Escorpion and Agent Force clear the warehouse and search the makeshift work areas that have been set up in it.

George realizes that he is correct about the exposure the thugs have suffered and it leads him to understand that they have been exposed over a longer period of time than is apparent. Some sort of long term work involving radioactive materials has been done here in extremely unsafe conditions.

John, for his part, finds the remains of enough components to convince both men that Proton has built a portable nuclear device which is no longer present on the premises.

Someone out there has a Suitcase Nuke!

Albedo shrugged and noted playfully, "Figured that expedited delivery was on this package was in order, Officer."

Her feet were still several inches off the ground, though her eyeline was still lower than Behemoth's.  Her gaze from Proton didn't waver until Alexei's harnessed and depleted form was out of sight and custody had been fully transferred.

As she started to drift upwards, the glowing heroine held out her right hand for Behemoth to grab.  "If you'll excuse us, we are expected back at ARC:US HQ," Albedo noted off-hand, "Unless there is additional paperwork that needs to be filled out here."  Inez was already dreading the amount of forms that would likely be needed to get cleared after the spike in radiation exposure the team had been subjected to.

Once Agent Force mentions his suspicions to the mutant, Escorpion almost makes a surprised and worrisome expression with his face.  But, not really.
Then we need to let everyone else know right away, he suggests.

In reply to Albedo (msg # 106):

Casper returned his hands to a manageable size and took Albedo’s offered one.

“Thanks for the lift.”

"De nada" Albedo responded with a smile as she started to accelerate upwards.

"You doing all right, Behemoth?" the glowing heroine asked of her shapeshifting passenger, "You took a fair few hits at the warehouse.  And Proton packs quite a punch..."  Even though Inez knew that Caspar was quite durable, she'd felt the searing heat of radiation as the bolt had passed mere inches from face.  Her physical invulnerability didn't seem like it was going to be full protection from such power, which was actually a touch troubling to her - though, Albedo tried not to let that worry show.

She accelerated to her cruising speed which was well over two-hundred miles an hour.  Even if they were only going to at that speed for a couple of minutes tops, Albedo let the local airport and air-traffic controllers know as it wouldn't due to endanger any public commercial flights or civilian lives.

---

[OOC:  Radiation exposure roll coming up!
  17:46, Today: Albedo rolled 42 using 1d100.  Radiation Exposure? – 42]
This message was last edited by the player at 01:48, Mon 18 Dec 2023.

OOC: Everyone needs to roll % dice to determine exposure and then I can adjust things based on everyone's powers and such.

In reply to Albedo (msg # 109):

Behemoth appreciated the concern.

“I’m alright. When it comes to supervillains, I’m rubber and they’re glue. Whatever they throw bounces off me and I stick it up their ass. I’m glad you laid that haymaker on him though. I wouldn’t have wanted to eat many more of those hits.”

EDIT: 13:00, Today: Behemoth rolled 9 using 1d100.  Exposure.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:01, Sun 17 Dec 2023.

In reply to Escorpion (msg # 107):

Agent Force's face scrunches as if grimacing with features that were absent as he says "and it looks like we get to call a cab, again. No, I won't race you this time. I can run full speed for over five hours, but that doesn't matter unless we're racing for something eighty miles away."
"Maybe we should call HQ for a ride, most cabbies would look at us and turn off their light. I don't know about you, but I was blacklisted after my first uber turned around to take my money."

EDIT: Agent Force rolled 18 using 1d100.  exposure. – 18
This message was last edited by the player at 10:59, Thu 21 Dec 2023.

The mutant chuckles.  80 miles in five hours.  You have me beat, but not by much, Escorpion chuckles.  It seems we both could compete in the Olympics.  As for a ride, nobody offers me one, or accepts an offer of money for one.  Especially at night.


01:47, Mon 18 Dec: Escorpion rolled 66 using 1d100.  Radiation Exposure.

This message was last edited by the player at 08:24, Thu 21 Dec 2023.

Agent Force nods. "Sometimes, I wish I could take the bus. I'd sit in the back, slouch, and see how many circuits I could ride before they kicked me off. I might remember doing that once, I think."
"Or it's a memory of someone else riding the circuit, and I kick them off. Most of my memories are muddled."
"I'll call HQ for transport."
Putting action to his words, AF calls for exit transport.

"Helo 2 here Agent Force. We are still on station. Can pick you up in 5."

Which thing they do

Approximately half way back to HQ a voice interrupts the thoughts of Agent Force and Escorpion causing them to realize that they are not alone in the helicopter.

A small woman, no more than 5 feet tall even if she were standing, sits opposite the two of them.

Where in all the hells she came from neither of them can say.

"So, did you locate the device?"

Agent Force looks at Canary, and shakes his head. "No. We don't even know what the device is. It could be anything from a dirty bomb to  a miniature reactor, including a suitcase nuke. I doubt any of the irradiated muscle was involved in the fabrication, so we probably won't get much from them."
"If they shielded it properly, we probably won't be able to detect it without getting close. We should probably pass the word on, this kind of thing screams terrorism and that seems like it should involve more than us."

We should all see about being issued geiger counters, or dosimeters, Escorpion suggests.  We will have a better chance of finding it that way.  Maybe satellite imagery can help.

Listening to the chatter on the team channel, Albedo adjusted her course and pushed her speed to her maximum.  Gripping Behemoth's hand tightly, she motioned for him to hang on as she accelerated.  The glowing nimbus around her intensified with her speed.

Within a minute the helo carrying the rest of the team was in sight and Inez hailed the pilot to ensure that their approach was expected.  Matching speeds with the helicopter, Albedo first passed Behemoth in to the chopper, before entering herself.  The fact that she deigned to actually sit, likely underscored the urgency of the matter and was not a convenience due to the cramped quarters.  Once the team (along with Canary) was assembled, she tapped her ear, "Okay, sitrep,  What is this about dosimeters and a rogue device?"  Given the radioactive nature of Proton and the call for radiation detection equipment, Inez had to assume that 'the device' was also dangerous.

And needed to be found as soon as possible.

"Proton wasn't just hiding out. He was doing work for hire building a miniaturized nuclear device."

"Somehow between the time I cleared the area and your team hit the hideout that device was removed from the building."

"It wasn't finished but it was far enough along a 13 year old AV nerd could finish with the right tools."

Depending upon Albedo's location, Escorpion blends into any shadow that falls upon him, and picks up a creepy and frightening aspect, and his raspy voice seems to drip with menace.But, in the light, while his black and red, carapace-like skin makes him appear creepy and freakish, he loses that inherent menace.  He can sometimes seem downright friendly, though most people still keep him at a distance.  And he understands that.  Most people have an irrational fear of spiders and scorpions.  And he is the humanoid embodiment of that irrational fear.
"I'm not afraid of the man who wants ten nuclear weapons, Colonel. I'm terrified of the man who only wants one."
This message was last edited by the player at 01:08, Thu 11 Jan.

 Nodding, Agent Force says, "the real worry isn't a bomb. Bombs have two uses, they're either a credible threat to coerce a desired response or the genesis of mass destruction used to generate fear. If this one is the former we'll have a warning and might be able to locate and neutralize the device. If this one is the latter we'll need to know who's behind the use of the device to have a chance to locate and neutralize it."
"Someone, somewhere, knows what's really going on. If you could find them and ask we might be able to solve this problem. I'm not good at talking to people, and I wouldn't know who to start talking to. If there's anything else I might be able to do to contribute, let me know."

"Well, we know where Proton is, though he may not have dealt with the actual buyer." Albedo mused aloud, then shrugged, "Other than him or the goons we don't have much to go on, if the forensics boys on scene right now don't turn up much elsel."

Inez pursed her burgundy lips and her aura seemed to flare a bit in frustration.  "With munitions that dangerous, do you think that there'll be any buzz on the street, Scorp?" she ventured to her squad mate, "About all I am good for is overflight, if Doc has a detector that will work at altitude."

"I mean I guess we'll have to start asking around," the glowing heroine noted with some skepticism even if she did know some people and places to ask around in.  Ultimately she, like Escorpion and the rest of the team, was more than a bit ... obvious.  And with their (now) semi-official and advertised association, it meant that whet they did would be under scrutiny.

The Crew Chief came back into the passenger compartment.

"So where are we taking you ma'am?"

"Whatever their personal bomb philosophy is ain't as important right now as their personal bomb location. Clearly we're more the team for knocking heads than knocking on doors, but that don't mean the four of us are by our lonesome. Dr. Silverback or Dr. Roller either one could probly rig up a device to track this things snail trail. And Grey Guardian and Blackhawk can both be reached if we need a gumshoe. Our next step ain't on the chopper. it's on our phone."

I could make an attempt, but, since I am new here, I will have to scare up some new contacts.  This is not Valle Lindo, Escorpion advises.  I will have to go on a CI hunt tonight.  Luckily, I don't get tired easily.
He shrugs.  If necessary, I can assist with their interrogations of the gang members.  I'm not skilled at it myself, but my presence, especially in a dark room, can help immensely.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:31, Sat 13 Jan.

Albedo pursed her lips.  It would do no good to head out to try and knock some heads from here., They needed to find out if there were detectors or more intel.  And that should be pretty quick; there would be little time lost there.  If heads were still going to roll, a few minutes weren't going to make a difference.

She nodded curtly to the Crew Chief, "Back to HQ first.  We'll need to regroup, re-equip, and reassess."

The chopper came in for an expert landing with barely a bump as it touched down.

"The Team is cleared to exit the vehicle. Thanks for flying with us."

The Crew chief spoke the words into the mic and popped the side door of the copter almost simultaneously.

Canary was nowhere to be seen.

That is the end of this issue. Team assignments for the next issue may be different.