After the situation at the beach settles down, things are relatively quiet for a few days. The team keeps getting calls from various local talk shows to come on air and introduce yourselves to the city. "Get up, Chuck in the Morning" a local shock jock radio show is quite persistent, especially with SG and Moondragon. Moony easily detects lewd thoughts from the guy even over the phone.

With nowhere else to go, Bova hangs around the group's base. She happily does housework to earn her stay, and she's an excellent cook. Immigration and Naturalization shows up once, asking about your harboring of several undocumented immigrants, but a quick little mental whammy by Moondragon convinces them everything is in order.

The team gets a few calls about Conan sightings, but they turn out to just be weightlifters and fantasy movie extras.

Finally, a meaningful couple knocks on the group's door.

https://retconpunchdotcom.file...es-you-this-look.jpg

It's none other than Medusa and Black Bolt of the Inhumans. They are wearing Earth clothing, and Medusa is carrying a dog crate with her hair, well out to the side of both of them.

"Good day. This is Black Bolt, and I am Medusa, king and queen of the Inhumans. We have seen the reports of your group on the terran television, and we would ask the Avengers for a favor."

Iceman opens the door, holding a half-eaten bowl of Cheerios. He nods slightly as he listens to the Royal Couple's greeting, an icy hand reaching to scratch an itch somewhere under his blue bathrobe-- where exactly, it's best not to say. After they finish, he turns slightly to call down the hallway:

"Yo, Moondragon!" Or should it have been Squirrel Girl? Who was supposed to be the leader again? "Uh, Prince Harry and his girlfriend are here to ask a little favor. Come to the door, will ya?"

He takes a bite of cereal, a little bit of milk spilling down his chin as he stands there awkwardly, not inviting his guests inside.

"She'll be a sec," he offers helpfully.

The silent grandeur of space stretched before the eye of Moondragon’s mind. Billions of stars glittered like diamonds in bright contrast against an expansive sheet of black velvet. A few hundred thousand feet away, a comet sped past Jupiter. Moondragon appreciated the vastness of the realm beyond Earth. She’d traveled this and other galaxies in her lifetime, and mused that she would have seen more of what many Terran people still naively called “Creation” than what the average human would in a full lifetime.

Meditation afforded her the serenity which could seem elusive when associating with the more ordinary of her peers. Despite their own extraordinary gifts and experiences, they too often still managed to be so...mundane. Following the Shao-Lom meditative practice afforded Heather the opportunity to escape the mundanity of her present life. The more shallow people of California (and there was no shortage of such minds in Los Angeles) would liken the experience to instantly losing two hundred pounds. Freeing the mind to travel the cosmos would undoubtedly frighten most, but to Moondragon, the experience felt liberating. She always exulted in freeing herself from the incessant and inane prattle of Earth minds.

How ironic that she sought out the company of another mind. That of Phyla-Vell, her beloved life mate. A sense of anticipation flitted through Moondragon’s astral self, as she looked forward to once again touching her lover’s mind...   

An anticipation abruptly broken when Bobby interrupted her meditation with his shouts. Moondragon opened her eyes with a disgusted grunt. Clad in a dark green Gi, she floated down from the second floor of the Spanish-style house. When her bare feet touched the hardwood floor, she arched an eyebrow. “Queen Medusa. King Blackbolt. What sort of favor would the Royal Couple of the Inhumans ask of us?”

"Puppies? Did someone say puppies?" Doreen called out from the other room. She quickly dashed her way to the front door, but stopped mid-stride (on all fours, no less) on seeing the royalty. She slowly and carefully moved back exactly the way she'd come, only this time staring like a squirrel in the headlights at Medusa and Black Bolt.

A moment later, Squirrel Girl walked with some additional dignity back to the conversation, this time wearing her squirrel ears on her head and her squirrel friend on her shoulder. She did a curtsy before speaking.

"Greetings, your majesties. I see Moondragon is attending to your needs. Might I inquire? Tippy-Toe says that Alphonso says that Samsam says that Olive says that Pinkie says that there was a puppy nearby?"

Like Iceman, Armadillo had been eating breakfast when Tangled and Teller arrived.

His lucky break was that 1) 'Dillo doesn't really do bathrobes* and 2) The bit of response-time Bobby gave everyone lent enough time for Tony to wing the toast he was nibbling into the trash, stand up, 'pat himself down' for crumbs, and Get Formal.

"Your majesties..." He began, putting on an extremely fancy accent... then saw that SG and the MD were already doing the talking. He listened.


*that's right, kids, Tony's au naturel. Almost all the time. Just his shell. This comic went up a rating.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:07, Tue 21 July 2020.

The corner of Medusa's mouth curl up ever so slightly in a proto-smile, belying her pleasure at the team's attempt to put on a formal greeting. "Our faithful dog, and means of transportation, has had a rather... ridiculous... accident. There's some inconsequential technical mumbo-jumbo that Richards, Doom, or even that fool Wittman could explain." she waves her hand at that dismissively.

"What's important is that he's been devolved to a puppy, and it has made his teleportation abilities unreliable. His Majesty and I were attempting to travel to New York to engage Richards' help with this problem, and we ended up... here." That last word is said with a note of disgust. Moondragon FULLY understands the sentiment.

"Ah, but we play the hand we're dealt. His Majesty and I have decided to take the opportunity to travel across the country the slow way and use the time to get reacquainted with each other." Moondragon immediately senses a montage of lewd thoughts from both of them at that. "I'm afraid the dog will just get in the way. We were at a loss as to what to do when we saw the news reports of your team stopping that buffoon on the beach. Clearly, your group is good with animals, and you're local . We'd ask you to watch the dog for a few weeks until we return with some sort of treatment from Richards.

"We can, of course, make the job well worth your trouble. Karnak is amazing at acquiring Terran money through various gambling activities, including the American Stock Market. We have quite an extensive and valuable portfolio."

"Hey! Hey!" comes a voice down the driveway.

Up jogs the U.S.Agent, notably missing since the incident on the beach (if anyone noticed). "I found you!" His costume is moist with sweat, clearly from wearing a costume in the California heat. "I couldn't find you when you helped me take care for Kraven. Thanks for the assist, by the way. You did a fairly good job." He doubles-over, hands on knees, catching his breath. "I've been running around L.A. looking for you." Even more to the point, he smells as if he has spent the last few days literally running around L.A. "And here you are! What luck!" He stands back up and gives a toothy grin. "The team is complete again!"

He turns to Black Bolt and Medusa. "Oh, hiya. Sorry to keep you waiting." He leans forward, extending his hand to the man first, winding up the other hand to clap him on the back. "You found the U.S.Agent. Hero. Leader. Avenger."

“Imbecile,” added Moondragon with a roll of her eyes. She turned toward Medusa with an attempt at pleasant smile that ended up more strained. “Lockjaw...devolved, you say, while in your care. I hope there wasn’t a mishap with your Terrigen Mists?” The genuineness of her smile as she said the last part hinted at a possibility of perhaps hoping otherwise.

“Dog-sitting a puppy capable of teleporting to the moon may demand considerably more company resources, so of course, we will need to discuss the appropriate fees.” Moondragon intended to see exactly how the Inhumans “made it worth their trouble”. “We accept all major credit cards, Venmo, or cash.” Heather’s smile widened as she added for Medusa’s benefit, “Terran credit cards only, I’m afraid. I’m sure you understand, most realtors in Los Angeles are not quite as...well-traveled as you or I.”

Armadillo winced a little at the mention of "that fool Wittman"*, suppressed the memory and hoped that Moon Dragon lady didn't pick up on it. (This life just didn't let up sometimes, you know?)

However, Antonio was a complete Inhumans newbie. He didn't move in that "Richards" circle, either.

(Armadillo fought the Thing, of course, but who *didn't* fight The Thing? It barely counted. When villains played 'Degrees of Kevin Bacon' with eachother, Thing was banned as 'too easy'.)

So he knew about as much as anyone in the public: this was powerful,  rich, famous royalty from the Moon showing up at their doorstep to ask them to watch their... dog?

Teleporting dog.

Well, it wasn't the weirdest thing 'Dillo would ever be asked to do, so he wasn't against it. It wouldn't do, digging him a pit and throwing him in there, though. (That trick really only works once, he found.)

So, nodding his head in what he assumed was a respectful-enough gesture, Antonio briefly interrupted the rates-negotiation to see if he could actually do the job.

"Begging everyone's pardon- just one sec, your graciousnesses. Es.-"

His next gesture looked like he was doing a full-on courtier's arms-wide bow, but it ended up with him squatting into a position to greet the dog. He gently extended a clawed hand.

He'd know, in a second, if he could do this or not.

Shifting gears completely, he greeted Lockjaw in the friendliest way possible- calm and slow, minimal eye contact, hand out but not petting him until Lockjaw responded. " S'up, moondoggie! Who's a good booy?"


[OOC: Do I need to roll anything?]

*( Yep. https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki...ers_Vol_1_13_001.jpg That's him, upper left.)

"Indeed." Medusa replies with arched eyebrows to Moondragon's epithet of US Agent. Black Bolt executes a series of sign language after giving US Agent a diagnostic look. Medusa turns to him, "No dear. Just an imitator." He nods in return.

She turns back to Moondragon, "No not the Terrigen Mists, at least not directly. We had a run-in with Immortus. He de-aged Lockjaw to the time just after he received Terrigenesis. Why he didn't go further is anyone's guess."

A few strands of hair reach into a designer purse and pull out a bulging manila envelop and hand them over to Moondragon. "There is twenty thousand in American cash here and a debit card loaded with another thirty thousand. That should be enough to cover any expenses for a couple of weeks. We'll give you another fifty thousand when we return. There are also care and feeding instructions."

The hair-tentacles reach back inside the purse and pull out something that looks kind of like a high tech sunglasses case. She opens it up and reveals ten neatly arranged discs, each about the size of a quarter. "More importantly, are these. We can't suppress his teleportation ability, but we do have a microchip implanted in him. These devices will let you stay tethered to him if he happens to teleport uncommanded. A sort of electronic leash, if you will. You should keep these on your persons at all times so he does not get lost."

She offers them out to Moondragon. "Any other questions?" Her tone and body language are regal - closer to commanding than asking; certainly not expressing any doubt that the group will take the job.

The U.S.Agent puts his hand to the opposite side of his face, (poorly) shielding his words to Moondragon from the Inhumans. "It might be a good idea not to call our guests imbeciles," he says, almost pronouncing the last word correctly. "They may not understand what that means."

Then, after Medusa says her piece, he puts his other hand to the other side of his face, to (poorly) shield his words to the Inhumans from Moondragon. "It might be a good idea not to call her a imitator," he says, also getting that word wrong. "She's kinda a..." Quieter, "B-word."

“Ha! This from the...I believe Twitter called him...’The Dollar Store Captain America’.” Moondragon brushed past U.S.Agent with a visible look of disgust at his stench and general foolishness. “Yes, Your Majesty, that sounds more than sufficient for the job.”

She accepted the discs, taking one for herself. She handed them rest to Squirrel Girl. “Here, Doreen. Can you give John his once he’s properly housebroken? Thank you—and thank you for your business. May you enjoy your travels through rustic America.”

Squirrel Girl and Tippy-Toe had been standing just behind Tony, hands up at her mouth to hide her wide smile as she watched her friend reach out a claw to a real-life teleporting space puppy! The slow bounce was much more visible in her tail, and indicated she was having a difficult time not bursting out with excited energy in the presence of royalty, because of the presence of puppy. It was a difficult thing to contain herself, but Doreen was managing for the sake of getting the job. The bounce slowed to a stop at the numbers being thrown around as payment, and her stare turned toward the power couple. Still, she managed to keep quiet (this time because she was utterly stunned) until Moondragon handed her the discs. She took them and immediately slipped one into a vest pocket.

"Can do! Tippy-Toe, keep an eye on that and don't let it fall out. We're gonna be attached to a cute space puppy. This is gonna be the best couple weeks ever." SG then passed one down around Armadillo's shoulder towards his free claw. "One for you. Have you done this before?" The rest got held away from the US Agent with a frown. "None for you until you get cleaned up and behave yourself. You can't go around being mean to our teammates. It's impolite."

Claw still out, letting Lockjaw get the scent, Armadillo calmly accepts the item with his free hand and answers Doreen with " Sorta?"

Off SG's comment about not being mean, he adds, agreeably "Goes for calling people 'dollar store', too, Drogon. in the same dog-friendly tone.

“Don’t let the dog urinate on you,” Moondragon said oh-so-innocently. She stood over Squirrel Girl’s shoulder making soft “Pss-pss-pss” noises and smiling at Tippy Toe. If anyone looked at Heather, she immediately resumed her “Resting Bitch Face”.

Iceman had been heading back to his room to resume playing video games, but after sensing this is a "team" kind of thing, he reluctantly shuffles back to the door. True, he had been hoping for a chance to perform some more heroics, but pet-sitting isn't exactly what he had in mind. He thinks back to Lockheed, his fellow X-Man Shadowcat's pet alien dragon who could fly and breathe fire. He and the dragon hadn't gotten along very well, thanks mostly to that second part. Come to think of it, hadn't it also turned out Lockheed could talk and was some kind of secret agent? Yes, there was always more to these "super-pets" than met the eye. Iceman stares at Lockjaw, his expression making it clear that he neither trusts the dog, nor respects him.

"Teleporting, huh? He do any other tricks?" he asks, probing Medusa and Black Bolt's expressions for any sign they're being less than honest. The silent Inhuman King is especially hard to read...

“My cursory scan of Medusa revealed an array of his considerable powers. The dog—there is some debate that he may actually be more—can trace any ‘scent’ across dimensions. His diet encompasses inorganic as well as organic matter.”

Moondragon glanced over at Armadillo. “Watch your hands around him. If you ever talked to Benjamin Grimm, you would know that he lives up to his name.”

Iceman nods appreciatively to Moondragon. It was always handy having a mind-reader on the team. And the more he knew about Lockjaw, the easier it would be to ignore him. He gives a satisfied shrug.

"Sounds like easy money," he says, heading back toward his room. "He just better not eat my PlayStation."

“Again, keep whatever items or limbs you value out of reach of his mouth.” Her smooth forehead furrowed in a thoughtful frown. “Although I cannot imagine that a locked door will bar a puppy that teleports. Hmm.”

"There is nothing more American than a store that sells dollars, ma'am," the U.S.Agent announces, standing just a little straighter. He always seems just on the verge of saluting something, and this moment is just a little more. "It would be my great honor to represent such a place in this great land."

It doesn't take a telepath to tell Medusa is ready to leave, so she shuts down further conversation as quickly as she can and leaves the considerably hefty dog crate on the proverbial doorstep of the team's low rent office in East LA. She and Black Bolt beat a hasty retreat over the proverbial horizon.

The crate is the size of a washing machine, and the dog inside while perhaps chronologically now a "puppy" is as large as a full grown golden retriever and weighs in at well over a hundred pounds. His stubby little tail wags rapidly when Armadillo extends a claw and he gives the big, deformed guy an enthusiastic lick. This is only interrupted by his notice of Squirrel Girl, which instantly grabs his attention and earns a bark that would turn into a charge if Armadillo didn't quickly react and grab his collar.

Tippy Toes chitters agitatedly on SG's shoulder.

---

The group spends the rest of the day and night settling into a new routine with the puppy. Everyone is quite thankful to learn that he's housebroken. He likes Armadillo, tries to chase Squirrel Girl, and is pretty indifferent to Moondragon. Iceman figures out how to entertain him with giant ice-bones, that don't last more than a few minutes to his powerful jaws, and he keeps eyeing US Agent's shield like it's a big frisbee.

---

The next day during a walk, Lockjaw puts his nose up to the wind and catches some unknown scent. He picks up his pace, going this way, then that, trying to follow the invisible scent. Within a couple of minutes, this turns into a trot, then a run that includes barking. The tuning fork on his head starts glowing and emitting a cloud of purple, blue, and black kirby-esque energy until he (and whoever is currently walking him) finally disappears in a loud "WHUMP!" A minute later, the disks activate, showering their wearers in the same energy cloud and they too WHUMP!

---

Lockjaw and his walker appear a second later in the middle of a street in the middle of a rural town. The temperature is at least 30 degrees cooler than it was in LA, and the morning sun is not quite as bright. The rest of the group appear on a sidewalk next to a mural of a camel, in whatever clothes they were in at 8 in the morning.

https://imgur.com/zeGiMVi

Before anyone can do much more than look around, a convertible, metallic green cadillac rounds a corner and comes driving down the road. The driver doesn't seem to see the large dog and walker in the middle of the road until the last minute. Slamming on the brakes, it comes to a skidding stop, bumper just inches away from Lockjaw. The driver jumps out of the car and starts hollering in a southern accent something about "Of all the craziest moose I've ever seen... whot the hail are you..." He's wearing a leather bomber jacket with an American flag on the shoulder and dark blue baseball cap with NASA written in yellow letters across the front.

https://imgur.com/Bkqvex6

He cuts his tirade short and his angry face instantly transforms into a wide, open-mouth smile when he sees the rest of the group standing by the mural. "... people look like you're from out of town. Well, let me be the first to welcome you to Cicely, gateway to the Riviera of Alaska!" He comes over to the group on the sidewalk and gives everyone a thoughtful look before offering a handshake to US Agent, "Maurice Minnifield. Might I ask you what happens to be your business here in Cicely?" he asks enthusiastically.

A. gets his composure back, and tries answering this guy. Playing a hunch, he figures a little "technically true" resume padding might help.

"This is Squirrel Girl, Great Lakes Avengers, Moondragon, Avengers, Defenders- she has moon-dragon powers but don't worry, she's with us, you're safe-..."

[OOC: Listing anyone else along- Iceman, Speedball, Bova, any roid-apes who might still be following us around- here]

" That is USAgent. exAvengers 50 State Initiative Canada, and I'm Armadillo. retired Avengers 50 State Initiative...Texas"

(He said that last bit as if playing poker and laying down a flush, but decided to go with the truth for the last bit.)

"And that's Lockjaw, who is a dog from the Moon. We're watching him."

It was a surprisingly strong finish, the most anyone on the team had heard Armadillo say at one time, He immediately failed to stick the dismount, though, as he added "Not from the same part of the moon as the dragon though? Not sure... they really don't cover that in school, yknow?"
This message was last edited by the player at 14:16, Mon 27 July 2020.

“Different moons, Armadillo.” Moondragon stared at Maurice with narrowly slitted eyes that suddenly widened. “Maurice. I sense that underneath your brutish, folksy veneer dwells the mind and diversified palate of an exceptional connoisseur. I also sense that you run...a Bed & Breakfast? And that you cook a most sophisticated brunch. If so, may we avail ourselves of your service? The dog led us a merry chase, and I did not have an opportunity to eat breakfast after my morning exercises and meditation.”

(A. starts to wonder if Lockjaw was okay after the near-hit. And if he's where he was.)

Lockjaw saunters out of the road and over to the sidewalk near the mural where everyone else has gathered. He takes a moment to lift a leg and pee on a street sign.

Maurice hitches up his pants. "The Moon eh? Didja know I was an astronaut? Got this close to goin' to the moon on Apollo 14." he holds up a hand indicating less than an inch between his thumb and forefinger.

"And you're superhero types. Well, that explains the outfits. Say... you wouldn't happen to be the latest Alpha Flight team, would you?" he says with a smile.

"The thing about a bed and breakfast is the AND. I'm 'fraid I can't delight you with the ole Minnifield biscuits and gravy recipe, but the Brick over here is probably your best bet for breakfast at this point." He points out a pub around the corner from the mural. Noises from inside indicate that it's doing a pretty good business this morning.

"Say no more," days Iceman, giving a lazy yawn as he stretches his arms. "Let's go, gang, I'm starved."

Squirrel Girl stays uncharacteristically quiet through all this, just standing towards the back with her hands behind her back, rocking forward and backward on her feet a little while eyeing Lockjaw. Part of her still wants to pet the puppy. Part of her wants to climb on top of Armadillo and look small so she doesn't get eaten. But also puppy.

She does perk up at the mention of food, though.

Armadillo was wondering how this guy wanted to know more about Alpha Flight than the Rangers, but then got distracted by distractions from his distraction.

Food sounded good. But if he was an Odd-Job Guy, the main thing was the odd job.

"Are they pet-friendly?"

"I mean, if I gotta stay out here, cool by me, just get me a burger okay?"

"Oh, uh... good point." Maurice says as way of recovery at obviously missing something. "Your moose-dog is gonna have to stay out here. And one of you probably want to stay with it." He directs the next statement at Armadillo, looking him up and down "No offense, but I'm not sure how well the furniture is gonna take to you, big guy. You might want to wait out here too."

A few pedestrians and pickup trucks have passed by during the exchange with Maurice. People give the group (especially Armadillo and Lockjaw) a lingering look, but seem surprisingly ok with such a strange group of people being in their small town.

"Well... yeah. Okay."


[OOC: Big open space near here? I assume there's a nice big field or something? Got an idea. ;)]
This message was last edited by the player at 23:13, Thu 30 July 2020.

Iceman shrugs, peering into the restaurant's windows from the heroes' position down the street. "Maybe I oughta stay outside with Bullwinkle here. Looks like they just finished mopping." He gestures to his own icy form, long the bane of restaurant staff who don't take kindly to his dripping all over their floors. He didn't want to say it aloud, but he was also wary of how the locals around here might treat mutants. You never knew in these kinds of places.

"Besides, he won't get away from me," Bobby adds with a smirk. "You want me to freeze you, doggy?" he says to Lockjaw, putting on his best playful voice. "Do you?"

[Assuming there's the field!]

While he has a moment, 'Dillo tries something he's been meaning to, since he was told he was watching Atomic Dog there:

One of Armadillo's "Signature moves" was something called the "Roadkill Slammer". ( https://images.app.goo.gl/oBTVJ9FUBnpUNXtj6 ) -where he formed a ball and rolled. He could do it slow enough to be playful, or hard enough to break a jeep.

He decided to go try "playful". "C'mon boy!"
This message was last edited by the player at 18:53, Sun 02 Aug 2020.

“Nonsense,” Moondragon said to no one in particular. She glanced at Armadillo and Maurice. Her brow furrowed in a slight frown, her telepathy spread like a net over the minds in their immediate vicinity and inside the Brick. The Titan-trained telepath extended her will in a subtle “push” on those minds. They wouldn’t have any problem with Armadillo’s appearance or Lockjaw’s size.

“You will eat breakfast with us like the man you are, not linger outside like some castoff,” Moondragon said softly to Armadillo. “They will be no trouble, Maurice. No one will notice.”

In a telepathic aside, she addressed Baby Lockjaw. You must be quiet and make no mess.. Moondragon knee that while Lockjaw’s sentience might be a matter of ongoing debate, he was still smarter than the average dog. She beckoned the group to enter. “Come. We need repast.”


OOC:

Mind Control to make Maurice, Shelley, Hollings, etc. regard a giant armadillo man and giant puppy as normal and acceptable patrons.

3d10–Solo, Mind Control, Psych Mater
1d8–Dragon of The Moon

14:29, Today: Moondragon rolled 17,1 using 3d10,1d8 with rolls of 10,2,5,1.  Mind Control .

I will buy that opportunity, making the Doom pool now 3d6. Moondragon succeeds at her asset creation.

Before Armadillo can wander down the street to an open lot, Moondragon does a little mental manipulation. Maurice shakes his head briefly like there's a mosquito buzzing around him, then shrugs. "Sounds like a plan!"

He leads the group into the pub. It's lightly populated. There's a few Inuits and lumberjack looking types sitting at tables and playing a pinball machine in the back. A dark, curly haired guy and a woman with a boy haircut but really attractive face argue back by the bathrooms (and is that a pay phone!?). A young Inuit man in a leather biker jacket and jeans sits at the bar chatting with an attractive young blonde woman and a grizzly old guy doing the stereotypical bartender-drying-the-glass thing. There's a radio playing from behind the bar and a guy with a smooth voice is talking.
https://alaskanriviera.files.w...holling-shelly01.jpg

"... pain in our hearts. Love and pain and beauty. They all seem to go together like one little tidy confusing package. It's a messy business, life. It's hard to figure - full of surprises. Some good. Some bad."

The old bartender guy looks up when the group comes in the door. "Maurice! There you are." The guy has kind of a drawl. The last word sounds almost like 'har'. "Ed here was just tellin' us that you met a bunch a strangers. This must be them."

The blonde's face breaks into an ear-to-ear smile when she spots Lockjaw. "Eeeee!" she squeels coming around the bar and rushing up to the group. She kneels down and gives LJ and enthusiastic petting. "Holling, isn't she so cute?!" she asks.

"Well now, Shelly, darling. First off, I think it's a he. Second, why don't we let our new guests take a load off and introduce themselves." he suggests.

She stands back up again, a bit more professional now. "Of course. Why don't yall come this way." she says showing them to a large table made of rough hewn wood. "Can I get any of yall coffee or somethin' else ta drink?" she asks.

"You know, 'Dragon, I was gonna- I was okay with..."

With a bit of a sigh, Armadillo picks up and moves in with the group. He picks a seat with its back to the wall and sits down. It was a pretty standard diner/small restaurant chair, about fight a battle versus a 540 pound guy sitting on it. He hoped for the best. It groaned, a bit.

"No coffee for me, thanks."

He surveyed the room a bit. Mostly for trouble, but people seemed not to be looking at him. [OOC: Are they looking at Bobby, though, or any of the others? SG has squirrel ears and a tail, for instance. He's sort of projecting his defensiveness outward a bit.]

The U.S.Agent -- who spent the time since the Royal Inhuman Family left "scouting the perimeter" of the house (which seemed to be rushing to corners of the property and staring out at nothing) -- generally stayed in the background, ready to lead when the others couldn't decide what to do. The sudden transportation to such an alien place has caused him no overt concern, but this bar bristles the hairs on the back of his masked neck. Could it really be this friendly or... "Murderworld?" he murmurs to himself, far too quiet for anyone to hear, as if the suggestion has been planted at random by a compatriot and he can't get it -- and the excitement of adventure to be had in one of those -- out of his head. Regardless, he struts into the place with his fellows, leading with the American flag proudly displayed on his broad chest, and takes a seat at what could be the head of the table.

He puts his fists on the table. "Yes," he exclaims to the bar maiden. "Black coffee matters."

When the party at the table freezes while collectively glaring at him, he asks "What?", like he really doesn't know. "In America, we -- "

"Don't," says anyone -- or everyone -- who wants to volunteer.
This message was last edited by the player at 08:36, Tue 04 Aug 2020.

The townspeople are giving the group b a good looking over, but it doesn't seem overly hostile. Armadillo and Bobby have be seen enough angry mobs to recognize the early stages and this doesn't seem to be it. Armadillo had frequented enough small towns to recognize this as normal fascination with outsiders, maybe kicked up a notch for their colorful appearance.

Nice crowd, Bobby says, looking around the room. "No pitchforks." He takes a sip of ice water, trying to relax a bit as the other patrons stare in the group's direction. "Romeo's not gonna believe this."

Armadillo's head shot up (making the chair protest at the sudden motion) when USAgent said "Murderworld".* He then relaxed down when Agent started talking about literally anything else.

Off Bobby's comment about the lack of pitchforks, Tony agreed. "Must be the dog?"

Making a small effort at neighborliness-or-whatever, Armadillo nodded at one small group of people looking at him, at random... he picked the girl with the pixie cut and the kid.

"Hi! What's up?"

He then registered that the old guy said something about "introducing themselves". Antonio pointed at himself and said "People call me 'Armadillo'."

[OOC: How well did Moondragon's "Don't notice this guy is unusual" work? Is Holling's reply likely to be "Why?" to "they call me Armadillo"? Not saying that wouldn't be funny. Cause it would.]

*(Yep, him and Arcade. It was a thing.)

Moondragon rolled her eyes when U.S.Agent spoke. She found that had become commonplace since he first arrived, a recurrent phenomenon nearly every time he spoke. Perhaps in this instance, Cause can indeed equal Correlation? With a disdainful chuckle, she said, “Why don’t you just yell ‘Pizzagate’ while you’re at it, Walker.”

The overt friendliness could have just been the Canadian influences in Cicely. They were certainly a people who embraced meeting strangers with courtesy more than the ‘Ugly American’ the rest of the world saw when people like John Walker even deigned to step past their national border (or city limits). It was an idiosyncratic, but not necessarily off-putting, behavior from their hosts. She pondered the curiosities of Earth humans as she smiled politely at Maggie & Joel.

The knowledge of those names stopped her reverie.

Why do I know their names? Maurice hasn’t introduced them yet. I haven’t scanned their minds that deeply, either.

That realization bothered Moondragon more than the Agent’s usual hijinks. She frowned as she wondered where she’d heard their names. Indeed, the people they’d met and the town itself felt eerily familiar. Why? She stood from the table and strode through the bar. She looked closely at Shelly, Holling, Maurice, Ed, Maggie, and Joel as she walked past each. The radio deejay also caught her attention, not just for the auditory pleasure of that deep, soothing, masculine voice. She felt a nagging certainty that she’d seen these people before!

Closing her eyes, Heather Douglas utilized a skill taught by the monks of Shao-Lom. She sifted through her memories in search of her initial encounter with the people of Cicely.

Her journey brought up a particular image. A man with golden armbands sitting on a sofa with his arm around his wife. The wife in question was a stunning woman of perfect complexion, pleasing curves, long limbs, and a bright mane of red hair that she recalled smelling faintly like peaches. Rick & Marlo Jones’ apartment in Las Vegas, during the time she stayed with them tutoring the late Genis-Vell. A night in watching television, while she levitated nearby. Moondragon had paid as much attention to the woman as she had the program they were watching.

Like many evenings at home, they watched a television show, in this case a “rerun” from the Nineties called Northern Exposure. The town of Cicely, the pub owned by Holling & Shelly called “The Brick”, the other patrons, the Alaskan wilderness. Moondragon had seen all these back in that time spent with Genis, Rick, and Marlo.

“This isn’t real,” Moondragon said softly. She walked briskly back to her table and her companions. She stepped between Squirrel Girl & Iceman’a chairs. “Don’t you see? This town is fictional! It and these people,” she gestured at the Brick’s regulars, “...are television characters! They are all part of an old television show called Northern Exposure!”


OOC:

Moondragon spent ample time with the most Genre Savvy character besides Deadpool or Gwenpool. She also has been shown scanning her own mind for memories, so I thought I’d use Solo d10, Disciplined Mind, Telepathy, & Psych Master for this realization.

16:11, Today: Moondragon rolled 1,15,1 using 1d12,2d10,1d8 with rolls of 1,8,7,1.  Disciplined Mind: Total Recall to ID Cicely.

"They have pizza?" the U.S.Agent said. "I'll take that!"

“If only you took the next plane back to Guantanamo Bay instead...”

Armadillo looked at Moondragon as if she'd grown two heads.

"Never heard of it."

He heard her go on about the place being fictional, he wasn't sure what she meant. (He did know She-Hulk, who used to kid about that sort of thing, but he didn't really get the joke.)

He looked at Squirrel Girl in a "What?" way, and then asked the important question.

"So we're not getting breakfast?"

Moondragon groaned at Armadillo’s obtuseness. A few mindful breaths later, she scanned Dory & Bobby’s minds for another reference. “Fine. When you were younger, did you ever watch a movie called Pleasantville? (Sirens of Titan, please say ‘Yes’) If so, I am saying that we may be experiencing a similar predicament.”

Armadillo makes some small talk with the locals. The two in the back come on over, continuing their argument.

"I'm just saying it scientifically impossible, O'Connell. Cannabilism, despite the questionable ethical implications, can't turn someone into a raving monster." the guy says like a neurotic intellectual.

"Why can't you open your eyes, Fleischman?!" the woman says in an exasperated tone. "You're from New York. That place is filled with gods and monsters running around in spandex and doing who knows what. In a world with stuff like that, why can't you believe that the Wendingo is possible!?"

Somewhat taken aback, the guy responds, "Well... well... those things aren't as common as you might think. Except for that one time I spotted Spider-Man... ONE time, O'Connell. One time." he says holding up a finger.

"Hi!" they both say in unison to Armadillo, turning to him breifely before going back to their argument.

"Oh, I know that movie." the kid in the leather jacket says to Armadillo and Moondragon. "It's a Woody Allen, right? Oh. I'm Ed." he says with a smile.

Shelly brings everyone their drinks. "Can I getcha anything ta eat? Pizza? Anything else?" she asks.

Maurice pulls up a chair, turns it around and sits in it backwards with his arms up on the top of the back. "So you were sayin' you followed the dog here? You musta been in the area already then, right? 'Course, seein' as how you're super-hero types, maybe he flew you here?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:46, Thu 06 Aug 2020.

Sensing Squirrel Girl's melancholy, LJ comes over and nestles up to her, wedging his nose and head under her hand. He looks up at her with puppy dog eyes, tongue lolling out the side of his mouth.

Armadillo's getting a bit out to sea.

"Hi, kid. Wait- Woody Allen made a movie about Spider-man? Figures."

When Fleischman mentions only running into Spider-Man once, Armadillo just mutters about him being lucky.

Thinking over the waitress' offer, he answers "Cold pizza, maybe?" (Everyone knew that cold, leftover pizza was the best breakfast in the world. But not something a restaurant, typically, served for breakfast. He was either testing a theory, or was just... confused.)

He left that 'Maurice' guy for USAgent to talk to, in a* "if you like USAgent so much, YOU talk to him" moment.

Moving forward, he took his chances interrupting the couple "Hey. Sorry, were you saying someone's got super man-eating powers around here?

That's an option?"


*(frankly petty, and I'm saying that, even as his narrator)
This message was last edited by the player at 15:21, Wed 05 Aug 2020.

At the mention of cold pizza, Iceman nods in approval. "Make that two," he says, motioning to 'Dillo. "Big guy here's probably gonna need one all to himself." He thinks back to all the weird looks the other X-Men used to give him for liking cold food, especially Professor X. Sometimes the mutant leader would order pizza for everyone at the school, and Bobby would insist on eating his slices cold. Charles must have thought Bobby was just doing it to be a rebel. After all, who could fathom that someone might just actually like cold pizza? Armadillo's comment leaves Iceman feeling vindicated.

If I can hit this milestone in such a ridiculous way, I'd like to attempt to:

3 XP when you rebel against Xavier’s philosophy

At the mention of pizza, Fleischman seems to finally take notice of the other conversations. "Pizza? In this wasteland? They have something flat and covered with cheese and sauce, but I'd hardly call that pizza. Once you've had a slice from L&B's, there's no going back." he says.

Squirrel Girl peered up at Moondragon when she made the realization of what their situation was. She waited until she had smiled at and thanked Shelly for the coffee with almond milk, and taken a dainty sip, before speaking. The super squirrel kept her voice low.

"Yeah, I know. Stay cool, MD. When you end up in a fictional place, you're not supposed to tell the locals that unless you absolutely gotta. It never helps." SG and Tippy-Toe kept their eyes open and searching the room, watching and listening to see if anything odd (for Cicily) was going on. Her focus was broken when Lockjaw moves up to get all friendly, and Doreen lit up like a Christmas tree in New York. She immediately got to petting him and telling him what a good boy he was, as is right and proper.

It seemed Tippy-Toe was left on her own to scour the room for clues.

Moondragon winced, the sort of face one made when they wanted a favorite radio station or podcast, and only picked up static. “A valid point, Doreen.” She noticed that the “locals” hastily dropped numerous references to the superhuman life of New York City. “Clever,” she mused aloud, almost a congratulatory nod for the force responsible.

“A different tactic, then.” She ambled back toward Joel Fleischer with a look that passed for “Friendly” in her mind. “Dr. Fleischer. Exactly how much time do you have left working off your student loans? I know only too well myself the unfathomable burden of dwelling among...lesser minds and tastes. I imagine that still weighs heavily upon you.”

She pivoted toward Maggie, smiling as if appraising her beautiful features or something more. “Almost as heavy as the burden of a life lived with the knowledge that your love is always doomed.” Her smile feigned a mutual understanding between women fighting a lifetime in the trenches in the battlefield of Love. “I know my candidness must shock you, but what I see in your memories weighs almost as heavily upon me as I sense it weighs upon your heart.”

Moondragon nodded sagely. “I myself have known the horrors of a lover claimed too soon by Death. One of my own ex-lovers was the living avatar of Death herself, so I know of what I speak. My own beloved Phyla died in battle...but you were not as fortunate as I to be reunited with a departed one after they achieved the impossible and returned to the Realm of The Living.

 I myself have overcome death. Twice.”

Her hand reached out to touch Maggie’s shoulder. “As an ordinary mortal, though, you cannot know the wonders of the Cosmos, and the generosity it has shown me and mine.” Moondragon chose her words deliberately, seeking a reaction to her knowing the intimate details of their lives. Her smile curled knowingly, as she thought, And THIS is the result of a season of living with a pop-culture fanatic who must surely have binge-watched every television show in existence.

I call your bluff, O’ Architect of Illusion & Trickery.

A. holds a clawed hand up in a 'hold on' gesture. "Hang on- these folks were just talking about some guy eating people and getting superpowers off that."

(beat)

"Not instead of the pizza, Ice, gross. Just, you know, 'check it out."

As Moondragon has buttonholed the people he was talking to, Armadillo turned to Ed for further enlightenment.

"What, like Dracula?"*

*Not this time. Baron Blood, yes, but not Dracula. (Somewhere, Baron Blood is all "I need to work on my brand-name recognition".)
This message was last edited by the player at 17:05, Thu 06 Aug 2020.

Fleischman nods at Moondragon. "FleischMAN" he corrects. "And yes, my indentured servitude. Thanks for reminding me." he adds sarcastically. "Today is the three hundredth and ninety seventh day of my sentence. That means I have one-thousand, sixty-three days left."

Maggie gets much more defensive. "What's that supposed to mean?! People die ya know. Just because a few of my boyfriends happen to do that while they were my boyfriends, doesn't mean I'm doomed!" She does not really sound convinced of her own words.

Maurice sidles up to US Agent. "US Agent. THE US Agent. Right here in Cicely. So tell me. What brings a gen-u-INE hero way out here to these parts?" he asks pronouncing genuine so it rhymes with nine.

Back at the table, Shelley ticks off the order. "So that's two COLD pizzas, anything else?"

Holling (the old bartender guy) addresses Armadillo. "'Armadillo?' Why do they call you that?" he asks, giving Armadillo and up and down look.

Ed reacts to the question about the cannibalism. "It's an old Inuit legend. Anyone engaging in cannibalism in the wilderness is cursed to become a Wendigo. That's a big hairy monster that runs around eating more people."

“Yes, providing healthcare in an artist’s colony surrounded by beautiful wilderness is practically slavery,” Moondragon said with an arched eyebrow. “If you want to discuss true hardship, imagine your hands being crippled by the king of Nordic gods, and STILL being required to service this community. Although I have heard of a different pantheon being active in this part of the world.” The denizens of “Cicely” doubled down on their charade, so Moondragon kept up her baiting.



“You needn’t deny your tragedies to me, Maggie.” On the surface, she sounded sympathetic. “I see your anxiety in your thoughts with crystalline clarity.” She wondered how long this rise would continue, when the hidden architect would show themselves.

Squirrel Girl's attention was over on Moondragon, but she still glanced over to Shelly as she continued taking orders.

"I'd like a slice of pecan pie, if you pe-can be so kind. Hey, are there any super types active out in this neck of the woods? We haven't met any lately, and it'd be great to know you're as well taken care of as New York or LA." Another sip of her hot drink and her attention was back on Heather's ploy.

"I don't think that'd be a good idea, Tippy-Toe."

"It's too risky."

"Of course I trust you, I just... okay, fine. But you come back here in a hurry. It's cold out there."

With that, the little grey squirrel climbed down her partner and sought out an exit, intending to go looking for other local squirrels. SG turned back to Shelly with a smile.

"Sorry, Tippy-Toe just has to use the little squirrel's room."

Armadillo thought about this. Alaska was in the Initiative, back when there was one. It wasn't like he'd memorized every state's team, but he was pretty sure they had to have someone, what with Russia being visible from there and all. He wracked his brain...



...and his brain had nothin' so far.

 The cold-pizza thing should have not worked. He looked, knowingly, at Iceman. [OOC: Iceman's reaction (or lack of reaction) to his reaction is gonna set something off (probably a reaction). Just a head's up. ;)]


Still a bit out of his element, Armadillo just let his mouth hang open at that one.

"It's an old nickname." he finally said, a bit lamely.



That barely narrowed it down (even Tony, with his limited experience, had worked with a few people matching that description). Rather than pursue the first question that popped to mind ("'In the wilderness'?' So if you did it in town...?") he went with something a bit more practical.

"So, you've got one of these Wendiguys around here?"
This message was last edited by the player at 14:15, Sun 09 Aug 2020.

Joel looks confused. He crinkles up his nose and squints at Moondragon. "Nordic gods?? Other pantheon? I'm afraid you lost me there. Although if your hands are still injured, I can have a look at them for you." he offers.



Maggie stays defensive. "You see my thoughts?! Those are private. My gosh, you're worse than Fleischman!" She pushes past Moondragon and heads out of the Brick in a huff.

"One slice of pecan pie." Shelley says, adding it to the order slip she was taking notes on. Her eyes go wide at the mention of superheroes. "Super heroes? Oh no! I seen some on the TV when Holling got the satellite dish, but I had to stop watching. I heard some people talking about one coming to Alaska a while back. She sounded like a real badass. And a few people talk about Alpha Flight every so often. They're Canadian." she says.

Tippy-Toes heads out of the Brick and back into town. As she runs along the street towards the woods, she notices the townspeople going about their business. But they're less active than people usually are and than they were before when the group was out on the street. They're more loafing about, like they're waiting for the next thing to happen.

Out in the woods, she finds a couple of squirrels. One is a bit portly, the other is short. They smell like maple syrup. "Good day, eh."* the portly one says with a thick Canadian accent. "I'm Bob and this is Doug." "Good day." Doug says.


* Translated from Squirrelish

"Oh no." Ed says matter-of-factly. "It's just a legend. The closest thing we've got is Adam. And he doesn't like people. At least, that's what Doctor Fleischman said. And there's Jessi. He's a bear."

At the mention of Jessi, Holling's jaw tightens. "I'll get those drinks." he says, moving himself out of the conversation.

"Holling and Jessi have history. They don't like each other very much." Ed says.

Iceman returns 'Dillo's look with a nod.


"Why's that?" Iceman asks, looking over the menu some more.

Tony noted Iceman's reaction, and moved ahead. Armadillo, gently as possible, takes Moondragon aside and says those three little words that she didn't ever expect to hear him say.

"You were right."

The U.S.Agent has sat with fists on the table, looking around the place slowly with a glazed stare. When Maurice comes up to him, the 'Agent's blank stare finally locks into a present expression with a blink. "What are we doing here? Why, advancing the recognition of the greatest nation on the Earth," (as well as the most popular), "to all corners of Alaska... or Canadia..." (yes, he says it like that) "...Or... wherever we are." His gaze wanders off toward glazed again. Then his voice drops as if he may not be talking to anyone else. "Or just waiting for the next thing to happen." The sentence trails the rest of the way off and he goes back less to looking around the place slowly and more covering the place with a slow-turning and blank stare.

After another sip of her coffee, Doreen gives a nod.

"Why'd you have to stop watching, Shelly?"



Tippy-Toe waves to the pair and approaches with a smile.

"Hi there fellas! I'm Tippy-Toe, nice to meetcha! Hey, I hope ya don't mind me askin', but have you seen anything weird around here?"

Moondragon nodded safely. “Yes.” With a beneficent half-smile, she said, “You will say this often.”

In response to Iceman's question about Jessi, Ed gives Holling a questioning look. Holling gives him a single nod. "Holling and Jessi got in a fight." Ed says.

"One-hundred and seven stitches." Holling says, pointing a thumb over his shoulder at his back.

---

Shelly tells Squirrel Girl. "I got addicted. It was baaad."

---

Out in the forest Bob and Doug squirrel talk to Tippy-Toe. "Well, that depends on what you think is weird, eh?" Bob says.

"Yeah, do you like consider using a weights and measurement system based on factors of 10 weird? Cuz if you do, then no, this is America, not the Great White North." Doug says.

"But if you think little green hosers from space with wrinkly chins are weird, then yeah, the place is lousy with weird." Bob says.

"Or that one with the giant head and tiny limbs in the rocket chair." Doug adds.

Tippy-Toe blinks at the boys and tries to process what she just heard.

". . . Hey, would you guys like to make a friend? I've got this friend named Squirrel Girl, and she's a human who can talk to us. She's real nice, and would really like to hear about wrinkly chin people and a big head in a rocket chair. That sounds like the sort of thing I offered to find for her."

Iceman shrugs, drumming his fingers on the table. "Eh, I've seen worse."

He looks over at the U.S.Agent, who seems off in his own world. He arches an eyebrow. "Hey, Earth to Uncle Sam. Everything OK in there?"

Bob and Doug the squirrels shrug at Tippy Toes. "If she's buying the beer, eh." Then they follow Tippy Toes back to the Brick so they can report to Squirrel Girl.

Back at the restaurant, Tippy-Toe comes tippy toeing in, scurries over to Squirrel Girl, climbs up to her shoulder, and starts chittering away.

A moment later, she motions over to Moondragon.

"Hey, c'mon back over here, you're bothering these nice people's customers!"

Moondragon sighed and rejoined Squirrel Girl. A surface mind-scan of Dorrie showed that she worried about more urgent matters. “They seem far too solipsistic to feel any genuine bother. Their consternation isn’t what truly concerns you, though.”

Her eyebrow twitched upward in mild interest. “Oh, really?” She stared down at the squirrels. “You are certain that this darling in the pink bow heard correctly?” Heather’s hand hovered as if she wanted to pet Tippy Toe, but she withdrew it.

In Squirrel Girl’s mind, she heard Moondragon’s voice. Contrary to what Iceman & Beast often told people, it was NOT like chewing aluminum foil. I have dealt with...what the native squirrels apparently saw. That concerns me.

In reply to Moondragon (msg # 70):

Moondragon feels the telepathic static start to increase like a musical crescendo. It gets to the point where everyone else can feel it in their heads as well, even though they're not telepathic. Then the noise cuts out and they "hear" a voice in their head yelling, "CUT! CUT! CUT!"

The denizens of Cicely stop what they were doing and start filing out the door. As they go, their earth clothing starts to shift into purple jumpsuits and their skin stars to shift into green. As this happens, their ears elongate and become pointed and their chins take on the signature ridges of the skrulls!



The group follows the mob outside where it starts to line up in a military-ish formation and looks down the street. After a few moments, the group notices three silhouettes start to take shape through the haze. There's two roughly humanoid shapes flanking something that looks kind of like a floating egg. As the trio comes closer, the group can start to make out more details.

The one on the left has bear-legs, red robotic arms, one of which is carrying a large disc-shaped shield with a hammer and sickle emblazoned on it. It has a matching insignia on its belt and a gold cross on its chest. Its blue cape flaps in the breeze behind it.


The one on the right has long, gorilla-like arms covered in shaggy orange fur. Its legs are stocking, like a little-person's and covered in the same orange fur. It has a stylized white and red maple leaf symbol on its chest and a black and white starburst pattern on its shorts. There's cloth belt around its waist covered in native American symbols, holding a large leather satchel at its hip.


The one in the middle is a huge head with tiny limbs. The head is extra deformed, being elongated and proportioned as much taller than a regular head. It sits inside a hight-tech rocket-chair that gives it mobility that it obviously would not be able to achieve with its diminutive limbs.


The giant head-thing speaks/broadcasts into your brains. "WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS UNSCRIPTED INTERLUDE!?" it demands.

Armadillo stepped out into the street (forgetting for a moment the cold pizza conundrum). His vague interest in the situation was starting to build into annoyance.

"First off... 'Cut'?" he says, with many other 'offs' apparently in the offing.

Squirrel Girl, still holding her coffee while staring wide-eyed at this spectacle, takes a quiet sip, then glances to Lockjaw for a moment.

"Uh, don't mind us, Mister Director. We were just walking our dog."

“If you’re filming here, then surely you saw our arrival.”  Moondragon gestured toward where she thought she saw a camera. She wasn’t certain with the commotion, but it looked as through they’d crashed a television set. At least that would explain Northern Exposure. “Who are you? And are you...are you rebooting Northern Exposure?” Was there hope in her voice?

Iceman had been slouching in his seat, an arm draped over the back of his chair. He continues to stare at the U.S.Agent, waving his free hand in front of the soldier's face as though trying to get his attention. As the people around the heroes suddenly dissolve into a mass of Skrulls, he nearly falls out of his chair, then slowly blinks and looks around. A slight grin comes over his face, his jaw agape in amusement.

"So... Did we just become TV stars? I think we just became TV stars."

Then he makes a face as he sees the massive, chair-bound hover-Skrull screeching in their direction.

"What's with... uh... 'S.K.R.O.D.O.K.?'"

"Second of all, *I've got representation*, y'know!"

"You need a glass of water, Iceman?" the USAgent asks Bobby, pronouncing his name like ICE-mn. "That's a nasty cough."

Finally the 'Agent looks up and the vapid blankness in his eyes is replaced with a violent fire when he notices the Skrulls. "These jokers have representation too -- of my starred n' striped fists in their wrinkled faces!" The man stands up suddenly, sending his chair clattering to the floor. Indeed, the patriot's rage is ready -- for Skrulls and/or for America's Hat!

"Walking your dog!?" the one in the hover chair says. He pauses a bit before busting out in maniacal laughter. The other skrulls look around at each other for a moment before mimicking their leader. "That's brilliant! You were walking your dog and ended up in Alaska!"

He turns to Moondragon, also looking a bit hopeful "And what if I am?"

Next, he glares at Iceman, "You may address me as Director. Or if you must know my formal designation is M.S.D.O.S. Modified Skrull Designed Only for Syndication."

Next up is Armadillo. "Representation. Yes. You have an agent? Would you like to play a Wendigo? I've attempted to create some, but the keep coming out... wrong. Plus, do you know how hard it is to convince a human to eat another human?" He says all this with a perfectly matter-of-fact tone as if cannabalism and agents are in the same category to him.

Finally, he regards US Agent. His voice dripping with disdain, "Is this one your dog, or the quadriped with the tuning fork on its face? It's so hard to tell with you earthlings, you all look the same to me."

In reply to Watcher (msg # 78):

Iceman raises an eyebrow at the Skrull leader's introduction. "MS-DOS" was an ancient computer operating system he'd used in his darkest days searching for an accounting job post-graduation. He'd joined that firm only to quit the same day in frustration. No way was he going to grow old there with all those senior citizens. Did this M.O.D.O.K. wannabe choose that name?

Bobby stifles a laugh.

The U.S.Agent jumps into a fight-ready position. "Let's see if these red, white n' blue fists look the same to you, Big-Head!" he hollers, holding up gloved fists that are only red, and which both look exactly like mirrored reflections of each other.

Are we ready to roll dice? I'm ready to roll dice.

Armadillo thinks about the offer for a second. "Tiger Shark would do it."

It's not clear whether he means "act", "play Wendigo" or "eat people". Possibly all three.

And then, of course, MO-not just said that all Earth creatures look alike to him. So, Tony decided to mess with that. Pointing at USAgent he says-

"And PRESTO! We changed places! Fear the power!"

And by now, it was fight time.

"Oh, very well, then. If that's how it'll be." MSDOS says with a sigh. "ACTION!" he yells.

With that, the skrulls all jump into action.

Soviet Super Skrull has been eying US Agent. A huge fist made of an inky black energy coalesces in the air and reaches out to grab US Agent. A tendril of black energy connects the fist to Soviet Super Skrull, and little purple motes of Kirby-energy flit off the construct at random places.

Alpha Flight Skrull takes to the skies so quickly his form blurs. As he does, he reaches into the pouch at his waist and pulls out a blizzard. Icy, snowy wind begins whipping around the the street.

The skrull minions surge forward, shifting their forms as they do. They all grow in height and girth, and take on a shaggy white, beast-man form complete with claws and fangs. In the form of a pack of Wendigos, they pounce on the team.

MSDOS hangs back and cackles.


Soviet Super Skrull is attempting to put a Grappled complication on US Agent
Team d10, Communist Cold Warrior d8, Darkforce d10, Combat Master d10, Constructs d6 = 3d10, d8, d6

21:18, Today: Watcher rolled 15,2,6 using 3d10,d8,d6 with rolls of 5,5,5,2,6.  soviet skrull grapple us agent.

Total 11, Effect d12, 0 Opportunities

---

Alpha Flight Skrull is adding his Sorcery die to the doom pool by creating an Arctic blizzard. This will replace the Kinda Cold scene distinction

---

The skrull mob is doing an area attack on the team in the form of Wendigos, taking advantage of the newly created blizzard and using their Shapeshift die to represent their new form.

Team 5d6, Arctic blizzard d8, Shapeshift 2d8, Combat rookie d6, Area attack 4d6 =
10d6,3d8

21:32, Today: Watcher rolled 30,10 using 10d6,3d8 with rolls of 4,1,2,4,5,1,4,2,3,4, 1,4,5.  skrull minions as wendigos area attack.

10 Total, d8 to Armadillo, d6 to Moondragon, d6 to Iceman, d6 to Squirrel Girl, d6 to US Agent
3 Opportunities

MSDOS is holding his action.

In a rundown building down the street, Machine Man looks up from an expansive sound board at the bank of monitors covering the wall in front of him. He sees the battle on the street beginning to unfold through the eyes of the various camera bots that are hovering around.

He'd been working for MSDOS and this group of skrulls since he'd been reactivated several months ago. His memory banks from before that time had been wiped, so he wasn't sure how he'd gotten here. MSDOS kept the town locked down, off the grid, and sequestered from the rest of the world, so Machine Man hadn't been able to leave or even do any research about what was going on. That was ok though. These skrulls seemed to keep to themselves and weren't causing any trouble that MM could tell, and they were giving him all the beer he could drink.

But the beer ran out last week, and he's been stepping up his efforts to escape. Opportunity might just be knocking now...

The green fleshy ones were fighting the pink fleshy ones. It almost didn't matter who won, at least to Machine Man (aka Aaron Stack, aka X-51), because flesh was flesh. Except some flesh was less obnoxious than other flesh, and some flesh even provided beer.

Ah, beer. The only good reason for keeping flesh around.

So, he was confused as to why the flesh was fighting. Did they have noble but conflicting agendas? Was this a battle for the ages, over the fundamental rights of all sentient lives everywhere? Or was this because some fleshy one forgot to change the toilet paper roll? They seemed to fight over any range of reasons.

Machine Man wandered out into the middle of the brawl.

"I am out of beer and ready to punch someone," he announced. "Someone tell me — in twenty-five animal grunts or less — who should get a faceful of mechanized fury?"

Moondragon ignored the biting cold of the Skrull’s arctic winds. A mass of new Wendigos pounced on the team. Genia once told her about the savagery manifest that was the Wendigo. She hoped that these imitators lacked the raw power and durability of the true beast. “Iceman! Hold them off!”

Recognizing the greater threat, Moondragon concentrated on the amalgamated “Alpha Flight” Skrull. “I must attack the greater threat!”The aliens had an advantage while he controlled the weather. Marshaling her own considerable power, Moondragon unleashed a psychic blast on the weather wizard!

OOC:

1d10 Solo + 1d8 Disciplined Mind + 1d10 Psychic Blast + 1d8 Enhanced Durability + 1d8 Cosmic Expert.


01:03, Today: Moondragon rolled 9,9 using 3d8,2d10 with rolls of 3,2,4,3,6.  Psychic Blast the AF Skrull.

 

OOC:

1d6 Team + 1d8 Dragon Within + 1d10 Superhuman Durability + 1d8 Enhanced Stamina + 1d10 Combat Master

22:03, Today: Moondragon rolled 5,5,7 using 1d6,2d8,2d10 with rolls of 5,4,1,4,3.  Reaction roll.

I’ll use 10 and keep the 7.

"You're gonna have 'em come at me with the whole 'abominable snowman' routine?" Iceman snarks at M.S.D.O.S. "Bad idea there, genius."

Focusing, he taps into the power of the arctic blizzard raging around the combatants, redirecting it upon the transformed Skrulls as they charge the heroes!

Reaction to Wendigo attack:

Team d8
Arctic Blizzard d8
Ice Mastery d8
Ice Blast d6

SFX: Add more than one Cryokinesis power die to your pool. Step back each Cryokinesis power die in your pool once for each die beyond the first.

12:08, Today: Iceman rolled 2,5,3,3 using 1d8,1d8,1d8,1d6 ((2,5,3,3)). Iceman reacting to the Wendigo mob's attack.

Total: 11
Effect: d8
Opportunities: 0

Spent 1 PP to add a 3rd die to the total.

Crap. This isn't working as well as he'd hoped. Iceman grunts as the Wendigos charge through his hastily-created snowstorm, more difficult to slow than he'd anticipated.

"Alright, SkiFree, my turn!"

Summoning his powers (and taking a page out the Agent's book), he tries to create an ice shield... and then, just to do it one better, Bobby adds a sword for good measure!

Attempting to make a "Sword & Shield" asset for myself:

Team d8
Heroic Prankster d8 (Constructs always look goofy, just ask Green Lantern)
Ice Mastery d10
d6 from Constructs SFX

SFX: Constructs. When using a Cryokinesis power to create assets, add a d6 and step up your effect die.

12:23, Today: Iceman rolled 4,2,3,6 using 1d8,1d8,1d10,1d6 ((4,2,3,6)). Iceman trying to create a Sword & Shield asset for himself.

Total: 10
Effect: d10 d12 (Due to Constructs SFX)
Opportunities: 0

PP's remaining: 0

Reaction Needed: The Watcher

Hearing Machine Man's query, Bobby spares the newcomer a quick wave.

"They started it," he shrugs in the direction of the Wendi-Skrulls.

As reasons to join one side of a battle versus another went, "They started it" was hardly compelling. But the robot's brain needed beer and thus Machine Man was just as likely to pop off and hit a skrull as he was a human... or whatever Mister Frosty-Pants was. So it was really all the excuse he needed.

"They started it!" he shouted as a battle-cry as he waded into the Wendigo-Skrulls with all his Superhuman-Robot Strength and Durability. "Rudeness shall be punished!"

Solo* d10
Robot Brain Needs Beer d8
Superhuman Strength d10 d8
Superhuman Durability d10 d8
[SFX: Multitasking. Add more than one Mechanical Body power die to your pool. Step back each Mechanical Body power die in your pool once for each die beyond the first.]
* = Solo, because he still hasn't really picked a side.

Machine Man rolled 5,3,8,4 using d10,d8,d8,d8 ((5,3,8,4)).

Total: 13
Effect die: d8

Opportunities generated: 0
Plot Points remaining: 1

The U.S.Agent staggers back, not sure what he's seeing. "I thought you were just special effects!" he yells at the alien as the Soviet Super Skrull lays into him. Immediately the 'Agent's shield goes up to protect himself but he still buckles, with the enemy getting enough of a jump on him to perhaps make a difference.

Reaction to Soviet Super Skrull Grappled Complication attempt, Total: 11, Effect: d12 (msg #82):
Team    d6
Ex-Soldier (confused by unearthly things)    d4
(+1 PP)
Superhuman Strength    d10
Superhuman Durability (Vibranium Shield)    d10
Combat Expert    d8

U.S.Agent rolls 3,6,4,5,7 using d6,d8,d10,d10,d8 ((3,6,4,5,7)).

Total: 13; Effect: d10

The 'Agent deflects the inky arms coming at him and regains his footing. "I don't know what you are so I'll just say this," the U.S.Agent sputters at full volume. "I don't know what you are!"

But the 'Agent has barely a moment for a breath before he turns around to face the Skrull mob coming right at him! The cold of the sudden blizzard bites at him, slowing his muscles just enough to perhaps make a difference.

Reaction to Skrull Minions-as-Wendigos Area Attack, Total: 10, Effect: d6 (msg #82):
Team    d6
Arctic Blizzard    d4
(+1 PP)
Superhuman Strength    d10
Superhuman Durability (Vibranium Shield)    d10
Combat Expert    d8

U.S.Agent rolls 6,8,4,1,4 using d6,d8,d10,d10,d8 ((6,8,4,1,4)).

Total: 14; Effect: d10
1 Opportunity

PPs: 1 (default start) +1 (negative Distinction (first defense)) +1 (negative Distinction (second defense)) +1 (Opportunity -- if Watcher automatically buys Opportunities?)= 4

The bulky hero knocks aside a few foes from the group but not enough to make a difference. "I'd say you're Skrulls, but they change shape. So what are you?" the bulky hero snarls. U.S.Agent snarls, just enough to perhaps make a difference.

Moondragon bobs and weaves, utilizing her Shao-lum martial arts to their fullest. Most of the mob's attacks miss her, but one skrull manages to land a glancing scratch across her thigh.

Purchasing that opportunity
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:07, Thu 01 Oct 2020.

Moondragon's mental blast lances out invisibly at the Alpha Flight Skrull. Despite its blurring speed, Moondragon's blast travels at the speed of thought. But the cold from the blizzard hampers her concentration, and its twisted alien mind is slippery and difficult to bullseye. These factors are enough to prevent her from landing a solid mental blow on the skrull.



Team d10, Blizzard d8, Doom die push d8
16:11, Today: Watcher rolled 6,15 using d10,2d8 with rolls of 6,7,8.  AF Skrull vs mental blast.

15 total, d10 effect, the Skrull resists the attack
Doom pool -1d8

Iceman's icy powers slow the wendigo-skrulls enough to keep them from overrunning the heroes, but really only slow the transformed aliens a little.

Refocusing his powers, he succeeds at creating an oversized sword and shield for himself.

16:14, Today: Watcher rolled 12 using 3d6 with rolls of 4,4,4.  doom pool vs. iceman asset.

8 total d6 effect. Asset creation succeeds at d10

Machine Man plows into the mob of Wendi-skrulls. Their forms are more durable than he expected, the thick wendigo fur blunting his punches. And there are just so many of them. Even though he smacks a few to the ground, two more just step up to take the place of their fallen comrades. MM can't really say his attacks did much to thin this mob.


5d6 mob, d10 shapeshift, d6 combat rookie
16:20, Today: Watcher rolled 10,19 using d10,6d6 with rolls of 10,4,4,1,3,4,3.  skrull mob reaction to MM.

14 total, d6 effect, 1 opportunity
MM's attack is ineffective

Solo was fine for this one, but you've essentially chosen a side now, so you should go team next time. Or if you fastball special or something that's pointedly buddy, you could justify that.

I took durability too (I try not to negate things). I'd prefer a little more narrative for it in an attack pool though. Something as simple as mentioning his steel hard fists or slamming his metal body into the mob of bodies like a couple of frat boys chest bumping would be sufficient.

US Agent manages to deflect the Soviet Skrull's darkforce attack with his own red-white-and-black shield. Likewise, despite the biting cold, he fends off the attacks of the mob of skrulls. This wasn't the first mob of snarling idiots he'd tangled with.

I laughed outloud several times, US Agent. I do usually buy opps especially at the beginning of fights, so yes, I'll buy yours. You're loaded with PP now!

Go ahead and do an action if you want.

I'll wait another day or two for 'Dillo and SG to react and take actions.

Doom is at 2d6, 1d8 now. Status thread is updated.

The U.S.Agent turns back to the creep with the furry legs. "Okay, creep with the furry legs," the 'Agent snarls, missing the more obvious America vs. Soviet angle. "Time to send you back to whatever planet you're from -- even if it's Canadia!" (Even though they're already in Canadia, er, Canada.) Then the 'Agent charges forward with the center of his shield aimed at the center of his opponent's face!

Physical attack on Soviet Super Skrull:
Team    d6
Ex-Soldier    d8
Charge/Superhuman Strength    2d10 (stepped down to d8 after this)
Vibranium Shield/Weapon    d8
Combat Expert    d8

U.S.Agent rolls 3,2,8,7,4,6 using d6,d8,d10,d10,d8,d8 ((3,2,8,7,4,6)).

-1 PP to add third die to Total
Total: 18; Effect: d10

PPs: 4 (starting; from msg #90) -1 to add third die to Total = 3

When the conflict started, Squirrel Girl was totally unprepared. As far as she knew, the group was talking with this MSDOS creature, not punching it. As soon as that went out the window, SG backed up and took one last sip of her coffee before setting the mug down beside the door.

"Okay, Tippy-Toe, let's rustle up some friends!" And with a squirrel call that could be heard over the din of battle, "Chk-chk-chk!" the hordes awoke! SG herself flashed her claws and dashed into the fray with the freaky monster horde that was already upon her!

Defending against Skrull Wendigos' 10 total, D6 effect! Starting with 1 PP because I legit have no idea how many I have at this point!

Team D10, Chipper Personality D4 (+1 PP), Enhanced Reflexes D8, Combat Master D10

09:58, Today: Squirrel Girl rolled 11,2,3 using 2d10,d8,d4 with rolls of 7,4,2,3.  Defense vs Skrulls' 10.

Result: 7+4
Total: 11
Effect: D8
PP: 2

The incoming attackers are quickly evaded by a leap (she does that a lot), which sees SG land in the middle of the mob where, conveniently enough, no one can get a clear view of what she's up to. Meanwhile, the squirrels rush to aid her, climbing over wendigos, biting and scratching their way from the outside of the group towards their friend!

[Attacking the mob of Skrulls! Spending 2 PP and activating two of the Watchers' opportunities to activate Squirrels! SFX, adding 2D6 to A Mass of Fur and Teeth for the rest of the scene!

Team D10, The Slayer of All That Breathes D8, Enhanced Strength D8, A Mass of Fur and Teeth 5D6, Combat Master D10

10:05, Today: Squirrel Girl rolled 18,11,18 using 2d10,2d8,5d6 with rolls of 9,9,8,3,6,2,3,3,4.  Attacking Skrulls!
10:06, Today: Squirrel Girl rolled 12 using 4d6 with rolls of 3,3,5,1.  Forgot Area Effect.

Result: 9+9
Total: 18
Effect: They're Everywhere! D8, D8, D6, D6, D6, D6
Opportunities: 1
PP: 0

Moondragon dug deeper into her Shao-Lom training for the strength she needed. The monks trained me to overcome all discomfort. I shall overcome this as well. Once again, she marshaled her considerable mental energies for an attack on the Alpha Flight Skrull.

At one time, I dominated the minds of an entire planet and the minds of the Avengers Assembled. By Pama, I can master one anonymous impostor! Moondragon’s power rushed over the Skrull’s like the Plague of Locusts rapaciously consuming the Egyptian crops. If she succeeded, Moondragon would “rewire” the Skrull’s priorities and loyalty.

Attack M.S.D.O.S. with all your might.

It’s in the script.

She could spare enough psychic energy to clutch at the mind of the nearest “Wendigo”. Defend me from your fellow Skrulls with everything you have.


OOC:

Solo 1d10 + Disciplined Mind 1d8 + Mind Control 1d10 + 1d6 Area Attack SFX + Enhanced Stamina 1d8 + Psych Master 1d10.
12:55, Today: Moondragon rolled 22,5,4 using 3d10,2d8,1d6 with rolls of 3,9,10,3,2,4.  Mind Control AF Skrull & 1 Wendigo.

I’ll take the 9 + 10 for a total of 19 on a Mind Control attack. Using the extra 1d6 for an Area Effect SFX on the Wendigo closest to me,

Which die do I keep from leftovers? Would that be the 1d8 itself for my dice group, or the 1d6? Whichever is the highest, I want it! :-D



 
This message was last edited by the player at 17:21, Mon 05 Oct 2020.

The Soviet Super Skrull looks a bit confused at US Agent's calling out of its fuzzy legs, but quickly understands the intent behind Agent's charge. Raising its own facsimile of Captain America's famous shield. It's muscles visibly bulk up right before the impact. The two icons of world superpowers smash together in a clang like a giant bell ringing, kicking up a cloud of snow that temporarily obscures the two icons.

When the snow settles, the two stand facing each other, apparently at a stalemate.


React to US Agent physical attack 18/d10/0
Team d10, Communist Cold Warrior d8, Shapeshifting 2d8, SuperH Durability d10, Combat Master 2d8

19:32, Today: Watcher rolled 16,23 using 2d10,5d8 with rolls of 10,6,2,4,7,8,2.  soviet super vs. usagent.

Spend a d8 from doom (now at 2d6) to keep 3rd die for reaction total of 25/d10
Attack resisted.

In reply to Squirrel Girl (msg # 97):

SG dodges the attack of the mob of Wendigo-Skrulls, then unleashes a mob of her own furry friends against them. Teeth gnash, claws slash, and fur flies as the two mobs literally tear into each other.

While not too much for the wendigos to handle, the mob of squirrels clearly robs the mob of the majority of its enthusiasm. Many wendigo-skrulls fall to the ground, covered in a mass of fluffy brown tails, and most of the rest bear obvious damage from the rodent assault.


Skrull Mob vs. SG's Phys attack of 18/D8, D8, D6, D6, D6, D6/1

I buy the opportunity to add d6 to doom (at 3d6 now)
+1 PP to SG

Team 5d6, Shapeshift 2d8, Combat Rookie d6
19:39, Today: Watcher rolled 22,9 using 6d6,2d8 with rolls of 4,4,6,2,2,4,3,6.  skrull mob vs. SG mob.

I'll spend a doom die to add third die to total for 16. SG will still hit, but not with a step up. d8 effect die, so that will step down the d6s to d4s

SG's d8s each remove 1d6 from the mob. Her 3 d6s step down the remaining mob dice to d4. So it's at 3d4 now.

MSDOS laughs maniacally at the chaos that has engulfed the street. "Excellent! Now more! Louder! Camera 7, shift 32 degrees left!"

Seeing that his mob is being overrun by SG's mob of vicious Alaskan squirrels, he decides to try to even the odds a bit. The purple thing on his forehead glows brighter just before a beam shoots out of it at SG.


MSDOS is doing a psychic blast on SG.
Team d8, Twisted Science villain d8, Psychic Blast d12, Smartest in room SFX (double Psychic blast) d12, Psych master d10

10:32, Today: Watcher rolled 10,8,11 using 2d12,1d10,2d8 with rolls of 5,5,8,6,5.  psychic blast SG.
SFX drops the 8, keep 3 dice = 16 total, d12 effect


This message was last edited by the GM at 16:09, Mon 12 Oct 2020.

Soviet Skrull continues his struggles with US Agent.

"You're corrupt capitalism has made you soft and weak!" he goads. As he pushes his shield against US Agent's he grows a meter taller and his limbs thicken and lengthen. His arms transform into bear-arms and he reaches around the shields with one of them to take a swipe at US Agent's head.


Solo d6 (he's not really getting any help from his buds on this, and this is a lower die than his team die), Communist Cold Warrior d8, Growth d6, Superhuman Strength d8, Claws d6, Combat Master d8 (stepped down by claws)

10:38, Today: Watcher rolled 18,8 using 3d8,3d6 with rolls of 8,7,3,3,3,2.  soviet skrull vs. us agent.

Total 15, effect d10 (stepped up by claws)

AF Skrull does an Immelman in the air and heads back towards the melee at super speed. As he approaches, he loses altitude and grows larger. As he hits the ground, he twirls into a series of cartwheels that sends him careening through the crowd like a bowling ball.

https://images.app.goo.gl/bN9DCAVH7GDTVVwe6


Team d10, Alien warrior d8, Growth d6, Super speed d10, Puck roll area attack +2d6, Combat expert d8

11:07, Today: Watcher rolled 13,12,11 using 2d10,2d8,3d6 with rolls of 10,3,8,4,6,2,3.  reroll AF skrull w/ correct pool.

18 total, d10 to moondragon, d8 to iceman, d6 to machine man

With the arrival of AF Skrull to the melee, the rest of the skrulls find renewed vigor and try to fight off the mob of squirrels that is slashing and biting at them.


Going to attack SG's squirrel mob.
Team 3d4, Shapeshift 2d8, Combat d6, Area attack +4d6

11:13, Today: Watcher rolled 7,20,9 using 2d8,5d6,3d4 with rolls of 2,5,4,1,5,5,5,4,2,3.  minions vs minions.

Spend d6 to add third die to total
Total =15
d8, d8, d6, d4, d4 to SG's mob
1 opportunity

Cartwheels? The alien was rolling cartwheels down the street? This was something that Machine Man couldn't even process. Not while his brain needed beer, anyway. Maybe his makeshift team would have better luck figuring out what was going on, but he was just a little bit stunned by it all.

So, when in doubt, punch something. As the cartwheeling whatever-it-was-supposed-to-be came at him, Machine Man balled up a fist and used his Superhuman Strength to try to clobber it. Hopefully his Superhuman Durability would help him resist whatever damage might be done if he failed...!

Team d8
Robot Brain Needs Beer d4 (+1PP)
Superhuman Strength d8*
Superhuman Durability d8*
(SFX: Multitasking. Add more than one Mechanical Body power die to your pool. Step back each Mechanical Body power die in your pool once for each die beyond the first.)

Machine Man rolled 6,3,2,4 using d8,d4,d8,d8 ((6,3,2,4)).

Total: 10 (Not even worth adding a third die, as I'd intended to try.)
Effect die: d8

Opportunities Rolled: 0
PP gained 1; 2 total.

Armadillo knew MODOK. The real MODOK. He worked for him, the one time. This guy... was NOT Modok.

Still, memories came flooding back, and they weren't all happy. Also, he's continuing to film him without permission. 'Dillo did NOT freak for free!

Forgetting himself in the moment, Tony growl-yelled, reached down, pulled up a big chunk of whatever pavement was under his feet and just threw it as hard as he could at the Manager On Duty, Otherwise Knavish.

Solo d8
Combat Expert d8
Hair Trigger Temper (+1 PP, takes emotional stress)
Superhuman Strength d10
14:59, Today: Armadillo rolled 7,5 using 1d10,2d8 ((7,3,2)).

Total: 12

22:57, Yesterday: Armadillo rolled 2 using 1d8 with rolls of 2.

Now: 14

The cartwheeling super skrull goes past Machine Man too quickly. The robot's punch goes wide, and he's bowled through by the skrull. Landing on his butt, his internal sensors flash red at him that both his arms have sustained structural damage.

d8 physical stress to MM

Everyone seemed to have forgotten about Armadillo. Getting angry that he was being filmed outside of guild rules, the he lets out a growl and throws a chunk of pavement at MSDOS. The raging blizzard gives the villain some concealment. For his part, MSDOS yanks on one of his joysticks to shift his rocket chair out of the arc of the improvised missile. Floating like a bloated butterfly, MSDOS evades the missile and glowers at Armadillo.


MSDOS reaction to 10 total d8 effect
Team d8, Blizzard d8, Flight d6, Vehicle expert d8
18:56, Today: Watcher rolled 17,2 using 3d8,d6 with rolls of 7,4,6,2.  msdos reaction to armadillo.
Total 13, d8 effect, 0 opportunities
Armadillo's attack misses

Squirrel Girl knows colory brain beams are bad news, so does her level best to get out of the way, doing her level best to keep herself solid and... well, herself!

[Team D10, Chipper Personality D8, Enhanced Reflexes D8, Psych Expert D8

14:10, Today: Squirrel Girl rolled 9,16 using d10,3d8 with rolls of 9,7,4,5.  Reaction vs MSDOS's 16.

Total: 16
Effect: D8
PP: 0

Pretty sure I just took D12 Mental stress. @.@]



Barely holding onto her senses, Squirrel Girl sees the chaos going on and directs the squirrels to go on the defensive!

[Team D10, Slayer of All That Breathes D4 (+1PP), Squirrel Control D10, A Mass of Fur and Teeth 5D6, Combat Master D10

14:14, Today: Squirrel Girl rolled 20,15,2 using 3d10,5d6,1d4 with rolls of 8,7,5,1,2,6,3,3,2.  Reaction vs Mob's 15.

Total: 11
Effect: D10, D10, D6, D6, D6
Reduces enemy effect dice by 1 size each, saving all squirrels
Opportunities: 1
PP: 1]

"Gettem, Tippy Toe..." The fight seems almost a blur, with Squirrel Girl doing her best to handle the psychic wedgie that big-headed guy just gave her, but she trusts her squirrels to know how to handle themselves, given the right direction.

[Squirrel mob attacks the remaining Skrulls!

Team D10, Slayer of All That Breathes D4 (+1PP), Squirrel Control D10, A Mass of Fur and Teeth 5D6, Combat Master D10, Area Attack 2D6

14:21, Today: Squirrel Girl rolled 7,30,3 using 2d10,7d6,1d4 with rolls of 5,2,1,5,5,1,6,6,6,3.  Attacking Skrulls!

Total: 18 (-1PP)
Effect: D10, D10, D6
Opportunities: 2
PP: 1

Not quite my best work, but it'll do.]

"My soft and weak is harder and un-weaker than you think!" the U.S.Agent calls as he pushes with spent, aching muscles to hold his ground against the transforming Soviet/Skrull/villain, pressing against him/it with his shield and gritting his teeth. "панк!"

Reaction to Soviet Skrull attack, Total: 15, Effect: d10 (msg #105):
Team (I assume we're close enough to each other to be all the same?)     d6
Ex-Soldier    d8
Superhuman Strength    d8 (stepped down from using Charge! last action)
Combat Expert    d8

U.S.Agent rolls 3,1,4,5 using d6,d8,d8,d8 ((3,1,4,5)).

-1 PP to add third die to Total
Total: 12; Effect: d4 (default)
1 Opportunity

And I'd like to activate that Opportunity on the board to recharge my Superhuman Strength up to full again (after stepping down from using Charge!)

PPs: 3 (starting; from msg #96) -1 (to add die to Total) +1 Opportunity (assuming the Watcher buys all Opportunities) = 3
This message was last edited by the player at 10:09, Fri 23 Oct 2020.

"What's next, a ballet routine?" snorts Iceman, readying his shield to block the attack as the Alpha Flight-wannabe Skrull cartwheels toward him.

Team d8
Heroic Prankster d8
Enhanced Durability d6 (Stepped back from Multipower)
Ice Mastery d8 (Stepped back from Multipower)
Sword & Shield d12 Asset

SFX: Multipower. Add more than one Cryokinesis power die to your pool. Step back each Cryokinesis power die in your pool once for each die beyond the first.

06:17, Today: Iceman rolled 7,5,5,1,11 using 1d8,1d8,1d6,1d8,1d12 ((7,5,5,1,11)).

Total: 18
Effect: d8
Opportunities: 1

As the villain crashes against the shield, Bobby does his best to hold his ground. He can't let himself get taken out by an amateur gymnast, of all things!

In reply to Squirrel Girl (msg # 109):


SG takes d12 mental stress
I buy all her opportunities (the last one w/ a step up). This puts her at 5pp and Doom pool at 3d6, 1d8. Then she uses 1pp on last roll, so that leaves her at 4pp


The squirrel mob nimbly dodges the attacks of the skrull mob. The skrulls' moves are more flashy and showy than they are effective. Almost like they're acting as martial artists instead of actually BEING martial artists. Then they continue to unleash hundreds of tiny bites and scratches. They try their best to follow SG's commands, but with her head swimming from MSDOS's whammy, it's hard for her to direct traffic. Despite this, the squirrels are just too much for the skrull actors and what members of the mob of thespians manage to not go down from the barrage of squirrels, breaks ranks and runs from the battle.

"COWARDS!" MSDOS screams after them.


Mob: 3d4, Shapeshifting 2d8, Combat rookie d6, SG's mental stress d12

19:28, Today: Watcher rolled 9,2,4,4 using d12,2d8,d6,3d4 with rolls of 9,1,1,4,1,2,1.  skrull mob reaction.

13 total, d4 effect, 4 opps
They're toast

In reply to US Agent (msg # 110):

Soviet Super Skrull's claws slip past US Agent's defenses and make a nasty gash across the patriotic hero's back. The pain seems to help US Agent focus though, or at least fuel his anger and he feels his strength returning.


SS Skrull won that attack so you take d10 physical stress. Activating the opportunity is part of your reaction, so that gets your strength back to d10. You can use Charge again on your next action; strength would be d10 at that point. If you hadn't recovered with the opp, you could still use charge again and drop your strength to d6. I think you'd need two opps to get it back up to full - each opp gets you a step up. But if someone rolled 2 opps on one roll (the mob just did) you could take both of them and go to full all at once. Make sense?

Despite his ice sword and shield, the alpha flight skrull slams into Iceman hard enough to send him to the ground. It's a pretty decent blow, but not enough to take Iceman out of the fight.


Attacker wins ties, and you don't have a PP to spend to throw an extra die on there (I would have encouraged to do so) so you'll take the hit.

I do however, buy the opportunity, so now you do have a pp.

USAgent, I also bought yours in your pool.

Doom pool is up to 1d6, 3d8

The arctic winds bit at Moondragon, temporarily distracting her. “You’re not even Skrullian warriors of repute, but mere extras in this absurd production! You’re nothing more than ciphers...!” That offended her as much as any success in their tactics.

Her psychic energies poured into her defense efforts, as Moondragon focused on her telekinetic force shield. The “Mistress of The Mind” grit her teeth as she fended off the worst of their attacks. She resolved herself to repay them fully for their insult...

OOC:

Team 1d6 + Haughty Attitude 1d4 + Superhuman Durability 1d10 + Enhanced Stamina 1d8 + Combat Master 1d10.

07:10, Today: Moondragon rolled 4,1,6,5,10 using 1d6,1d4,1d10,1d8,1d10 with rolls of 4,1,6,5,10.  Reaction .

I’ll spend 1 PP to buy an extra die, for a total of 21 to resist the attack.

The Watcher gets 1 Opportunity against me.

 

"I have had enough of this @#*&%@*$#!" Machine Man swore. He wasn't so much talking to his team as to himself, but whatever.

The Sentient Android pulled some of his loose cabling free from his damaged arm. This was redundant equipment, but hopefully the secondaries stayed online through the rest of the battle. He used the cables to fashion a makeshift projectile, stuffed it into an aperture in the back of his hand, and quickly fired it at the still-tumbling AF Skrull. The cables possessed the same superhuman durability as the rest of him, so hopefully they wouldn't break. Machine Man was a tech expert, but he couldn't entirely calculate the resistance of already-weakened cables versus an opponent with unknown strength.

[Grapple Grenade Complication attempt (-1PP)]
Team: d8
Sentient Android: d8
Superhuman Durability: d10
Tech Expert: d8

Machine Man rolled 3,3,9,6 using d8,d8,d10,d8 ((3,3,9,6)).

(Using 1PP to keep third die in Total.)

Total: 18
Effect: d8

Opportunities: 0
PP 2-2 = 0 remaining

"Take that, you @#&*%$@# *&@#@%^#@!!"

Moondragon's training and mental powers allow her to dodge the super skrull as it goes tumbling through the melee.

Machine Man's makeshift cable grenade shoots out and arcs over the crowd at the skrull. It hits it a few cartwheels before the end of its tumble-charge and the continued spinning motion cause the cables to wrap around it several times. As they wrap up, they stretch and pull on Machine Man, and a few snap unable to weather the combined strength of both combatants. As the skrull finishes its tumble and turns to face the group, some of Machine Man's cables remain wrapped around one of its arms. It visibly slows the alien warrior, but only by a little.



Buying Moon's opportunity. Puts doom at 2d6, 3d8. She has 3pp

AF Skrull reaction: team d10, alien warrior d8, superhuman str d10, combat expert d8

10:03, Today: Watcher rolled 11,10 using 2d10,2d8 with rolls of 3,8,6,4.  AF skrull reaction.
14 total, d10 effect. Grapple hits, but stepped down to 1d6

Iceman dusts himself off and gets to his feet, smarting from having been knocked down by the cartwheeling Alpha Flight Skrull. The blow feels like a wound to his pride more than anything.

"Good assist," he calls to Machine Man. "Now let's finish this chump."

He extends his ice sword and focuses yet more of his power through the tip, freeze-blasting the tangled-up Skrull before he has a chance to start throwing more of those annoying cartwheels.

Team d8
Heroic Prankster d8
Ice Blast 2d8 (Due to SFX)
Sword and Shield d12 asset
Alpha Flight Skrull's Grapple Grenade d6 complication

SFX: Omega-Level Mutant. Step up or double any Cryokinesis power for one action. If that action fails, add a die to doom pool equal to the normal rating of that power die.

11:26, Today: Iceman rolled 8,8,6,5,11,2 using 1d8,1d8,1d8,1d8,1d12,1d6 ((8,8,6,5,11,2)). Iceman trying to freeze the AF Skrull with a blast from his ice sword.

Total: 27
Effect: d8
Opportunities: 0

Spent 1 PP to add a 3rd die to the total.

Reaction Needed: Alpha Flight Skrull

Next Action: M.S.D.O.S
This message was last edited by the player at 19:32, Thu 05 Nov 2020.

The alpha flight skrull is busy dealing with the tangle of wires that Machine Man hit him with when Iceman fires his freeze blast at it. Iceman's own bruises make it a little difficult to fully concentrate on the attack, but the blizzard that the AF Skrull created assisted Iceman's tactic. As it sensed the icy block starting to form around it, the skrull started modulating its size and flexing the gamma-enhanced muscles that it inherited from Sasquatch.

The struggling is for naught, however. Iceman's block of ice covers most of the Skrull's body, severely limiting its mobility.


Solo d8, Blizzard d4+add to doom, Growth d6, Super Strength d10, Combat d8, Iceman stress d8,
Doom push die d8

13:31, Today: Watcher rolled 10,15,1,1 using d10,4d8,d6,d4 with rolls of 10,8,1,1,5,1,1.  AF Skrull reaction.

18 total, d8 effect, 4 opportunities

AF skrull fails by 5+ so Iceman's effect stepped up to d10. I'm assuming this is adding to Machine Man's tangled up complication.

Seeing his minions go down and one of his super skrulls get immobilized, MSDOS screams "no, No, NO!!" and unleashes a barrage of missiles at the entire entourage. He's obscured in a sudden eruption of smoke as dozens of missiles simultaneously launch from his hover chair. The missiles twist and cavort in all different ways as the volley follows a lazy arc through the air before landing amidst the group fighting it out.


team d8, twisted science villain d8, rockets d8, area attack 8d6 (attacking everyone, including AF skrull, Soviet skrull, and SG's squirrels)

13:43, Today: Watcher rolled 16,34 using 3d8,8d6 with rolls of 6,8,2,3,4,6,6,2,5,4,4.  msdos missile volley.

spend d6 from doom to add to total
Total: 20
d8 vs. SG
d6 vs. SG's squirrels
d6 vs. Armadillo
d6 vs. Iceman
d6 vs. Moondragon
d6 vs. US Agent
d6 vs. Machine Man
d6 vs. Soviet Skrull
d6 vs. AF Skrull
Effect is physical stress

---

AF Skrull reaction: Buddy d6, Blizzard d8, Endurance d10, Combat d8
13:48, Today: Watcher rolled 3,8,2 using d10,2d8,d6 with rolls of 3,3,5,2.  AF Skrull reaction to missiles.
Total 8, effect d10; Fail by 10+ means two steps up to d10 phys stress.

---

Soviet skrull reaction: Buddy d8, Blizzard d8, Durability d10, Combat d10
13:50, Today: Watcher rolled 15,9 using 2d10,2d8 with rolls of 5,10,5,4.  soviet skrull react to missiles.
Total 15, effect d10, fail by 5 means step up to d8, but greater effect die steps back down to d6 phys stress





Next: Moondragon and US Agent. They end the round, so both can go. Whoever goes second, call out the first actor in the next round.

You know you're part of a team when you're all targeted my the same missile.

No, wait. That's stupid.

That was all the sentient android had time to think in the microsecond before the missile exploded. He just had to hope that his Superhuman Durability was enough to resist any additional damage.


Team d8
Sentient Android d8
Superhuman Durability d10

Machine Man rolled 2,2,2 using d8,d8,d10 ((2,2,2)).

Total: 4
Effect die: d10

"Well, that sucked."

When his opponent's claws dig into his back, the U.S.Agent's sight goes red and he feels that familiar fury rising in his gut. He tenses for a physical response then distracted by the oncoming missiles. His shield is used so often to bash the faces of evil-doers, sometimes it's easy to forget that it's meant first and foremost as a defensive weapon. And so, the shield goes up to deflect the deadly barrage!

Reaction to MSDOS's missile volley, Total: 20, Effect: d6:
Team    d6
Ex-Soldier    d8
Enhanced Durability    d8
Vibranium Shield/Superhuman Durability    d10
Combat Expert    d8

U.S.Agent rolls 4,1,5,10,5 using d6,d8,d8,d10,d8 ((4,1,5,10,5)).

Total: 15; Effect: d8
1 Opportunity

Higher reacting Effect die would step down attacking Effect die to d4, or leaving at d6 if Extraordinary Success by attacker cancels it out. Either d4 or d6 Stress is acceptable if it doesn't step up the Agent's Physical Stress

Withstanding the volley, the U.S.Agent rises to his full height and lowers his smoking shield, then turns to the Soviet Skrull. "Come on, man!" he shouts to the being not really a man. "He's attacking you too!</i> Join with us and we can beat him! Like real Americans! Or whatever America is on your planet!"

Emotional attack on Soviet Skrull* (scaring him into turning and joining their side):
Team    d6
Temperamental    d8
Menace Expert    d8
Soviet Skrull Physical Stress    d6

U.S.Agent rolls 5,3,7,5 using d6,d8,d8,d6 ((5,3,7,5)).

-1 PP to add third die to Total
Total: 17; Effect: d8

(* Or a Complication -- whatever could convince him to join with us and fight against MSDOS. If that's not possible then Stress to wear him down.

And not including any physical powers with the assumption that he won't be able to use any physical defense. If it's possible that I could use a physical power in the roll (especially if he's going to whether I do or not), then I can roll another die and redo the Total.)

PPs: 3 (starting; from msg #110) +1 Opportunity (from reaction; if Watcher buys it) -1 (to add die to Total)= 3 or 2 (depending on the Watcher buying the Opportunity)

Next Action: Moondragon

In reply to Watcher (msg # 120):

[Reacting to the Director's 20 heckin' total and D8 and D6 effect dice.

Team D10, The Slayer of All That Breathes D4 (+1PP), Enhanced Reflexes D8, Mass of Fur and Teeth 5D6, They're Everywhere D6, Combat Master D10

00:13, Today: Squirrel Girl rolled 9,7,22,4 using 2d10,1d8,6d6,d4 with rolls of 4,5,7,6,6,5,1,2,2,4.  Reaction vs MSDOS's 20.

7+6+6=19 total (-1PP)
Effect vs D8: D10
Effect vs D6: D10
PP: 3
Opportunities: 1

Squirrel Girl takes a reduced D6 Physical Stress, A Mass of Fur and Teeth takes D4 Physical Stress, which isn't enough to remove a die.]

Even in her dazed state, the sight and sound of Macross Mini Missiles™ are an unmistakable blur. Doreen's eyes go wide, and she turns to break into a run, chittering in a panic and scooping up Tippy-Toe! The explosions go off in a trail following her path, which ends with Squirrel Girl being sent topsy turvy out of the battlefield and into a handy pile of snow. When the dust settles, a freezing Doreen shivers her way out of the pile and holds out Tippy-Toe, who stands in a "ta da!" pose, totally unscathed!

The squirrel army soldiers carefully peek out from their respective hidey holes used as cover, giving tiny cheers of triumph at having escaped, and a renewed set of cheers on seeing Tippy-Toe!

The tantrum from M.S.D.O.S. elicited a disgusted groan. “How utterly childish.” A slender yebrow raised in a sneer, Moondragon raised her force field against the missile attack. “I tire of your petty nuisances!”

For once, the Agent offered a useful action that could benefit them all. Heather seized on his appeal to their emotions and added her considerable psychic energy to John’s efforts. She attempted to reach into the Soviet Skrull’s mind, as well as two minions nearby.

Listen to him. Attack your master.


OOC: Reaction roll.

Solo 1d10 + Haughty Attitude 1d8 + Superhuman Durability 1d10 + Enhanced Reflexes 1d8 + Combat Master 1d10

I’ll use my SFX: Focus to replace 2 dice of equal size in a pool containing a SHAO-LOM MONK TRAINING power with one stepped up die.
2d8s become 1d10.

20:11, Today: Moondragon rolled 6,2,7,7 using 1d10,1d10,1d10,1d10 with rolls of 6,2,7,7.  Reaction.

13 total.

1 opportunity.

Buddy 1d8 + Disciplined Mind 1d8 + Mind Control 1d10 + Enhanced Stamina 1d8 + Psych Master 1d10.

I’m attempting to exploit any Complications or Stress places on Soviet Super-Skrull & two Skrull minions.

Invoking the Area Attack SFX for 2 extra D6s.

Total 10.
20:27, Today: Moondragon rolled 3,2,2,4,5,2,5 using 1d8,1d8,1d10,1d8,1d10,1d6,1d6 with rolls of 3,2,2,4,5,2,5.  Mind Control Soviet Skrull & 2 Skrullian mooks .

Total: 10.
Some Opportunities there, too. Ouch.





This message was last edited by the player at 01:34, Tue 17 Nov 2020.

One of the missiles scores a direct hit on Machine Man. It slams into his chest, and he can feel the explosion rattle several of the connections inside his robotic body. He's not down, but he knows he can't take many more hits like that.

One of the explosions clips US Agent in the shoulder. The shockwave slams him to the side. In the middle of single-combat with his Communist counterpart (you can definitely use that!) he's really more frustrated than hurt. This wasn't really going the way it was supposed to go.

Squirrel Girl and her pack of squirrels takes a glancing blow. It leaves sooty deposits on her clothes and knocks a few hairs out of her tail, but she's definitely taken stronger shots before.

Moondragon simply wills herself to not take any damage from the missiles. Her disdain for this whole affair is simply too thick for the explosions and chaos going on all around her to penetrate.

Seeing an opportunity to try to turn the tide, USAgent tries to appeal to Soviet Skrull's sense of self-interest. The skrull pauses, looking between MSDOS and USAgent in a confused manner, trying to make up its mind who to attack. It is at this moment that Moondragon's mental command crashes into him. This seems to have the opposite effect than she intended, though and his resolve seems to strengthen as he turns back to USAgent with malice in his eyes. "I vill not be corrupted by capitaleesm!" he screams defiantly.

Soviet Skrull takes another swing at USAgent. His heart just doesn't seem to be fully in it though, and it's a sloppy, wild swing that he telegraphs badly to the experienced martial artist that is USAgent.

Alpha Flight Skrull, however, has been beaten and practically hog-tied. Plus he's Canadian, so just inherently nice. When Moondragon's mental command washes over him, he's much more willing to go along with it. Nice people don't shoot their friends with missiles, eh!




I'll buy SG's opp. That leaves her at 4pp and doom up to 3d6, 2d8
I buy USAgent's opp. Leaves him with 2pp after his action. Doom at 2d6, 3d8
I buy Moondragon's opps in one batch, she'll end with 1PP left and doom to 2d6, 3d8, 1d10

SSS resist USAgent 17/d8 emo stress
Buddy d8, Communist Cold Warrior d8, d8 from doom pool = 3d8 = 19:24, Today: Watcher rolled 14 using 3d8 with rolls of 6,4,4.  SSS resist usagent.
Total 10, use doom die to add the third die in, so total 14. Still fails, but no extraordinary success.
d8 emo stress on SSS and doom now at 2d6, 1d8, 1d10

SSS resist Moondragon 14/d8 emo stress Buddy d8, Com.Cold War. d8, d6 from doom
19:28, Today: Watcher rolled 15,5 using 2d8,d6 with rolls of 7,8,5.  SSS resist moondragon.
Total 15/d6 he resists
Doom down to 1d6, 1d8, 1d10

Alpha skrull resist Moondragon 14/d10 emo stress
Buddy d6, Canadian d4+1d8 to doom pool =
19:31, Today: Watcher rolled 3,2 using d6,d4 with rolls of 3,2.  alpha skrull resist moondragon
Total 5, Moon's attack stepped up 1 to d12.
Doom at 1d6, 2d8, d10

SSS's attack at US Agent
Buddy d6, Communist warrior d8, Superhuman strength d8, Combat d10
19:36, Today: Watcher rolled 2,6,3 using d10,2d8,d6 with rolls of 2,4,2,3.  SSS attack USAgent.
Total 7, effect d8 phy stress



Next: USAgent Reaction
Next: Anyone who wants to go; Iceman if nobody volunteers themselves.

Iceman looks at the tied-up Alpha Flight Skrull and nods to Machine Man. "Think you can handle this loser?" Without waiting for a reply, he walks away and faces the villain in charge.

"You're about to have a serious case of brain-freeze," he smirks at the hovering Skrull. Bobby points the ice-blade in his grasp toward M.S.DO.S., willing the temperature around the villain to drop. As far as the X-Man knew, the coldest recorded body temperature ever survived by a human was 56.7 degrees Fahrenheit (13.2 degrees C). But who knew what the reptilian Skrulls could handle, especially one as (possibly) enhanced as M.S.D.O.S.? Bobby figured it couldn't hurt to pour on a little extra cold-- after all, this guy started it.

Team d8
Terrifying Potential d8
Ice Mastery 2d10 (Doubled from SFX)
Sword and Shield d12

SFX: Omega-Level Mutant. Step up or double any Cryokinesis power for one action. If that action fails, add a die to doom pool equal to the normal rating of that power die.

22:09, Today: Iceman rolled 6,8,10,9,7 using 1d8,1d8,1d10,1d10,1d12 ((6,8,10,9,7)). Iceman trying to freeze M.S.D.O.S. solid. by lowering the temperature around him.

Spent 1 PP to add a 3rd die to the total.

Total: 27
Effect: d12
Opportunities: 0
PP: 0

Reaction Needed: M.S.D.O.S.

Next Action: Machine Man
This message was last edited by the player at 06:14, Sat 21 Nov 2020.

"One can hope," Machine Man, the sentient android replied to his teammate. He was about ready to fall down, and had no chance to produce any weapons or devices that might aid him in his battle. In fact, he was sparking from a number of exposed, damaged components that he'd need in working order if he was going to make weapons out of his android body. He was about done, and needed to rely on simple brute force and hope for the best. Superhuman strength had its advantages, but right now, he'd just about kill for a good old fashioned laser-cannon.

He made a fist — the only thing he could make — and attacked the Alpha Flight skrull.

Team d8
Sentient Android d8
Superhuman strength d10

Machine Man rolled 6,2,1 using d8,d8,d10 ((6,2,1)).

Total: 8
Effect (default): d4
1 Opportunity

"This adventure sucks!" he shouted as two of his fingers snapped off.

MSDOS was not really prepared for one of the heroes to confront him directly. He sneered at Iceman's attempt to freeze him. "You think you can freeze me? My rocket chair shoots a superheated jet of fire! It's more than enough to fend off your feeble ice!" His gloating seems to be justified. Despite Iceman dropping an incredibly powerful cold bomb on him, the science villain cranks up his jet thruster and seems to shrug it off.



MSDOS reaction vs. Iceman 27/d12

Team d8, Science villain d8, Flight d6, Science Master d10, Iceman stress d8, doom push d10
19:35, Today: Watcher rolled 16,15,2 using 2d10,3d8,d6 with rolls of 6,10,4,3,8,2.  msdos reaction to iceman.
Will spend two doom dice to add in two extra dice, so that gets him to 28 total.


Sorry Ice, gotta use everything I can to help the big bad win. You DID succeed in bringing the doom pool down to almost nothing though!

Alpha Flight Skrull is pretty beat up, but then again, so is Machine Man. The robot smashes a metal fist into the alien, only to have it stop short in the air about a foot before reaching the skrull's face. A blue ring of sparkles shoots out from the place in the air where MM's fist stopped, like a rock making ripples in a pool.


AF Skrull react to machine man 8/d4
Team d10, Alien Warrior d8, Force field d8, Combat d8

19:41, Today: Watcher rolled 7,19 using d10,3d8 with rolls of 7,6,8,5.  AF skrull reaction.
15 total, so he is unaffected.

Note, MM, you didn't throw in any of AF Skrull's various injuries to your pool. I will reciprocate and have him not use any of yours in his reaction. That way they kind of cancel out.

I'll buy your opportunity, so 1 more die to doom pool and you get +1PP

Let's do Moondragon next.

Moondragon noticed that the Alpha Flight  Skrull seemed considerably more receptive to her influence than earlier. She psychically “leaned” on him with the force of her mental powers. Yes, it is quite rude of the Director to fire upon you. In fact, his rudeness and unhealthy fetishizing of guns seems downright American, doesn’t it? Why don’t you show him how Justin Trudeau would REALLY like to handle the gun crisis of the States?

If she succeeded in controlling the Skrull this time, he would implement a more visceral strategy of “Gun Control”.

OOC:

Solo 1d10 + Disciplined Mind 1d4 (+1 PP) + Mind Control 1d10 + Enhanced Reflexes 1d8 + Psych Master 1d10.

03:40, Today: Moondragon rolled 1,4,6,4,10 using 1d10,1d4,1d10,1d8,1d10 with rolls of 1,4,6,4,10.  Mind Control AF Skrull.

Total: 16
Effect: 1d8
Opportunity: 1

Gain 1 PP.

 

The Alpha Flight Skrull stands there for a moment, looking between MSDOS and the humans. Moondragon's additional psychic nudge was enough to push it over the edge, and it decides to fire an energy blast at its former leader, who acted rudely by firing missiles at its own team. However, it's actions are somewhat hampered by the beating it has already taken and Machine Man's cables still wrapping it up.

Despite being tangled up, the energy blast catches MSDOS unawares and scores a solid hit on the crazy alien's center-of-mass, leaving a smoking, sparking crater in the rocket chair that supports its huge head. "What treachery is this!" it screams as it lurches to the side from the impact.


I will buy Moondragon's opportunity. That brings her to 3PP. Doom at 3d6

AF Skrull resist MoonD mind control
16/1d8
Team d10, Alien warrior d8, Moondragon stress d4
08:24, Today: Watcher rolled 8,2,1 using d10,d8,d4 with rolls of 8,2,1.  AF Skrull resist mind control.

Total 10/d4/1 opportunity
That's an extraordinary success for moondragon upping her effect die to d10
That is enough to push its ES over d12, so Moon gets control of it!

It fires at MSDOS, but it has d10 phys stress and complication that DOS will get to use in reaction

08:30, Today: Watcher rolled 7,18 using d10,3d8 with rolls of 7,6,5,7.  AF Skrull attack MSDOS.
14/d8 to MSDOS

adding a d6 from doom to MSDOS's pool.
08:32, Today: Watcher rolled 4 using 1d10 with rolls of 4.  add in af skrull complication.
08:32, Today: Watcher rolled 1,5,1,3 using d6,d8,d6,d6 with rolls of 1,5,1,3.  msdos react to AF skrull energy blast.
9 total, d8 effect. That's extraordinary success, so it will step up the effect die to d10


2 opportunities available on MSDOS.
Squirrel Girl up next.

Despite the mental whammy the Director hit her with, Squirrel Girl is still in the fight! With his minor minions scattered, she jumps out from behind the cover she'd taken from those missiles, and with sooty face and all, points to MSDOS.

"Time to eat nuts and kick butts! Gettim, gang!" The army of squirrels slink out from behind their hiding places, glare needles (they're too small for daggers) at the Director, and start charging him, with Squirrel Girl leading the scurry!

[This is absolutely a Physical Stress attack vs MSDOS. Let's see what we can do!

Team D10, The Slayer of All That Breathes D8, Squirrel Control D10, A Mass of Fur and Teeth 5D6, Combat Master D10, MSDOS's Physical Stress D10

Claws SFX: Reduce D10 to D8, add D6, step up Physical Stress inflicted.
Stunt: -1 PP to activate an Opportunity to add Squirrel Scurry! D10 Stunt

Pool: 3D10, 2D8, 6D6

12:59, Today: Squirrel Girl rolled 11,3,19 using 3D10,2D8,6D6 with rolls of 1,9,1,1,2,6,6,1,1,3,2.  Physical Attack vs MSDOS.
13:27, Today: Squirrel Girl rolled 3 using 1d10 with rolls of 3.  MSDOS's Physical Stress!

Total: 9+6+6+3+3+2=29 (-4PP)
Effect: D8->D10 Physical Stress (Claws)
Opportunities: 5
PP: 4-4=0

Well. Um. Your honor, I call Armadillo to the stand.

EDIT: Forgot MSDOS's stress! How could I?! Also, changed from calling USAgent to Armadillo.]
This message was last edited by the player at 21:29, Mon 30 Nov 2020.

Reaction to Soviet Skrull's Physical attack (msg #125), Total: 7, Effect: d8:
Team    d6
Temperamental    d4
(+1 PP)
Enhanced Durability    d8
Vibranium Shield/Superhuman Durability    d10
Combat Expert    d8
Soviet Skrull Emotional Stress    d8

U.S.Agent rolls 6,4,4,5,3,3 using d6,d4,d8,d10,d8,d8 ((6,4,4,5,3,3)).

Total: 11; Effect: d8

PPs: 2 (starting) +1 (negative Distinction) = 3

The U.S.Agent easily defends the attack by the Soviet Skrull with the practiced move of putting up his shield. The growing, tumultuous feeling in his stomach up through his chest, the Agent knows, comes from his rising rage at spending so much of his time and energy against this opponent or his dragging boredom at having to fight him. “Come on, you thing! Fight if you’re going to!” the Agent hollers, then takes it up a notch with a battle-cry in the foreign tongue: “Где здесь ванная комната!!!”

"You should have gone before the battle began, fleshbag," Machine Man muttered.

Seeing the avalanche of rodents heading its way, MSDOS takes evasive action with its rocket chair. Fortunately for it, Squirrel Girl is still seeing double or triple from the mental whammy she suffered earlier in the battle, so it is able to bob and weave around the vanguard. Unfortunately for it, there are a LOT of squirrels, and it can't keep up the tap dance for long.

"Ack! Undone by a swarm of rats with better marketing!" it yells melodramatically as it is bowled over backwards by the tide of squirrels. Its jet sputters and goes out as the squirrels gnaw sparking holes in the hoverchair.


MSDOS vs. SG Total: 29 Effect: D10 Physical Stress (Claws)
Opportunities: 5

SG mental stress d12, Buddy d6 (Him and Soviet Skrull), Twisted Science villain d8, Flight d6, Vehicles d8

11:57, Today: Watcher rolled 7,3,1,1,1 using d12,d8,d8,d6,d6 with rolls of 7,3,1,1,1.  MSDOS react to SG.

10 total. That steps up SG's attack beyond d12, so it will take MSDOS out.

I'll buy SG's opportunities. 2PP back to her, a d12 and a d6 for the doom pool.



Soviet Skrull is still up, but he's not going to last long. USAgent and Armadillo have an action they can take if they want, or I'm perfectly happy hand-waving it and saying he goes down.

The U.S.Agent stands his ground, not throwing another attack on an opponent who has clearly been wrecked. "Just fall, blast you," the U.S.Agent says clearly but forcefully.

The tiny camera-bots are apparently more comfortable to hover near him since there are suddenly a lot more.

Emotional attack on Soviet Skrull (intimidating him):
Team    d6
Hovering camera-bots    d4
(+1 PP)
Menace Expert    d8
Soviet Skrull Emotional Stress    d8

U.S.Agent rolls 2,2,6,4 using d6,d4,d8,d8 ((2,2,6,4)).

Total: 10; Effect: d6

PPs: 3 (starting; from msg #133) +1 (negative Distinction) = 4

As US Agent orders him to fall, Soviet Skrull takes a look around him at the destruction of the town. He transforms his various body parts back into regular skrull anatomy and his body language deflates. "You have deefeated us. What will you do now?" he asks with a Russian accent.


Going to call this combat over. We're back to RP talky time.

Unfortunately, it looks like we lost Armadillo again.

“We shall leave with the dog. You and your...co-stars...will, ah, strike the set and return the director to the Skrull throne world.”
This message was last edited by the player at 02:00, Wed 09 Dec 2020.

"Wait..." Machine Man was aghast. "This was all about a dog?!

"What is wrong with you fleshy idiots? No wonder we had to John Wick your asses!"

“It’s a paying job.

Something I’ve heard that you never eschewed.”

Tired and still feeling woozy and a little disconnected herself, Squirrel Girl stands beside the Director, one leg triumphantly resting on the fallen rocket chair. She shoots the rest of the team a thumbs up and a wink, then kneels down to address her small army.

"That was great, you guys! You really know how to do your home proud. Bob, Doug, thanks for letting us in on what was going on. You really saved the day! We've got to get going now, but you can have the rest of my pie in the bar. Thanks, everyone! Come on, Tippy-Toe. We've got a puppy to check in on." Doreen stood up and made her way back towards the rest of the group, making sure to pick up the coffee she'd set down over by the light post before making her way toward Lockjaw.

"Aw. Coffee's gone all frozen..."

"You say that like it's a bad thing." Machine Man had eschewed paying work plenty of times. He took jobs when he was low on beer money. "Actually, you kinda said that like you don't know what 'eschew' means, but I'm prepared to give you the benefit of the doubt."

“Just have another drink,”” Moondragon said with an eye roll. “Doreen, can you fetch the puppy? I never thought I would say this, but I’m ready to go back to Los Angeles.””

"Again, she says this like it's a bad thing," Machine man said, elbowing Iceman. "But I, for one, could really use a beer right now. How about you?"

In reply to Machine Man (msg # 144):


"I'm with the talking crash dummy," Bobby says, tossing his ice-weapons away and clapping a hand on the battle-damaged android's back. "Drinks for everyone, on me."

The U.S.Agent looks around at his teammates. "This is taking too long," he says. as stoic as he could be but battle-ready. "It's an American right to not have to be patient. And staying in Canadia this long only helps Canadia, not the U.S. of A."
This message was last edited by the player at 10:10, Thu 04 Feb 2021.