In reply to Domino (msg # 95):
Doom Pool reaction to Domino's attempt to create "Help Out in the Lab" asset for Carrion (Total: 15 / Effect: d8).
Doom Pool 2d6
Pseudo-Vampirism d8
00:56, Today: The Watcher rolled 2,3,7 using 1d6,1d6,1d8 ((2,3,7)). Doom Pool reaction to Domino's attempt to create "Help Out in the Lab" asset.
Total: 10
Effect: d6
Opportunities: 0
Domino wins with an extraordinary success. Effect die steps Asset up to d10.
NOW
quote:
"I'm about to make you an offer, Carnage. It goes against my nature to do this, so if you screw me over, I'll make it my personal mission to make you pay. I'll lend you what support I can, for this night. But come sunrise, you come with me and allow me to hand you in for the reward".
A long pause ensues as
Carrion mulls over the bounty hunter's words. At last, he nods and waves a hand.
"Yes. That is even better than what I deserve, after all that I have done. It's no wonder you see me as no different than him." As he hangs his head in shame, he doesn't need to say the name "Carnage" for it to be clear who he is talking about. His thin, wispy voice falters a bit as he seems pained by the realization.
However, Neena's clipped tone tells him he cannot dwell on the thought for long.
"Fresh air helps the patient's... urges," Carrion replies, changing the subject as he follows her gaze again toward
Morbius.
"But my lab is where the real treatment will take place. Come." He beckons to Neena, flinging open a door and heading down the staircase leading from the fire escape. He casts a glance back over his shoulder at the restrained, covered mutant, as well as the Carnage mask-adorned man lying upon the ground.
"It is safer for our other... volunteers... if they remain here." The remark leaves Neena to ponder what kind of "treatment" has been going on here... or soon will be.
***
LATER
The building's inner levels are all but abandoned. Light flickers only from the one central room marked "LAB". The trio has set up there and gotten to work, with
Carrion poring over a jumble of notes, scientific instruments, and complicated equations. Occasionally,
Morbius nods at some question or comment from the doctor. But for the most part, his eyes remain on Neena, filled not with suspicion, but what appears to be gratitude. However good that might make the mercenary feel, she isn't about to drop her guard. She notices a security camera feed on a nearby screen, showing the building's roof. Neena knows she should be keeping an eye on those unexplained guests, no matter how late it's getting... and how sleepy all this boring lab work might be making her.
"Our heavily restrained 'volunteer' up there is the mutant called Sabretooth," Carrion tells Neena, surmising her curiosity.
"I have already taken a sample of his blood, but I found it... safer... to keep him off the streets. After that night, he became even more savage. In return for my saving that troubled young man from becoming Victor's latest victim-" He nods toward the security camera feed and the gangly Carnage impostor-
"He agreed to serve as lookout while Michael and I worked on the cure. Though, regrettably, I cannot approve of his using Cletus Kasady's image to carry out his petty crimes... or his frequent dozing off on the job."
Carrion sighs.
"No matter. He will soon be relieved of his duty, for we are going to complete Michael's cure tonight. I believe Sabretooth's healing factor- among other things- holds the key to counteracting Michael's pseudo-vampirism. You may take custody of Sabretooth and collect his bounty, as well, when we are done here- provided you have the means to transport him. He has been heavily sedated, but it would be imperative not to dally on your way, as his healing factor will burn off the drugs in his system by tomorrow afternoon. And I must warn you that he has spoken of a particular hatred for you, Miss Thurman."
He cocks his head slightly, as if trying to recollect.
"Yes... Something about a 'black box' from that destroyed helicopter-- could someone hand me that needle?-- and something he found in the system logs. I believe the on-board camera feed indicated-- don't worry, Miss Thurman, the needle is for me-- a missile launch by someone other than Cletus Kasady." Carrion jabs the needle into his arm and presses down on the plunger. Sickly, bluish blood fills the clear tube as he winces slightly.
"Mind you, all us Family members nearly died in that horrible explosion at the stadium. Victor should count himself blessed- as I did- that Spider-Man was there to save us. But then again, he always was one to hold a grudge." He shrugs, returning to his notes... and leaving Neena to ponder on the latest new enemy she has made, whom she can almost feel staring back at her from the camera feed...
***
EVEN LATER
"Arm, please." Neena could be forgiven if she jolts- either from pain, sudden alertness, or both- as the hypodermic needle jabs her skin. Just how late has it gotten, with
Carrion still busy as ever with his endless work?
"Not to worry, Miss Thurman. As with any blood donation, we simply need to ensure a type match between donor and recipient. And the success of my serum depends upon that 'lucky' blood of yours. Or didn't you know the source of your own power- that the luck literally runs in your veins? I could understand if this comes as a shock to you."
Whether Neena believes him or not may have to wait for later. Whatever lingering mistrust she might feel, she could be in too deep now to suddenly back out of this- and anyway, keeping a tough image means one doesn't shy from needles. Even when he comes back for the second jab:
"My apologies. Missed the vein that first time." Drawing a bit of blood from Neena's arm,
Carrion proceeds to examine it under a microscope. He fiddles with the hi-tech instrument some more as he continues:
"Fortunately, you and Michael do indeed seem to share the same blood type. Perhaps that stroke of luck is an omen of our success."
As he chuckles softly, the room begins to feel cold...
A BIT LATER STILL
"Well, Michael. Miss Thurman. It appears we are ready to begin the procedure."
Shuffling through his notes,
Carrion suddenly turns to Neena again.
"My apologies. I haven't even properly explained the procedure, have I? Where should I begin...? He gestures to a newspaper clipping affixed to the wall behind him:
"HEROES OF NEW YORK END THE CARNAGE". The article features an on-the-ground photo of
Daredevil,
Moon Knight,
Black Cat,
Venom,
Spider-Woman,
Mayhem- and Neena herself- as they faced off with the giant-sized Carnage.
"That night, Spider-Man saved my life. You heroes saved New York. And I witnessed your power, Miss Thurman, to create your own miracles. I was at my lowest point... grieving the loss of my brother, the Demogoblin... when suddenly, I was struck with inspiration. I still had a brother- Michael- who had had joined our Family in search of a cure. What we discovered at the Life Foundation building- where Carnage gathered his army of symbiotes- was of no use to us. But as Michael and I turned against Carnage... as we fought side by side, sharing in common our curse of living undeath... I began to think that perhaps- pardon my cliché- the cure could have been inside us all along. Yes, that's right. My Carrion virus that attacks organic matter- if it could be delivered via a serum and targeted at specific cells in the body- could cure Michael's body of its mutated, pseudo-vampiric cells. The only problem is the overwhelming probability that the blood-serum interaction will cause the Carrion virus to spread uncontrollably throughout the body... a slow and fatal prognosis, as you see with our young test subject up there on the rooftop."
A closer look at the security camera feed shows Neena all she needs to see- indeed, what she might have preferred
not to see. That the young man in the Carnage mask who appeared to be napping on the roof is, in fact, no longer among the living. All that remains is a Carnage mask sitting atop a pile of dust and loose clothing flapping in the breeze... as
Carrion's "cure" finishes its gruesome work.
Having said so much, he gives Neena a moment to process what's been said before he continues.
"Yes, in all my calculations... no matter how many test subjects I infected, or how I ran the tests... the odds were never better than two-percent. For reasons known only to science, my cure had only a one-in-fifty chance of being recognized by the body for what it is. And it's not as though I have an infinite supply of human test subjects, though the ones I've gone through will not be missed. Yes, it's only ever a matter of time before some nosy 'hero' shows up and ruins everything... as you know all too well yourself."
His eyes gleam madly as he goes on, gesticulating wildly.
"I knew if I could just get a blood sample from one person whose body responded positively to the cure... someone lucky enough to beat those terrible odds... well, their blood could be injected into Michael and he might be saved. But every test subject I've treated so far responds as though they've been infected with a virus... and not long after that, they expire. Only Sabretooth has survived the dual process of being made a living vampire, and then infected by my cure... all thanks to that incredible healing factor of his. But even so, one couldn't call him 'cured'. His terminal prognosis has only been... indefinitely delayed." Carrion gestures to Neena.
"But that, Miss Thurman, is where you come in. Your unique power to turn the odds of any situation to your favor is just what we need to ensure the success of the procedure. And now, we're finally ready."
Stroking his chin, he takes a moment to consider Neena- her cold, shivering condition.
"Can you feel it, Miss Thurman? I imagine it's the same cold that he and I feel. Yet, in a way, you feel more alive than you ever have before, don't you? Yes, living death is such a... strange sensation, isn't it?"
***
NOW, AGAIN
Neena can breathe a sigh of relief. That clusterf**k of a night is finally over, and she's still in one piece. Better yet, she has not one- not two- but
three bounties she can collect on, if she so chooses. And despite what she just went through, those bounties ought to offer enough compensation for any sane mercenary to believe it was worth it. Even if
Carrion- bastard that he was- lied to her, just as she might have known he would.
"I apologize again, Miss Thurman. Infecting you with Michael's condition was the only option we had. There was no other way for the cure to work."
No, that needle hadn't drawn "lucky blood" out of Neena's arm. It had infected her with
Morbius' own pseudo-vampirism-
and that second jab delivered Carrion's experimental cure straight into her bloodstream! The cure had
worked of course- all thanks to Neena's incredible luck- yet it certainly wasn't an experience any sane bounty hunter would be eager to repeat.
"I hope you can appreciate that my intentions were for the greater good, Miss Thurman. If collecting the bounty on my head isn't payment enough, then allow me to share with you the knowledge I obtained from those *Project Armageddon files. My true understanding of how your luck power operates has nothing to do with your blood and everything to do with your subconscious mind. Yes, this probability-altering power of yours is triggered when you are in a stressful situation- a subconscious telekinetic effect that emanates from your body, causing events to go in your favor and shielding you from harm. It is largely participatory, requiring that you engage in an action with an outcome you can affect. But perhaps, with practice, it can become directed at will... such as what you demonstrated just a moment ago, when you directed your luck power upon your own immune system. Who knows just what the true limits of your ability could possibly be? You should experiment with them as often as you can... for science."
Carrion extends to Neena a metal case containing his mobile lab equipment. He also offers her the needle from earlier, ideal for drawing a sample of the perfected cure from Neena's bloodstream. His pale eyes are full of pride in the group's shared accomplishment.
"Your luck may not actually run in your veins, Miss Thurman... but as of right now, the cure for yours and Michael's vampirism does. Whether he deserves his cure, after what we have both put you through tonight, I leave to you entirely. I told myself I was being selfless... trying to save my brother from a fate I cannot escape myself... but in the end, I suppose I am still but a mad scientist trying to play God."
There is enough ammo in Domino's gun to put an end to all the participants in this medical conspiracy right now, if she so chooses. Or enough room on her glider to get all three to the Raft so she can collect their bounties, before they rot in cells for the rest of their strange, undead lives. But perhaps, as the sun slowly rises over the horizon, the glitter of that needle catches her eye. Michael is the most innocent party in all of this, isn't he? And he only needs one small bit of her blood in order to have his cure...
Whatever her next move,
Domino will face it with money in her bank account... the choicest of bounty-hunting gear... and the best luck a girl could ask for.
***
END
*Mentioned on Domino's character sheet as being behind the experiments that bestowed her luck powers upon her. How Carrion knows about it is anyone's guess!
Thanks so much for indulging my wackiness as I attempt to narrate ourselves out of the spot I got us into so many months ago. I hope that wasn't too many big changes to a PC inside of one post, and please know that nothing that happened here necessarily need be permanent. I started writing this spooky conclusion as Halloween was approaching, which is maybe why it turned out so... dark. It was inspired by Batman: TAS as well as Gail Simone's Domino 2018 run that gave us a fun li'l storyline featuring Neena and Morbius: https://static.wikia.nocookie....st?cb=20181109184101
Further Epilogue conclusions are to follow for the other PC's, and thanks so much all for waiting on me. Grad school continues to take up much of my free time, but I think weekly Friday updates are a go as far as getting this thing moving again.
This message was last edited by the GM at 09:19, Sat 18 Nov 2023.