[Heromux] Habitat For the Future

Habitat for the Future
Summary: The future must be constantly shepherded.
Location: Habitat for the Future Project, Suicide Slum
Date: Jan 19, 2015
Emitter:
Players: Clark Kent, Croyd Crenson, Charlotte Gage-Radcliffe
NPCs: Suicide Slum Residents
Groups:
Tone: Classic
Rating: Public

Things never seem to get better in Suicide Slum. But this doesn't stop Superman from continuing to try. However, there are times when the job seems especially hopeless.
In the middle of Suicide Slum, a gleaming structure towers over all of the other buildings. The polished stone and the visible steel girders are arranged in an almost futuristic configuration, as if the building was not truly of this world. It's unlikely that any of the residents of Suicide Slum can recognize Kryptonian engineering, but practically all of them recognize who it was made by.
But unfortunately, there are several gaping holes in the sides of the tower, evidence not only of violence, but of high-grade weaponry. Through the holes in the building, gang members in mismatched paramilitary gear can be seen patrolling their new headquarters. Fortunately, only those with X-Ray vision can see the full extent of the violence that has transpired within the structure.
"Shame. Shame. Shame. Such a shame. Shame." A man sits across from the building, clutching the sides of his head and rocking back and forth. He repeats his mantra over and over, although he alone may know the full extent of what he means.
"Poor fella. He took it real hard when they kicked us out. I heard they even killed his cat." Two other homeless men watch from across the street, staring up at the futuristic housing project that was given to them by Superman, only to be quickly snatched away by opportunistic thugs. "Oh well. Too good to be true, right?"
Neither the homeless men on the ground, nor the thugs in the stolen building can see the little black speck floating high above the city. But it would probably give them all a chill if they knew that he could see them.
Croyd does a pretty good job of helping the down and out, and this place looks good to a lot of them. Free housing? Sign em up, but they called in some favors and wanted good ole Croyd to check the place out...you know...just in case. So he teleports in, right news to two of the heavily armed thugs. "Well...guess that answers that question...don't suppose you fellows have any rent controlled...yeah...I thought not.
Free housing is free housing. And as a teen with no family and nowhere to go (not to mention the ability to get anywhere she wants), Charlie has been making good use of the building. Of course, she also doesn't use the doors like most people and she tries to keep to herself, so someone "taking over" doesn't really affect her that much when they claim the lower floors of the building. But she's home at the moment, oblivious to any of the happenings by the entrance of the structure.
A quick sweep of the building identifies the number of potential hostiles and the armament that they're packing. It only takes Superman a couple of seconds to scan every floor with his X-Ray vision, but that's all the time needed to put a frown on his face.
From his position high above the Metropolis skyline, he watches for the best opportunity, waiting only until he's convinced that he can storm the place without causing any civilian casualties. And then, like a diving bird (or a diving plane, whichever you like best), he streaks toward the tower so quickly that the human eye can barely register him as anything other than a blur.
His first move is to crash dramatically on the pavement in front of the structure. He lands in a three-point stance, making an impressive crater around himself. It might seem like unnecessary damage to the pavement, but at least it gets the attention of all of the gun-toting thugs in the building.
"Attention, residents of the Habitat for the Future Project. I am here to disarm and arrest all those who have committed crimes within the premises. I suggest that everyone who is armed throw down any weapons they might be holding."
From inside the building a collective cry can be heard from several of the thugs: "Oh shit! It's Sooperman!"
Croyd snickers. Oh this is awesome. That this building is patrolled by the caped crusader changes a lot of things. Homeless people might even be welcome here. He wishes he had the power to summon popcorn (well...again) but pulls up a chair...this is really brazen since two of the thugs who are swearing are literally feet away from him.
Huh. That's not one of the usual sounds that Charlie usually hears outside the building. Usually she'll investigate when she hears gunshots or even sounds of fighting outside. But the sound of exploding concrete? It's enough to get her outside and across he street right away, already in costume. Seeing the source of the sound though, her jaw drops. Superman? Seriously? She's not sure what to do, but she is seriously geeking out right now.
If Superman wasn't so peeved that his creation has been co-opted by a group of gun-toting thugs, he might take a second to relish the fact that he still knows how to make an impression. Literally, in this case.
None of the thugs seem interested in trying to fight back. They know the deal in Metropolis. There is a quick series of clatters as guns are thrown out of the holes in the building as fast as the thugs can possibly get rid of them.
One of the men even yells down to the Man of Steel. "Sorry, Sooperman. We thought you was gone fer good this time." It's not much of an excuse for forcibly evicting homeless people, but at least it's a sign that there won't be any violence.
Looking up at the building, Superman begins doing yet another X-Ray sweep of the building to ensure there are no guns left over inside.
Croyd briefly considers putting a gun on one of the thugs just to see what could happen but decides against it and just smiles. This is fun. He looks about the room, completely ignoring the thugs now whimpering and barely relieving themselves. "This is a pretty nice setup..."
With the guns discarded, Charlie is somehow even more impressed. He didn't have to do anything. He just showed up and... it's done. Assuming that it's now safe to approach without fear of getting in the way of anything, in a puff of pink smoke, she appears a few steps behind and to the right of Superman. "That was... so cool." She doesn't even bother with her "superhero" voice for the moment. She's a little past geeking out here and while she normally has a very healthy opinion of her abilities, this was just on completely another level.
Superman allows himself just the briefest of smiles, before shouting back up at the tower. "Now come down here, all of you. You've just been drafted... as maintenance men for the Habitat for the Future."
This proclamation is met with a considerable amount of complaining. But sure enough, the formerly-armed thugs all start heading toward the exits and making their way down to Superman's level.
Down on the ground, Superman turns his head backward to catch a glance of the woman who's talking to him out of his peripheral vision. "You're right, young lady. Trying to make a better tomorrow is extremely cool. I bet you'd be great at it as well."
Croyd says, "Oooo...being a janitor of tomorrow sounds neat!" Croyd lined up with the thugs. "Do I get like...a Space Mop?""
Charlie's first response is a weird choking "urk" noise as Superman turns to speak to her. Starstruck is the only word for it. This isn't just meeting anyone. This is Superman. She even managed to almost keep her cool when she met Batman. This is different. He's like... exactly what everyone says he is, but somehow you can't believe. He managed to encourage her with the first few words he said after he took down a gang. Plus... dreamy. Too unreal.
She manages to pull herself together afterwards though. "Thanks... I uhhh... this is a great place. This thing you're doing here." No, she doesn't have the right words for the situation. Or even really know what to say. It's a little unreal. It certainly doesn't seem real as the thugs gradually start appearing outside.
"I appreciate it. It seems like some of the people here missed the entire point of it, but I think they'll come around and make something great out of it. You've got to hope, anyway."
Superman waits for the rest of the stragglers to get into place before addressing the group. But even though he's clearly not happy with them, he seems to have bigger things on his mind than mere retaliation or even punishment. "Okay, all of you. The future is going to happen whether you like it or not. But if you work hard today, when the future comes you'll have a place in it. Which is why we're going to rebuild this Habitat building, all of us. Yes, some of you will have to do janitorial duties..." He looks narrowly at Croyd, almost as if singling him out. That oughta teach him to joke when things are Really Serious. "... but if we all work together, we can have this building back in liveable condition before it gets too dark."
He lifts himself up off of the pavement, hovering a few feet in the air. "So... how about we start by cleaning out all this rubble?"
Croyd doesn't think he is joking. This is awesome. "Will you sign my mop? Will you superman? That'd be awesome! Here watch this..." He shoot lasers out of his eyes and softens the debris,"Space mop! Hooooo!" He begins mopping debris....
Charlie smiles at Superman's continuing positive attitude. Even she doesn't believe that this is going to stay in control after Superman leaves. But she wants to believe it can. "Yeah, I hope so", she comments. And puffing herself up a little, she adds, "And with good people watching over, it can't fail." And with that, she gets a great swell off pride. Whoa! So /that's/ how he does it. Then, cracking her knuckles, she does to help with the rebuilding and clearing of debris, picking up a particularly large piece of stone rubble and disappearing in a puff of smoke. She'll be back to help, but for now, she's looking for a good place to get rid of the debris. Everyone helps in their own way.

[Heromux] Evil Rod Starling Being Evil

Summary: Evil Rod Starling narrates bad things happening to Zack and Croyd.
Location: Jamaica Bay, NC
Date: 2015.01.15
Emitter: The Sleeper
Players: Zack Evingston, Croyd Crenson
NPCs: Evil Rod Sterling
Groups:
Tone: Weird
Rating: Public

Rod Sterling. Beloved short story to screen icon, is, last time we checked, quite quite dead. And yet here he is, walking down a beach community sidewalk, looking into thin air and narrating, "A relatively calm town, on a relatively calm night, and yet nothing could be farther from the truth. Two erstwhile heroes, misfits really, are about to encounter something from....the Twilight Zone."
Rod is entirely black and white, like he stepped right out of a television. A few folks on the sidewalk stare in curiosity or horror and get out of the way.
Dark hair pushed from his face, Zack really doesn't have a clue who Rod Sterling was. He's totally the wrong generation for it and not even remotely American. The British teen, and sometimes member of the Young Justice was actually using a ring to fly tonight when he saw Rod in all of his awesome Black and White glory. If he was aware who the man was, it would probably send even more warning bells off in his head than already are sounding. People just don't exist in black and white. His bright electric blue eyes look around tracing the paths of magic in the air and looking to see if there's an easily identifiable source.
Croyd appears in a thin ripple in the air next to a taco stand. The guy tending the stand sees Rod and runs away as fast as his legs can carry him. Croyd, in this incarnation, is tall, thin, blond with green eyes and a beach bum Abraham Lincoln. He has a scraggly beard and is ravenous. He begins to chow down on some Tacos. He puts a twenty down but doesn't yet notice the dude coming up behind him.
Rod continues his narration. "Behold, one Croyd Crenson, aka the Sleeper. Recently awoken with a ravenous hunger. Behold, one Zachary William Evingston II. Mystic Tinkerer, looking to see if there is some magical source...but will the magic look BACK. In...the Twilight Zone." Trumpet music plays in the background briefly. A man with a box comes up to Zack and says, "Excuse me did you order this?" He seems to radiate magic.
Seeing people radiate magic like that isn't usually one of those things that Zack is hoping for because it generally ends with him going through a wall... or three. However, he was raised to be polite,"Sorry, I didn't order anything today." He says in clipped tones of someone from the London Upper class. His blue eyes don't leave the man with the box though. "I do believe perhaps you have the wrong person. Besides, usually people don't stand on corners waiting for a package of any legitimate sort."
The man snorts, "Really? I've got a box here that has ...stuff in it. Including a phone, some boxers, and a sword. It has your name on it."
Rod walked right next to Croyd. "Croyd Crenson, who's powers now include Clairaudience, will hear that."
Croyd looks at the man with the box, "I heard that." He thinks a moment...and doesn't care that he did, and resumes eating Tacos. Lots and lots of Tacos.
"Well first of all, I would never request boxers to be delivered in such an open place. Second of all, how do you have all of that in the box." Zack says blinking a little bit at the man carrying the box,"Something tells me that until I accept the box, you're not going to leave me be, am I right?" He asks quirking a dark brow at the man. Sometimes he wishes he himself didn't seem to attract such strange thing to happen to him.
Rod nods sagely in the background. "Zack had an ominous portent that if he didn't take the box, he was never going to be let be. He did not realize until he looked at the box that strange and disturbing magical creatures were to be found inside. One of them was a cloaker that was about to eat his face."
At THAT, Croyd finally stops eating Tacos and looks at Rod. He then teleports across the street near Zack in a ripple of light, "Hey dude, I wouldn't open that box...it'll eat your face. Weird guy over there..." he points at Rod, "is muttering strangeness under his breath."
"Oh joy... Another face eater. That makes the third this week." Zack says as he pulls the sword from his hip and points it at the man and the box,"Why don't you just set the box down nice and slow and then run very far away. I have a feeling that what's about to happen is going to be significantly less than pleasant experience for anyone that's around and knowing my luck lately, I touch the bloody thing and I'll have a nasty face eater coming at me."
The man runs away as he sets the box down. Out of the box, a large cloaker emerges and tries to eat Zack's face. An animated sword comes out, and the box itself attacks Croyd who points his finger at it and makes the box really really heavy....so it hurts all the more when it hits him in the face too.
"Croyd would find that his powers were no match for the Mimic that had been the box. Meanwhile, the man who had carried the box was unfortunately run over by a truck."
He said as he stepped right past the truck that ran over the surprised courier , causing him to vanish in a puff of smoke.
"See this is why I do not care for boxes." Zack says as he makes a gesture with the sword and his finger, a nice little swirl of flame come out from the tip of the rapier to form a snake between him and the face eater. "I'm not going to just let you eat my face. If that man thinks I'm going to I am going to have to throw a right bit of flame up his arse for it." He says quite matter of factly as he takes a defensive stance in case the animated sword comes at him.
"Zack believed he was going to throw some flame up my posterior," Rod continued, "but ironically was backing up toward a barrel full of rocket fuel...."
The serpent and the cloaker get into it until the serpent bites the cloaker and it begins to die of poison, making tiny coughing noises.
Croyd makes the box as weak as tissue paper, and grabs it, face hurting, as he rips it to shreds. The floating sword tries to herd Zack onto the Rocket Fuel.
Croyd howls, "We need to do something about Rod!"
"Yes. He's starting to get on last nerve." Zack says as he continues parrying the sword. However, he does decide to stop moving backwards. "If you have any suggestions then I will be glad to hear them. I am not sure that I can just cast a spell on him." He says taking a breath,"Maybe a silence spell would work on him but it might not do so well considering I am not sure that it is actually a real person there." He says stretching a bit.
Croyd says, "My name is Croyd."
"He said his name was Croyd."
"Wait...I think we're getting ahead of him..."
"He foolishly said believing he could defeat the narration of their episode."
"Silence spell. Yeah that sounds neat."
"Unfortunately, Zack was unable to cast the a silence spell due to the blow torch that landed on the nearby barrel of Rocket Fuel...." Zack hears an ominous CLUNK behind him as he parries the flying sword with his own.
"Make with the spell dude!""
"Ha! You think something like that would stop me." Zack says as he goes flying straight up,"Let silence fall upon he would dictate the course of events, let nothing escape his mouth. " That's the spell that he needs to cast in order to silence Rod. If he thought he was going to lay around and let him dictate what was going to happen in his life, they had another thing coming. He had to figure out a better way of dealing with thing.
"Ironically, Zack didn't realize that his spell was going to-" He grabbed his throat and looked with annoyance at Zack as he slowly started to fade.
As he flew up, the rocket fuel exploded, and fire and heat spread around the area, some getting near Croyd as he teleported away. "I think its working!"
"Cold as the winter winds, wet as the ocean, snuff the flames of the skyward fuel." Zack says gesturing with the rapier again. As he speaks, an icy water pillar appears coming to crash down upon the rocket fuel fire. "This is quite dangerous you know." He doesn't know how he's going to totally eliminate Rod but he was thinking of it.
Croyd says, "Oh, wait...wait, I got it....try a 'TV off' spell? Can you do something like that? Maybe like 'Hexus Pocus, Lose your Focus'...only...for like...remote controls or...off buttons...or something..."
Rod walks rapidly toward Zack and Croyd. Perhaps he was trying to move farther than fifteen feet out of the silence spell?
The rocket fuel calms down slowly and the flames are doused.
"A stop I call, to that which is here. Render the black and white, like the black and white tv." Zack says as he tries to make Rod vanish and nonexistent like the old fashioned black and white tv is now. "I'm trying a few things. This isn't as simple as science. There are a lot of components to things that will cause problems."
Apparently it was good enough because Rod blips off like a black and white TV...For Now.
DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUN!
"Whew. Who the hell was that guy? Way to make with the mojo their dude."
"I'm going to guess that someone brought something from an old TV show or movie." Zack says as he lowers himself to the ground,"Who though I have no idea." He says shrugging indifferently about the whole thing,"So you don't know him either then? I am not up on old American TV shows."
Croyd says, "Oh him? He was an Evil Rod Sterling from the Twilight Zone...anthology sci fi show during the 1950's and sixties, quite good really."
Croyd begins to eat more Tacos.
"I may try and see it but may not. It is a bit... much." Zack says laughing a bit,"Anyway, I should be off. There's a lot of ground to cover and that probably won't be the last bit of weirdness that I encounter this evening." He says before lifting into the air so that he can continue his patrol.

[Heromux] Death of a Skinwalker

Summary: Bacon and Vikki finally track down a skinwalker alpha.
Location: Arizona
Date: 2015.01.19
Emitter: James Cunning
Players: James Cunning, Vikki Cunning
NPCs: Bob the Skinwalker, Lila the Skinwalker
Groups: Magic and Mysticism
Tone: Dark, Gritty
Rating: Restricted

It was said that it was insane, a boondoggle, a financial black hole, and they would be right, but the former planetarium turned cafe with the life sized replica of Stone Henge DID make a cool backdrop for their final confrontation with the monster. Right outside of the front entrance, Lila stopped in dog form. She looked back at the siblings, and it was obvious that she didn't want to go farther in.
Vikki was ready. Before even thinking of exiting the car, she got into the trunk and grabbed a silver knife and a clip full of silver rounds for her gun. "Where oh where is our bad little doggie." She comments as she walks past Lila. Closer to Stonehenge or at least the facsimile of it. "Here boy." She whistles a little. Someone is definitely a little cocky today.
James Cunning looks around through the effervescent lighting and mist machines as they turn on, Spinal Tap music playing in the background while Lila runs for it. "I...gotta bad feeling about this Sis...like...more than the usual bad feeling kinda bad..." he locks and loads his shotgun full of silver shot.
Vikki looks at James and smiles, "relax. Just another hunt. We got this right?" It would be about this time that she hears a growl. Whipping around she draws her pistol and bears down on what looks like a Saint Bernard. "Are you here to talk or are you just going to play Cujo?" She asks the monster.
It wasn't the St. Bernard that worried him...it was the six pairs of eyes that glittered in the light behind them,"Ah shit!" He unleashed a load into the darkness as one of them yelped, while he dove behind a large stone...
The St. Bernard growled showing an unnatural row of shark teeth, its eyes glowing as it leapt rather stupidly at her. If it was the leader this would be a short fight indeed.
BANG BANG Double tap and the Saint Bernard goes down hard. Vikki looks at the others and begins shooting at them too. definitely a short fight unless these are just the pack. "This is too easy. If the leader was in there, they weren't exactly a very smart or strong one.
Finally, even James laughed as he shot a third. "I know right? I was clearly too..."
There was an ominous sounding *CLICK* as all the remaining dogs turned and ran through doggie doors.
"Uh...Sis...."
Victoria Cunning pulls out fresh clip and loads it. "Well. That answers that doesn't it!" She turns to look and see what is coming. "Well... Guessing you are a little pissed that we are killing your pack? Maybe you should stop attacking people!"
There was a faint hissing sound coming from the top of the stones. "Gas...he's gassing the room sis"...he took his shotgun and shot at the door...it made a few holes but didn't open the lock.
Vikki draws a bead on the lock and shoots it with her pistol hoping to take it out. It's reinforced. "Oh this is just great! Don't even have the humanity to fight fair!"
He gets a bit from the air hole and then smells. Air wasn't the problem. He quickly began looking around. Wait. St. Bernard. That was it. He ran over to the doggie door...locked...but not reinforced. Who needed pride. He began kicking until the wood cracked. "Sis!"
Vikki turns and looks. Quickly she comes running at the doggie door, drops to the ground and slides full force into it. "Lets get out of here before..." She starts coughing. It's some nasty stuff whatever they are pumping into the area.
The shifters might have been surprised that Vikki slid through but that did not stop them from each taking a limb as they bit into her. Another man shifts in the shadows with a heavy weapon of some point.
Bacon put his head through the door and then rapidly pulled it back from the heavy machine gun fire,"What the hell?!"
Vikki starts fighting hard. But She is pretty much secured for the moment. Or at least that is the impression Vikki is giving. Then there is a freaking machine gun?! "Ah hell. Hate to do this doggies but." She starts struggling far more intensely. If she can get to her pistol she will be taking aim at heavy weapons guy.
"So I says to myself, I says,'Bob...you might be invulnerable but hunters aren't...why would you waste time when you freakin know that they carry silver Bullets..."
Bacon sticks his head through the door and there is another burst of machine gun fire as he lights a lighter and moves towards the wall. "Bullets work just fine on hunters though..."
The shifter bite hurts but isn't drawing blood yet. In her struggles Vicki manages to grab a pistol.
Vikki does her best to take aim and fires at the one that seems to be taking point. As soon as the first shot is off she takes a few pot shots at some of the shifters that have her pinned down. If she can get her knife out, That would be the better choice for dealing with these problems.
The show surprises the hell out of Bob who backs the fuck up ASAP, and drops the lighter. But that shot misses. The second shot at Tethers the wonder poodle is much more accurate and splatters. The knife is quickly drawn.
This time there is a gunshot THROUGH the doggy door and another of the shifters dies.
Now with knife in hand, Vikki starts making an offensive. Another skinwalker is taken out while she can more accurately draw a bed on Bob over here. She pulls the trigger and another shot if fired. "Get your stinkin jaws off me ya damn dirty mutts!"
The knife is quiet effective, and Jacob takes out the last of the pack as it goes for Vikki's throat while she takes the shot. There is a yelp as she takes another shot, but then a metallic snick and then something heavy landing right as Bacon sticks his head through the door to see a hand grenade. His eyes bulge.
Vikki scrambles to her feet knowing full well what just hit the ground by sound alone. She gets the hell away and takes cover on the ground when the grenade does go off, shrapnel goes flying. "Shit!" She takes a few pieces into her side that was closest to the explosive. Thankfully though she was far enough away for it to not do too much. It does however fill the air with the fresh scent of blood. She gets to her feet and starts getting closer. "Big Tough guy chucking grenades. This ends!" She shoots a few times at the leader of the dead pack.
The explosion is far worse inside the gas filled planetarium, and one of the stones lands on Bacon, pinning him down. Not good.
Vikki gets a second hit on the walker, which runs out the back. Apparently, he believed Vikki but she can see a trail of blood behind him.
James says,”"I'm fine! Just pinned! Go get him!"
Victoria Cunning nods to James. Quickly she pulls out a phone, the voice on the other end speaks up, "911 Emergency..."
"Yes there has been an explosion at the Planetarium."
"I am sending someone right over. Who am I speaking to?"
"Oh this is... click." She hangs up and takes off following the trail of the shifter. "We can do this all night. Come out. Lets have a little chat!"
There is a burst of machine gun fire from behind a minivan, "You're HUNTERS! What kind of chat did you have in mind?" He fires another burst.
Vikki quickly takes cover. "The kind where you tell me why you've been turning so many people. You're dropping an awful lot of bodies and I wanna know why." She doesn't return fire. Not yet anyway. Her attention is on the minivan the pack leader is hiding behind. Namely where the gas tank is.
He says "Lunch! That's why. That and I thought I had the perfect setup to gack you hunters...well...reinforce the doggie doors next time...I can do that...need to remember..."
She definitely can identify the gas tank on this model."
Victoria Cunning draws a bead as soon as she can on the gas tank of the minivan. "Not going to happen as long as I'm alive." *BANG BANG BANG* Three shots go sailing into the minivan. If she had done things right, that should be enough to blow up the minivan.
BOOM! And explody goes the van. The skinwalker gets some fuel on him and dances around on fire for a bit.
Victoria Cunning takes off towards he now exploded van. She quickly gets in range for the skinwalker. With a stone cold gaze, she puts three silver rounds into him. On in his head, two in the chest.
Bob shrieks in fear and rage as he shrivels up and dies, literally. Sirens can be heard in the background.
Quickly, Vikki puts her gun away and makes a beeline towards the Planetarium. "James, are you alright?" She quickly moves toward the fallen rubble.
James Cunning nods,"Yeah. I'm good." He grunts and tries to shove the plastic 'stone' pillar off of him. "Cracked ribs is all."
Victoria Cunning quickly works to get the Pillar off of her brother. "We gotta move. Cops are on their way." She begins trying to drag him out.
It takes some doing but eventually the pillar is removed.
"Ow."
Victoria Cunning gets her brother up. "Okay lets get to the car. We will catch up with Lila after we get you to the hospital." She leads him out to the car and gets into the drivers seat. "Did I mention, I dislike dogs... well those dogs anyway."