Tony smiles, "Greetings fellow possible human wearing what is obviously a uniform. I'm Tony Stark and originally I was going to pretend to want a tour of the school to offer possible investment opportunities. "

He chuckles, "But now I'm just asking to please go see my friend Wanda and hopefully calm her down before her powers keep increasing the magnetic fields around the area and bend time and space so much that she generates a blackhole."

“Tony! It’s good to see you again. No need to be so formal.” He extends his hand to shake Iron Man’s and looks around at the  heroes assembled on the stoop. His gaze seems to pause on Black Cat, but her provocative costume could halt any heterosexual man. “Uh, I’m not sure about any powers or magnetic fields or black holes. But there’s no shortage of heat. Please, come inside. We can talk in there. It’s a bit warm out here.” He sweeps his arm toward the doorway, welcoming the heroes inside.

Now that the Widow has dealt with Ms. Marvel once again, she makes her way back to the group at the front door of the mansion. She stops and looks at Iron Man, waiting for him to enter the place before she does. “Better than breaking and entering,” she mutters. She looks up at the sky again, blinking away the sun.

Tony shakes his hand, gently of course, "For now lets stick with formal. Some of my spy friends noticed one of my friends come here and never leave. They are paranoid, and then outside the mansion are gravitational effects leading to time and heat distortions. So I'm a bit concerned I will have to start blasting up my godfather's mansion. And its a we bit early in the year for the annual rebuild."

Jennifer's eyes narrow. There was something wrong here. They'd gotten the cold shoulder at the gate, there was the static and gravimetrics Tony kept going on about, and now the laser-eye guy was all buddy buddy with Tony. Then there was the ominous warning that Quicksilver had given them...

She offers her hand to Cyclops. "Jennifer Walters. Tony's lawyer. Sort of. Is there something wrong with your gate?" she asks pointing with her thumb over her shoulder back towards where Happy was chilling with the limo. "We tried calling you from there, but didn't get an answer."

A brow arches visibly around Cyclops’s visor. “You’ve been spying on us?”

Natasha glares at Stark and hushes slightly. “These are the X-Men. We’ve fought beside them. We can trust them.”

Walters interrupts Cyclops’s visible suspicion. Cyclops turns to her and shakes her hand. “Ah, the famous She-Hulk. Though you don’t seem savage to me, ha ha, um, ahem.” He scratches his chin and changes his tone of voice back to serious. "Is the gate-buzzer on the fritz again? Sorry. It does that."

The Widow steps to the two, near the door. “Don’t mind him too much. I don’t think his personal air-conditioning is handling the weather.”

Cyclops returns to his original, friendly disposition. “Well, I can get to the bottom of the heat problem for you: It’s summer. It's a heat-wave everywhere. As for gravity,” Cyclops says as he looks up in the sky, tracking two birds chasing each other. “Looks like it’s working fine to me.” He turns back to Stark, though it’s hard to see what exactly he’s looking at through the visor. “As for a problem with time, I can’t speak to that.” He looks at his wrist. “But at the sound of the beep it will be 11:57. A.M." He smiles. "Any other science I can solve for you?”

Natasha looks back to Iron Man. “Don’t overthink it, Stark,” she says, hiding her voice slightly in a lower volume. “Let’s just find out if Wanda is here, find the Vision, apologize that he went in without asking, and get out of here. The sooner we do, the sooner you can get back to your godfather’s mansion, whatever that means.” She looks back to find Ms. Marvel, then, with Captain Marvel in tow, strides past Stark then Cyclops, and enters the mansion.

For those walking into the mansion or looking through the front door, a grand staircase leads up ahead of the foyer splitting into two walkways on the way to the second floor, and various rooms break off of the landing on the first floor. A coolness wafts from the inside, exposing a comfortable respite from the heat outside.

"I was just about to make some lemonade," Cyclops says, welcoming the heroes into the building. "Would anyone like some?"

The air hangs still. The sun shines down without restriction. A bird chirps in the distance.

Mysterious d8 added to Doom Pool

Doom Pool: 3d6, d8 +d8 = 3d6, 2d8

"Xavier's school is meant to be a sanctuary for mutants but our doors are open to humans in need as well. Everyone has something to give to the cause."

Cyclops walks past the foyer and to the left, talking as he walks, his voice carrying, as he goes through a doorway.

Every surface is so spotless and polished, even Moon Knight would have trouble finding dust. There do not even seem to be motes floating through the long sunbeams coming through the high windows. The stillness is almost disconcerting. The only breaking of silence on either side is the birds through the door outside on one, Cyclops pouring water on the other.

Mysterious d8 added to Doom Pool

Doom Pool: 3d6, 2d8 +d8 = 3d6, 3d8

Karla followed the others toward the door, remaining immaterial for the time being. She slipped inside even under the Widow's protest--no, surely because she knew it would peeve Natasha. The Russian was mistaken if she thought that, because she was trying to live right, that she was somehow willing to put up with abuse.

Ms. Marvel had no direct experience with the X-people, but it did not take a genius to see that things were too perfect.

"We're grateful for the hospitality," Karla poured on the charm, presenting subtle physical cues that mirrored Cyclops, "But we really must see Wanda. Please...indulge us." She then flashed a thousand-watt smile that made most men buckle, giving off nearly imperceptible glints of light as she snared the man's attention.

---

Pressing Stark's point for him, with a woman's touch. Inflicting mental stress to convince Cyke to show us to Wanda.

Team d8, Manipulative d8, Blinding Flash d6, Energy Blast d10 stepped up to d12, Psych Master 2d8
Dice Pool d12, 4d8, d6, rolled for 5,4,7,4,4,3.
Spending a PP to add a die.
Total 14, d12 effect, 0 opps.
0 PP remaining.

As the group makes their way into the mansion, the Black Widow takes Iron Man aside to talk for a moment.


They are interrupted by Cyclops walking out from the kitchen.

* Physical powers would not be available for a mental attack.
* A blinding attack would be more of an offensive assault, not a flash of a smile.
* Please note why a die is stepped up (i.e., “Energy Blast d10 stepped up to d12”).

Defending from Ms. Marvel's mental attack, Total: 14, Effect: d12 (msg #38):
Solo    d10
Grand, Stately Mansion    d8
Superhuman Stamina    d10
Psych Master    2d8
From Doom Pool (predicted)    d8

Cyclops rolled 5,2,10,2,7,4 using d10,d8,d10,d8,d8,d8 ((5,2,10,2,7,4)).

Total: 17, Effect: d10

Doom Pool: 3d6, 3d8 -d8 = 3d6, 2d8

Cyclops walks out holding a pitcher of iced lemonade and a stack of glasses. No one can see his eyes through his visor but upon hearing Ms. Marvel’s comments, he seems to wince. “There’s no need to be adversarial, Ms. Marvel.” At least he doesn’t have a problem with the name. “I can look up the records on your friend -- Wanda, was it? But the school is out for the summer, and I’m afraid I can’t give out any information that could break confidentiality. But there's no need to fight. We’re all allies here.” His smile comes back.

He stops in front of the Widow and Iron Man and pours her a glass, which she accepts. He starts to pour one for Stark as well. “Anyone else for lemonade?”

Please state if you are going into the mansion or purposely staying outside, preferably in the narrative. (Ms. Marvel and Captain Marvel are already noted to be inside.) Anyone not posting before the next Watcher post will default to being outside.

Tony pauses and nods, "Yeah...thats Scotty used to chase Marvel girl and pull her hair..." He takes the glass, "Capsicle's clone I'm gonna have a seat while I debug this all. I passed through something out there and its affecting me and the tech I'm linked to." He puts the glass to his forehead, "Could be residuals from a throw down with Magneto that my sensors picked up."

He pats Scott on the shoulder and walks into find a chair.


OOC:
PP: 2

I won't disagree that Energy Blast is a weird one to add. However, this comes from Moonstone's actual writeup in the Initiative book:

SFX - Dazzling Burst: When inflicting a "Blinded" complication or mental stress on a target, add a d6 and step up your Energy Blast die.

Please advise.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:27, Thu 22 Mar 2018.

Iron Man locates a lone chair nearby, like how in an old person's home they have seats arranged randomly, for when they can't make it all the way across the house. The chair looks like an antique, but if it was of great value it wouldn't be sitting out here in the open without a sign on it. It's comfortable enough. Next to it sits a tiny table with a flower in a small vase sitting atop it.

Cyclops makes his way to the back of the group and closes the front door, shutting out the heat bearing inside. "I can give you a tour of the school, if you like. Though you came at a bad time since there's no one else here today."

As if on cue, an unembodied scream erupts, at such a volume that the frames on the wall seem to rattle: "EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE -- ARGGGH!"

Instinctively, the heroes drop into defensive positions, searching quickly for the source of the scream, but while it certainly is not in this room or immediate vicinity, it seems to come from everywhere and nowhere at once.

When the the scream ends, the Black Widow catches it first: "That's -- "

Then, KRAK!

By the time the heroes have turned from locating the source of the scream to the sound of the sharp explosion in their midst, the Widow's body has hit the floor, like so much dead weight, where it stays, moving only to come to an inert rest.

The Vision steps back, looking around him, as if searching for the Widow’s attacker.

Communication devices -- those equipped outside of Avengers mission parameters -- had some kind of static interference upon entering the mansion, something that could be dismissed as a bad signal this far out in the country. But now they all screech with a deafening, high-pitched whine for a moment then go dead.

Ms. Marvel, Captain Marvel and Iron Man (inside) use the Team Affiliation (but separate from other group); Black Cat, Justice,and She-Hulk (outside) use the Team Affiliation (but separate from other group).

Vance felt very unease with the whole situation, the unbearing heat the silence it all made his gut turn to ice and raised the hairs on the back of his neck.

Then thee screamed followed by the attack on Widow, Justice just reacted taking into the air trying to spot whomever attacked them and pose a target as well. "I am going to try spot the assailant, if they attack me make sure to identify where they are hiding."

This is weird, the whole situation. But most of all, her memories. Carol knows that this the the same ground the mansion has always stood on, but the place has been rebuilt so many times that is only a "version" of the mansion she stayed at so many years ago. But, having been rebuilt with the memory of past mansions in mind, it's like a dream where you see something unfamiliar but your mind struggles to make it familiar. Maybe this is all a bad dream.

Carol doesn't say anything about Cyclops, though. As she takes in the strange/comforting environment in slight confusion and reverie, she realizes that Cyclops isn't acting as he usually does. The practiced professional and all-business attitude she associates with him isn't here. It's more like he's putting on a front after being told by Jean that he has to be more gregarious with others. Or just someone doing a bad imitation of Cyclops.

Then, that scream! It pulls Carol out of her drifting indulgence and snaps her into defensive mode. Arms splayed and hands glowing, eyes searching for trouble as her ears try to discover the direction of the scream.

KRAK!

Carol turns to see Widow on the ground. She shifts her senses to try to feel for energy she doesn't recognize.

"Hey!" Jen was just about to step over the threshold and into the house when the door slammed in her face. She hears Justice and Black Cat come up behind her and casts a quick look back to see who they are. She turns back around and is just reaching for the doorbell when they all hear the scream from inside.

"What the HELL is going on here?!" she asks. She was trying to play this one cool after going off half-cocked on the Wrecking Crew had ended... badly, and her suspicions about Widow. She was just about to go green when Justice took to the sky. That distraction was enough to remind her that Carol was in there, so maybe it wasn't quite time for that yet. She gives Cat a look, then motions up to the roof with her eyes. "Might be a good idea to find another way in. Just... be careful. We don't know what's really going on here."

+d8 to Doom Pool from Justice's Opportunities (posted privately)

Doom Pool (3d6, 2d8) reaction to Justice's attempt to create Spot the Attacker Asset, Total: 14, Effect: d4 (msg #45; posted privately):

Watcher rolled 1,4,6,2,4 using d6,d6,d6,d8,d8 ((1,4,6,2,4)).

Total: 10, Effect: d8
Higher reacting Effect die steps acting Effect down, to 0

Attempt fails
1 Opportunity (available first to Justice)

Doom Pool: 3d6, 2d8 +d8 = 3d6, 3d8



The front door shuts, separating the group of heroes: Black Widow, Captain Marvel, Ms. Marvel, and Iron Man on the inside; Jen Walters, Justice, and Black Cat on the outside. It could be surmised that it was only on accident that Cyclops left a number of the heroes outside as much as he intended to divide the group, but regardless, the big, heavy door is shut, and firmly.

Justice happened to be standing on the lawn in a spot that afforded a look into the foyer of the mansion, where the heroes had entered and were talking. As the young hero bettered his position by taking flight, he saw Cyclops emerge from the kitchen with a pitcher of what looked like delicious refreshment, then the mutant leader disappeared into the side of the window pane. For just a moment there was no activity, then the Black Widow fell from that side in an arc across the pane then out of sight to him under it. Then a moment later a figure appears from the side of the pane but instead of Cyclops it is the Vision.

Inside, the glass once in the Widow's hand rolls across the floor to stop at Captain Marvel's foot, bringing her out of a reverie while she decides what to do. The receptacle leaves a trail behind it, spilling out the lemonade offered by Cyclops. As the liquid settles on the floor, it begins to smoke and sizzle quietly, eating into the surface beneath it.

Outside, before Walters is able to transform into her alter-ego, the ground starts rumbling.

Ms. Marvel shimmers in pale white light, her feet lifting from the ground as she floats up by a foot. The beautiful blonde spins around to take in their environment, quick to defend if she spots any sign of direct attack. "Rings of Hala!" Karla exclaims, then nearly reaches for her own mouth in shock. Why would she ever say that phrase?, she wondered, but for now was willing to skip the self analysis. She recovered, "What the hell is going on?"

Justice eyes went wide, how did the Widow get inside? and what was going over there.

Tendril of white blue force surrounded him as he pushed himself higher so he would have the height advantage.

"I am going to slam that door open..." he shouted to the people below. A certain level of calm took him as he focused his mind. The tendrils of light around him manifestation of his will shape themselves around him into a protective cocoon, he knew he would probably get beretaed later by Widow for acting rash and recklessly but that would be later.

Than without another thought before he would lose his nerve he dived down toward the door using his force field as a battering ram.

OOC:
Spend 1 PP to use Opportunity - create asset height advantage D8
Gain +1PP (from distinction)
Spend +1PP to add 3 dice into score
Score 13 (5+4+4)
Effect: D10


1 PP

Doom Pool (3d6, 3d8) reaction to Justice's attempt to become battering ram, Total: 13, Effect: d10:

Watcher rolled 5,4,2,2,8,7 using d6,d6,d6,d8,d8,d8 ((5,4,2,2,8,7)).

Total: 15, Effect: d8

Attack against door fails

Just before Justice makes an impact against the door, he remembers that the Black Widow and Iron Man engaged Cyclops, who met them at the door after opening it, in conversation, then followed him inside, with Marvels Ms. and Captain following, then Cyclops closing the door, separating the group, leaving the others outside, whether he meant to or not.

The memory does not sit at the fore-front of his thoughts for long until the young hero in his force field slams against the front door then bounces right off it -- BRAK! -- staggering back with all the force with which he attacked it. The door stands just as it was, unaffected, with not a scratch of harm. One might think it odd that a door to a school should be so fortified.

Rising after the attempt on the door, Justice is not steady on his feet for long until the rumbling starting at the far end of the spacious yard catches up to him and manifests as a full tremor. His compatriots outside feel it too and must also make a minor struggle to stay on their feet.

RRRrrrrrrrrrmmmbbbBBBLLLLLL...

Inside, Ms. Marvel spins around to realize there are no signs of aggression against her or the heroes she stands among. The mansion still sits, the air still hangs, and the liquid is eating into the floor at the assemblage's feet.



The Vision steps back slowly, palms out, his head turning back and forth as if in search. The Black Widow lies prone on the floor beneath him and, possibly, his notice.

Inside, a rumbling from outside can be heard then felt, something that causes the floors to vibrate then creak slightly. It becomes loud enough to overcome the sound of the liquid sizzling on the floor. As the heroes look around and at each other to try to figure out what is going on, the Vision takes another slow step back.

Outside, the rumbling continues, becoming louder.

"What the hell is happening?" asked Ms. Marvel sharply. The low, dull ache crept into her head and writhed against her temples. She wondered to herself if this was stress-related, or brought about by some unforseen external force.

Either way, Karla flashed her powers, letting energy pour from her hands like brilliant fonts of power. "Stark? Danvers? What's our next move?"

I'll take d6 Mental Stress for a PP.

Current PP: 1

"That's it." Jennifer declares as the rumbling grows. She starts disrobing, carefully folding and stowing the borrowed (and expensive!) suit in a corner near the door. As she does, she racks her brain for some mutant with earthquake powers but comes up blank. Mutants weren't her normal group of villains - they tended to fight with each other.

She looks up to Vance, "Don't worry about inside. They can take care of themselves. See if you can figure out what this rumbling is all about. Do you know of any mutants with earthquake powers?"

I as a player have someone in mind, but I don't think She-hulk would think of someone that obscure.

Tony rubs at his temple and tosses the glass to the side, "Ohhhhhh. It is that time of the month! I get to be here to help with a mansion destructione event!"

He roll his neck and then his helmet starts reforming, "Secure Widow and create a exit strategy. Vision scout full intangilibty but stay hidden. Not alot of groups that like magnetic flux fields and earthquakes that are good guys." He turns his head back towards Cyclops his palms up ready to fire, "Okay last chance before we have to exchange highly destructive excited light particles. Take us to Wanda."


OOC:
Intimidation attempt

15/d4/ 1 Opp

Team d8, Cutting Edge Tech d8,
16:57, Today: Iron Man rolled 1,5 using d8,d8 with rolls of 1,5.  poor intimidation check.

PP:2

This message was last edited by the player at 00:29, Sun 01 Apr 2018.