The man in the Captain America mask looks up at Bishop through cut-out eye-holes but doesn't need to say anything to display an annoyed reaction to being stopped. There might even be a sneer before he turns to keep walking.

She-Hulk steps up to the mutant. "They might be going," she says, pointing away but in the same direction as where the masses seem to be walking. If the time of day is afternoon, it would be east. "That way. But..." her green face twists into frustration. "A parade might be celebrating Cap more than the Avengers these days." She puts her mighty hands on her mighty hips. "We've gotten drubbed in the media lately. Sorry about that," she finishes quietly.

With nothing else to do (or at least nothing that made much sense), Hank continued after the crowd of Cap-cosplayers. He flew high enough over them to avoid most notice, and to see up ahead of the crowd.

"I have a proposition..." X-51 states with a look on annoyance as he retracts his shoulder-antenna. "I am not running optimally and am in need of a serious upgrade. Since we are in New York...where this temporal distortion initially took place...I can maintain satellite communications, so I will not be unreachable, but I would like to return to the place where it began for me...well, me and Spider-Man - The Avenger's Tower. Perhaps Mr. Stark may have some understanding regarding what has transpired...not to mention help replace this arm, eye, flux capacitor..."

X-51 seems rattle on regarding various parts, before stopping abruptly. "My apologies, the proposition - the underground SHIELD bunker is not far from our current location. Perhaps heading back to that location may bring new light, so to speak, to our current conundrum."
This message was last edited by the player at 18:57, Fri 14 Jan 2022.

"What's media?" Bishop furrowed his eyebrows, trying to understand what the She-Hulk what talking about.  The word was archaic; he's never known anyone to use it before.
He didn't really get an answer to his question though.  He already knew the people were going 'that way'.  He wanted to know why.   Well, guess he'll find out soon enough

"I'm following them.  See what this whole thing is about"

"The S.H.I.E.L.D. bunker, eh?" Danny replied to Machine Man, nodding his head. "Yeah, we might find some answers there. I'll go check it out."

If there was a need to split up, so much the better. He felt like he needed some time away from the team to clear his head. "Anyone else coming along?"

Assuming we can "divide and conquer" here, I wouldn't mind taking one Buddy along, to help me hit my IMMORTAL WEAPON milestones.

"That bunker isn't far if you consider going all the way into Brooklyn 'not far'," She-Hulk says with a sneer. "But in this traffic you won't get there before dark," which may or may not be true or sarcasm. "But it'd be a lot easier if your plan is going to the Avengers Tower," she says, casually pointing a finger at the stately building only a few blocks away, hidden until now when anyone might move half a block to reveal it from behind another building. It stands stately and elegant in the afternoon sun, reflecting light regally from its gleaming exterior. Among the skyscrapers in Manhattan, it regularly stands as the most modern and breathtaking.

Below it, city-goers in red, white & blue garb mull about in thickening crowds. Somewhere a few streets away a high school band blares off-key, hopefully just warming up, but it's a duller sound here.

The winsome Wasp has been flitting around in the hot air and she finally pipes up. "The Tower is still there, so Ka-Rang's prediction obviously didn't come true." Her voice is weary but a smile comes through. "Not the first time Ol' Blue Face has been up a tree."

The time-displaced Deadpool looks around, under a parked car, behind a bush, to the side of a over-full trash can. "מישהו רואה את המעניש? אני לא יודע אם אני צריך להירגע או לפחד יותר כשהוא לא כאן ממש מולנו."

Taskmaster shrugs then turns to face a particular hero. "Y'all are being either too confident or too stupid to not know or care that there's a traitor in your midst."


"Not a bad plan, Fisto," Spider-Man says, walking upside down under the lamppost toward where the heroes have collected on the sidewalk. "I can pick up Brooklyn on my way -- ARGGGHHH!" He convulses and falls from the light, then turns his back arching painfully into a flip to land on his feet, almost gracefully. "My head! My spider-sense has never -- " he says just ahead of the first rumble, only a half-second warning ahead of the explosion from the Avengers Tower, once stately and elegant just a few blocks away, now bursting into pieces in a hellacious fury as it all blows outward to violently scatter what that it was all over the city! Ka-BLAMKSSSHHH!


This message was last edited by the GM at 08:37, Fri 21 Jan 2022.

"C'mon, Jen, from here to Brooklyn is what, two hops and a skip for you? Scoop me up, if you want-- I'm light as a feather."

Kidding (and flirting?) aside, Danny had a few creative ideas for how he might quickly reach the bunker. Now that he was back in the right place and time, he no doubt had regained access to all his Rand Enterprises resources. He could call himself a private cab... or helicopter, if he wanted. He just needed to find a phone.

But when Spidey seemed keen to join him, he also relished the thought of traveling through the city using sheer acrobatics. Sure, his punching muscles had gotten plenty of use in that strange future, but his acrobatic skills had been rather neglected. He'd been too busy fighting to stay alive to enjoy the thrill of movement-- of flowing effortlessly through his environment. But being back in the NYC he knew and loved, he was feeling more like his usual self. He was alive, dammit, and he was home, and his body needed to be reminded of it.

"Race you there, Spi--"

When his ears eventually stopped ringing, and he could confirm his body was still in one piece, Danny could think of only one expletive that could suit the situation. And since the guy who usually said it wasn't around, it fell squarely to him:

"SWEET CHRISTMAS!!"
This message was last edited by the player at 03:52, Wed 19 Jan 2022.

As the echoes from the explosion reverberate throughout the area, X-51 simply pauses momentarily. While having assistance regarding this matter would be more than helpful, X-51's intended to head to a location formerly known as Avenger's Tower where enough power was put on display to literally blow up a building. X-51 wasn't exactly comfortable with the idea offering a lift to an organic that may not be as tough as the Avenger's Tower along for the ride. X-51 wants to save lives, not put them in jeopardy...though organics like Spider-Man tend to just web his exterior and hitch a ride nonetheless. She-Hulk would be a viable asset, but she can leap a country mile...so offering her a lift wouldn't be efficient.

Machine-Man abruptly states in a flat droning tone loud enough to be heard throughout a shopping mall, "Organic life in jeopardy. Condition of Mr. Stark: Unknown. Initiating course to Avenger's Tower...mind your feet."

Machine-Man's legs once again produce ducted vents while his feet become scoops housing powerful thrusters before rocketing skyward leaving a foul smelling trail of smoke in his wake!
This message was last edited by the player at 19:17, Sun 23 Jan 2022.

Venom shrieks as the noise hits him, dropping to the ground the symbiote writhes, "DIE FEED". A very unhealthy-looking Mac is seen occasionally within the mass, "CALM DOWN!"

A few seconds later the mass settles back into the muscular Venom everyone has been around recently, "Sorry." And shoots a web to swing towards the explosion, "We have to reassure them! Make them comfortable around us! No time! If villians attacking then there are minons to snack on! I'm straving!"

As he extends a hand to the shaken Spidey, Danny remembers something Taskmaster had said right before the explosion. Danny had taken it for typical supervillain posturing at the time, or maybe he'd just been too distracted to pay him any mind. But Masters had said something about a traitor in the team's midst. He turns, scowling, to the assassin. If he hears Machine Man's invitation to climb aboard, he doesn't answer, instead keeping his attention on the white-robed villain he's long distrusted.

"What did you know about this? What did you do?"

Taskmaster had been looking at the Avengers Tower with the same shock and surprise as the rest of the assembled heroes, but with Iron Fist's sudden and insistent accusation, he snaps back to reality. "Know about what? And why do you assume it's something I did? I was locked up until we got taken on that vacay into the apocalypse that Kerrang said you mighta caused." Somehow he relaxes, and shifts his weight to the other hip. "And do you really think it's more important to argue with me when your Hall of Justice is blowing the heck up?" He looks past Iron Fist again. "Not my fault that you wanted to ignore the foxes in your henhouse, Van Damme."

Shang-Chi's eyes are so exhausted they seem like bowls in his head, yet he picks himself up again. "We have to get over there! Who could have been in that building?"

A kid wearing a full-body Captain America costume, including a shield almost bigger than he is, looks up at the heroes but he says nothing.

Spider-Man recovers to be able to stand again though he's still holding his head. "Yeah, that's the kind of thing that a Spider-Sense is made for." He looks up for building corners. "Though a warning doesn't do much good when it's a whole friggin' building blowing up!"

The Wasp seems to suddenly appear when she abruptly shoots to full size -- her body shaking, her face white, her eyes wide. "What he said..." she mutters in a shocked daze. "It's... happening..."

She-Hulk whips around in a fury. "We have to get up there! Now! Sooner than now!" She looks around quickly and cracks her knuckles. "Okay -- who needs a lift?"

Now that looked more familiar.  The ruin that used to be Avengers tower still graced the dark skyline of the future, along the other skeletal remains of Manhattan's skyscrapers.  Does that mean that the future is preordained?  That there was nothing he could do to stop it?

He wasn't quite sure what he was supposed to do, and if there was even a point to it all.

Remember the mission

They didn't pick him because he was the smartest, or the strongest.  But he was definitely the most stubborn of them all.  bull headed, even.

"I'll meet you there"
And without waiting for a response, he started sprinting toward the tower

Hank was taken aback by the explosion and was slow to react. But when he did react, he was a blur. The newspaper dropped forgotten into the gutter as the insect-sized Yellowjacket buzzed his way down the street at top speed. He gained altitude, heading for the upper floors. (Those that were still there, anyway.) Someone needed to look for survivors.

"What Bishop said," Danny nodded toward She-Hulk, keeping his eyes on Taskmaster. "You all can help them better than I can. Get as many out as you can, and I'll catch up with all of you, soon as I'm done here." The sudden hardness in the Fist's voice left no room for debate. It was the cold, emotionless tone he took on when he was gearing up for a fight.

"Locked up." Yeah, that was a good alibi... and one Danny had heard from countless villains, time and again. He didn't trust Tony Masters, of all people, to be telling the truth. And he certainly didn't expect him to give aid to whoever was in that exploding Tower. More likely the mercenary would jackrabbit the second the heroes ran off to help. Hell, he was probably counting on it.

No, the Iron Fist wasn't going to let this villain out of his sight until he gave up what he knew. So as he helped Spidey to his feet, Danny gripped the web-slinger's shoulder to signal he wanted him to stay put. He leaned in, dropping his voice to a low whisper:

"Masters knows something. Web him up for us, will you?"

If he and his partner could capture the would-be escapee quickly, they could go and help the others that much faster. Danny rounded on Taskmaster, walking toward him slowly. He hoped the villain would keep his attention squarely on the Fist, figuring the other heroes had all departed... and not notice Spidey behind him, until it was too late.

"Who is this traitor? Talk."

I'll roll for a "Sneak Attack" asset, once I see dice rolls are available.

En route from Astoria Queens - and what had begun as a pleasantly relaxing day - a soaring, ebon clad figure was just in time to see the tower go *KA-BOOM!*

She wasn't too often shocked.  Events that freaked or flapped others eliciting only a blasé, cynical or snide remark from her.

But as the blast rang out, a single name rang inside her head.   That of the same man whose coded, comical message had prompted her to speed straightaway to this location:

Clint!   

Ms. Marvel - aka Dr. Karla Sofen - didn't pause to analyze or think as she so often did.  No; she sped straight for the tower, seeking an optimal entry by which to find Hawkeye as swiftly as possible, if he was in fact in there...

If any part of the tower seems a more likely location to find Clint (such as his quarters, training room, rec room, etc.) then Karla will enter as close to that area as possible.  Or if he's just more likely to be on certain levels than others, she'll start with one of those.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:08, Thu 27 Jan 2022.

Bishop makes a good pace even through the patriots assembled and assembling until he reaches a cross-street where the crowd thickens into a solid wall before a towering parade float fills the avenue with citizens and compacted flowers and inflated flags, towering American patriotism over the block and reaching as far as anyone can see down both sides of the street.

Shang-Chi climbs on to She-Hulk's back, and the jade giantess pauses for anyone else who wants to get on.

Taskmaster perfectly mirrors the motions Iron Fist makes as the hero approaches the villain. Even the rising of his body as he breathes or twitches imperceptibly with body tics. It isn't until Iron Fist is within striking distance from the villain that he can see that Spider-Man isn't behind him. "You know," Taskmaster says, breaking the mirrored action and relaxing back on his heels. "I studied you for a better fighting technique. It was perfect... until I made it even better." The smirk isn't visible under the mask but the snicker is audible.

Spider-Man is back at the intersection where they appeared, facing the other way before quickly glancing back at Iron Fist. "Hey, Fist," the web-head says. "We got bigger fish to fry. Some shrimp and crabs, too. Maybe some lobster. Lots of lobster." Looking at Spidey frames him with the Avengers Tower falling apart in the distance.

Bishop couldn't believe how blasé New-Yorkers are.  No wonder they all went extinct in the future.  Avenger Tower just exploded.  It was barely a few blocks away; it was impossible to miss it going up in flames,  unless you were both deaf and blind.  Yet, people went on as if nothing happened.  Nobody cleared the streets.  Even the parade was still marching!!!

Grunting about the stupidity of mankind, he started elbowing his way through the crowd, as gently as the beefy giant could manage.

"Hmph," Danny grunted by way of reply to Spider-Man. He'd said all he needed to already. Once he was finished here, the Iron Fist fully intended to catch up to the others and assist whoever was in that Tower. But if he let this opportunity escape him, he knew the team might never get the answer to the question that had just become alarmingly urgent:

Who had betrayed the Avengers?

Danny knew Masters was goading him. Dangling the information right in front of his face, just to toy with him. And dammit, it was working. With everything the Iron Fist had been through recently, he had good reason to be on edge. Now that he and the others had finally made it back to the NYC they knew and loved, the cruel whims of fate were upending their lives yet again. Danny wanted-- needed-- to feel some sense of control over what was happening. And so he took the bait, reaching out to grab Taskmaster by the hem of his cloak.

"Bring it, Masters," he growled, raising his other fist.

Peter didn't wait for Danny. There just wasn't time when people were in danger. Instead, he fired a web line and swung away from the stand off between the Fist of Iron and the Master of Tasks. Swinging from building to building, rapidly gathering momentum, all Peter could do was think about the destruction waiting ahead. Was it an attack? Was it an accident? Or was it maybe a trap? If someone wanted to draw out some of New York's crime fighting community, instigating some impromptu renovations on Avengers Tower was an easy way to do it.

Fires burned and smoke rolled from the scene of chaos ahead. Shards of broken glass and debris lay everywhere. Car and fire alarms beeped and wooped in mad harmony with the sirens of emergency vehicles rushing to the area. The air was heavy with the scent of smoke and the shouts of fleeing citizens. "It's like the mayor's office in an election year," Peter muttered to himself as he launched from a web towards what remained of the headquarters of Earth's Mightiest Heroes.

The parade blocking Bishop gradually halts as each participant shortly gives up what they’re doing to look up at the Tower, hopefully far enough in the distance to not be a danger, but also overwhelmed with the incredulity of it. Even when New Yorkers see this event regularly (and just did recently with the fight in Mid-Town, and just before that the battle at the fish market on the east side), to see the Avengers Tower going up is stupefying. If the Tower is a symbol above all of how this city if not this world is protected, how that safety is abruptly endangered is a sudden cause of terrified paralysis.

Taskmaster looks past Iron Fist at the allies retreating. Even Spider-Man has left the warrior of K'un-Lun. After a moment, Taskmaster blinks back and looks at the hero, his arms resigned, as if he’s waiting for a bus. “‘Ain’t a fight unless you throw a punch, big boy,” he says.

The one hero that stayed has been far to small to see until she grows to the size of a large orange. “You really want to have this fight here and now?” the Wasp says as she buzzes around Iron Fist’s head. “As an Avenger I'm asking you if you could help us out instead of fighting him. Pretty pretty pretty please,” she pleads.

When each fighter continues to stare each other down instead of moving, she continues. “Come on, guys. You can fight later. I'll even help. Pleeease?”

She stops in mid-air, wings flapping too fast to see, awaiting an answer. Then finally, “Okay. We’ll do it this way. Taskmaster, you’re a mercenary, right? You want money? There’s Stark money if you help us out. Fist, just bring him with us!”

Taskmaster finally perks up. “Stark money,” he drawls. Then shrugs, seemingly dropping all defenses. Seemingly.

When no one brings up the fact that this Deadpool that came back is entirely time-displaced and shouldn’t be here, he slinks quietly into the background. "מי שמשתמש במילה "אקסלסיור" בפוסט הבא שלו מקבל נקודת עלילה אחת בחינם (סה"כ 6 אם כבר הגיע למקסימום)."

As they swing Mac notices something out of the corner of a street, "Hey I met a classy lady in that bar back there. No classy lady would be seen with you! What I was handsome before JJ's backstabbing me! Look into my memories of the Excellisor hotel! That classy lady thought you were a waiter that isn't a meeting.."

Venom sticks to a building, "Nothing is wrong with being a waiter! Best job to spy on rich customers! This is not important! Minons are needing to be eaten!" And the two swing towards the Avengers tower again.

"Be happy to," the Fist replied to Janet, letting go of Masters' cloak while he turned as if to follow the others toward the Tower. Then he dropped low and spun on the ball of one foot, letting his other leg whip toward Taskmaster's boots...

KUNLUNQUAN STYLE: "WHIRLING WIND OF EXCELSIOR."

"...Once he's unconscious," Danny added, mid-rotation. The double leg-sweep was so sudden and fluid, an ordinary opponent would be dropped instantly. But he knew the Taskmaster was no ordinary opponent.

Attempt to create "Sweep The Legs" complication on Taskmaster.

Buddy d10
Young Dragon d4 (Picking a fight mid-crisis)
Enhanced Strength d8
Combat Master 2d8

21:11, Today: Iron Fist rolled 4,3,8,6,3 using 1d10,1d4,1d8,1d8,1d8 with rolls of 4,3,8,6,3.  Danny taking a swipe at Taskmaster.

Total: 14
Effect: d10
Opportunities: 0
PP's: 2

Since the Wasp has subsequently left, Iron Fist's Affiliation is Solo

Defend from Iron Fist's attempt to create Sweep The Legs Complication, Total: 14, Effect: d10 (msg #582):
Solo    d8
Villainous Mercenary (distracted by more important and calamitous events elsewhere)   d4
(step up Doom Pool die)
Enhanced Reflexes    d8
Acrobatic Master    2d8
Iron Fist Mental Stress    d10

Taskmaster rolled 8,2,3,4,1 using d8,d4,d8,d8,d10 ((8,2,3,4,1)).

Spend d8 from Doom Pool to add third die to Total

Total: 15, Effect: d4

1 Opportunity (available first to Iron Fist)

Taskmaster jumps over Iron Fist's furious leg like he was skipping the laziest rope. When he lands, his posture is no different than when he made the easy jump. His attention, before and after, is past Iron Fist and to the Avengers Tower coming apart in the distance.

"Dumb punk," he says, starting toward the Tower, giving Iron Fist a berth just enough outside arm's reach. "If there's Stark money involved then I'm gonna put off the twenty seconds it's gonna take to knock your teeth out." When his next utterance is more a mutter than calling back -- "You can cower back here. I'm gonna see what's going on with the real heroes" -- Iron Fist is facing his back.

Attempt to create Taskmaster Escaping Unnecessary Fight Complication on Iron Fist:
Solo    d8
Villainous Mercenary (risks running away from a fight for money)   d4
(step up Doom Pool die)
Enhanced Reflexes    d8
Acrobatic Master    d10
Iron Fist Mental Stress    d10

Taskmaster rolled 8,2,4,6,7 using d8,d4,d8,d10,d10 ((8,2,4,6,7)).

Total: 15, Effect: d10

If the creation of the Complication succeeds, it can be added to a dice pool along with Stress (but will only be available in a fight between Taskmaster and Iron Fist).

Doom Pool: d6,d8 (-d6/+d8) -d8 (-d8/+d10)  = d10

Reaction Needed: Iron Fist
This message was last edited by the player at 04:23, Sat 19 Feb 2022.

The heroes make their way along the New York streets -- around the crowds, circumventing the parades zig-zagging along the thoroughfares, through the thick, hot summer air --  the few blocks to the dramatically crumbling Avengers Tower. While Iron Fist is not among their number, another combatant, in Ms. Marvel’s sash-and-swimsuit togs, comes from the direction on the other side of the dramatically erupting building.

At first look it seems to be only slim fortune that the Tower is imploding, with its top half -- a total of dozens of floors -- falling into itself, not outward, so damage to surrounding structures is minimal. But the harm to the building seems to double for it, caving from the top and toppling into its center, clashing well into its heart, possibly not even ending, from a view from the outside. The sound is deafening, a crushing and crashing of metal and glass and the filling of a modern, New York skyscraper, all of it colliding into each other, tons upon tons of material pressing into each other as a helpless victim to destruction and gravity. Still its structure holds (a testament to the architectural genius of its builder), an enormous, boxy skeleton holding vainly to its promise to stay erect and touch the sky even when its inside are compromised and left to no mercy from science, but certainly its inside is hollow, as what had been held within those floors has erupted from its interior and now crashes downward with all destruction.

Please include in your next post (possibly the last in this chapter) your current PP total.