather than attempt to escape, but a faint trace of a smirk does not leave his face.

Mastermind adds d8 to the Doom Pool

Doom Pool: 5d6, 3d8, d12 +d8 = 5d6, 4d8, d12

"Just because we share a mutation doesn't make you my kind." Justice sneered at Mastermind.

He lift the man in the air pushing him toward Bishop and the rest of the X-men "...but you are right, I'll release you  to your own kind as you put it. I am sure they want to talk to you about what you did here."

Unceremoniously he drops the bonds so Mastermind would crash to the floor in front of Bishop. "He is all yours X-men."

Mastermind falls to the floor but stays there only a moment before he stands and brushes himself off. He does not flee, but keeps his eyes on Bishop and the others.

With the fires extinguished enough to call them conquered, the heroes have a moment to breathe and survey the destruction around them. The mansion, a source of majesty and pride to anyone who would have seen it even only this one time, lies in ruin. Half the foyer has been lost from the caving from the outside then the collapse from damage on the inside, and what had stood inside the place has been crushed, smashed, or burned. The skeleton holds but inside it is only wreckage as far as the eye can see. The ashen interior keeps out the sun and outside air, still sturdy enough to keep those inside in and those outside out. Corridors filled with thick, black smoke lead away from the central room where the heroes stand.

“Avengers! X-Men!” A figure appears down a hallway. The unmistakable colors of red, white, and blue glow like flares through the darkness of the smoke, with the man standing at action behind the shining, singular shield: Captain America, avenging defender of life and liberty. Once his call has the heroes’ attention, he points to a stairway near him leading down. “This way!”

Next Action: Any

Mastermind regards the heroes and Captain America with slender eyes as his sly smirk turns into a bemused grin. "If you're waiting for orders," he says with a chuckle. "That's probably it."

Mastermind adds d8 to the Doom Pool

Doom Pool: 5d6, 4d8, d12 +d8 = 5d6, 5d8, d12

The Captain.  There was a flash of recognition in Bishop eyes; even though the two have never met before.  But was it really him, or was it another one of the Mastermind's tricks?  There was no way for him to know - and the villain urging them onward to 'obey' the orders didn't help his situation much.

Turning back toward the mastermind, he set about on wiping that grin off his face in the only way he knew how:


Pummeling Mastermind in the face (physical attack)

Team 1d8
Uncompromising 1d8
Enhanced Strength 1d8
Combat Expert 1d8
Mastermind mental stress 1d10

Bishop rolled 3,8,2,8,3 using 1d8,1d8,1d8,1d8,1d10 with rolls of 3,8,2,8,3.  physical attack vs mastermind.

Result: 16, effect: 1d10
PP total: 2 + 0 = 2

This message was last edited by the player at 14:53, Mon 13 Aug 2018.

Justice watched amused as Bishop pummeled Mastermind, serve him right ... he thought before his thought returned to Captain... Captain America his idol since ever he could remember himself... but was it truly Cap or another illusion... just for the mistrust Mastermind sowed he deserved a good beating.

"ahm.. on our way Cap?" Justice voice stutter, he hated himself for having to disbelief his own hero but he could he trust his own eyes. He send an gentle nudge of force toward the first Avenger, nothing Cap should feel beside a slight breeze but with luck it was good enough to give Justice the information if this was the real Avenger or just another illusion.

OOC

INTENT: Try to find out if Captain America is real
POOL: Team (d10), Struggling Idealist (d4),  Telekinetic Mastery (D10),  Psyche Expert (d8),
ROLL:20:48, Today: Justice rolled 3,2,5,4 using 1d10,1d4,1d10,1d8 with rolls of 3,2,5,4.  Is Cap real?
TOTAL:9/D10/-
RESULT: ?

PP:2 +1 (Distinctions)=3

Mastermind says nothing more but still smiles away, a self-satisfied grin across his face. As Bishop turns and readies to assault the mutant, Iron Man, standing silently nearby, suddenly comes to life. "Wait -- " he cries, but his hesitation makes him too late to stop a train that has already left the station. The smile on Mastermind's face stays smugly bemused until the moment Bishop's fist connects with it.

Mastermind defends from Bishop's physical attack, Total: 16, Effect: d10 (msg #222):
Solo    d6
Master of Illusions (no use now)    d4
(step up Doom Pool die)

Mastermind rolled 4,3 using d6,d4 ((4,3)).

Total: 7, Effect: d4 (default)
Extraordinary Success steps acting Effect die up, to d12

Mastermind knocked out

KRAK! Bishop's fist connects as if there was no defense at all. The man's face caves under the blow and his body rocks back with blood arcing from the front of his head as he goes down. The villain crumples to the floor, propped up by an elbow. "She said -- he wouldn't -- " he garbles until the blood from his face hits the floor, then the rest of his body after it.

As Mastermind comes to an unconscious rest on the floor amid the wreckage of the mansion, his body shifts, the colors that makes up his image swirling then fading. This form dissipates, leaving instead the body of a young girl, perhaps in her 20s, with long, blonde hair and wearing a tight, black suit cut in a square up the middle of her chest. The crimson bubbles rising and popping from her face show that she's still breathing, and thus still alive, but she makes no further movement or comment.

Iron Man steps toward Bishop, with a hand up as if intending to halt him, then looks at the girl at their feet, then steps back, looks at Bishop, then says nothing.

Removing Den of Infernal Creatures Scene Distinction; returning d8 to Doom Pool

Doom Pool: 5d6, 5d8, d12 (-d6/+d8) +d8 = 4d6, 7d8, d12

Doom Pool (4d6, 7d8, d12) reaction to Justice's attempt to see through possible illusion, Total: 9, Effect: d10 (msg #223):
Justice    Physical Stress d10

Watcher rolled 5,5,3,2,1,2,3,4,7,4,2,5 using d6,d6,d6,d6,d8,d8,d8,d8,d8,d8,d8,d10 ((5,5,3,2,1,2,3,4,7,4,2,5)).

Total: 12, Effect: d8
1 Opportunity (available first to Justice)

Mastermind hits the ground clearly beaten and unconscious and the noble and honorable Captain America still stands at the end of the hallway amid the smoke, his impatience no abating. He swats at the air with his shield, reacting to the gentle force-wave that Justice sent his way, the living legend's lithe muscles moving under his chain mail like their own tiny miracles. With the threat gone, he turns back to his original position, pointing down the stairs. "Heroes! Hurry!" Possibly more real than any other person in the wrecked mansion. Clearly no illusion, Justice would have to think.

The fire was out and so was Mastermind... err whomever the girl was...

Justice looked around the destroyed manor, nothing in this place was what it looked like, things went downhill so much they were not probably lower than the subway tunnels... but Cap was here and he would make things right.

"Come on Cap is waiting." he called and flew toward the first Avenger.

Bishop grimaces when 'mastermind' turns out to be nothing but yet another illusion masking a young woman. There was a touch of remorse at what he's done, until he played back in his mind what the girl said just after he hammered her.  Something about having an accomplice, which meant she was probably far from innocent.

Leaving the unconscious woman behind him he joined up with who he wanted to believe was the Captain.  It didn't really matter at this point; he was quite willing to face the danger head on even if it proves to be another trick;  better than standing around doing nothing.

"Let's get this over with"

"How about a chance to breathe," Iceman complains, sliding after the other heroes.

Kurt, having BAMF'd back in once the wounded were all accounted for, seems a little confused as to what has occurred in his absence...but he falls in line with his fellow X-Men, confident they will fill him in when time allowed.

Carol feels a sense of calm seeing Cap arrive. It's always comforting to see one of her greatest inspirations enter the room, like the situation is truly under control.

"Wait...Cap. Is Wanda down there? Before all this mess happened, we were here to find her."

Carol turns to the X-Men present, Iceman and Nightcrawler.

"Is Wanda here? Have you guys been letting her stay here?"

"Yes!" Captain America exclaims. "The Scarlet Witch is down there and she's in great danger! Hurry!" The smoke from the extinguished fire makes a thick fog to walk through but Cap's shield and colors provide a beacon to make a way to him.

"Well, if that's the plan," She-Hulk says, "Then let's go." As the jade giantess strides toward Cap, Iron Man follows at her side, pulling wires from his armor's chest-plate and adjusting them as he walks.

Near the Captain is a hole in the floor reaching the width of the hallway, with the floor caved-in to provide a provisional ramp leading down. There is a basement beneath the ground floor on which the heroes stand, with the ramp leading into darkness. Iron Man looks through the smoke and down the ramp, then a beam comes from his chest, flickering on then off, then fully to life once he thumps his chest plate. (The X-Men are familiar with the basement level, though they usually take the elevator to get there.) The armored Avenger looks around at the other heroes. "I know it's your own house and we can't force you to go in there with us," he says, his voice edged with static. "But we would be in your debt if you could help us find our teammate, X-Men." And with that and with haste, he heads into the darkness, led by his light. She-Hulk cracks her knuckles and follows him.

Assuming everyone is going down the ramp, establish a marching order, in relation to She-Hulk and Iron Man.