Ok, calm down Felicia.  The noise you heard was you knocking over the nightstand while you were were in the nightmare.  You're safe.  He's safe.  Probably.  Safe-ish, at least.  You're in the Spider's bed.  Well, you were and you're on the floor now.  Smooth.  Carnage is dead.  Breathe.

The Parker residence was supposed to be a safer space to sleep than Felicia's penthouse, because there'd be someone to help her if she was trapped in the nightmare.  The list of people Felicia trusted wasn't long these days (hence the crashing at her ex's place) and she needed this.

So far, it wasn't quite working out that way.  Exhibit A, upturned nightstand.  Exhibit B, empty bed.  Felicia had slept here for two mornings now.  Last time she'd seen the daughter that isn't going to exist in this world.  Still no Spider today.  Sure it was a slightly more complicated that she was sleeping from Dawn to Noon but it's not like he keeps normal hours either.  Today there were some traces that there had been someone sleeping on the couch.

God he's an idiot sometimes.

It took longer than it should have to get her breathing under control.  Felicia is supposed to be trained to keep her breath and her wits in situations worse than this.  Has to be, to stay ahead of her super-powered enemies.  Particularly the ones that are also her friends.  The sleep loss must be catching up with her.

She'll have to deal with the mess she's made later.  Hope that lamp wasn't important.  It's certainly cheaper than any of the things she's broken at her own place this week.

Felicia gets her disguise ready in a hurry and checks that the cameras she wants to set are in her bag.  She'll have to make a little use of her grappling line to get crosstown in a reasonable amount of time.  Felicia usually tries to keep that to the evening, but as the Spider says, nobody ever looks up in this city.

She just needs to get there, figure out what sort of scum steals from a goddamn shelter, and sort them out with Eddie.  At least she's staying busy.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:34, Fri 12 Aug 2022.

"We're done here," Moon Knight said, in a tone that said he'd had more than enough of the holier-than-thou Daredevil. He turned and headed in the direction of the smoke he could smell on the breeze. He gave no further thought to the scarlet-clad vigilante as he leaped to the next rooftop.

Daredevil had paused not from disinterest but from the very dangerous stimulus his senses suddenly picked up. He had been looking at Moon Knight, silent while he tried to piece together what was going on. But before he could say anything, the opposing vigilante has already turned to go. Daredevil picks up the urgency in his occasional ally’s sudden motion, but the incongruity of what is happening with standing up here in the dead of night caused him longer to pause than it should have, and he decides on a warning an instant too late, reaching out as if it could extend the distance or volume of his voice. “Marc!” the man without fear called. “Your cape!” And only hoped that his frenemy would put behind his haughty impatience to be able to notice, possibly what he thinks he’s running after.

Moon Knight stopped at the sound of Daredevil's warning.

"What...?" he asked, turning over his shoulder to look at his cape. If Daredevil had taped a KICK ME sign or something to his back, Moon Knight would be furious.

Eddie Brock sits on a bench in the park across the street from St. Elizabeth's. In his hooded "Symbiote Shepherd" guise, he attracts little attention from passerby. With the unkempt beard he's grown over the last few weeks, one might believe him to be a person experiencing homelessness-- just like those he currently seeks to aid. A caring-- if oft-misunderstood-- vigilante, he figures someone who's ripping off charity goods for the homeless can be only the lowest of the low. And with the Black Cat's help, he intends to put a stop to the rash of thefts. Tonight.

Or, well, that was the idea. Where is Felicia Hardy, anyway? It's almost fifteen minutes past when she was supposed to show up here. Without the intel she planned to get from working in the church, he's not sure what he should be looking for. And so, he's left to decide-- should he go inside himself? With his current appearance, he could no doubt pass as a local transient seeking food and shelter. But on the other hand, he isn't the same Eddie Brock he was just one week ago. In addition to Venom, he now has a small army of symbiotes under his control, and it would be child's play to send them off to stake out the area. There have been some bumps in the road with their training, of course-- after all, it's only been a week since they were freed from Carnage's control-- but they seem to trust Brock and want to earn his approval.

What to do...?

Venom, please let us know whether you plan to go into the church or hang outside until Felicia arrives. At this point, we're still framing what everyone is going to do in the scene before we start rolling dice.

Next, I will set the scene for Tigra and Spider-Woman.
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:28, Sat 27 Aug 2022.

Eddie looks around and scratches the fake cat shape that was once his sleeve, "Yeah she is late and we don't get to eat again until we figure this out." He stands and slumps in on himself a bit and shuffles forward towards the church,  "Let us see if this old homeless man can get some help in the night."

Greenwich Village

Wong treads the halls of the Sanctum Sanctorum, tending to the dusting and re-arrangement of the many treasures lining its walls. Pausing to examine one in particular, he frowns as he inspects it: a crescent-shaped dagger with a ruby-encrusted hilt. It is the same blade that was used by Moon Knight to pierce Cletus Kasady's heart just a week ago, inadvertently infusing him with the demonic power that transformed him into a towering menace.

"I wonder what became of the Moon Knight after that battle," Wong murmurs, turning to look at a cloaked figure standing at the window. "You have not mentioned him since he helped us save the city from Carnage and his--"

The figure, which might have appeared to be Tigra, instead resolves itself into the blackish form of a symbiote devoid of any host. It cocks its head at Wong with questioning eyes.

"Ah, it's only you, Symba. Where is the Sorcerer Supreme? Sleeping in today, as usual, when she promised to help me with the cleaning?"

Holstering his feather duster, he turns and begins heading toward Greer's private chambers.

"It is a shame Ms. Drew did not wish to stay longer after we destroyed Carnage's body. She was a most helpful house guest. But I can understand if a young mother has greater responsibilities that merit her--"

CRASH!

Wong jumps as the noise reverberates down the hallway. He turns to see a Mindless One holding a broom standing next to a shattered glass cabinet. Magical trinkets spill onto the floor as the sorcerer gives a sigh.

"I almost forget we keep you guys around. It feels so long ago that we liberated you and your kind from the dread Dormammu's control. I know you are trying to help, but please be careful when standing near the Orb of-- AGH!"

Suddenly, the golem-like creature lumbers toward the green-robed sorcerer and takes a swipe at him with its heavy wooden broom. The blow catches the wizard by surprise and he goes down, clutching at his mid-section in pain.

"OOF! Hey, what are you doing?!"

More and more of the Mindless Ones advance from adjacent hallways, clutching their own makeshift weapons. Silent as ever, they surround the sorcerer and begin to strike at him en masse. As Symba goes to his aid, the pet symbiote is likewise swatted with an assortment of household cleaning tools. With the pair suddenly battered from all sides, it is all Tigra's loyal partner can do to give a desperate cry to whoever is listening: "HELP!"

That help can be from Tigra and/or Spider-Woman if she's around. If Jessica's player is reading this, please let me know if you prefer to enter into this scene, or we can frame you in another one before linking you up with Greer.

Mindless Ones added to the scene as a Mob 4d8.

Actions Available: Tigra, Spider-Woman

Next: Circling back to the scene with DD/Moon Knight, and then Black Cat/Venom. More Watcher posts inbound.

Scene Distinctions for Tigra/Spider-Woman:

- Broken Glass
- Narrow Hallways
- Cleaning Supplies

The Doom Pool starts at 2d6.

Each hero begins with 1 PP.

The scene begins with a "Sorcerer Surrounded" d12 Scene Complication, to represent Wong being trapped by the Mindless Ones. The complication will remain until either he is freed (by rolling against the Complication + Mob dice), or all the Mindless Ones are defeated.

Hell's Kitchen Rooftops


"Oh, crap! We're on fire!"

As the exclamation from Moon Knight's symbiote cuts through the still night air, Marc whirls around to see the blaze. Sure enough, red flames are eating away at the edges of his symbiotic cloak. But where did they come from, and why didn't he notice them earlier?

"Sorry, boss. I can't explain it, but I don't even feel us burning!"

As the flames suddenly fan bigger, it becomes clear that trying to stamp or smother them won't do much good. A quick glance at his surroundings, however, would remind Marc that a large water tower stands adjacent to this rooftop, moonlight reflecting off its silvery exterior. And on top of that tower, to his surprise, sits a human figure silhouetted in the moonlight. The woman's voice calls out to the heroes in sing-song rhythm, in the tune of "Hey Diddle Diddle":

"Hey Devil Devil
The King found his vessel
The knight whose god is the moon
This prisoner had her fun cut short
But she will kill again very soon!"

Laughing, the woman stands and takes a running leap into the night! With the headstart she has on both heroes, catching her may prove no easy feat...

The chase is on!

Scene Distinctions:
- Moonlit Rooftops
- Fire Escapes
- Water Tower

The Doom Pool starts at 2d6.

Daredevil and Moon Knight begin with 1 PP each.

Moon Knight starts this scene with a "Burning" d6 complication.

Moon Knight's attacker is currently represented by a "Fleeing Villain" d12 Scene Complication. This complication may only be targeted by actions including a movement-based power (Swingline, Gliding, etc.).

Actions Available: Daredevil, Moon Knight

Next: Getting back to Black Cat and Venom.
This message was last edited by the GM at 10:55, Wed 02 Nov 2022.

Damn it. Whatever these weird flames were about, they probably represented at least as much danger as real fire did. His symbiote wasn't afraid of fire like many others were, but that might not mean much if these flames had some sort of mystical property or anything else that was credibly dangerous about them. If this woman was the source, then she would probably have the solution as well. Either way, Moon Knight wasn't about to let her get away.

He ignored the flames for the moment. This wasn't the first time he'd been on fire, and it wouldn't be the last. He'd just have to hope that he could fix the problem before it started doing damage.

He fired a web-line at the roof of a nearby building and swung after his fleeing quarry. His goal was to tackle her and then get some answers.

[Attacking 'Fleeing Villain' complication]

Buddy d8
Fist of Khonshu d8
Superhuman Strength d10
Web-slinging d8
Combat Master d10

Moon Knight rolled 1,2,6,2,6 using d8,d8,d10,d8,d10 ((1,2,6,2,6)).

Total: 12
Effect: d8

Opps: 1
PP remaining: 2

Washington Heights

Felicia's trip to the shelter goes off without a hitch. Traveling by use of her swingline, she makes up for lost time (and beats quite a lot of traffic). By the time she makes it to the front door of St. Elizabeth's, in her "Katia" guise, Eddie is already in the lobby speaking to an elderly woman holding a pile of stacked boxes in her arms piled all the way up above her head.

"No, no," she's telling the hooded Mr. Brock. "I may be getting on in years, but I can handle moving these, at least until my assistant gets here. I'm sure she must be running late for a good reason. She looked like she hadn't slept in days, poor thing."

Whether he persists in trying to aid her, the disguised Venom's offer of help is complicated by the naivete of his symbiotes. Suddenly, one splits off from Brock's leg, appearing in the form of a dark-haired cat. Purring, the alien feline rubs up against the shelter worker's leg, accidentally startling the lady who can't even see where she's going for all the boxes in her arms.

"Oh my!" As she jumps, the boxes topple from her grasp, spilling their contents to the ground. Canned food, clothing, blankets and more fall onto the hard wood floors. And looking down at the mess with an exasperated expression on her (no longer obscured) face is none other than Peter Parker's Aunt May.

"Strange," she says. "I didn't see a cat come in here." Then, noticing the new arrival, she smiles. "Oh! Katia, I'm so glad you're here!"

Having been equally startled, the stray symbiote scurries back to Eddie's side, subtly rejoining with him and the rest of his newly acquired symbiotes. The "black cat" communicates its recognition of their ally to Brock as it looks toward "Katia" and meows before disappearing into the shape of Eddie's thick coat.

No dice actions yet, but the scene is open for roleplay.

Next: Tigra/Spider-Woman have actions available, so I will get on that reaction to MK. DD should have a post up soon too, I think.
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:09, Sat 12 Nov 2022.

A King Vessel? What would a genie owned by a Dungeon Capturer have to do with anything? Daredevil doesn’t think about it long before he gets moving. It doesn’t take supernatural senses to get that there’s something odd going on suddenly -- and someone might be on fire -- but since DD can do it, he can kick his radar sense and super-hearing into motion and get to the bottom of this, which will first involve getting to whomever just lit a fuse -- rather literally -- and ran. He could figure out how this figure connects to a King Candidate later.

"If you're okay, MK," DD calls after his maybe-ally but not pausing to check if he hears, "Four feet are better than two!" Then he leaps from the building and hopes he can find a fire escape for his billy-club swingline to attach to on the way down.

Attacking Fleeing Villain Complication:
Buddy    d8
Fire Escapes (if there are any)    d4
(+1 PP)
Billy Club/Swingline    d6
Hypersenses/Radar Sense/Superhuman Senses    d10
Crime Master    3d6

Daredevil rolled 3,1,6,7,6,4,6 using d8,d4,d6,d10,d6,d6,d6 ((3,1,6,7,6,4,6)).

Total: 13; Effect: d8
1 Opportunity

PPs: 1 (starting) +1 (negative Distinction) +1 (rolled Opportunity) = 3

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 62):

Eddie sighs and kneels down to clean up the mess, "Cats are tricky like that. I've gotten a few to be friendly to me." After a moment he looks up, "Go catch up with your assistant, I'll get these sorted and you can show me where you want them." He chuckles as he sorts the items to pick them back up and speaks out loud to himself and his flock, "One saint in a sea of sinners."

If he was okay?

"I'm on fire," Moon Knight replied, still doing his best to ignore the flames which didn't actually seem to hurt anyway. "I'm fine."

Felicia hasn't actually spent much time with May Parker - she wasn't the girl he brought home to his parents, after all.  But she recognized her right away.  How could she not.  She inwardly curses a little for borrowing the ratty sweater from him, hoping his Aunt doesn't recognize it.  There wasn't time for a shopping trip.

Felicia - Katia smells too nice to seem like she needs help from St. Elizabeth's even in her disguise, but her tired face and ring of purple bruises on her neck tell a story and pretending not so speak English keeps the questions low.

Her plan is to spend as much time here as possible and figure out what's happening.  When she gets a chance she'll set up some cameras.

"Bon Matin, May" she tells her new boss.
She takes two thirds of the boxes from Eddie, turning to May and saying. "Laisse-moi les avoir."

If her words aren't understood, grabbing the boxes should tell enough of the story.

OOC: Please forgive any language mistakes as my French is pretty bad but Felicia should be fluent.

Also a temporary portrait change to reflect disguise.

In reply to Moon Knight (msg # 61):

Moon Knight fires off a length of symbiote webbing, using it to draw himself into a speedy pursuit of his assailant. Though he's more than accustomed to chasing down common street thugs, this mysterious woman seems to represent a more unusual level of threat. And, for some reason, she seems to have it out for the Fist of Khonshu...!

Reaction to Moon Knight attacking the "Fleeing Villain" complication (Total: 12 / Effect: d8).

Fleeing Villain d12
Doom Pool 2d6

18:06, Today: The Watcher rolled 6,5,2 using 1d12,1d6,1d6.  Watcher reaction to Moon Knight's attempt to pursue his attacker.

Total: 13 (-1d6 doom for 3rd die)
Effect: d4 (default)
Opportunities: 0
Doom Pool: 2d6

The scene complication wins out, though MK takes 1 PP for his troubles.

"Ah, so that is a symbiote you're wearing," the strange woman remarks with a click of the tongue. Gazing at the web-line attached to the nearby rooftop, she pauses mid-stride.

"Pardon the whole 'setting-you-on-fire' thing. Just had to be sure."

As she seems to focus her gaze on the web-line, the portion affixed to the rooftop suddenly bursts into flame. With the sole anchor point destroyed, the whole length of webbing sags and falls away, leaving Moon Knight to plummet toward the streets!

Meanwhile, Daredevil has likewise given chase, relying on his trusted billy club to bear him aloft. As he dives from the rooftop, his senses reach out to find the closest fire escape he can snag with the swingline...

Reaction to Daredevil attacking the "Fleeing Villain" complication (Total: 13 / Effect: d8).

Fleeing Villain d12
Doom Pool 2d6

19:19, Today: The Watcher rolled 4,3,3 using 1d12,1d6,1d6.  Watcher reaction to Daredevil's attempt to pursue the assailant.

Total: 6
Effect: d12
Opportunities: 0

Extraordinary Success/Higher defending effect die cancel out, leaving DD with a d8 effect. Fleeing Villain scene complication steps back to d10.

*KA-CHNKKK!*

With an expert toss of the swingline, the Man Without Fear secures his grappling point onto the neighboring fire escape. The cold night air rushes past his cheeks as he travels his arc, releasing the line at the apex as he launches onto the next rooftop. He can sense the woman up ahead readying herself to dart to the next rooftop, as she casts what must be an amused glance over her shoulder.

"Hmm. It's been a while since we've done this, hasn't it, Devil?"

Next: Checking in on Tigra/Spider-Woman. (Do we still have a Tigra/Spider-Woman?)
This message was last edited by the GM at 10:25, Thu 08 Dec 2022.

“Mary! Stop!” Daredevil calls through the hot, night sky. His swingline connects to a building outcropping ahead of where the woman is running, and swings into a wide, deep dip that sweeps into an equally wide, high arc, giving him the momentum to leap from the line then nose-dive to just past where her stride will take her in the next two seconds. The swing should take him to where she is, though with such velocity he won’t be able to tell if he’s flinging himself into a trap until it’s too late!

As Moon Knight dips toward the street, he hears Daredevil's cry: "Mary! Stop!" With a grunt, he breaks his fall against the outer wall of a neighboring building as his partner goes on ahead. Being bonded with a wall-crawling symbiote has no shortage of benefits, it seems, even if Marc is still adapting to his new powers. With a couple of quick moves, he knows he can redouble his pace and catch up to his companion. But then, from the corner of his eye, he spies something in the streets up ahead. It's a small gathering of obvious criminals-- three men. One is a common thug holding a Carnage mask, like the ones Marc encountered earlier tonight. The other two are supervillains. And though he did not battle them in the late Cletus Kasady's deadly sports game, he knows well enough the chaos they created prior to his own arrival into that nightmare: countless innocents held hostage by a malicious manipulator's mind-control. Police and emergency personnel struck down by killer supervillains as they tried to intervene. The live footage broadcasted out from Yankee Stadium had served as a perfect distraction for Carnage while he tortured Frenchie, ransacked Marc's headquarters, and did... whatever else he was aiming to do, before Marc and "Domino" arrived to stop him.

Jack O'Lantern is the gangly, black-suited one with a flaming pumpkin for a head. And the one in baggy green clothes with a leather sack over his face can only be Scarecrow. Moon Knight remembers the costumed identities of all the lowlifes who joined Carnage's twisted "Family" during the villain's killing spree. At the conclusion of the baseball game, these two-- along with other escaping villains-- had nearly been blown to smithereens by a missile launched from the hijacked Mooncopter. Which might have served them right, except that by some stroke of luck, they narrowly escaped the explosion. And now, whatever she might have intended, this "Mary" had just led Marc right back to them.

From a quick observation, it seems the two villains who recently made a name for themselves are giving discipline to the low-level henchman caught between them. As the thug-- not much more than a kid, really-- protests being made to wear a Carnage mask, Scarecrow tells him he's cramping the group's style. Jack, apparently the one in charge, questions if the young man would prefer instead to have his head engulfed in flames to match his leader's appearance. That seems to persuade the thug, who picks up the mask and obediently puts it on. "That's what I thought. Carnage may be dead, but you'll understand soon enough that keeping his legacy alive is good for business."

As Daredevil swings toward Mary, she executes an impressive leap of her own that carries her right past him. Nimbly, she reaches the edge of the building before turning back around to face him where he stands. "I know what you're probably thinking," she chuckles. "You're thinking ol' Scarecrow and the Pumpkin-head had me bait you two into a trap. But no. It's those two I want to see caught like the dirty little rats they are. Hope your friend takes his sweet time with them." She cups her hands and calls to the pair down in the streets: "Yoo-hoo, boys! I know you kicked me out of your little 'Family,' but the kid is right. Carnage is old news." She points back in the direction of the obscured Moon Knight. *"Just ask the guy who killed him!"

Freezing in their tracks as they spot Daredevil above them, Jack and the Scarecrow go on high alert. But are they more afraid of the horned hero, or the lethal vigilante whom Mary is calling out into the open? As each player in her game considers their move, the assassin takes her opportunity to slip away, leaning back until she plummets toward the city streets beneath her. "See you around, Devil," she says with a wink. Meanwhile, as her targets Jack and Scarecrow consider how to react, Daredevil observes their heart rates suddenly spike. He knows they have just entered "fight or flight" mode, and that he's faced with a choice: try and bring down these two wanted mad-men-- ideally, before the murderous Moon Knight gets his hands on them-- or go after the villainess who just escaped his grasp?

Add Jack O'Lantern, Scarecrow, Typhoid Mary, and Mook in Carnage Mask d6 to the scene.

"Fleeing Villain" scene complication remains at d10. Moon Knight still has his "Burning" d6 complication.

Available Scene SFX: Play The Hero. Players may target the Doom Pool to remove or step down doom dice, if describing how they protect bystanders or limit collateral damage. However, the Doom Pool can never fall below 2d6.

I also forgot to add doom for player opportunities in Msg #61 and #63, so doing that now.

Doom Pool: 2d8

As an experimental rule, I've been thinking it would be beneficial for me to lay out the "win conditions" for players during Action Scenes, to better frame the stakes and to hold myself accountable to the outcome. Let's try that here:

Win Objectives
If using Buddy:
- Stress all villains out of the scene. (1/2)
- Remove the scene complication, "Fleeing Villain". (2/2)

If using Solo:
- Stress out the other PC(s) present. (1/3)
- Stress all villains out of the scene. (2/3)
- Remove the scene complication, "Fleeing Villain". (3/3)

Daredevil and Moon Knight will use Buddy Affiliation if working together, and Solo Affiliation if working against each other. Scene ends if PC's are stressed out or 2d12 doom is spent to end the scene on the Watcher's terms. Scene doesn't necessarily end in failure if not all win conditions are met.

*Additional note: Due to the chaotic circumstances around Carnage's death, rumor and hearsay have been spreading over the last week in-game. The villains here believe Moon Knight killed Carnage, although it was actually Domino who dealt the killing blow. I expect she'll make an appearance soon enough and the record will be set straight one way or another...

Player Actions Available: Daredevil, Moon Knight
Watcher Actions Available: Jack O'Lantern, Mook in Carnage Mask d6, Scarecrow, Typhoid Mary
This message was last edited by the GM at 08:30, Fri 24 Mar 2023.

Elsewhere in Hell's Kitchen...

Domino cruises along on her repurposed glider, admiring the new paint job applied over its metal exterior. Only a week has passed since Neena slew the Demogoblin and commandeered his vehicle, paying the monster back in kind for his airborne ambush on that night. Her superficial burns from the exploding pumpkin bomb are all but fully healed, along with the stab wound given her by Kasady. That spot on her lower back didn't even look like it would scar over-- lucky, as usual. Tonight, her intel is suggesting that two more members of the Carnage Family have just been spotted in the vicinity of Hell's Kitchen. On her glider, it's only a short distance from the penthouse Neena is occupying. Feeling a bit cooped up there anyway, she decides that taking down a few costumed clowns would be a good way to stretch her legs, field-test her new gear, and maybe do a little community service-- paid, of course.

After all, Osborn's bounty contract is still in effect, and Mr. Mayor has proven to be a man of his word. The payout from the Carnage job-- half a million smackaroos-- has been kind to Neena's bank account. (Wade, for whatever his contributions were, made out with the other half a million dollars... although he already managed to spend it all, somehow.) And though the bounty on the other Family members is smaller than the price tag on Kasady, it's still good money as far as Neena is concerned. So while this job tonight isn't really a matter of Domino needing the cash, it's a good chance for her to do what she's good at. And, zeroing in on her targets as the glider's low-noise engine carries her high above them, she surely does feel damn good at her job. There they are on the roof down below-- a couple of sitting ducks.

Jack O'Lantern and the Scarecrow. Intel states that these two are responsible for a litany of crimes committed over the last week: armed robbery, assault, and running a protection racket, among other things. But all of that pales in comparison to what they did the night Carnage ran loose: taking over an entire sports stadium with their deranged little ball game, and dragging God knows how many innocent lives into it. Neena had cursed her rare bad luck when they managed to slip through her fingers, escaping her missile strike launched from the "Carnage-Copter." Now it was time to get even.

As she draws closer, the memory of Carnage's bloody killing spree-- and the disgust inspired in Neena by his sycophantic Family-- might well have persuaded the mercenary to do this job regardless of pay. Anything to help work the lingering stress and anger out of her system at having been propositioned to join that murderer's death cult. What was it he had seen in Domino, anyway? They weren't alike, and she knew that– no matter how much Kasady had tried to get in her head. Being good at violence– and directing it toward productive ends– was not remotely the same as spreading pain and death for some sort of sick thrill.

No, Neena and Cletus were certainly not alike. But Kasady's woman, "Shriek"... she and Domino had a startling amount in common, odd or disturbing as that may have seemed. Both mutants. Born survivors. And yes, killers. They had even borne a strange resemblance in their very features. Chalk-white skin. Jet-black hair. A spot-- or a scar-- over one eye. Domino had played that similarity to her advantage with some mind games of her own, sharing a kiss with Shriek's beloved Cletus, whose life she eventually took with a well-deserved bullet to the head. (A femme fatale mercenary never earns her rep for nothing.) As for Shriek, she had wound up trapped in some dark place beyond space and time, never to return… and that served Neena just fine.

Anyway, she can dwell on her thoughts later. Right now, she is almost on top of her targets. In the dark of night, their silhouettes seem close enough to a match. A thin, black-suited man with glowing eyes-- Jack? And a man in dark, baggy clothes with a hood over his head-- surely the Scarecrow? If she's going to keep her advantage, Neena knows she ought to open fire on them first, neutralizing them before they ever see her coming. Not that she would mind the exercise a quick fight could bring. But a nagging thought stays her hand– for now. Shouldn't Jack be wearing a pumpkin on his head, like in his bounty mugshot? Sure, he could have just taken it off, or left it at the dry cleaners... But what if it's not really him? There are certain rare things in life, Neena knows, that cannot be left to luck or chance. And this is one of them.

Donning a pair of high-tech goggles-- thank you, Kasady money-- Domino's vision fills with multicolored infrared heat maps of the area. Toggling between that mode and the night-vision setting affords Neena a better view of the villains standing on that darkly lit rooftop down below. Meanwhile, a sophisticated, AI-assisted heads-up display reads out information on the mercenary's surroundings, fed through her private intel channel:

STEVEN LEVINS. ALIAS, JACK O'LANTERN... IDENTITY MATCH NEGATIVE.

EBENEZER LAUGHTON. ALIAS, SCARECROW... IDENTITY MATCH NEGATIVE.

So then, who the hell are these two? Why does it look like one of them has the other tied up? And is that a third guy laying passed out on the ground in between them? That one is wearing a Carnage mask, but he looks more like a common thug than any supervillain Neena is hunting. Domino clicks a button on her headset, sifting through the info feed. It would be good to get a better understanding of the situation here, before she makes a choice to either intervene or get on her way.

SUBJECT #1. IDENTITY: UNKNOWN MALE. SUGGESTION: CIVILIAN. STATUS: UNCONSCIOUS.

SUBJECT #2. IDENTITY: UNKNOWN MALE. SUGGESTION: MUTANT. STATUS: RESTRAINED/UNCONSCIOUS.

It's not much to go on, but it's something. And the third one-- the one that's on his feet-- he looks oddly familiar. But who is he, and is there a bounty on his head? As Neena's eyes speed over the info read-out, they widen a bit as her new target suddenly jerks his head around. His red eyes narrow as he spots Neena aboard the glider, as if her very presence there is a challenge to him. Raising his head skyward, he lets out an ear-piercing screech in her direction.

SUBJECT #3. IDENTITY: PROCESSING. SUGGESTION: HUMAN MUTATE. STATUS: AGITATED.

SEARCHING IDENTITY DATABASES...

PROCESSING RESULT...

COMPLETE.

100% VISUAL MATCH: DR. MICHAEL MORBIUS. ALIAS, THE LIVING VAMPIRE.

BOUNTY OUTSTANDING.

Add Morbius to the scene, and a Scene Complication: "Mysterious Circumstances" d8.

Scene Distinctions:
- Domino's Glider
- High-Tech Goggles
- Darkly Lit Rooftops

Available Scene SFX: Play The Hero. Players may target the Doom Pool to remove or step down doom dice, if describing how they protect bystanders or limit collateral damage. However, the Doom Pool can never fall below 2d6.

Doom Pool: 2d8

Win Objectives
- Stress all villains out of the scene. (1/1)

Player Actions Available: Domino
Watcher Actions Available: Morbius

I will give to Domino first, since her Superhuman Reflexes d10 exceed Morbius' Enhanced Reflexes d8.

Domino, given this new information, had been momentarily inclined to simply investigate this situation ... perhaps even parlay a little ... to find out what was going on.

But the moment the 'living vampire' attacked her without regard ... and the fact that she could claim a bounty, even if it wasn't on any of Cletus's Crew ... got her adrenaline pumping.
And suddenly, this was a challenge.  A challenge that she intended to accept, and prevail over.

As the her new glider swept to the left, and dipped, her guns came fluidly into her hands ... but instead of firing, Domino used these split seconds to draw Luck in about her ... like donning her own personal armour for this COMBAT.

Going Defensive to start this combat:  set myself up for some success (hopefully).

Action:   Create Asset  'Lucky Grrl'
d8   Solo
d8   Femme Fatale
d8   Probability Manipulation / Luck
d6  SFX: Let the Luck Run Free.
         Add a d6 and step up your effect die by +1 when using PROBABILITY MANIPULATION to create assets.
d10 Combat Master

- rolled 4,5,8,3,10 using d8,d8,d8,d6,d10.
Total: 18
Effect: d10 Asset 'Lucky Grrl'   ... stepping up effect die by +1 for 'Let the Luck Run Free'
       Spend 1PP to make this Asset persistent for this Scene

Washington Heights, Manhattan
St. Elizabeth's Church
Temporary operating site of F.E.A.S.T.

"Oh, Katia, I'm sorry," May says, struggling to gesticulate the meaning of her words. "My French is a bit rusty." Furrowing her eyebrows, she pieces together a broken sentence in the foreign language that Felicia can't make much sense of: <<"Pretty... Cat... Did you... Steal?">>

Chuckling softly, one of the other volunteers remarks from the far corner of the room: "May, I'm pretty sure she didn't voler-- steal-- that sweater. If you meant trouver-- where did she find it-- I've seen the same one at Target on clearance. And it's a pretty 'chandail' in French." As she turns around, the young woman's blue eyes light up when May laughs and politely thanks her. Giggling, Peter's aunt asks what other vocabulary error she had made. While the volunteer sets down an empty soup bowl and the ladle she was holding, she smiles and turns to look at "Katia" from across the room. Brushing a strand of her long blonde hair aside, she answers: "You said 'chatte'. It means 'cat'."

Felicia could be forgiven if she was a bit preoccupied with all this. Those damn Carnage nightmares had been throwing her off her game lately, and were probably the only reason she hadn't had time to figure out the identity of her new "boss" prior to meeting her. Unexpectedly coming face to face with May Parker-- while wearing one of Peter's old sweaters, no less(!)-- was a potential pitfall in her plan to do some covert crime-fighting in this place. And now this random volunteer was jeopardizing Felicia's "confused immigrant girl" act, too?

<<"Don't over-do it, new girl. Here, I'll take some too.">>

The blonde girl-- okay, not a "girl," Felicia observed, but someone close to her own age-- had been arranging items on a table in the corner when Felicia arrived. She hadn't elicited much notice when the disguised Cat first glanced around the church foyer. But as she strides over and reaches for some of "Katia's" boxes-- the really heavy ones full of canned goods-- her voice seems annoyingly familiar in Felicia's ears, even when speaking flawless French:

<<"Name's Shannon. I'll walk with you. Supply storage is this way.">> And before Felicia can do much in the way of protest, her new "friend" leads her in that direction. Watching them go, May praises the idea of using the buddy system, saying something about how thieves have been spotted in the storage room a couple of times recently. Shannon confidently reminds their boss that she's scared them off before, and she'll protect "Katia" if there's any trouble.

But Felicia's soured mood is something she'll have to deal with all by herself. The Black Cat may have fallen off her A-game lately, but she is no fool. Just a victim of yet another damnable coincidence, it seems. And she might be perturbed by the sudden realization that's dawned on her, if she hasn't skipped straight to being annoyed. Because she can certainly recognize the American Dream walking beside her, even if "Shannon" has lost her stars, her stripes, and her shield.

Oh, right. Fisk's shield, thanks to the Cat.

<<"So. What's your story, Katia?">> Shannon asks.

Add "Shannon" to the scene.

Add Scene Complication: "In Disguise" d8

Win Objectives
- Stay in disguise by keeping Mental stress below d12+. (1/2)
- Stop the thieves (likely going to be a Mob). (2/2)

Doom Pool: 2d8

Available Scene SFX: Play The Hero. Players may target the Doom Pool to remove or step down doom dice, if describing how they protect bystanders or limit collateral damage. However, the Doom Pool can never fall below 2d6.

Black Cat's Affiliation is Buddy (with American Dream), and she switches to a separate sub-scene from Venom:

Church Supply Room

Scene Distinctions:
- Boxes, Boxes, Everywhere
- F.E.A.S.T. Volunteers
- Equipment Van

Player Actions Available: Black Cat
Watcher Actions Available: American Dream

Turning it over to "Katia" first. Lying to Shannon about her identity would be a Mental attack or a complication. Telling the truth... well, that could get ugly!

Next Watcher post will move the spotlight over to Venom, back in the Church Foyer. (Hey, more French!)
This message was last edited by the GM at 08:30, Fri 31 Mar 2023.

"<I had an unfortunate situation and needed to get away."> Felicia says.  She tries to cover up the bruise - it's supposed to help with her cover.  "<It's a bit embarrassing. ">. It is supposed to stop people asking prying questions wby making them think she's fleeing from an abusive partner.

"<That woman is the Spider-Mother isn't she?  It must be very safe here.  She is very famous since that day with the...">. She makes an unmasking motion.

If 'Shannon' is distracted while carrying all those boxes and drops a few things, that's just bad luck..  Maybe it will keep her mind on something else.

Today: Black Cat rolled 3,4,8,9 using D8,d4,d8,d10.  Buddy, no hero (d4), covert expert, bad luck. – 3,4,8,9<

Let's try to give Shannon a 'preoccupied' condition.  17/d8

This message was last edited by the player at 18:19, Mon 03 Apr 2023.

Daredevil winces at the mention of his ally being a murderer, but that’s something he’s already convinced himself he’ll have to get used to. Hopefully he might mitigate some of its terrible magnitude by stopping it from happening again.

Just as the horned hero can acknowledge the clear dangers on the street below, his other concern heads the other way, splitting his attention and intention. Taking even a second to decide means she gets farther away from him. “Moon Knight!” he yells to the street, hardly having time to turn toward the target of his call. “Take care of those three until I get back.” And try not to kill them, he almost says, but Mary was already out of sight by the time he could turn to head toward her. Maybe the number of people MK is attacking would stop him from going all the way with them.

“Mary!” Daredevil hollers in the direction she went. “Let’s just talk,” he continues, and maybe that would even happen. Though if getting physically closer to her will lead to violence or intimacy, he can only guess. He sprints to the opposite side of the roof, his skin only faintly feeling the disruption in the air of a figure moving downward through it and his radar sense blocked by the edge of the building, not tracking where she's going past the brim of the structure underfoot. He can only hope he has the opportunity to catch up to her -- or catch her. He wouldn’t expect her to purposely let herself fall to her death, but he would rescue her if it came to that. After all, real heroes save lives, not take them.

Mental attack (persuasion) on Fleeing Villain Complication:
Buddy    d6
Blind Justice    d4 (can't see where she's going from where he is)
(+1 PP)
(Do we have any Scene Distinctions for this Scene?)
Hypersenses/Superhuman Senses    d10
Psych Expert    d8

Daredevil rolled 1,4,3,2 using d6,d8,d10,d8 ((1,4,3,2)).

Total: 7; Effect: d8
1 Opportunity

(Since this is a mental attack I didn’t include any physical powers, so I hope she is unable to defend with any (if not rolling against the Doom Pool).)

PPs: 3 (starting; from msg #63) +1 (negative Distinction) +1 (rolled Opportunity) = 5

Next Action: Moon Knight

Moon Knight doesn't stop to think about his own problem — his cape being mysteriously on fire — he just launches himself into battle. He leaps from the high ledge, a flaming meteor clad in white, aiming himself to land on a dumpster right next to Jack O'Lantern. While it might be possible to take the enemy out with a single blow from this height, Moon Knight decides to play things Daredevil's way, and just scare the crap out of him.

As he falls, the Lunacy symbiote shifts into a thing out of nightmares, with fangs, claws, tentacles... and more of the same.

Solo d10
Fist of Khonshu d8
Shapeshifting d10
Menace Expert d8

Moon Knight rolled 5,3,4,1 using d10,d8,d10,d8 ((5,3,4,1)).

Total: 8
Effect: d10

Eddie is busying himself with his own armload of boxes when he notices a man watching him from the far corner of the room. Seated in an armchair nestled among yet more cardboard containers, he's been so quiet during the conversation that one might not have noticed he was there. Behind shaggy hair and a bushy, gray-blonde beard, his tired blue eyes watch Brock with some unknown emotion. It could be warmth, suspicion, or perhaps a strange blend of the two.

Eddie, why does this guy remind us of you? one of Brock's symbiotes remarks, the non-verbal sentence echoing inside the part of Eddie's psyche which they all share. Eddie recognizes it as Riot, the former leader of the Life Foundation symbiotes and longtime rival of Venom. So far, Eddie has been having a rough go of trying to make the two rival symbiotes work together. Venom ruthlessly defends his status as the self-proclaimed "alpha" of the symbiotes, a move that has fueled the insecure Riot's jealousy and anger. And Venom-- rather than do anything to ease these tensions-- never passes on an opportunity to put Riot in his place, and remind him of the great debt he owes Eddie for having freed him from Cletus Kasady's control.

As if on cue, Venom snarls: Hey! We were going to say that!

Well, our host has been letting himself go lately, another laughs, ignoring the tension. That would be Phage, the immature troublemaker of the group. It's only been a week and his beard is totally out of control, just like this guy's.

Eddie, could he perhaps be your long-lost brother?" the perceptive Agony ponders. Hmm, no, no, the conniving Scream voices her objection. Our host is much too good-looking for them to share such a close relation. Perhaps this is a cousin?

Ugh, will you all shut up already? moans the short-tempered Lasher from somewhere inside the mental cacophony. We can't think when we're all sharing the same host like this!

Then feel free to separate yourself! Venom barks. Eddie was our host first!

Somewhere in the mind of the "Symbiote Shepherd", Riot turns on his rival. Don't you talk to my brother like that! Just because we are your offspring, you think you can speak to us however you please?! As they all begin to war with each other within Eddie's psyche-- not an uncommon occurrence over the last week-- it takes Eddie great effort not to lose his composure while the stranger is watching. As he grapples with the voices in his head, Brock may not even have the wherewithal to notice the stranger get up, cross the distance between them, and reach right toward him. The mental storm is brewing so fast-- and with such force-- that Eddie can barely decide on his own emotional state, let alone the stranger's. Did the symbiote's silent outburst somehow trigger the man to become agitated himself? Is he about to attack?

Thump.

The stranger lays a hand on Eddie's shoulder... and the voices stop.

"Better?" the man smiles. "Did the voices finally quiet down?"

Add "Eddie Brock Look-alike" to the scene.

Add Scene Complication: "Inner Voices" d8

Win Objectives
- Stay in control by keeping Mental stress below d12+. (1/2)
- Stop the thieves (likely going to be a Mob). (2/2)

Doom Pool: 2d8 (+2 Opp's from DD and MK) = 3d8

Available Scene SFX: Play The Hero. Players may target the Doom Pool to remove or step down doom dice, if describing how they protect bystanders or limit collateral damage. However, the Doom Pool can never fall below 2d6.

Venom's Affiliation is Solo, and this takes place in the:

Church Lobby

Scene Distinctions:
- Boxes, Boxes, Everywhere
- F.E.A.S.T. Volunteers
- May Parker

Player Actions Available: Venom
Watcher Actions Available: Eddie Brock Look-alike

Alright Venom, I'm turning it over to you, and this is the same deal as with Black Cat. If you want to tell the truth to this stranger (That Eddie has... "voices"... in his head), it's a free action. If you want to pass it off as *something else, I need you to say as such by rolling a Mental/Emotional attack or complication against this guy, representing your attempt to deceive him.

*For some reason, the old Pepto-Bismol jingle comes to mind. Heartburn, nausea, indigestion, upset stomach... well, hopefully not that other one.
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:38, Fri 14 Apr 2023.