Halcyon City never truly sleeps. From the bright lights of Marblewood Heights to the bustling stores of the Glamour Hills Mall, there's always something going on. Typically Port Halcyon is quieter at night. Moving away from the cruise ship piers and commercial wharfs, the area is dominated by enormous container-yards used for storing goods not ready to be shipped into or out of the city.

The Admiral Container Yard, also known as the ACY is the largest of these yards, often used for long-term storage. As such it has enormous stacks of dull-coloured containers, covering the maze-like network of access roads and alleys in deep shadows despite the powerful spotlights intended to discourage those that shouldn't be there. Underneath the towering Arnault Bridge these shadows are even deeper, without even the moonlight to cut into the gloom.

The contrast between the shadowy ACY and the brightly lit Halcyon Marina is marked and would allow those within the ACY to watch the marina with no chance of being seen. Taking advantage of this is a small group of darkly dressed individuals, lead by an imposing figure that those in the know would recognise as Megalodon.

Despite being only in his late teens, Megalodon claims to have been blessed by the power of Ibu Laut, moulding his body into an impressive mountain of muscle, with the ability to run and swim with astounding speed. Being charged by Megalodon is like being hit by a truck with teeth. Right now though, the usually restless villain is staring through a pair of binoculars, watching something across the bay.

Unfortunately for the cultists, a nervous security guard has managed to raise the alarm, setting off a loud claxon that echoes across the ACY. While it clearly sets the cultists on edge, Megalodon keeps them on a short leash, barking at them that they will stay until the job is complete.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:36, Tue 24 Aug 2021.

TEXT from Contact to Team:

'MEG and tiny bubbles in the ACY.  Party?'

The spirit had been correct, this time.  The hour spent under the Arnault deep in the shadows of the ACY hadn't been fruitless.  Normally the time in the shadow of the bridge would have been cold, but Contact didn't mind.  The others should be arriving soon, or may already be there.  He checked the time on the text message he sent and slipped it back into his pocket.

Even in the deep shadow he could see his own breath crystalizing in the air to catch the last photons of spotlight reflection, the spirits whispering something about the conflict to come.

TEXT reply from Daisy S. to Team:

'Evening, Akta & all :)  Almost done w/ hw, then brt!!!'

About ten minutes later a glow flickered in the under-structure of the Arnault bridge on the side that connected to the Starlings over the Marina.  The glow resolved into a trail of lightning that danced between girders as it crossed the full length of the bridge in a matter of seconds, then arced down the suspension tower toward its footing at the edge of the Admiral Container Yard.  A streetlight mounted to the tower footing burst in a shower of sparks as a lightning bolt flashed to the pavement with a miniature thunderclap!  Where the bolt struck now stood a shimmering feminine silhouette traced in crackling electricity.  This extraordinary figure scanned the area with sparky eyes, then spotted something that made an electric smile cross her face.

The excess charge burned away as she approached Contact, until all that remained was a young asian woman in a Hildebrandt High School sweater and a sensible pleated skirt.  Daisy Seong, otherwise known as Dynamo Girl greeted her friend with a wave and a bright smile, “Hi, Aaaak—I mean, Contact!”  She flinched as a sudden burst of sparks fell from the fried streetlight behind her, then she turned back and said sheepishly, “Umm, that entrance could probably have been subtler.  I wanted to get here quick, though!  Where’s the team?”  Daisy turned back to Contact with hands clasped demurely behind her back and asked in a conspiratorial whisper, “Megalodon, huh?  Any idea what he’s up to?”

Jack hadn't bothered returning the texts; he just showed up.

On a bike.

He wasn't even out of breath, though, and once he skidded to a stop he casually hefted the bike and set it out of the way on top of a crate. "Hey." If he looked a little longer at Daisy than at Contact, well, he looked at her a little longer. Just enough to notice and not quite enough to get awkward. "I've punched this guy out three or four times. Never figures anything out." He pulled out a pair of fingerless gloves and squeezes his massive mitts into them, then unrolled a cowl from another pocket. It didn't really go with his flannel or his torn-up jeans, but it at least covered his distinctive red hair.

"Whatever they're up to, it gets stopped." Hellfish didn't notice how tight his fists were; all his attention was now across the way, squinting at the distant figures. "Stopped hard." Personal. This was definitely personal.

TEXT reply from Bryce to Team:
You're still doing homework? From what class? I can show you how to do it...

Bryce appeared not long after. Popping out of the back seat of a car, backpack in hand. The car barely had time to pull away before she opened her back. The silver shine of drones caught under the streetlights as they were released. Hovering up into the air with warbling hums. They lifted into the sky while Bryce adjusted her glasses. Feed establishing itself as the drones started tracking the terrain.

"Hey!" Bryce smiled brightly as she raced up to the group. Holding her stylish, leather bag up, "Communicators? Everyone take one. And we can use them to like... Communicate." Bryce plucked a silvery earpiece from the pink bag. She set it into her ear, hand moving into model display as she pushed her hair back.

"I'm so excited! I can't believe you guys like... Ee!"

TEXT reply from Daisy S. to Team:

'ALGEBRA 2 <3 x weeping emojis>  Thx, ik how to do it, but it's just 60 dang questions!  U finish it while napping, B? <winky emoji>'

---

When Daisy spotted a rangy figure peddling up on a bike her eyes lit up, both figuratively and literally.  Small arcs of electricity danced from the corners of her eyes, until she redirected them to spark between fingertips as she fidgeted behind her back.  She smiled shyly at the tall ginger and returned his greeting while watching him lift his bike away like a toy, "Hey!"

Bryce arrived shortly thereafter, and Daisy waved at the other girl and watched the small fleet of trademark silver drones take flight.  When handed a shiny earpiece she looked down at it, then back to Bryce to ask, "Dumb question, but these are insulated, right?  I have a drawer full of roasted earbuds in my room!"  She was sure her ingenious friend knew better than to offer Dynamo Girl unfortified electronics, but never hurt to ask.  Indeed, it was Bryce who had designed the super-insulated purse in which Daisy now kept her phone and any other metal thing she didn't want reduced to molten slag the second she goes zappy.

Daisy noticed Hellfish's tension while talking about the accursed bubbleheads and knowing at least some of his story, she couldn't say she blamed him.  She stepped closer to him as he pulled on those cool gloves and asked quietly, "You okay, Jack?"  Daisy considered taking his hand, but thought better of it and just fidgeted nervously instead.  She went on, "Just remember I have your back, okay?  We all do.  These stupid bubbleheads are about to be absolute toast!  They don't even know."  Daisy tried to smile encouragingly, but just winced at her own awkwardness instead.  Gosh, that sounded so lame!

---

Tried rolling to comfort or support Hellfish, but it didn't go so well!:

• 20:16, Today: Dynamo Girl rolled 3 using 2d6 with rolls of 1,2.  Comfort/Support (-1 Mundane +1 influence).

+Focus, people.  We've got a gaggle of cultists sitting on their hands, so we need to be looking for whatever it is they're waiting on.+  As soon as communicator pods went into ears, the team would hear the familiar sound of Horizon's voice chime over.  Apparently she already had one; reasonable enough given how much time she and Bryce seemed to spend together to begin with.

As was so often the case, their more-experienced cohort was already on the job when texts went out.  She had her regular patrols around the city to keep an eye out for trouble, though just her presence alone vaulting through the skies was often enough to serve as a preventative measure.  High, high above the dockyard, perched atop one of the major hauling cranes; Horizon crouched with her knees drawn up to her chest, practically invisible against the grey-and-black towing cable spool that matched her armor so well.  She scowled behind the sculpted mouth plate of her helmet while the onboard visual systems zoomed in to get a closer look at Megalodon down below, then followed his line of sight across the waters to try and figure out what he was looking for.

All in all, the situation smelled... well, fishy.  Smuggling wasn't out of the question, but it had to be something especially valuable to the cult if they'd risk delivery despite their cover being totally blown.

---

Assessing the Situation
Horizon rolled 9 using 2d6
"What here is the greatest danger?" - in the sense that Horizon is trying to figure out the real threat at hand.

Horizon looked over the situation, quickly realizing that this location under the Arnault Bridge would be easy to overlook from the bridge and sure enough right... there. A glint of light on a lense, standing out against the dark girders that form the underside of the bridge. It would be very easy to miss, particularly if you were focusing elsewhere.

Megalodon stares out over the water, clearly watching one of the boats on the other side.

+Looks like we've got someone else to worry about up in the bridge supports.  I'm going to have a look; everyone else stay put and don't reveal yourselves unless you have to.  Keep eyes on Megalodon and watch each others' back.+

Since the day their group formed up officially Horizon always had been quick to hand out orders like that.  She never really had the sort of attitude that expected obedience, but more that she was just accustomed to taking charge in a given situation since heroics required prompt, decisive action.  The sleekly-armored heroine didn't even wait for a word of confirmation in reply before she simply vaulted from her perch hundreds of feet in the air with an easy, graceful bound.  Just before she reached the apex of her jump her body flickered with a shimmering afterimage of scattering purple energy that trailed behind her briefly; all at once her momentum changed direction and she shot away in a broad, sweeping curve around the backside of the bridge and under it.  A deft land - paradoxically on the underside, stood upside-down amid the girders and support beams in her usual defiance of conventional gravity - and Horizon quickly set to creeping her way along through the shadows above to try and get the drop on whoever the distant watcher was.

+I've got the area scanned,+ Bryce announced over the commlink channel. An image popped up in her glasses, displaying the scan her drones had made as they circled high above the port. The glow faint, tiny points lit up that no doubt represented something. Something meaningful to Brycce, at least. But exactly what that could be is hard to say. What Bryce found meaningful is a mystery.

+We could take the initiative. Encircle the cultists. Hellfish ties up Megalodon while the rest of us deal with the cultists. I'm scanning for additional threats now.+

OOC: Activating Above the Fray to add 1 to the Team Pool. Also rolling for Assess the Situation.

20:50, Today: Bryce Darcy rolled 15 using 2d6+3 ((6,6)).

It's true, I'm a genius.

• how could we best end this quickly?
• what here can I use to make sure no one escapes?

Bryce quickly realised that Megalodon was holding the whole operation together. The other cultists would definitely either scatter or surrender if their leader was taken out. In fact, some of them looked so skittish that even a minor show of weakness would probably see them off. Unfortunately the cult of Ibu Laut have one very simple escape route: Halcyon Bay. Even the lowliest of Mater Oceanum's minions was at home in the water, and the group would be very difficult to catch if they made it below the waves. Keeping them on land was clearly vital to ensuring they stuck together and no-one escaped.

Hellfish smiled at Dynamo Girl, but too much of his attention was on the enemies across the way for her words to really sink in. "Punch out shark face? Yeah. Yeah, I'm down for that." He cracked his knuckles, then belatedly made sure the communicator thing was on. He hoped it'd stay put when push came to shove, 'cause it looked like an awful lot of real hard shoving was about to happen.

+You guys good to clear the bridge? Deegee, you want to watch my back?

Daisy smiled meekly back at Hellfish and gave a nod, noticing that his attention was mainly fixated on the villains.  That focus on the task at hand was good, she told herself to justify her failed encouragement.  Returning to the matter at hand, she answered into the earpiece, +Always have your back, Fish.  Time to Go Zappy!+

The young girl bowed her head, and a static charge began to build in the air as she gathered her focus.  She extended hands outward with arcs of electricity crackling from her fingertips and climbing up her legs from the ground.  The lightning built and brightened as it coursed through her body and consumed her in a bright flash of energy!  The smell of ozone suffused the air as the flash faded, leaving behind a silhouetted figure of pure, barely contained lightning.  Going zappy always brought on a state of heightened awareness and emotion, and in this case her earlier self-doubt was amplified.  Even still, it was time to be a hero!

Dynamo Girl announced in a voice that buzzed with energy, +Don’t worry.  I’ll keep them out of the water.  Let’s do this!+  She didn’t sound quite as confident as she tried to.

---

Zappyness charge up!

• 16:19, Today: Dynamo Girl rolled 8 using 2d6.  Zappyness POWER UP!

Gain Zappyness (Burn) of 3 and mark one condition: Insecure (-2 to defend someone or reject others’ influence)
This message was last edited by the player at 23:59, Sat 28 Aug 2021.

+ Let's do this. +

Contact spoke for the ear piece to pick up, letting the harpoon head Aiviq slip into his hand.  He slipped out of the shadows and around the containers of the shipyard towards the cultists and Meg.  Pausing only long enough to let Hellfish take the lead against the big guy.  He was more comfortable containing the others anyway.  Even with Horizon doing her gravity thing, stalking along the underside of the Arnault, he was confident that the rest of them could easily handle the goons on the land.

Seeing the sparks jump along Dynamo Girl, he added + I'll help you keep them out of the water so long as you don't accidently shock me. +

Megalodon turns with a snarl, dropping his binoculars to the concrete with a clatter.
"Anyone that does anything other than destroying these punks is going to meet Mater Oceanum a lot earlier than they wanted to."

The cultists pull bulky blasters from under their robes, preparing to open fire on the advancing heroes.

"We've got to deal with this problem before our target leaves, so make it quick."

With that Megalodon starts his charge, slow at first, with heavy plodding steps, but quickly reaching impressive speeds. Dynamo Girl was the most obvious target, and Megalodon has never been one for subtlety, so he bears down on her.

---

Horizon, could you Unleash Your Powers to try to get the drop on this mystery observer?
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:04, Tue 31 Aug 2021.

Dynamo Girl floated a few inches above the asphalt on a curtain of sparks as she watched the Megalodon and cronies across the container yard.  She answered Contact back over the earpiece, +I'll, umm... do my best!+  Not very reassuring, in hindsight, but at least it was honest!

The hulking villain broke into a charge, and D.G. wondered aloud in a crackling voice, "Is he coming for me...?  Oh gosh, he's coming for me!  YESSS."  Dynamo Girl drifted forth with hands upraised, glowing brighter as arcs of electricity trailed behind her.  Megalodon thundered forward, and when he'd crossed half the distance she thrust both hands his way and projected a chaotic storm of lightning bolts that was almost too bright to look at.  The high-voltage wave roared and scorched its way across the container yard to engulf Megalodon, who spasmed and faltered but still kept coming!  His minions only received the trail ends of the storm and took no serious damage, except perhaps to morale.

Megalodon arrived a moment later, but just before his clumsy attack landed Dynamo Girl vanished in a flash of sparks to reappear behind him!  A loud groan of tortured metal came from a nearby stack of cargo containers, which now sported a red-hot spiderweb pattern where the lightning had blasted across it.  One of the bottom containers was slowly buckling, and the three stacked on top of it now leaned perilously, on the verge of collapse!

---

Reality Storm!  Spend 1 Zappyness to directly engage Megalodon with +Freak instead of +Danger and succeed with a 10!  The effects are:

• resist or avoid blows
• create an opportunity for allies (Megalodon dazed)
• Do not spend an additional Zappyness, which means unwanted collateral damage!  (the nearly-toppling cargo containers described at the end)

Zappyness:  2
Conditions:  Insecure (-2 to defend someone or reject others’ influence)

10:08, Today: Dynamo Girl rolled 10 using 2d6+3.  Reality Storm (directly engage).
This message was last edited by the player at 18:40, Tue 31 Aug 2021.

Didn't think moving around with her powers qualified as significant enough for a roll, but sure:

Unleash Your Powers
Horizon rolled 5 using 2d6-1

That's a miss, so let's see what happens!

As Horizon moves up through the bridge a shadowy figure vaults away, a dark coat flapping as they move through the shadows.

Aaaaa~nd cover blown.  Horizon gave a sharp 'tch!' through her teeth as the unknown figure shifted away to flee and gave chase, quick to dash across the underbelly of the bridge and right up the side in a fluid transition of shifting gravity.  She could keep pace with a speeding train most days, so overtaking a fleeing mysterious figure wouldn't be too tough... assuming they weren't empowered themselves, of course.

Horizon halted just a moment to glance back down to the shipyard below where flares of lightning sparked up, illuminating the whole area in bright flashes.  Figures... tell them to stay put and they rush right in.  She rolled her eyes but turned and resumed her pursuit; they could handle themselves around the likes of Megalodon without her being right over their shoulder.

Horizon is attempting to pursue the mystery figure, so I'm going to guess that's a Directly Engage roll:

Horizon rolled 4 using 2d6
And another miss!  Glad everyone else isn't here to see this.  ^^;

Jack's running and leaping along, more groundbound than some of his teammates but still able to eat up the distance far faster than any mundane sprinter. He utterly ignores the nascent hazards to make good on his earlier promise (and, perhaps, to take attention away from his zappy friend). The rangy teen doesn't look any more muscly than he did a few moments earlier, but now that the fighting's started, he radiates a barely-suppressed violence that he's all too happy to unleash on his counterpart.

Hellfish closes on Megalodon with a series of sweeping hooks and snap kicks, thrown elbows and knees. It looks like Muay Thai somehow had a baby with an octopus, but it's effective.

Directly Engage using the opening DG created.
20:39, Today: Hellfish rolled 7 using 2d6+2 ((3,2)).
Jack's being a little more careful than it looks like, and will resist/avoid Megalodon's counterattack.

Contact danced to the side as Hellfish barreled past him.  The cultists were looking a little testy to him with their blasters.  "You don't need those today."  Breathing out harshly through the mask, the cold whisper of the polar frost took form as many icy outlines of warriors knocking down the blasters with cold harpoons.  A large number of frost constructs would shatter quickly but he didn't think he would need them long.

Behind the mask Atka was nervous that he was outnumbered and was glad for the false bravado that the mask gave him.  He hoped that he wouldn't have to deal with Meg, and he even hoped that the he didn't have to go hand to hand with one of the cultists.  The icy forms were disappearing quickly and he took a couple of steps forward hoping to look threatening with Aiviq in hand.

+ Bryce?  A bunch of those little flying things would be good right about now. +

He inwardly cursed the shakiness in his voice as he looked at the cultists.


Unleash Your Powers
22:32, Today: Contact rolled 9 using 2d6+1 ((4,4)).
Condition: Afraid (-2 to directly engage a threat)

+On it+ Bryce answered, watching the scene play out on her display. Everything a little series of dots and labels. Keeping her safely out of the action.

But her drones were in on the action. Bryce's fingers moved through the air. Conducting an orchestra of drones that hover and swirl through the air. The silver steel devices dropping into view around Contact. A pair of them, shooting out steel cables with a blast of noise and a whip through the air. They tugged on one of the shipping crates. The container lifted into the air. Dropped down between a group of cultists and their leader.

OOC: Unleashing using Always Prepared, and taking a +1 from my Assess.

21:23, Today: Bryce Darcy rolled 11 using 2d6+4.  Unleash.