Log:Riftgate - Lori Returns Home

Riftgate 3 - Dimension War 2009/10/26 	 Bard Darms Ferryl Amy 1

Location
Artists' Quarter

This district is bisected by Pennyroyal Lane, which runs southwest to northeast, winding down from Colonial Heights then continuing on the level to Golden Sands. And "artistic" flare permeates the whole district, but its nature varies greatly, from the truly (or pretentiously) artistic in the housing, cafes and galleries east and south of the road, through the showy, even garish, commercialism around Pennyroyal Lane, to the more suspect pleasures of the red light district in the north and east.

Scene
Bard has been contacted by various means, whether a message left of HeroNet, at the coffee shop, passed on by word of mouth, etc., and asked if he would meet with Detective Lewis of the CBPD in the Artists' Quarter at this time.

The same request was communicated to other heroes in the city.

The musical hero is where he should be. He is wearing a grey fedora a faded green T-shirt jeans and about his neck is a leather collar. He has a mandolin strapped to his back.

Hiding in plain sight is one of the few things that Darms is good at. This time he's a guy in a trenchcoat as he reads the paper. What he can of it, anyways. Still, the guy's mostly waiting as he watches for the 'contact' for this mission. To the outside world, he's completely unarmed it looks like. Just a normal, every-day human being. Yep.

An unmarked police car rolls into the street where the meeting is requested. Although there's no police markings the radio antenna gives it away. Detective Lewis of the Meta Crimes Unit steps out and looks around. He's a few minutes early and looks relaxed as he does so.

Bard studies the man stepping out of the police car for a few moments before sliding the mandolin to his side for quicker access. With one hand in his pocket he approaches the detective. "Evening." He says tipping his hat.

The detective turn to face Bard, "Good afternoon. Bard isn't it? I'm Lewis of the CBPD, Meta Crimes Unit. Thank you for meeting me. Uh, are there any others attending?"

Darms quirks an eyebrow as he spots the police car. Standing slowly, he sets the newspaper down as he walks over towards Bard and the officer. "Excuse me. Are you Detective Lewis? I was contacted that you might need some help with a bounty or two possibly."

Bard says, "This gentleman would also appear to be aiding us." He says motioning to Darms. "Though I have no idea who he is." He extends a hand Darms. "Marcus Bard.""

"I'm attending," mentions Ferryl, landing nearby with a mildly amused grin. "For fun and stuff. Need the exercise. Or whatever."

Lewis turns to Darms. "Yes, I'm Detective Lewis. No bounty on this one I'm afraid. But assistance in this matter won't be forgotten by the police department."

Darms sighs, then grumbles a bit. "... I'm gonna kill that informant... fine, I'll help."

Lewis then turns to Ferryl, a smile appearing on his face, "Miss Ferryl. How are you doing? I heard of your encounter with Dectective Mancellio. Not everyone in the Meta Unit is as paranoid as he is, or as lacking in the willingness to believe in reformation of character."

Bard nods to Ferryl to show he sees her, then turns back to the detective. "what is it you require Detective?"

Glancing back at Darms he says with a chuckle, "Killing informants is a generally bad idea. They can't give you any further information and the CBPD don't like littering in the city streets."

Darms rolls his eyes, "I meant figuratively."

Ferryl leans against a lamp post, absent of her weapon. "So what's the problem?"

Lewis points over at a block of apartments. "That is, in a manner of speaking, the heart of the Artists' Quarter. Cheap little apartments occupied by aspiring artists. The modern American version of San Francisco's Village or Paris' Le Havle District."

Ferryl nods. "Well, demolitions isn't my field of expertise, but..."

Lewis laughs at Ferryl's comment.

Bard continues to listen. "So what about it?"

Lewis continues, "At three o'clock each afternoon an intruder enters one of the apartments. She, for it is a young woman, looks through the artist's stetches, drawings, and paintings, and then departs. Through the wall. She's very methodical it would seem. Choosing the apartments to invade in numerical sequence."

Amy comes down the winding Pennyroyal Lane, after taking herself for a pleasant walk on her day off, whistling to herself.

"So you want us to either find out what they are doing or you want us to stop her... Should be easy enough." Bard chuckles.

Lewis nods. "That was what we thought. However she's insubstantial to the touch during most of the time she's in the apartments. And very dexterous."

"I suggest we don't damage the aparements and shadow her back to her hide out." Bard says to the others.

Lewis nods to Bard. "That's a good idea, but we couldn't keep track of her. She goes through walls and buildings to shake off pursuit, and is too fast for any of my officers to stay with her in any chase."

Darms shrugs, "Not that hard... which apartment and where at?" He smiles a bit, "I can attempt to capture her, but I don't know if she can go through energy."

Amy sees some familiar faces just outside her home, and waves. "Hi!"

Lewis nods, "If she stays on schedule she'll be going to apartment 23 in about twenty-five minutes. We have a device that may trap her." Reaching into his car he brings out a handful of silvery metal mesh. "This has been borrowed from an F.B.I special agent. It's supposed to be able to trap desolidified metas. However none of my officers are anywhere quick enough to have a chance to catch her with it."

Darms tilts his head, looks at Ferryl and Bard, then at Lewis. "And you think we are?"

Bard reachs out and tries to take the net. "We'll do our best Detective."

Amy says, "What's going on?""

Ferryl grins. "I'm fast enough."

Lewis turns to the appring Amy, "A pleasure to see you here, Lady Luck. Are you joining this little task force? Bard, I'm sure you have someone here who is fast enough. Ferryl for example."

Amy says, "Ok, sure, I'm always happy to help! There's some villain who can phase or something?"

Lewis nods, "Yes. Although we have no idea what her motivation is. She hasn't taken anything so far." He shrugs, "Maybe she likes art?"

Bard nods. "Art is a beautiful thing... But maybe we can get her to talk and she'll tell us why."

Amy says, "She's a thief then?"

Ferryl shrugs. "I think her not taking anything means she's not a thief. Why is she considered a villain again?

Amy says, "She doesn't take anything? Then what does she do?"

Lewis, "Not so far. As I told the other heroes before you arrived, Amy, she invades an artist's apartment and looks through his or her stetches, drawings, and paintings. Then she leaves. Up to now she hasn't taken anything during her intrusions."

Ferryl hms. "Sounds uh. Kinda trivial. Tresspassing I guess?"

Amy says, "Maybe she's looking for something?"

Lewis, "I would be hesitant to declare her a villain without knowing her motivation, but entering someone's living quarters without permission and going through their belongings is a good first step in that direction."

Darms shrugs, "Where's the next apartment in her order, detective?"

Amy says, "Or I guess she could be a real ghost!"

Lewis says, "Apartment 23. In," he checks his watch, "about fifteen minutes. If she stays with her schedule to date."

Bard nods. "Do we have premission to enter the residence to lay our trap?"

Lewis holds out a key in the palm of his hand, "The occupant is at police headquarters. So the apartment, and the surroundings apartments are emtry. This is the key to it."

Ferryl nods, "Great. I'll be inside, playing scout."

Bard takes the key. "I'll also be inside to see if I can get her to talk when Ferryl catches her."

Amy says, "Okay - so where should I be?"

Amy says, "Oh, do you think I should be in costume?"

Bard takes a full recovery.

Lewis nods, "Good luck. I'll wait outside here. She's ignored the presence of police officers inside apartments before so I don't think my presence will dissuade her. She might decide to absent herself if she sees heroes though."

Ferryl shrugs. "Then she won't see me, or maybe she'll be interested in me or something." She heads in.

Amy says, "I guess I'll try to hide inside too!"

Amy heads in also.

Bard nods and heads into the apartment to find a hiding spot.

Ferryl decides to hide in plain sight, by sitting on a seat and activate the viewing entertainment console.

Almost to the second, at 3pm a woman walks through the wall into the apartment. She's youngish, in her early twenties, wearing a head to foot white skintight covering with an exo-skeleton fitted around her from her waist downwards. Her face is mostly hidden by a faintly glowing visor, the light coming from the visor verging on the edge of ultraviolet. Once inside the apartment she looks around, nods to Ferryl and starts heading towards the wall where the artist has stacked his paintings.

"Hiya," Ferryl says casually. "What's up?"

Amy remains still and hidden.

The woman looks back at Ferryl and shakes her head. Her lips move but no sound is heard.

Lipreading skillfully, Ferryl sees the woman said - Sorry, I can't speak while I'm phasing.

Ferryl shrugs. "I can understand you."

Darms shrugs, "Don't look at me." He pauses, then pulls a gun from under his trenchcoat and points it at the girl. "I wouldn't. I don't know how you can go through walls and buildings, but they're solid. Want to see if you can get around energy?" The gun has an odd attachment to it. Something like a cheese grater looking attachment.

The woman nods to Ferryl. She speaks silently again, but inconveniently she turns to look at the paintings, thus her lips are hidden from Ferryl's sight, Those watching see a device appear in her hand that emits a violet glow towards the paintings. Under the device's illoumination the paintings turn semi-transparent, the underlaying canvas and backing visible.

Bard watches, wondering what she's looking for.

The woman glances briefly towards Darms and then resumes her examination of the paintings.

Bard steps out from hiding. Looking at the paintings too to see if there is any sudden irregularities in them

Ferryl watches thoughtfully, "I can't see you speak when you turn away like that. Lip-reading is one of my talents."

The woman looks back at Ferryl before speaking again, "Oops. Sorry. Didn't think. There's nothing to worry about. I'm not going to harm you. I'm looking for something, and if I don't find it I'll leave."

Darms frowns a little. "By law, technically, you're breaking and entering, miss. Can you explain a bit what you are doing, please? The police have asked us to investigate it."

The woman looks over towards Darms, then back to Ferryl. "No. I'm breaking my laws by talking to you at all. When, if, I get home I'm going to be in so much trouble."

Ferryl hms. "Device or message?"

The woman grimaces, "Kindly be less smart. I'm not supposed to communicate with XDs at all without authorization, which I don't have. Just let me finish here and I'll be on my way."

Amy tries to folow the conversation while only hearing one side.

Bard steps out to look at the figure. (40 COM!)

The woman glances at Bard as he steps into sight... and then stares at him for long seconds before pulling her eyes away.

Bard notes she stares at him. "No need to be shy my dear." He smiles softly. "How about telling us who you are? I am Marcus." He bows to her.

Ferryl mentions, "She can't use her voice here."

The woman is looking at Bard as he speaks, but turns her head to let Ferryl read her lips when she replies, "My name is Lori."

Ferryl nods. "Ferryl. You can hear us?"

"What did she say, Ferryl?" Bard asks. "I'd much enjoy to talk to her, but you appear to be the only one who can... Can you write while here?" He moves over to the drawing table grabbing a pencil and a large sheet of paper. "If you can write, write down your name please."

The woman nods. "My laws prohibit unauthorized contact with primitive continuums. So I should not be speaking with you, and must cease doing so."

Ferryl glances at Bard. "Her voice doesn't work because she isn't really here. Writing is kind of out of the question. Says her name is Lori."

Bard nods. "Lori. Such a beuatiful name." HE smiles. "If you aren't here... then I am slightly saddened. I would have enjoyed meeting you in person, though I'll take this... Are you a follower of the arts like I am? or do you have another reason to be here?

Amy says, "So is she a ghost or out of phase or from another dimension or what?"

Amy says, "Ooh, or imaginary, like those friends of the children...."

Bard blinks and looks at Amy like 

Amy smiles as Bard looks at her.

Ferryl nods. "Your laws are kinda funny, I think. I mean, you appear to us, but you're not allowed to interact, which makes us want to find out more, and eventually probably figure out a way. Anyway. If you're here looking for something specific it isn't because of the future or you'd already know more about it. So it's paradimensional. Is this your first visit?"

The woman shakes her head regretfully, "I cannot tell you. We made the mistake of interacting with a lesser culture once before. We gave them the means of unlimited power generation. They used it for destructive purposes. Warfare. In less than a cycle their world was uninhabitable. We will not make that mistake again."

Ferryl laughs. "Yeah, that's what happens when you hand super-tech over to stuper-people."

Bard shakes his head smiling "She's not allowed to talk with us? But she has... might as well be hung for a sheep for a lamb" Bard walks closer to the woman. "we aren't interested in your tech, we only want to know why you are here, my dear."

Ferryl nods. "When we figure out where you came from, then maybe we'll do that tech thing once we get the dimension-crossing thing working." She shrugs.

Darms rolls his eyes, then reaches up to touch an earring in his ear. His form shimmers before fading away to reveal his true form. "Uh-huh... I'm an alien. Technically, I'm not supposed to be on the planet. Most people have a few things they've done that they are not proud of."

Bard nods "I have many things I'm not proud of. But if your going to be punished just the same, why make it seem like it was a minor infraction, give them a good reason."

The woman shakes her head again but affected by Bard's proximity says, "We explore. You shouldn't be able to see me but my equipment was damaged on arrival. The means I used to come here was destabilized to some extent. I would have thought only the presence of another quantrum tranformation unit could have caused it but your level of technology," she points to the home electronics visible in the apartment, "is too low for that to be the case."

Ferryl grins. "That? That isn't a good example of what we are capable of. That's just for entertainment. We've had contact with The Guild, and that assisted in making things more interesting."

Bard seems puzzled as to what ferryl means. "What did she say Ferryl?"

Ferryl replies, "She's underestimating what we're capable of."

Bard says, "How so?""

Darms hmms. "What sorta device did she say when she was pointing at the... whatever it is?"

Ferryl mutters. She responds, "She took one look at what's there and presumed we're not capable of disrupting her dimensional thingamajig."

Darms quirks an eyebrow at Ferryl. "Uh-huh..." He looks at Lori, frowning, "If you're looking for something you might've left or someone else might have, then why not let others help?"

Amy luckily happens to glance out the window just at the right time to see a massively muscled man,who is holding another man in one hand, leap from a rooftop across the street towards the window of the apartment you're in.

Bard laughs. "Ah dimensions, I've had bad experiences with those I've had."

Amy says, "Some brick is jumping this way!"

The woman asks, "You know of dimensional travel? How? What I've seen of your technology is not sufficiently advanced to allow it."

Amy moves to avoid being in the direct path, if need be.

Ferryl darts for cover, that being the apartment door. "EVERYONE OUT NOW."

Bard turns and then gets out of the way taking the mandolin off his back and diving for cover

Darms blinks, then looks to Amy. "Where?" He switches gun, pulling one with an attachment and twisting it on to form an impromptu rifle from the looks.

Amy points while running away.

The window, and the windowframe, and some of the ajoining wall as the leap wasn't all that well aimed, explodes into the apartment as the two men arrive. One is a massive man in a sleeveless leotard, the other a smaller man in an armored two piece costume with a scuba-like tank strapped to his back and a nozzle in his hands, the nozzle connected to the tank by a flexible hose.

Bullman roars, beats his chest. "Give Bullman walk-through-walls device or Bullman crush all."

Bard Stands up from his cover. "Can I help you gentlemen or were you about to be on your way?" HE asks, the air about him growing cold. His mandolin in the playable position.

Darms pops up out of cover, spins, and brings the rifle-like gun up one handed. Looking Bullman in the face, the Predator seems to grin just a bit. "No." Then he squeezes off a shot from the gun. A shot that pretty much sends a pretty big energy blast out.

Bullman grunts with obvious pain as the shot from Darms hits him full in the chest, his massive frame absorbing the impact without moving.

Darms quirks an eyebrow, "... this could be harder than it looks."

Bard looks at Darms who is behind the same cover as him. "You're not one for diplomacy are you?" He takes his mandolin and stands up playing a ballad, the air around it forming into a black ball before flying towards his target. "As my friend so elegantly put it: NO."

Bard smiles at Darms. "But where's the fun in that?"

Bullman roars raising his hands to cover his ears in a belated and too late effort to shut out the sound of Bard's playing.

Ferryl does the only thing she's pretty sure she can do in this situation that is helpful. She heads outside, informs Detective Lewis what she's been told, what she's seen. "And unless you have a bow in your car, this is where my part in this mess ends."

Amy says "You want to walk through walls? But you can already jump through them!"

She picks up a chunk of wall debris any hurls it at Bullman.

Bullman takes the wall fragment on his chest but seems only slightly affected by it.

Blowfire laughs, his laughter ringing with a manical edge. Bring the nozzle up, to the accompaniment of a frantic "NO! You promised you wouldn't." from Bullman, he sprays the interior of the apartment with flaming liquid setting the entire apartment on fire.

The heat isn't too intense at first but the liquid continues to stream from the nozzle feeding the flames.

Amy luckily isn't hit by the flaming liquid.

Bullman runs at Darms head down in a full charge.

Bard has a flicker of annoyance go across his face as the flames start.

Darms moves sideways, hopping up to literally run on the ceiling as he takes aim with his rifle at Blowfire and takes another shot off. A Predator running on the ceiling just has to be a bit odd, but it works if the ceiling doesn't give way or something.

Bard moves so that the hulk is as out of harm swing range (4" if able) then unleashs another sonic blast, this time the air forms into a red sphere as it lashes out towards the big guy.

Bullman seems more concerned by his insane companion's flame spraying than the effect of Bard's playing this time.

Bard curses under his breathe, his attack had done little.

Amy points at Blowfire's "diving gear" and shoots bad-luck motes at it!

An unexpected weakness in the pressurized tank holding Blowfire's incendiary liquid ruptures under the fringe effect of Darm's laser shot, exploding and straying the apartment with more fuel. Luckily for Amy she is in the shadow where Blowfire's body blocks the spray from the tank.

Blowfire slips the ruptured fuel tank off his back and cradles it in his arms hugging it and promising it that he'll repair it 'as good as new, so we can burn everything and make beautiful lovely dancing flames again'.

Bullman lowers his head and charges at Bard.

Bard says, "Eep!" O.o"

Bullman misses Bard with the head down charge and slams into a wall knocking a hold into the next apartment.

Bard jumps to the side as Bullman attacks. "Ole!"

Bard moves a few steps back and strums his mandolin. His voice booms like that of a sports announcer. "STAND DOWN!" He orders the villians. "No one will get hurt if you just stop, and we'll see that you are not harmed any further."

Amy spreads luck motes all across the place in an attempt to put the fire out!

As the liquid fuel is comsummed the fire begins to gutter and subside, burning in spots with there's easily imflamable material, such as the artist's paintings, but dying away in most of the apartment.

Bullman glances back at Bard amid the dying flames and then lowers his head and runs at the door of the apartment he ended up in after missing Bard, clearly intending to leave Blowfire on his own while Bullman flees the area.

Amy doesn't worry about Bullman's escape - she concentrates on putting the fires out.

The fires are guttering out. The interior of the apartment is a mess. Curiously though, one of the paintings appears to be undamaged despite having been in the midst of the flames.

Amy says, "Hey - this painting looks like it's special! I wonder if it's the one the ghost-lady was looking for!"

The woman, who was unaffected by any of the activity in the apartment, and took no part in them herself, nods. She speaks, but without Ferryl the sense of the words are lost. Going over to the painting she shines the violet light from her palm device at it.

Amy watches closely.

The 'painting' transforms into a violet glowing vertical hoop hanging unsupported in the air. The characteristic rippling interface of a rift forms within the hoop.

Amy says, "Hey that's an interdimensional portal right?"

The woman nods to Amy.

Amy smiles. She might not be a super-scientist, but she's picked up a lot from experience.

Amy says, "I wonder what's on the other side!"

Bard says, "I take it you can go home now Lori..." Bard smiles."

Amy says, "Oh, does it go to Lori's home?"

Amy didn't really follow what Lori was doing here.

The woman steps up to the rift. Stopping for a moment she turns and looks at the heroes left in the apartment. Lifting her visor she exposes her face. The resemblance to Lorelei is quite unmistakable. Bard gets a wistful smile, Amy a nod of thanks. Then she turns and steps into the hoop. The rippling intensifies as she goes through. Then the hoop seems to invert itself through the rift to follow her leaving nothing behind it.

Amy says, "Hey, that was Lorelei! Or I guess another dimension's Lorelei!"

Bard says, "I wonder.... No, she had no wings, she probably wasn't."

Amy says, "Huh? Lorelei dooesn't have wings!"

Bard says, "Not our Lorelei, but there is an evil one said to look likeher with wings... I heard that when I fought Black Toby in the ladies restroom of Pasttimes' coffee shop."

Amy says, "Oh! Well I guess there must be a lot of Loreleis really."

Bard nods. "As there are probably many of me and you in other dimensions. With a high likeyl hood the others me are still in the mafia.

Amy says, "You were in the mafia?!"

Bard nods. "I was, before I was aware of my powers." hE smiles. "But even then I had morals, just not as well defined."

Amy says, "I guess I can't remember if I did before I had powers."

Bard stomps out the last dying embers. "I still use some of the skills and connections I had from that time, they do come in handy if they are risky to use."