Log:The Fall of Barnabas Bighead, Scene 2

The Fall of Barnabas Bighead 2020/06/05 	 Bran Felix Ghost Hotfoot Pendragon Phantom Barnabas Bighead ElectroRat Iron Rat Shifty Rat Squeak Superat precognitive rat 2

Phantom discovered that the *other* thing that the rats stole simultaneously with the things from Fogg's lab was the mutagenic purple goo that seeped into the sewers last year, and the notes that the CBSU biochemistry department had made analysing the stuff. He then idenitified a chemical plant as a likely base for the rats, and assembled a hero team to raid it. However, by the time they got there the rats were already using the goo to make meta-rats! The heroes jumped straight in to stop this. As things stand, most of the rats are unconscious (thanks largely to Bran getting hurt!): only two that haven't been into the goo are still up (on guard at the far doors, with rifles). But there are 6 rats that have acquired superpowers - not counting Bighead, who was knocked into the vat in the course of the fight, and whose powers have increased - along with his head size. Of the heroes, Bran and Reactor are unconscious. 

Bran shakes his head slowly as he starts to come to. He remains where he is on the ground.

Doors blown off, investigations in effect. Bethany was in the area of things and could not help but notice what was going on. "Damnit." she muttered to herself as she reached outward, and by the time her arm was extended, the sword was in it.

Shortly after that, the gate opened and Snowmane strode forth ready to do battle. So Pendragon swung up into the saddle even as the great warhorse started moving forward.

Now, the open door is a gate that allows a seven foot stallion and his petite armored rider to enter. The hoofbeats are deep and rhythmic as Snowmane comes in... and there simply-must- bea misty, foggy type of field for him to wade through in slowmotion... snorting holes in the misty steam as Pendragon surveys the situation before her. The fact that she doesn't personally know all of the heroes present... she is familiar with the concept of whom is whom. So with her blade aloft, she urges Snowmane forward, "Arise!" She calls out, "The battle is yet decided!"

Iron Rat goes for the same trick as last time - making an osmium ball above someone's head. Hotfoot is its target.

The meta-rat that just said "uh-oh" and ran away continues to do that, disappearing down a rat-hole.

Something prompts Hotfoot to move just a bit and the ball slams into the floor instead of her skull, just grazing her forehead.

The remaining two soldier rats glance at each other - and then both droo their weapons and scamper toward the vats, realising this may be their only opportunity to get superpowers!

"Uh, guys," Phantom says aloud and on the comms. "That rat that ran out knew something was up. Something bad is going to happen. We should go!"

Hotfoot jumps to her feet and runs around, punching the 3 meta-rats that have just attacked her with her flaming fist

 Phantom says, "Felix, that rat was a precog. Time to go!"

 Phantom says, "This could be like the Overbrain all over again, when Blink pissed him off so much his brain (Well, his brain case, technically) exploded?"

 Felix says, "You grab Reactor or Bran. I'll get the other."

 Phantom says, "I'm already shielding Bran. I got him."

Hotfoot strikes all three, scattering them around the room.

"Superrat" tries once again to fly into the earth elemental, clenched forepaws held out in front of him, chest out! But this time he tries flying a little slower so he might actually hit.

The Earth Elemental phaswes out and returns to the earthly astral as its form is disrupted.

Supperrat actually manages to stun itself!

Phantom leans down and he tries to help Bran up to his feet. "That rat became a precog and knew something dangerous is gonna happen. We gotta go, bud," he explains to Bran as he tries to grasp his hand and pull him to his feet, offering support to usher him out.

Phantom clasps Bran by the forearm and leans back to help haul him to his feet, then pats him on the back to help him recover his senses as he starts running with him to usher him out the factory.

Reactor finds himself waking up and does his best to fake it, but is unsuccessful as his eyes snap open and his shield pops on and he finds himself grounded. "Damn... " as he hopes that nobody notices he's recovered .. at least the bad rats.

Ghost calls out, "What are you waiting for? You heard Phantom. Clear the area." She then steps back to the astral but remains watching where she is so she can direct rescue operatives to the right places if anyone, human or rat, becomes injured or trapped.

Bighead floats further forward into the room, still cackling/squeaking maniacally, expanded temple throbbing. "Now feel the power of a supreme mind!"

Superrat passes out with a loud SQUEAK!

All the other rats, bar Bighead himself, are stunned.

Phantom grits his teeth as the wave of mental assault washes over him. He manages to keep his footing and keep his supporting hold on Bran.

Energy washes over everyone, and Pendragon lifts her shield and grits her teeth. She is glad that her crown shields her. But Snowmane whinnies in pain as his forelegs crumple a bit.

Squeak and Shifty Rat, however, recover quickly.

Bran collapses again as the mental wave hits him. He's able to resist it...only only partially. Not enough.

Felix grits his teeth as his mind reels under the attack from Big Head.

Ghost breathes a huge sigh of relief. She was expecting something MUCH worse.

Phantom braces and keeps Bran from falling as he collapses, changing his grip to get Bran's arm over his shoulders and his other arm around Bran's back as he looks towards the chemical plant.

Bran blinks as he comes to again. "Ow." He mutters to Phantom, "How is it that rat has stronger mental powers than we do?"

Phantom cringes and recovers from the Barnabas brainwave. "That mutagen goo did something. He was already a challenge for us before, but that stuff supercharged him or something."

"Because rats are the superior being - and I am superior to all other rats!" squeaks Bighead.

Felix takes out a metal cricket and clicks it which results in him leaping in a low arc to land by Reactor. As he bends down over the prone hero, he takes "The intergral of v squared dv, From one to the the cube root of 3, Time the cosine, Of three pi by nine, Is the log of the cube root of e."

The sphere leaps from his hand and darts in the general direction of Big Head in a twisting course. As it approaches the barrier around the rat king, the sphere phases out of reality to re-appear inside the barrier, back behind Big head near far away from anyone else.

A blood vessel bursts in the Bighead bulging head! He shrieks in pain and fixes all his attention on Felix!

As the grenade rips jagged micro fractures in space time throughout the area delinated by the 'equation', Felix shouts, "Next one is larger! Run Big Head or die!"

The two powerless rats recovery themselves.

Bran gets his feet under him and he nods to Phantom, "You can go back in. I just need a quick breather. Get my bearings."

Phantom nods and lets go of Bran now that he can stand on his own. "Do what you gotta do."

As Snowmane tries to recover,Pendragon lifts one leg and drops off the side of the giant horse. She lands, already running. Her cloak billows out behind her as she surges forward, shield raised ahead of her before she skids to a stop under the floating rat. She actually points her sword's blade tip at the creature, resting it on the upper edge of her shield as if bracing it there.

The blade, that gleams like the noonday sun is striking it, even in pure darkness... flares and power flows down the blade, surging towards the creature. She doesn't speak this time. She just acts.

Bighead squeaks: clearly that did hurt him...

Iron Rat recovers himself.

Hotfoot tries to shake the cobwebs from her brain

Phantom turns, running back into the building. He focuses on Bighead himself and tries to shut down his brain.

Phantom can't get past Bigbrain's defenses and grits his teen in frustration.

Ghost returns to the material plane, invisiable and intangible.

Ghost uses +END to increase End statistic.

ElectroRat recovers itself from being stunned - just int time to get blasted again! Bighead, finding *two* heroes managed to hurt him, no longer intends to blast just Felix but everyone again! "Bow down to me, all you lesser mortals! Ha-Ha-Ha-SQUEAK-Ha-Ha!" To say power has gone to his head is both an understatement and a literal truth.

Felix clicks the cricket statuette in his hand and leaps up and out through the skylight.

All the rats other than Bighead pass out with a massive screech!

Under the bighead, Pendragon grunts, but grits her teeth and holds her ground. A voice part male and part female comes from her mouth. "You shall need to redouble your efforts if you wish to put down the rightful ruler of Britain." says Arthur through Bethany's body.

Phantom wavers on his feet as his mind reels from the attack, his mental shielding and training only helping a little. It's just enough, though. He looks at the rat that he had the vision of taking over the world, then looks at the mutagen goo pool.

Hotfoot crumbles to the floor.

Ghost moves in on Bigbrain, getting close enough to be at point blank range behind him for her weapon and ideally also mostly hidden behind some item of the chemical plant she can duck out of sight. She then preps her weapon for burst firing.

Bran finishes getting his breath back, more or less. Good enough to potentially consider poking his head back in if he needs to.

Shaking her head, Pendragon mutters, "Down boy." to the King in her head. But then she steps over onto a box and leaps into the air as she sweeps her blade across where the rat is located. She is attempting to thump him with the flat of her blade of course. Living things should not be sliced and diced if there is any other option.

The blow gets another surprised squeak out of the mutated rat - but does not budge him.

It was a two handed swing, almost like a baseball bat. But Pendragon drops to land on her feet, dust lifting around her boots as the rat bounces off of a nearby wall. "You will fall monster. None can stand before Excalibur."

Bighead right himself telekinetically, glaring at Pendragon. "You DARE strike my person - you... human VERMIN!" He tries to burn out the mind of the presumptuous human!

Bighead bursts another blood vessel in his rage, causing his attack to falter!

Felix runs back, grabs the edge of the skylight then does an acrobatic flip head over heels while holding on to flip his feet up into contact with the interior where his boots allow him to stick, While upside down, he pulls out what looks like a alrge flashight, points it at Big Head and shouts, "Hey, Big Head! Smile!"

Bighead squeals and shuts his eyes tight!

Ghost carefully lines up her shot and selects autofire. Dropping her invisibility she shoots at the back of Bigbrain's swollen head.

Bighead is surprised by the attack he can't see from nowhere! How are these vermin doing this?!

Phantom catches his breath some and looks at BigBrain as he starts to walk towards the metagen pool. If they don't stop him, he'll have made his vision of the future come true. He stops by the edge of the pool, still looking towards BigBrain as he attempts to lock him down further before going for the desperate play.

Phantom still can't get a lock on Big Brain's mind.

Ghost glances over at Phantom, "Don't be a fool. If you try I'll have to spend time stopping you that should be used stopping this swollen headed rat." She maintains the aim of her weapon as it spits out another patterned 'dart' of astral energy.

Bighead clearly feels woozy! He starts drifting out of position in his levitation...

Once more, Pendragon takes a step up and leaps upwards towards the creature. "I said fall!" she calls out in that blended male / female voice of hers. She brings the blade up and over her head in a downward chop... putting -everything- she has into the strike. Fortunately still using the flat of the blade.

The blinded rat squeaks once more - he's knocked back and spinning wildly...

Bran takes a deep breath and puts up some mental defenses before he moves back into the building...and into Bighead's line of sight. The mental power he put up should be noticeable to anyone with mental awareness...and might keep Bighead from lashing out in all directions. At least that's his hope.

Bighead shrieks, 'No! It's impossible! I am a GOD! How can mere humans defeat me?!" But apparently it's not so impossible as for him not to attempt to escape. The world warps to his will, sending him through space....

Bighead vanishes - and somewhere underground a small explosion can be heard...

Phantom winces a bit. "I think he had a teleporting mishap."

Felix shouts frm his upaide down position. "Well, we still need to find him. This place have a basement?"

Ghost says, "I should be able to do that. No harm in others trying too."

Ghost summons a messenger and commends it to go find Bigbrain... or his remains.

Phantom steps back and away from the pool, staggering a few of the final steps before he collapses onto his back.

Felix stays on the ceiling keeping an eye on Big Head. When the rat king disappears followed by the explosion, he walks to a support pillar and uses it to slide to the ground. "I really need to make a swingline," he mutters to himself as his feet hit the ground and he rushes over to Phantom.

In the rat-tunnels under the factory, the said remains of Barnabas Bigbrain can be found, half inside and half outside the wall of a tunnel.

Ghost sees the image via her mental link with the Messenger. "He's dead." she announces. "Teleporerr misjump."

Bran shivers, "Are you sure? It could just be like...an illusion or something, right?"

Felix shakes Phantom. "Are you alright?"

Ghost goes over to Phantom, "You... I want a word with you later." Then to Bran, "I'll go check."

A large complex that covers a fair expanse of well-tended lawns and security fences, the Industrial Park is home to several corporate office buildings, power facilities, and factories. A maze of paved roads leads past several security checkpoints around the parking lots and plazas facing these large buildings. Streetlights line these roads, as do placards, kiosks, and signs pointing directions to the assorted edifices. The general atmosphere of the place is quiet, controlled, and rather upscale: heavy industry isn't welcome here.

Hotfoot remains sprawled on the floor.

Ghost goes astral and down to the remains to examine them with Fae second sight.

Reactor continues to snore ....

Phantom is still floating and observing the area for other rats. He's glad his future vision was prevented, but he's still concerned.

Felix glances at Travis then gets up. "Bran? Could you keep an eye on Travis? He should be fine in a minute." He then says, "Do you need first aid, Bran? You OK?"

Hotfoot wakes up after a minute or so, and a few seconds later seems fine. (Except for the bite on her hand - which will linger for over a half-hour)

Ghost bomes up to Phantom, "Physcially dead." she says. "But his spirit should still be tried to his bosy so soon after death. I don't see it. He may be as dead as I am."

Reactor remains unconcious unless given medical attention.

Reactor always enjoys getting his mind scrambled like eggs :D now who am I again :D

Bran nods to Felix, "I'm fine." Though...Felix's comment does confirm to him that Felix knows Travis and Phantom are one and the same.

"We'd see him here if he was. Or his astral cord?" Phantom asks.

Ghost shakes her head, "Do you see MY astral cord. His body is definitely dead. His spirit I'm not so sure about. Hopefulyy its gone too. Time will tell. So, how are you feeling? Are you okay?"