Punching Bag @ Hoffman Research

Hoffman Research has a manufacturing plant outside of the city, in the Bethlehem Heights region.  Offices and R&D labs are on the 12th and 14th floors of the Eagle Street Tower, a 20-story L-shaped office building that holds a number of other technical and legal firms and an underground parking structure.

Punching Bag was met at the elevator on the twelfth floor by  Dr John Ford, the president of Hoffman Research.  He was a balding fat man in his late fifties with absolutely no hair--not even eyebrows.  But he had, if anything, a fashion sense that says he knew how to present a powerful figure.  Not in the same manner as Punching bag, of course.   He has a healthy complexion though and talks with an animated face and wild-movements of his arms.

Ford has been working for the last six years on a targeted cell irradiator/repairer that can reverse and cure the effects of some cancers, several of which are often impossible to remove with surgery due to their location in the body. The prototype of the machine takes up two rooms and is a mad tangle of wires and circuitry.  The component that his team was perfecting was the size of a desktop PC.

The five labs involves had a sort of running gentleman's bet over who could reap the most bang for the buck while not compromising on function or efficiency.   Once each piece is completed, a second round of testing can begin.

One part of this machine was stolen from Smithfield Medical in Jadetown.  It had been completed two weeks prior, and after it passed a series of final tests it had been crated up for shipment to MarsTech corporate for assembly. The night before it would have been sent out, however, someone stole it.  The company reported the theft to the police, and quickly rushed the production of a replacement a few days later.

Of the two remaining pieces, one is complete, the other is in final stages of production.

Ford--and the heads of the other labs--had all seen the footage of the University break-in.  He seemed vaguely put off that Alice hadn't seen the efficiency of waiting until the components were all gathered in one place.  Performing five separate thefts seemed like grandstanding to him.

All the components are being gathered and shipped to MarsTech Head-Quarters for integration testing.  The Neutrophin Accelerator was just about done  All that remained were cosmetic modifications and final testing.

The final piece is at Centerville Biomedical, but hasn’t been finished yet due to some delays.


Ford intends to keep the Neurotrophin Accelerator component in his highest-security lab until it is time to send it to MarsTech Labs.   He is currently the only person with access to this lab, and it has no windows.

Dr. Ford sees no reason to hang around the building all night, confident in his security, since biological or chemical agents will not affect his robots.



Hoffman Research has an advanced security system. The doors operate by keycard, while sensitive areas also have biometric handscanner.  Punching bag can be let into the high-security lab, if he wants, but should he leave the lab for any reason, he won't be able to get back in.

There are a number of high-performance patrol robots rolling about the corridors at night. There are 16 spider-like robots, which can move between the two floors.  They are little more than 6" x 6" spheres n spider-legs, but each appear equipped with surveillance cameras and a taser. The robots can enter any room that requires a card at any time, and can enter all sensitive areas if a non-authorized person is detected.

Finally, the building has an armed guard security presence, one in reception all through the night, one in surveillance and three roaming the building, overseeing cleaning staff, etc.


Where do you go from here?   Any questions for Ford?

Punching was impressed with all the security measures and they certainly would work no problem if they were dealing with a normal person. PB was polite enough to the man and even complimented his his suit. The brawler would also speak highly of the security in place. I didn’t hurt anything to boost the man’s ego and get on his good side. Then came the questions. “It all is pretty amazing, but I do have some questions and concerns that really only come up because of who we’re dealing with. She’s supposedly a tech wiz. I am obviously not. Most of your actual security is robots and security systems. Your regular security guards don’t stand a chance, so we can immediately disregard them. Here are my concerns. I assume that I will be allowed to stand near the component, but if anything happens that requires I leave the lab like a hostage or disaster situation, I won’t be able to get back in. The obvious move would be to lure me out of the room and steal the component. I don’t feel like she would chance a face to face confrontation with me. More likely she will just hack your robots to get into the room and steal the component since they have access to literally everything while she sends the rest to keep me busy. Your cameras will either be hacked or fooled by here powers. The best alternative would be for me to have access to get back into the lab and ability to shut down the robots if need be to prevent them being hacked, attacking me, or stealing the component. I say this with no intention of insulting your security, but rather ensuring that the reputation of your security isn’t compromised.”

Ford stopped abruptly at Punching Bag's immediate discounting of the site's security team.  He raised eyebrows, but let Punching bag continue, his countenance growing slowly darker as the blood rose to his face.

"It is my understanding that the young woman who robbed Doctor Fujitsu is something of a psychic.   Proficiency in technology wasn't mentioned by the police."  He is brow furrowed further.

Was the statement that Alice is a tech-whiz a belief held by Punching Bag or is he trying to sway Doctor Ford?   If the former, okay, we run with it...  If the latter, then please roll Deception(bluffing) vs DC19.  Ford is pretty sharp.

"Well, Thank-you for your tactical assessment.   Unrestricted access is simply out of the question."  Ford said after a moment.   "It opens the door to simply too many variables.   I prefer that you stay outside of the lab entirely, but this Rosales woman assured me that you ere qualified for this kind of situation."

Eva Rosales, your Aegis coordinator

Your name is Punching Bag, yes?   I presume that that means you can take a hit.   If I need a hammer, you're sure to be very valuable.  But this is delicate work.  You just being in the room with it will require me to recalibrate it tomorrow."  Ford said, pacing his words carefully.

There's only one way into the lab.    Ford pointed out.  If this woman actually manages to steal the component, she'd need a neutral-magnetic micrometer gauge to calibrate it again.  There's only, maybe, five places in town with the appropriate set-up.  And don't get me stared on where she's going to find a sufficient quantity of neurotrophin baseline stabilizers."
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:28, Thu 30 July 2020.

“I was informed that she is very tech savvy. Considering that if it is her, she is escaping a maximum security prison, performing robberies, and getting back to her cell without anyone knowing she was ever gone. It takes at least some skill in technology to fool sensors and systems that well consistently. We also cannot rule out that the perpetrator is a copycat with a completely different set of skills including machine manipulation or teleportation which would render most measures of keeping her out moot. I assure you that I will be as delicate as I can.”He crossed his arms.

He firmly believes that she might’ve able to do what he claims or that a copycat could.

All right.  Ford isn't buying it.

John Ford holds an Unfavorable position towards giving anyone unfettered access to the lab, but himself.

Please Roll persuasion vs DC15 to try to change his attitude.

From the Hero's Handbook:
Success improves Ford's attitude by one step, Every two additional degrees of success improve it by another step (so two steps at three degrees, three steps at five degrees, and so forth). Failure means no change, and more than a degree of failure worsens Ford's Stance.  In the case of a hostile subject, they may outright attack or otherwise interfere with you if their attitude worsens.

Persuading someone is at least a standard action, usually quite a bit longer. The GM decides if you can persuade at all once a conflict has broken out! Even if the initial check succeeds, the other character can only be persuaded so far; you can try again in the same scene, but you check against the subject’s initial attitude, and may end up worsening it rather than improving it!

22:41, Today: Punching Bag rolled 18 using 1d20-1.  DC 15 Persuasion .

Holy crap it actually worked lol

Heh.  Bet you were worried with not having any persuasion skill...

You sucesfully moved Ford's attitude from staunchly unfavorable to mildly indifferent.      Probably because he's tired of arguing about it and just wants to leave.     He will give you access to the room, but he will hold you personally responsible should anything go missing or get destroyed because you decided to go fight in the lab when the fight could just as easily be taken outside...  There are millions of dollars worth of research and--more importantly--years of experimentation of investigation invested in this room....  And if you ham-handed so-called "super-heroes" trash his life-s work, you will put him out of business and he will be forced to sue you--personally--and AEGIS for every penny you'll have cost him...

Boy, what a pleasant man.  I almost feel bad writing him out like that....

Of course, I'm just killing time for just a little bit more.... 'cause there's a reveal coming in the there thread that I'd like to have in place before you get to the fighting...


Hm.  Can you thnk of any other way for us to kill a few more posts?

Ford grumbled and moved down the hall, to the elevator, but gave but a short, startled yelp when the elevator doors opened.

Punching Bag heard the yelp, but had to move to see what was going on.  and by the time he'd stepped out of Hoffman Research labs into the hallway, he found two men who were very obviously super-villains, intimidating Ford as they stepped out of the elevator.

It was obvious because they were dressed in leather and spandex.

One was a body-builder type, in brown leather pants and a tan top with some sort of design work around his short-sleeves.   He had Maori style tribal tattoos on his right arm but he looked moe like a blonde beach-bum than any native Maori.   His lower arms, though, looked they were encased in steel.   That was probably enough to teelgraph to Punchign Bag that the guy was a bruiser.

The other guy had a fairly moderate build, wore a navy-blue form-fitting zentai suit that left little to the imagination.  There was silver streaks around his forearms and shins, and a couple of metal looks around his shoulders.  He reminded Punching Bag vaguely of the costumes for space-men from the nineteeen fifties pulp fiction.   But the costume didn't give any real indication of he might be capable of.

"Oh, no..."  the little one in blue said.  "No, no, no.   You can't leave yet.  We just got here.  It would be a terrible host who leaves the party when the gusts arrive!  I mean, we even brought a gift!"

So, the smaller guy in blue was the talker, apparently...

OOC: At the moment, I'm making this up a I go along.  I have yet to build these guys stats (will do that tonight).  And it'll take me a little bit to ramp up on combat mechanics.  But we're back in action...

Having learned all they could from ECU, Jenni and Lachesis had moved to join Punching Bag at Hoffman Research Labs as planned.  Arriving at the main entrance EM waited for security to admit her into the main lobby and signed in.  The guard was young and a little awestruck, he fumbled with the visitor's badge and where it could attach to her costume before Jenni smiled and took it from him before heading in the direction of the elevators.

She frowned as she watched the 1st elevator's floor indicator blink to 3 and then 4, on its way up.  Apparently she'd just missed this one but was gratified to hear a ding from another of the bank of 4.  She hit 12, the floor the desk guard had indicated Dr Ford could be found (and presumably Punching Bag) along with Alice's next likely target.  The only interruption in the climb was when a bleary eyed technician obsessing over whatever his digital assistant was displaying entered on 7 and then exited on 8.  He never seemed to notice Jenni, even when she said hi and then a tentative bye before the doors closed behind him.

Hopefully the security was more attentive than the researchers.

Finally a welcome ding as the lift reached floor 12, Jenni took a small breath as the doors opened and she stepped out into the hallway...

If EM is able to react she'll:
- activate her defensive field
- try to grab Dr Ford with her Move Object and put him in the elevator she's just exited

15:21, Today: Emerald Star rolled 27 using 1d20+10.  Grab Dr Ford and move into open elevator.

PB hid around the corner taking a moment to size up his opponents. He knew the bruiser was definitely going to cause some collateral damage if left unchecked. Getting him first would allow PB some breathing room to see what the other guy would do. The fighter wound back his right fist and took aim at the bruiser’s stomach right over the diaphragm.

Then the elevator doors open revealing Star who reacted quickly by pulling the president of the company into the elevator. Punching Bag used this distraction to zip from around the corner and land a South Paw Strike right in the midsection of the bruiser directing all of the force in one concentrated area. Before the bruiser could react, PB had zipped back to his spot around the corner.

17:44, Today: Punching Bag rolled 25 using 1d20+15.  South Paw strike: skill 10+ improved aim 10- power attack 5 on bruiser.
17:42, Today: Punching Bag rolled 13 using 1d20+10.  Initiative .

Assuming that the villains are surprised, PB’s attack hits a 25. The toughness check is 30 (15+ Strength 5+ Strike 5+ Power attack 5) with Penetrating 5 on the attack to hopefully cut through any Protection.

A soon as the elevator pinged,  the guy in Blue turned slightly to beefier brown companion and said "Show time!"

Then he all but disappeared.  A heartbeat later, there was the noise of something rolling on the floor half-way down the hallway, then an eerie humming sound that came from all around...

"This is outrageous!"  Ford said as he stepped into the elevator the two men had just come out of--more nimbly than Dr Ford's portly size would suggest he was capable..  "If AEGIS think that I'll just let anybody waltz in here, you're sadly mistaken."   He pulled out his cel-phone and his attention was briefly away from the big brown-clad man in front of him.

Ford stopped and looked around, his eyes saucer-wide.  "Where did he go?"  he asked, though from his expression, he already had an idea...  It was then that he offered a slight squeak as he foun himself levitating in the elevator....

Then Punching Bag stepped around the corner and drove his sinewy arm into the big guy's midrift.  The big brown behemoth twisted at the last moment, but it wasn't enough.  He tensed, and took the full brunt of Punching Bag's thunderous blow.  And, for a moment, after, he stood there with a glassy-eyed expression.

"Wow." the big guy said, his voice slightly slurry as he swayed on his feet...  "That's better'n on TV."

He shook his head as if trying to clear the muzzle-headedness taken on from Punching Bag' blow, then roared and stomped on the floor.

Thunderous Stomp (Burst Area Affliction)
Please roll Fortitude to resist Affliction with a Damage-Rank(23)

The floor buckled and the walls shook as cracks radiated outward from the Brick's foot...  Drywall dust and other detritus fell from the ceiling and the lights started flickering...  Dr. Ford squealed in terror and pushed himself further into the elevator...
This message was last updated by the player at 08:11, Fri 30 Oct 2020.

Here's the mechanical breakdwn:
OOC Breakdown:

• Bolt (+41) - Move into the laboratory - through the glass frontage
  SUCCESS - He's just too damned fast to stop!
• Doctor Ford (+20) - Annoyed argument, reach for cel-phone, try to move into Elevator #1 that Brick & Bolt just came out of.
  SUCCESS He gets his cel-phone out as a free-action.  Dialing, however, takes time... that's a move-action at best, even if it is 9-1-1.
• Emerald Star (+19) - Move-Object(27) Dr Ford into Elevator #2
  SUCCESS - So much for Ford's self-determined action :)  Doctor ford failed to Dodge.  Rather pitifully, too.  Emerald Star plucks him up and casually drops him into the same elevator she'd come out of.
• Punching Bag (+13) South Paw Strike on Brick, with Power Attack
  1d20(+10) + Close Combat(+10) +  Improved Aim(+10) - Power Attack(5)
  
  • SUCCESS - Brick Failed to Parry, so Punching Bag connected with a solid hit!
  • Brick takes on the Dazed condition
  • Brick takes on a -1 circumstance penalty to further physical damage in this scene
• Brick (+05) - Grab Doctor Ford and move into Elevator #1
  Doctor Ford has been moved before Brick can get to him, and Brick has  been hit... His first inclination, of course, is to fight back!
  Thunderstomp (Area Affliction (Vulnerable/Prone) Instant Recovery)...

Note that Punching Bag's attack isn't actually within a surprise round.  So, Brick & Bolt were not Stunned & Vulnerable. It's almost like they were expecting resistance!

Punching Bag:
You rolled 1d20+10 for Initiative.  I've got Punching Bag's Initiative modifier as +5 (from Agility:5).  What am I missing?

Emerald Star
I took the liberty of rolling Initiative for you.  It came out well.</Orange>

She watches the wave ripple through the floor towards her, too late to rise into the air to avoid it.  EM hits the carpet and scrambles to her feet, looks to the doctor and orders, "Hit a button and get to security!" before calling to PB, "I've got the speedster!" and rockets off after Bolt.  She trusted the elevator doors would close on their own momentarily.

08:12, Today: Emerald Star rolled 21 using 1d20+10.  Fort vs Thunderous Stomp (Burst Area Affliction).
- Missed by 2, Vulnerable (Dodge 5 Parry 4) for a moment

Move: Stand up
Free: Activate Flight, Maintain Protection
Standard: Trade for Move to Follow Bolt
This message was last edited by the player at 13:42, Fri 30 Oct 2020.

OOC: He gets +5 Agility from Survival Mode set

PB smirked as Brick took a very solid punch and was still standing. “You’re not too bad.”The stomp knocked PB off his with mild surprise on his face. The brawler kipped up from the ground and spun to deliver a spinning back fist to Brick’s jaw.

13:00, Today: Punching Bag rolled 18 using 1d20+10.  South Paw strike on Brick.
12:42, Today: Punching Bag rolled 21 using 1d20+10.  DC 23 Fort save.

Move action: failed check against stomp, stand up
Free action: none
Standard: South Paw strike at 18 to hit. 25 damage resistance check with Penetrating 5

Not wasting a single moment, Doctor Ford stabbed his pudgy fingers at the elevator buttons, mumbling consistently under his breath as he did so.  Poor little piggy...

Emerald Star blasted down the hall to the front of Hoffman Research's frosted-glass frontage.  The whole glass-wall was vibrating, and the closer she got, the louder and more eerie the hum it made.   The door--also made of frosted glass, was locked.  There was a card-reader and a palm-scanner afixxed to the side of it, but the Bolt guy had apparently just bypassed all of that.

You can try the card-scanner to see if your visitor pass works.  Or you can break through the glass. It's glass after all.  Or you can try other options should you wish....

Between the fragments of frosted glass were panes of non-frosted glass with he the company logo etched in elegant script.   And Jenni could see a blue and silver streak moving back and forth, criss-crossing the entire lab.

A desktop-computer sized electronic piece was situated at the center of the lab.  It had a white casing that had been removed, and several panels of circuit-boards within.  At the top end, a shower-head like appendage tiled down over a curved black cradle large enough to hold someone's head, arm or leg (though not a torso).

But, for some reason, the blue/silver streak wasn't paying any attention to the prototype that was sitting right there in the middle of the lab.

Security Countermeasures... Online.  An emotionless male voice said.  Targetting...

Then the room was awash on bright green lines of light, excited laser-fire from ceiling-mounted domes.

The entire ceiling was laced with a grid infrastructure.  And what had looked like video-cameras also appeared to mount ranged weaponry...

There were about three seconds of continued bursts, little phit-phit-phit sounds that etched holes in the floors, the countertops.

One lucky shot appeared to actually hit the blue and silver streak, as the Bolt--still zipping along at amazing speeds--issued an audible yelp of surprise, then a string of very British epithets that would make any sailor proud...

Bolt is actually Bruised and at -1 for further physical damage resistance this scene.

Emerald Star is no longer Vulnerable.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:42, Mon 02 Nov 2020.

Following up on his first blow, Punching Bag hits the Brick with an audible crack to the jaw.

The Brick grunted in pain and the force of Punching bag's blow sent the brown behemoth into the wall.

Brick is now Staggered  (Dazed & Hindered)
Hah!  Missed it by 1 rank.   If he hadn't been Bruised last round, he'd have made it... Now it gets bumped up from Dazed to Staggered.  Perfect example of how Bruised/-1 can make a difference!

"Ah, you didn't have ta do that!"  Brick moaned.  "I'm gonna have to blend my meals for a day or two, and eat pudding....  and I FUCKING HATE pudding!"

The Brick lunged at Punching Bag--a little off-balance--and wrapped one arm low and one arm high in a smoothly practiced move that placed him behind Punching Bag in a classic wrestler's hold.

Punching Bag could tell a lot from the Brick's style.   The Brown Behemoth was classically-trained.  He appeared to have some MMA moves but defaulted to a wrestler's drama.  They hadn't come up in the same circuit, but Punching Bag wouldn't have been surprised if The Brick had been a StormFront guy at some point.   Probably one of the masked nobodies that were often used to warm up the crowds...

Grab Attack was successful.  Please roll to resist the Grab damage at DC21</b></Red> (using the better of Strength or Dodge).
[*]Failure to resist results in: (1:Restrained / 2:Bound)
[*]If the Grab is successful, Brick also becomes Hindered and Vulnerable[/LIST]
After this defense/resistance is completed, Punching Bag is no longer vulnerable.

EMERALD STAR

• Bolt (+41) - search the lab for the prototype
  Zip, Zip, Zip...   Looking for something...  No, not that big thing in the middle. That's too obvious!
• Doctor Ford (+20) - Get out of town!
  Elevator goes down...
• Emerald Star [Vulnerable] (+19) - move to follow Bolt
  She can see a blue & silver flash moving all throughout the offices and laboratory areas...
• Ceiling-Sentries [Minions] x5 (+13) - FOF-Lasers on Bolt
  SUCCESS! (1 of 5)  (Wow! I didn't expect any of them to hit)
  
  • Bolt takes 1-degree and is seared by laser-fire (Bruised)
• Emerald Star (+19) loses the Vulnerable Condition

PUNCHING BAG

• Punching Bag [Vulnerable] (+13) - Standard SouthPawStrike(18)
  SUCCESS!
  
  • Brick takes the blow...  Takes 2 degrees (If he hadn't been already bruised, he would've only take one!)
  • Brick is now Staggered  (Dazed & Hindered)
• Brick [Dazed, -1] (+05) - Grab Punching Bag in a sleeper hold...
  Brick makes a Grab Attack at DC20...
  SUCCESS
  
  • Punching Bag, please roll to resist the Grab at DC21 (using the better of Strength or Dodge).
  • Failure to resist results in: (1:Restrained / 2:Bound)
  • If the Grab is successful, Brick also becomes Hindered and Vulnerable
• Punching Bag (+13) loses the Vulnerable Condition

Punching Bag recognized the fighting style immediately as it was one of the first he ever learned before coming to StormFront. He was very familiar with the attempt at a chokehold as he had done the same move several times in the ring. His stance changed into a wider one closer to the ground much akin to Brick’s. PB slipped in his hand into the gold before Brick could lock it in and broke the grip by force. His right hand shot out to grab Brick by the throat and slam him into the wall. “You need a few more matches in the ring before you can pick a title fight with me.”

23:40, Today: Punching Bag rolled 24 using 1d20+10.  Choke Slam Brick.
23:32, Today: Punching Bag rolled 26 using 1d20+10.  DC 21 strength against grab.

1) Wrestler’s Stance: +5 Strength
2) Resisted Grab attempt with a 26
3) Rolled 24 to hit Brick. Damage DC is 25. Fast Grab counts my attack roll at the roll to hit for a grab. DC 20 to resist Grab effect. Improved Grab keeps one arm free and PB not vulnerable if he grabs someone. Improved Hold gives -5 to Brick’s attempts to break the hold. Chokehold advantage makes Brick suffocate slowly if PB doesn’t let go.

Jenni swipes her badge, hoping that her request for AGESIS access earlier, given the purpose to protect the equipment, had garnered high enough clearance to enter the lab.....but she didn't hold her breath.  Entering the room without clearance would undoubtedly make her a target for the security lasers, but no doing so meant watching the blue streak steal the prize.

The odd hum of the wall implied vibrational bypass, that might mean Alice hadn't bother to share access codes to open the lab door.

Could the speedster even lift the device or was that what the bruiser was for?  Alice had equipment that allowed her to do so during the ECU theft, it made sense she would ensure either goon could do so as well.

But if he could carry it could he vibrate it through solid objects too?

Too many if's, she needed to get in there and try to stop him before he realize his goal was right in front of him.  Maybe if she kept the entry point small and he turned to deal with the lasers...

GM: Do we have any Hero Points available?

Free Action: Swipe Badge, Maintain Flight & Protection

IF door does not respond to badge:
Standard Action: Plasma Blast door, low setting to minimize size of hole, she'd probably know the correct level, say PL 5? Just trying for an opening too small for Bolt and the device to just walk right through, given the size of the unit
Move Action: Enter room, blocking door

IF door opens:
Move Action: Enter room, blocking door
Standard Action: Aim to setup her next attack

Situations like this I think giving her that Melt Through movement power would be darn useful.  Maybe if it comes up again...

GM: Do we have any Hero Points available?
Yes!

For now, Emerald Star has three hero-points - her starting point and one for each of the two previous scenes she was involved with (the simulation, and the ECU scene).

PUNCHING BAG

Brick grunted with apparent appreciation as Punching Bag stepped elegantly out of the brown behemoth's embrace.  Punching Bag canted his hips and spun to face the big bruiser.

He threw a punch and followed it immediately with one hand, reaching for The brown behemoth's neck.   Brick ducked, faster than Punching Bag thought he could, but he still managed to grab the villain (just... no damage).

Brick: Dazed, Defenseless, Immobile & Fighting Impaired, & -5 circumstance to break grab

The big guy's eyes went wide, and his grimace turned into a fierce grin.  There was blood in his mouth, his teeth were stained with it.   But his eyes...  They edges of his irises seemed like they were rimmed in a circle of bright purple.  Inhumanly colors.

It could have been a contact lens trick, of course, but Punching Bag considered that it might be an attempt at distraction.  The Brick didn't seem like the kind of guy who thought things out that far in advance.   But then, people had been saying the same thing about him for years.

The Brick brought both hands up and brought them, inelegantly, in on Punching Bag's ears.   If it was a strong enough blow, her might even break Punching Bag's eardrums!
(OOC: Well, no, not really)

Please Roll Toughness vs DC26

---

• +13 Punching Bag
  
  • Punching Bag rolled 24 to hit brick - SUCCESS
    Brick rolled 29 vs DC25 to resist close combat damage - NO DAMAGE
  • Punching Bag used FastGrab to initiate Chokehold SUCCESS
    Brick rolled 14 vs to resist grab attempt - 2-DEGREE FAIL
    Brick was already Staggered: Dazed, Hindered, is now in Choke-hold: Bound: Defenseless, Immobile & Impaired
    Brick at -5 circumstance to break Grab (Improved Grab)
    Punching Bag is Hindered but not Vulnerable
• Brick [Multiple] (+05)
  
  • All-Out throw Punching Bag into steel reinforced frame of elevator - Obsolete action
    Alternate: Ear-Box - rolled 25 vs DC15 - SUCCESS
    Please Roll Toughness vs DC26

This message was last edited by the player at 07:49, Wed 11 Nov 2020.

EMERAld star

With a quick breath, Jenni swiped her VISITOR card.  There was a buzzing sound as the door lock disengaged and the little light on the card-scanner went green.

The blue and silver blur continued on it's way and Emerald Star could her a series of clack-clack clack thump sounds as it seemed that the Bolt was going through every cabinet, and drawer in the place.   He was moving so fast that it was difficult to keep track.

But she caught on to the fact that he seemed to all but ignore the big electronic contraption in the center of the room...   Whatever he was after, it wasn't the prototype?

That didn't make sense, though...

A couple of ceiling sentries fired off shots that didn't appear t have had any effect.   , other than leaving some blackened scoring marks on the counter-tops and the walls, where the agitated lasers had hit.

Somewhere, within, there was a chime from one of the PCs, an the Bolt stopped, momentarily.

He was at the far end of the laboratory, beside someone's workstation.  And he pulled out a portable data-drive and held it up, laughing.   "Nothing Stops Progress!" he crowed, apparently mugging for the security cameras.

• Bolt (+41)
  Ignored prototype in display, But now has a small sack of stuff...
• Emerald Star (+19)
  Free: Swipe Badge, Flight & Protection - Noted
  Move Action: Enter room, blocking door - Noted
  Standard: Aim to setup her next attack
  Noted, +5 circumstance bonus applies to attack on next round (or subsequent rounds if no reason to break aim on next round)
• Ceiling-Sentries [Minions] x3 (+13) - SHOOT - FAILED
  Three shots, three misses
• Ceiling-Sentries [Minions] x2 (+13) - AIM
  Two taking aim - +5 circumstance to attack next round

Brick clapped him on the ear which made him shake the stars out of his eyes, but it wasn’t enough to break his hold. PB had blood coming out of his ears but looked at Brick and smiled. “Nice move. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a knockout.”Punching Bag pulled his right fist way back as he kept the chokehold and slammed it into Brick’s gut with tremendous force. A few second later and his busted ear drums felt good as new.

12:43, Today: Punching Bag rolled 22 using 1d20+5.  South paw critical attack with power attack using hero point for Reroll .
12:42, Today: Punching Bag rolled 11 using 1d20+5.  South Paw critical hit attack with power attack.
12:41, Today: Punching Bag rolled 17 using 1d20+10.  DC 26 Toughness check.

Failed toughness check by 9.
Spent hero point to reroll south paw attack which counts as a critical since Brick is defenseless. He has a Damage resistance check of 35 with Penetrating 5.
PB’s Regeneration 10 would take away a -1 toughness penalty and/or a status effect

A dark green wave of force leaps from EM's outstretched hand toward the elusive Bolt as she adds, "That's about enough out of you."

Standard: Attack Bolt with Gravikinesis (Move Object 10) and suspend him in midair (hopefully if he can't run he can't phase)
14:57, Today: Emerald Star rolled 32 using 1d20+15.  Hero Point for Reroll to Grab.
14:50, Today: Emerald Star rolled 23 using 1d20+15.  Grab Bolt with Gravikinesis (Move Object).

Move: If her attack hits she'll withdraw from the room with Bolt in tow and return to Punching Bag.  If her attack missed she'll remain in the lab

Free: Maintain Protection & Flight

Hero Points down to 2

Shit, where did the time go?

Brick offered a grin at blow.   "Gonna... have to do better than that." he said.  "I ain't goin' down that easy."    He said, his words strained through Punching bag's grip on his neck.  "You ring types.  Always think you're hot stuff....  This ain't over..."

Only it was over, because The Brick's eyes rolled back in his head and the brown behemoth went limp in Punching Bag's grip..

• +13 Punching Bag- SouthPaw Strike
• -1 to Toughness
• -1 Hero Point for re-roll
• Critical SouthPawStrike(22) - rolled 1d20(17)+5 = 22 VS Brick's Parry(defenselesss) = SUCCESS!
  
  • Brick [Dazed, -1] (+05) - Choke-hold on choke-hold
  • Bruised x2 (-2 to Toughness), Staggered (Dazed, Hindered) & Bound (Defenseless, Immobile & Impaired)
  • Improved Hold provides -5 Penalty to Escape Hold, Defenseless provides critical hits on hit, Immobile: he can't move, Fighting Impaired provides -2 penalty to attack
  • Parry vs Critical SouthPawStrike(22) - FAILED (Cannot parry (defenseless)) --> goes to Soak
    Punching Bag does Damage Rank(15) + 15 for DC20.
  • Hah.  Brick doesn't stand  chance of soaking that all.   But I dice-roll to figure just how bad it is...  And he ended up doing a lot better than I expected.   Yeah, when it really isn't needed for the scene :)
  • Brick rolled 31 vs DC35 - FAILED by 1 degree...  Apparently, he is making you work for it.  But he failed, and this is the third degree, so he is now INCAPACITATED
• +05 Brick [Multiple, -2] - Choke-hold vs choke-hold
• Action unavailable due to being incapacitated.

Side note:
I'm feeling very muzzle-headed tonight.  How do you get to DC35 (Pen 5)?  I've got Strength-based Damage 5 for D30 (Pen 5).  Are you using the Critical "Increased Effect" to assign the extra +5 to Damage resistance?   It's not going to change a damned thing 'cause the scene is written.  But I couldn't get there, and that kinda frustrated me.

Also Note:
While true, that Regeneration:10 does provide for recovering from a damage condition (including the Bruised condition -1 Toughness), it has to come full circle.    If there were others involved in the combat, then anyone delivering damage to Punching bag before Brick in this particular combat sequence, would have had  the benefit of that condition.   It would be removed just before Brick acts again.   I suppose, in that way, further levels of regeneration allow for multiple regen firings during a single round of combat.

As I said... muzzle-headed tonight.

This message was last edited by the player at 04:47, Thu 26 Nov 2020.

EMERALD STAR

"Woohoo!" the Bolt looked over at Emerald Star, a cocky lopsided grin on his face.  He had a long face, angular and bony, like someone had haphazardly put together a marionette.   "Pretty girl with a pretty green glow.  hat, are you going to--Urk!"

Emerald Star lifted him up into the air, and Bolt spun on a strange axis, as if he were in the midst of a carnival ride on a strange axial tilt.  "Woah, that's awesome!"  he shouted.  "Do you bottle this shit?  'Cause I'd buy like ten of--Ack!"

A couple of the ceiling-sentries fired off shots and one of them sizzled right in Bolt's chest, causing him to drop the bag o' stuff he'd been carrying in one hand, spasming as it it did.

There was a momentary flash of intense anger, then the Bolt was a blue blur again, and dropped out of Emerald Star's hold.

He raced to the far end of the lab, then stopped, becoming more distinctly visible again.  "Hit me, lady!" he called in a sing-song voice.  "C'mon.  If you hit me, I'll  carry your books after school!"

But then he was gone again, only to show up near one of the windows.  He flicked the latch on the window and popped it open.  "Can you hit me now?  C'mon, I havent been hit on all week!"

• +19 Emerald Star
  
  • Maintaining Protection & Flight
  • Aimed Attack +5 circumstance - Gravikinesis
  • -1 Hero Point for re-roll
  • Gravikinesis (MO:10) to grab Bolt: rolled 32 - SUCCESS
  • Not a damaging effect, so no resistance, but MO is treated as a Grab, so, Bolt is now currently Bound (Defenseless, Immobile & Impaired)
• +13 Ceiling-Sentries [Minions] x2SUCCESSES x2
  
  • Ceiling-Sentry-1  did 1 Degree Damage
  • Ceiling-Sentry-2 did No Damage
  • Other three Sentries are aiming to shoot next turn (+5 Circumstance)
• +41 Bolt
  
  • Well, obviously, he attempts to escape from the hold...
  • Attempts to turns insubstantial again - SUCCESS (side-effect not triggered)
  • Bolt is only Dazed now

This message was last edited by the player at 04:48, Thu 26 Nov 2020.

Punching Bag was glad that he was able to get this guy knocked out. Now he could see if Star needed back up. He walked toward the other room dragging Brick by the leg. “Hey Star! I’m done with mine. You need help taking care of yours?”As he rounded the corner, he glanced at Bolt by the window. The brawler decided to size him up while he waited for Star’s response.

OOC: Standard action Take Aim on Bolt
Yes the critical hot was used to increase the Effect of the hit.

"He's a slippery one," EM acknowledged as she tried to follow the speedster's movements....then lashes out again to grab Bolt.

Spend 1 point on Accurate Attack advantage.  She's down to 2 available points.

Grab Bolt with Gravikinesis, Accurate Attack (-5 to effect, +5 attack bonus)

19:25, Today: Emerald Star rolled 17 using 1d20+15.  Grab Bolt with Gravikinesis (Move Object), Accurate Attack (-5 for +5).
- miss I'm sure, not going to spend the Hero Point for a reroll this time :)

Star  reached out again and Bolt's eyes went wide, then a great smile split his face.   "Nuh-uh-uh." he said. "You're gonna have to do better than--Yow!"

A green laser-beam blasted into Bolt's shoulder, searing the suit and the flesh.  Even before the acrid smoke of burnt flesh reached them, he was just... gone.   The glass window behind him was wavered and vibrated as if it had been hit by something big.

Bolt escaped, but you've got Brick.  And by now, he's probably conscious--albeit groggy.


--

• +19 Emerald Star
  
  • Maintaining Protection & Flight
  • -1 Hero Point for Accurate Advantage (==2)
  • Gravikinesis (MO:10) to grab Bolt: rolled 17 - FAILED
• +13 Ceiling-Sentries [Minions] x3SUCCESSES x1
  
  • 2 Shots FAILED
  • Third shot - SUCCESS - 1 degree damage.  Since Bolt is already Dazed, he's now Staggered (Dazed, Hindered)
• +41 Bolt
  
  • He's outta there!

This message was last updated by the player at 04:26, Mon 07 Dec 2020.

Punching Bag looked down at Brick. “I would say we might get some information out of him, but I suspect he was under some sort of mind control based on how his eyes turned purple during our fight. Let’s find out what the fast one got ahold of shall we?”He makes his way into the lab dragging Brick behind him.

EM sighed and glanced to Punching Bag before shaking her head.  She looked for the bag that Bolt had dropped earlier; wondering if the speedster had left it in his haste.

If it remains she'll use her gravikinesis to retrieve it; if not she'll make a note to review the camera logs and request an inventory to try to determine what Bolt was more interested in than the prototype he was supposedly her to steal.

Perhaps his partner would know...if they could get him to talk.



"Hold on," Star cautions, "you could be right but....our eyes flash too occasionally...when our starfish are active.  It's possible the source of their powers is similar to ours.  Let me ask Proxima if he knows."

Communicating to the her colony, Jenni asks { "Proxima, this man's eyes flashed purple.  Is there a colony in him.  Do you know them?" }
This message was last edited by the player at 04:45, Mon 07 Dec 2020.

The bag was an old dollar-store cast-off.   Inside ere a half-dozen hard-drives, taken from the computers in the lab.  It looked like the only thing that Bolt made off with was whatever was on the thumb-drive he'd been holding right before the conflict.

He was an arrogant one, so cocky and sure of himself.  If they should meet again, she could probably leverage that.   He also didn't seem to care much whether Brick made it out...
This message was last edited by the player at 05:24, Mon 07 Dec 2020.

Punching Bag shrugged and gave Brick a quick chop to the base of his neck to knock him back out. “Well shall we take our acquisitions back to base for investigation and interrogation?”The fighter dragged Brick to the elevator and waited for his teammate to join him.

With a last look at the window Bolt had disappeared through, EM nodded and joined Punching Bag at the elevator.

"Hopefully the contents of these drives will give us an idea what this pair's real objective was.  It certainly wasn't the prototype."

OOC: Heading back to HQ

OOC: heading back to HQ

DO you plan to contact the police and/or Doctor Ford about the break-in... or anybody else, for that matter?

And, if so, when?

OOC: authorities should be aware and on their way unless Ford didn't call them for some reason.  Actually if security doesn't meet us on our way out that would be alarming...

Will definitely speak to them as we exit
This message was last edited by the player at 00:14, Sun 13 Dec 2020.

OOC: We contact our handler who is supposed to handle the PR and after effects of our jobs. He should know what to do.

Ha.  I'd forgotten that Ford was unceremoniously flung into the elevator and all of 30 seconds have passed since then...

Ford and front-desk security are both awaiting in the lobby and Doctor Ford looks particularly agitated.  Even more so than when he was dealing with Punching Bag earlier--though this is more stress than annoyance, apparently.

I'm particularly interested in whether you take the bag of hard-drives or turn them over to Ford or the police.

Punching Bag drags the unconscious Brick over to the police. “Hey boys! You got a pair of handcuffs and a police car strong enough to hold this guy? He’s really strong. I can babysit the guy until we put him in his cell.”He looks over at Ford. “He had a partner that phased right through your security. Your security system was no match for his speed. Also looks like he was after something besides the prototype.”

OOC: No, EM will want to investigate the contents of the drives to try to determine what Bolt's true target was.

These would likely be treated as evidence by law enforcement; does our status qualify to allow us to hold them for analysis too?  Back at HQ specifically?

If not EM will exit the building with the contents; preferably by open window from upper floor or roof access and avoid Ford and security

Doctor Ford seemed particularly stymied.   The prototype was the only thing of real value in the lab at this time...

As they were wrapping up and the police were taking the still-unconscious Brick into custody, the front-desk security guard noted an alarm on his monitor, then looked up at them all.  "Uh, guys..." he said, "I don't think it's over yet.   The Sentinel system just sent active again on twelve."

He twigged the camera system and it showed a moving view--via one of the ceiling-sentinels--of the laboratory.

A woman with a white harlequin mask, a red bobbed-wig and a long black leather coat was lifting the prototype off of the counter as if it weighed nothing.

And the ceiling-sentries weren't firing.

At about that time, Emerald Star received a text message from Lachesis.   "Alice is a frustrating.  Talks in endless circles.  Can't backtrack her.  Tech here causes distortions.   She's smart and flippant.  Kinda reminds me of you.  "

“Damn she’s good.” Punching Bag moves like a blur back into the building. He busts through the elevator door like the Koolaid man and leapt through the ceiling of the elevator to the floor in question. Then he zipped to the room with the prototype.

OOC: Superspeed, then Weaken Object, then Leaping, then Superspeed

OOC: are the authorities here able to hold Brick?  If not EM probably needs to stay here and make sure he doesn't wake up and hurt anyone

Emerald

• Let's say that as part of your SOPs when dealing with a meta, you call in an Aegis rep as well.   Police can take custody, but containment and incarceration is their problem.  You're much more concerned with the acquisition and shut-down...

Punching Bag (& Emerald Star, if you like)
Leaping through the shredded and torn steel ceiling of the elevator, Punching Bag made it to twelve in near record time.

This time, the floor was totally dark.   Alice had apparently either disabled the lights or something else--or someone else--had trashed the local junction-box.

The ceiling-sentries were still gliding along their pre-ordained paths, though, visible through the glass of the Hoffman Industries frontage.  They hadn't lost power.  Each one had a red light indicating it's online status, and they glided silently back and forth, apparently completely oblivious to teh woman in a long black coat, carrying the large, industrial-printer-sized piece of machinery--the prototype.

With the noise of Punching Bag's entrance, she stood just on the other side of the glass, backlit by a strange blue light, one hand on her hip, the other holding the prototype up as if it were a near weightless plate of food to be delivered.

"Oh."  she said in mock surprise.  "I wasn't expecting company.  Oh, you are a beefy one, aren't you?"

Alice's voice was low and throaty, husky with excitement and longing and... well, she certainly seemed to be enjoying herself.  The pathology of breaking the law, perhaps?

"Mmm."  She let herself relax a little.   Punching Bag had the very distinct feeling that Alice was mentally undressing him.  Not that he'd never dealt with that before, but this was so overt...   "All that rock-hard muscle, just desperate for a little rel--Hey!  wait a minute.  I know you!   You're that guy!  Heavy-Hitter?  right?"

She didn't actually stop to let him respond.  "Oh my god, Wait til I tell Blaze about this!  She'll fucking shit herself.  You were her idol!  That heel-turn on Captain Commando was a shit deal, though.  She stopped following Stormfront for a while after that.  pouted for, like, weeks!"

While she blathered on, the light behind her intensified.

--
Punching Bag

• Stormfront never had a Captain Commando on it's roster--at least not that Punching Bag was aware of, and certainly not while Punching bag was active in Stormfront.
• The codename "Blaze" has been mentioned before.   (goes back to 2.1: Aegis HQ message #16)  Way back when, Director Maddox had provided a briefing to folks, and one of the casefiles that wasn't picked up had to do with reports of long-since retired heroes and villains reappearing active on the Southern Shore.    In particular one of them (Blaze) was witnessed fighting in the streets.   She iss a world War II vet and AEGIS has a dossier on her which indicates that she's spent the last two decades in a wheelchair.   She's in a retirement home in Elysian Woods.
• As a side-note detail...  I'm gonna say that Heavy-Hitter" was a codename that Paul (that's you) had considered at one point.  Never used it, though).

This message was last edited by the player at 07:22, Tue 22 Dec 2020.

<quote Narrator>
Emerald

• Let's say that as part of your SOPs when dealing with a meta, you call in an Aegis rep as well.   Police can take custody, but containment and incarceration is their problem.  You're much more concerned with the acquisition and shut-down...

While Punching Bag streaks up the elevator shaft Star blazes through the building's main entrance and around the outside, heading for the window Bolt had fled through during their previous meeting.

If she's able to reach the lab window, she warns Punching Bag over the radio, "{ If she turns it's gonna get bright; look away. }"

Then she knocks on the window to get Alice's attention.

OOC: Sounds good, EM will attempt a surprise maneuver

Move: Flight 8 to reach lab window
Minor: Knock on window
Action: Solar Flare

If Alice turns to look: Solar Flare: Cumulative Perception Area Affliction 10 -  (light, 1st degree: Impaired, 2nd degree: Disabled, 3rd degree: Unaware, DC 20; Alternate Resistance (Dodge), Perception Area: DC 20 - Vision, Cumulative; Limited: Vision)

Do I roll to hit for Perception Area attack?
This message was last edited by the player at 15:35, Tue 22 Dec 2020.

Heavy-Hitter? I had considered it, but never officially used it. Two of her, two Blazes, and two of me? Is it possible that this is some sci fi parallel dimension craziness? There wasn’t much time to ponder it as he heard the message from Star. He closed his eyes and held his chin with his right hand and his right elbow with his left hand as if deep in thought. “Hmm. I do always try to make time for my fans. If you give me a pen and a piece of paper, I’ll give her my autograph.”

The woman smiled and offered a small shrug.  "Tempting."  She said.  "But I step close, you grab me, then the gig's up and everything goes south.  There's some very special people that need this tech and they can't wait any longer. "

Alice turned around while she continued to talk.  "It's all going to get destroyed anyway.  The working prototype never makes it--"   And then Emerald Star hit her with the solar flare strobe.

Alice stumbled back, her hip hitting the counter.  She staggered a bit and--too late-- she raised her arm to her face to shield her eyes in an instinctive reaction.

her whole image shifted for a moment, like distortion created from a television signal that got interrupted.

And then she was just... gone.

And the prototype component dropped to the counter, and teetered precariously on the edge inside the laboratory...

Even with his eyes closed, he could still see a bright light through his eyelids. Once the flare was over, he rushed towards Alice and opened his eyes only to find she was gone. Instead, he quickly grabbed the prototype that was about to fall over. He held it tight like it was his championship belt and looked around for the villain. “Star! Where did she go?”

Did Punching Bag run through the glass frontage to the Hoffman labs business area to get there?

He was able to acquire clearance from the guy in charge earlier. He should have been able to walk in.

I wasn't sure how to read "he zipped to the room with the prototype"   So, not clear on where--precisely--he was.  Semantics is all.

He zipped in--after scanning his ID card--is fair, but I just didn't read it that way.   Not like it makes a difference, I suppose.  I'm just trying to get my bearings again.

EM sighs before activating her comm, "Gone.  Teleportation I think."

She glances around, confirming that there is no sign of further assailants before suggesting, "Let's see if the labs here have any equipment that can analyze the energy signature of Alice's movement."

Punching Bag this time waited for security to come upstairs and secure the lab. He kept his eyes open for any other surprises while holding the  prototype tight. “The area is secure for now. We need the police and our own clean up crew to take over shortly. We need to report this to our superiors.”

Okay. so... wrapping this up, what's the next action?

What do I need to set-up so we can move forward?

OOC: Police secure the area, we find out what was on those discs the speedster was after and question Brick.

OOC: gather and recordings/details of confrontation with Alice.  Analyze at HQ.

PB - thinking alternate universe incursion?  This Alice and Blaze may not be our own?

Should we try to confront Blaze next?
Find out how these older heroes and villains are appearing so young?
This message was last edited by the player at 04:07, Thu 14 Jan 2021.

OOC: Agreed on all accounts

Okay then...  Out of character prose bridge:

Doctor Ford was almost apoplectic when he learned that the hard-drives needed to be held for forensic investigation for a couple of days.   Apparently, they contained much of the technical trials information and the full breakdown of the schematics and plans for the prototype.   Technically--though he was evasive on this--one could build their own from the information distributed across those drives.

When it was pointed out to him that his servers perform incremental backups every six hours, and that the attack happened at night so he wasn't, in fact, losing any data, he was somewhat mollified, but it did little to diminish his whining.

Brick was taken to temporary storage at an AEGIS holding facility on the North Shore a short distance from AEGIS new Headquarters "the dome".   He could expect to stay in holding for up to two weeks before being moved to a more suitable facility--probably Buckner Ridge in the mountains or Fortress Island, depending on just how violent he turns out to be or how much of a risk he is assessed.  But this means he's easily accessed for questioning, should you wish to do so.

Lachesis, for her part, was largely out of sorts since her interview with Alice at Buckner Ridge.  The woman had answered all of Cassie's questions, but there'd been a smug sort of self-satisfaction with the whole process.  But she'd been a model inmate, respected and even liked by the staff and population in general.  She was simply waiting out her time.    She did appear to know a great deal about current medical research into cancer therapies, but being in a population with at least one individual with radioactivity-associated gastro-intestinal distress provided a--verifiable--justification.

Punching Bag decided he would try talking to Brick and see what he could learn from him. The ex-wrestler was splayed out cuffed to a wall when PB walked in. “Look I’ll just get right to the point. What we’re you and your friend trying to do at the research lab and why?”

Brick--Stephen Slate--offered a slow smile.  It wasn't contrived or malicious, didn't hide any ulterior motive that Punching Bag could tell.  The teeth that Punching Bag had knocked out were back.

"Earning a pay-check." Slate said with a slight shrug.   "Fifty large to go to the twelfth floor and scare the suits away, throw down with whoever's left.  No killing, no major injuries  Keep it clean and camera-friendly."

"Didn't expect it to be you, though.  Thought they'd send the Rook guy or Ultramarine.  But whatcha gonna to do?  Man's gotta do what he says he's gonna do."

A simple man just trying to earn some cash. Honestly, it was the same thing PB was doing just a different employer. “Well the job wasn’t completed, so no reason to keep your boss a secret right? Might help you with your sentence.”

While Punching Bag interrogated Brick, EM is in the lab investigating any readings on Alice's teleportation.   With enough information she hopes to be able to either detect its use and, possibly, inhibit it.

OOC: Not that I know if we have any but she will definitely requisition any sensor logs from any of the sites that have been hit.  If nothing else I suppose there's the video

@EM
Seems fair.

The University doesn't have much in the way other than campus security video.   Hoffman research has video and radiation sensors.  The other sites... well, radiation is the primary concern in this prototype device, so I'm pretty open-ended about what else they might've had set up.

It definitely looked like a device used rather than, say, an inherent power. Since we're looking at the underpinnings behind it, Give me a DC22 Science roll.

Conveniently, that's an area of her expertise!

@Punching Bag

Brick shook his head.  "Doesn't work that way."  he said.

"I get a coded text message.  Use SignalFlare to get the details.  Retainer up front, Rest on payment.  Never meet the buyer.  All I got is their SignalFlare handle, CheshireCat."

Gathering the available sensor logs from Alice's appearances, EM followed a hunch and ran an analysis for any electromagnetic spikes in the moments leading up to the thief's arrival.  The first result was inconclusive so she began writing an enhanced algorithm.

18:28, Today: Emerald Star rolled 31 using 1d20+14.  Science!
- made it by 9

Given the loss of our other techie hero early in the game (I forget his name) I will probably try to heavily steer her back into this focus.

PB shrugged. “Well at least they’re not stupid. I doubt they’ll respond to any message from you now. Anything else you care to share? I’ll see what I can do about getting a TV in your cell with StormFront pay per view if you got something juicy.”

@EM:
Actually, there were some a pretty big spike in radiation levels--one that corresponded with her arrival, another with her departure.  Being so close to the prototype, elevated levels of γ-rays, x-rays, and neutrons were recorded.

A solid theoretical hypothesis was that the teleportation process involved some heavy radiation.  It was also possible that whereever "Alice" had come from, it had elevated levels of background radiation too...

Emerald Star's own personal experiences with being on occasion extremely close to the living star in the center of the solar system--although she was functionally immune to it herself--was that it left reisdual effects on anything organic.

So, the teleportation may actually be negatively affecting Alice.    AND, she might come from a pre-existing radiation hot-spot.

Results from the AEGIS Forensics team might drum up more intel, but it wasn't going to happen over-night.

Jenni records her findings and turns the rest of the analysis over to Forensics. Top task should be to determine any known sources of similar radiation: reactors, energy sources, fallout, etc.  No idea was too far off not to warrant a review.

Next she submits a requisition for any portable radiation detectors which would be able to recognize the signatures she'd identified.  If she and Punching Bag could locate the younger Blaze seen recently she wonders if she'll find matching traces.  Assuming they could get the woman to talk it might either corroborate her story or poke holes in it.

First thing though was finding her.  Jenni pulls the file they'd been offered earlier on Blaze to see there has been any updates.

The radiation signature bears a striking similarity to those recorded at 1950s and early 1960s-era nuclear bombs testing sites...

More tomorrow, probably.  Arm's giving me some grief tonight...   but I wanted to put this out there before I forgot about it.