Log:Den of Snakes, Scene 3

Den of Snakes 2012/05/18 	 Bullet Jeremy Longbow Miss Chief Pleiades Star Girl 3

SmartScale is a computer hosting provider in the heart of downtown. It's a three story building that stand on the corner of 5th and York Boulevard. Judging from the flashing lights and the people milling about outside the building, there's a fire drill going on.

Having discovered the location from the investigation of the bunker, Bullet said, "Okay, heading there. I'll recon while y'all make your way there." And before anyone can really argue with her, she's been winding up to go as she was speaking... and then *WHOOSH*... she's gone.

Of course, Bullet ends up on a rooftop across the street about a second later.

A fire drill, or the bunker in the basement knows it's about to be compromised and is clearing the danger to itself as best it can without completely giving away it's position, or, the robots set a fire perhaps. Either way Jeremy flies down carrying those whom might need to be carried, such as Star Girl and coming to land outside the building on the street. "Everyone please clear the area, call the police, and stay well back from the building please!" Yep, hero voice for the win. That and he's fast too.

Miss Chief teleported away at about the same time as Bullet. It takes her a bit longer though, not least because her aim is off and it takes her a few jumps to make the right spot.

Longbow is uncharacteristically late. "What is this about villians and bases again?" He says in his hushed voice. "You never invite me to anything fun Star." He mutters under his breathe. His bow is upon his back at the moment.

Star Girl hitches a ride with Jeremy. She hops down to the pavement once she's close enough. "Thanks, Jeremy!" she says with a wave. She turns and addresses the crowd. "Everyone stand back please," she says, brandishing her Starguard identification. Aside, she comments to Longbow, "What, this doesn't count as a 'thing'?"

Longbow grins under his mouth gaurd. "Got me a communicator? I'll try to be eyes and ears if you need it other than that you know what I can do."

Pleiades streaks on to the scene, skating along the street at a couple hundred miles per hour, weaving in and out of traffic.

The crowd gives ample room for the heroes, and some of them begin to speculate as to the cause of the fire drill.

Pleiades screeches to a halt near the other heroes witha cheerful wave.

Jeremy looks over towards Pleiades when she arrives and he smiles before looking over towards Longbow, quirking an eyebrow up but he shrugs, "For you new people," .oO(God when did I become an old man?) He thinks to himself before continuing, "There's a good possibility of robots in there, high powered, very aggressive robots. Try not to get hit and hit them hard, they can take a lot of punishment." And then, so much for pretending to be a leader, "Umm... oh yeah, watch out for people, we don't know if the building is fully clear or someone's smokin' in the boys room."

Miss Chief says, "Oh, and the robots are set up by VENOM, if that means anything to anyone."

Star Girl greets Pleia with a quick wave before turning towards the building.

Longbow asks Jeremy a question. "Any known weaknesses? Suceptibility to magnetism or what not?"

Pleiades grins, "Autonomous Drones? I can handle those!" . o O (Let's stay sharp Panzerfaust, this could be Scarlotti finally making her move!). o O [Yes, my Comrade!]

"They could be, I have no idea. The only magnetic people I know, weren't around to test." Jeremy says with a shrug, "I know they took an area blast without even flinching and I had to hit them at... a whole lot of power to drop two in one go.. I mean like... if I shot someone with that much power, they'd be vaporized type of power."

Star Girl looks at the squat three story building. "They could be anywhere... I'm not seeing anything unusual in infrared," she says sounding a little frustrated.

Miss Chief says, "They might not be active. They others weren't suppposed to be active for ages yet."

"That's because they're gonna ambush us as we close in on the bunker I think." Jeremy says to Star Girl, then to Miss Chief, "I think when we tripped the intruder alarm on the other bunker, these others might have gone active as a security measure. Since they were nice enough to put a /map/ to all the other locations."

Jeremy says, "Seriously... a map..."

Miss Chief says, "Yeah - that was kind of weird. Um, unless it's a trap!"

Longbow says, "Cliche..."

Pleiades nods, "If they want to set a trap, probably best to have Forwards go in first to set it off."

Star Girl heads inside. "Come on, they could be erasing stuff as we speak."

Longbow says, "I can attempt to sneak into the facility if that would be desireable."

"I think time is of the essence just keep an eye out for ambush." And Jeremy goes to head into the building too. "It's probably down in the basement or sub basement or something. If there is one."

Pleiades follows Star Girl, "That would be great. If you can be a Flanker while we hold their attention, you can strike them from behind or get whatever they're protecting."

Longbow follows.

Miss Chief flies in with the others, not fancying a blind teleport into a nest of robots.

In the front lobby, there are two security guards. "You can't come here -- fire alarm," one of them says.

"Hero's on work related business. Police are coming, please wait outside." Jeremy shoots the security guard a smile. "Feel free to write our names down, I'm Cobalt, this is Star Girl, that is Pleiades and Miss Chief and... Longbow." He pulls up names out of his memory. "But please do so outside where you won't be in danger."

The guards look at one another, before drawing their pistols.

Jeremy blinks, "Really? I'm bulletproof."

Longbow will move behind Jeremy and hold to return fire if he sees fit.

Angstrom steps up to one of the guards and tries to wrestle his gun arm and pin it behind his back.

Star Girl steps up to one of the guards and tries to wrestle his gun arm and pin it behind his back.

Jeremy cants his head to the side, "I wonder if this is the VENOM front in Colonial Bay, I mean really... what security guard /here/ would draw down on heroes."

"Unhfff!" grunts the security guard as Star twists his arms behind his back and jams up him against the wall. She thinks. o O ( Hmm. Maybe those sparring sessions with Koto are starting to pay off... )

Pleiades blinks, "Maybe they've been Controlled?"

Miss Chief casts a quick spell and the reception desk leaps at the second guard and tries to pin him - gun hand especially - to the ground.

Miss Chief did the desk actually *bend* as it leapt, like an animal would leap? tt certainly gave that impression. In any case, it successfully pounces on the guard and pins him as a large cat might - though back in normal table shape.

Did the desk actually *bend* as it leapt, like an animal would leap? tt certainly gave that impression. In any case, it successfully pounces on the guard and pins him as a large cat might - though back in normal table shape.

Jeremy's used to things being over by the time he gets to react and really, anything he'd have done could have risked their lives. "Nice work." He compliments the others and then says to Pleiades, "Was just robots at the other place. No mind control gas or anything." And he starts for either the elevator or whatever that might lead down, letting the other heroes decide what they want to do with those two guards.

Star Girl says, "Go ahead. I'll watch these two."

Miss Chief says. "Thanks, just hold him there!" to the table and follows Jeremy.

The elevator has a basement, and a sub-basement which requires a key to access.

Longbow says, "If the elevator shaft doesn't have something to stop getting to the bottom of the shaft, I can get down there and attempt to scout."

"Or," Jeremy says with a smile, "Other option..." He leans his head out the elevator, "Star they have a passkey on them?"

Miss Chief says, "Hm. I can see if I can talk the lock into opening. But locks often take their job seriously."

Pleiades says, "Maybe one of those Guardians has a key?"

Longbow says nothing but does not seem fond of such an upfront approach

Star Girl twists the security guards arm. "Key. Now, please. I really don't want to take your arm home with me..."

The guard says, "Left hand side of my belt..."

Star Girl tosses the keys over to Jeremy.

Miss Chief says, "Huh. So they aren'y just the upstairs guards."

"Thanks Star." Jeremy says as he catches the keys and then looks to Longbow, "Enemy stronghold, divide and conquer is bad enough we don't need to be doing it to ourselves no?" He smiles and tries to find the key to fit into elevator controls so they can go down.

"I don't like allies going in blind is all." Longbow states.

Pleiades says, "Maybe some of us should take the stairs, if there are any? So we're not all trapped in the Levitator?"

"If I was designing access to a secret base, I certainly would make there be a choke point to get in and out with a possible exit, that likely isn't in this building. It'd make it easier to defend. Besides..." Jeremy says with a smile, "It's all part of the job right? Go into unknown base, break things, arrest people... good fun."

Miss Chief asks the elevator if it has any traps.

Miss Chief says, "The elevator says it doesn't have any traps!"

The elevator doors open in a the sub basement. It's a small 2m square area with another, heavy door preventing further progress.

Longbow says, "This seems odddly familiar. behind it likely will be armed entities. So, knock?""

"Be my guest." Jeremy says to Longbow, "My knocking is bad, and besides to idiot guards we don't necessarily know that this place is remotely connected to VENOM."

Pleiades looks to Miss Chief, "Can you talk it into in opening for us, or should I smash it down?"

Longbow says, "I don't know if you seriously want me to knock or not suddenly..."

Jeremy smirks and he walks up to the door and... knocks. Hard enough to be heard but he's not trying to bash the door down yet. "Avon calling."

Miss Chief says, "I can ask..... Hey door! How's it going? Say, do you think you can open for us?"

Longbow says, "We're wondering if you'd like to renew your subscription to our fine products and services."

Miss Chief says, "Thanks, door!" as it clicks unlocked and opens.

Beyond the door is some sort of laboratory. At the far end of the room there's a young man floating suspended in a tube of clear liquid. He's naked, save for a cleverly placed control panel over the tube. The tube looks to be connected to a computer readout. On the left wall there's a computer with a large display. Opposite it, on the right wall, are docks for two robotic trooper. As the heroes step into the room, the robot activate. They step out of their docks and face the entrance.

Jeremy asides, "Might not want to stand behind me this time... these robots pack a punch and sent me flying through a wall last time."

Pleiades steps back in shock at the sight of the man in the tube. . o O (Sankt Kaiser! Is this another Project Urd!?)

The computer annouces: "Shutdown procedure in progress. Shutdown procedure in progress."

Longbow is not stading behind Cobalt, but instead he's moving to the side behind cover, He readies himself, though his bow has faded from existance. "I'll not be the first to fire then, but I will fire if it comes to it."

"We need to keep the computer operational I think, or whoever that is might drown." Jeremy says, "So, computer people, hop to. Or something." He himself is looking towards robots.

Longbow says, "Would you think breaking the case would set it into a state where it could survive?"

Jeremy shrugs, "No clue, not my field."

The robots step forward and fan out, raising their hand-blaster, targetting Miss Chief and Cobalt.

Pleiades leaps in front of Miss Chief, shouting, "Panzerfaust! Panzer Shield!" He gauntlet replies, "Jawohl mein Kameradin!" as a runic triangle appears underneath her and a blue tinged transparent wall of triangular panels unfolds into existence and absorbs most of the energy from the shot. She's sent flying past Miss Chief back into the entrance way.

Jeremy gets blasted backwards as well and he slams into the wall behind him with a soft oof and a chuckle, "See, told you, they pack a punch." And he starts dusting himself off from where he sits, checking his shirt out before anything else. Got to make sure his clothes don't get cooked off.

Longbow pops out from his little hidey hole and unleashes 3 arrows in blazing fast sucsession from a bow that forms from nothing. All aimed at the robot on the right.

Longbow's first arrow knocks the robot back into its dock. The second arrow is also true. The robot is still functional, but damaged a little.

Jeremy watches as arrows tink into the robot and he smiles, "Got to hit them hard. They can take a lot of punishment." Even as he's standing up energy is growing in his eyes making them glow brilliantly before there is a mass of seething energy consuming his eyes completely. Without a second thought he unleashes a double blast of eye beams at the robot that blasted him and then stretches a bit.

Sparks fly and the robot smashes into a bank for data storage equipment.

Miss Chief is far from a computer person, but she's hoping the computer is smart enough eveb if she's not. "Hey, computer, could you stay awake? There's some stuff we need to ask you!"

Miss Chief says, "The guy in the tube is still alive, but the computer says he wouldn't be if the shutdown went ahead!"

Longbow asks, "Would draining the tube of fluid prevent him from dying or make it happen faster?" He does not act but is prepared to move in the event of being attack or retaliate as needed.

The robots get up. One directs its hand-blasters against Longbow, and the other aims for Jeremy.

Longbow fires at the robot who prepares to fire at him.

The robot slams into the wall and falls forward onto its face. It stops moving.

The robot's blast misses.

Miss Chief questions the computer on the guy in the tube: what's his condition, and why he's being kept in the tube, if it knows. What conditions it's supposed to keep him in. (If he explodes when exposed to oxugen, for instance, we want to know that!)

Pleiades shouts, "Blitzraeder, let's go!" Her skates chirp, "Ja Kumpel!" and small jets fire from the back of her skates as she flips to her feet. Sizing up the situation, she calls out, "Panzerfaust, Overcharge Excellion!" Her gauntlet replies, "Jawohl mein Kameradin!" An irregular jagged buzsaw shaped pattern of runes appears beneath her skates. The bands around her gauntleted wrist accerelate uuntil they're just a blur, whirring angrily. Her eyes glow bright red and the aroudn her shimmers from the heat, her hair and her ribbon fluttering in the thermal. She rockets toward the remaining robot and smashes down on it with her gauntleted fist.

Pleiades smashes the robot into the wall. It lets out a shower of sparks and lies still. Her gauntlet vents steam from its side as the bands slow and her eyes return to normal. She wobbles a little on her skates as she catches her breath.

Jeremy brushes himself off some more and checks his shirt with a frown, "I wonder if I can get Star Guard to make me a tank top and shorts out of that costume material stuff..." He mutters to himself before he looks towards the tube with the guy in it and thanks the comic code authority for that little panel. "So what's up with sleeping studly there?"

Longbow says, "YOu might want to look into Iron weave. It is nearly industructable from my experience.""

Panzerfaust announces in German, "Recovery!"

Miss Chief says, "Pretty much all the data on the computer was erased before I got there - any longer and the life support would be shut down."

Pleiades looks at the tube, "I wonder if he's an Artificial Person?"

Star Girl says, "A tank top? Hello? It's the 2040s, they want their clothing back..." Star Girl comes down from upstairs, pantomiming a phone call. "I turned those guys over to the police... Whoa." She stops upon spotting the guy in the life support tube."

Longbow looks to Star Girl. "Again, nothing fun." It's celar he's joking.

Miss Chief says, "But I'm kind of guessing he might be meant as some kind of weapon to be woken at a certain time, like the robots?"

Victory shows up a little late, coming running up the block. "Seems like I missed the fight, huh?"

Miss Chief says, "In whch case we really don't want to wake him up without both medical staff and a lot of metas nearby, I'm guessing."

Miss Chief says, "Oh, the other thing is the computer doesn't know if he needs to be kept in any special conditions yet. So we might want to get medical people here before the temperature changes much or anything."

Miss Chief says, "Poor thing had its memory almost totally wiped!"

Pleiades pulls put her rather futuristic looking smartphone and starts taking pictures of the equipment.

Star Girl shakes her head, smiling, before making a mean face at Longbow for his comment. She returns to a smile when Victory shows up. "Hey."

"Yeah cuz there's been /so/ much advancement in mens casual wear since the industrial revolution." Jeremy quips back towards Star Girl, "Besides... if I bought expensive clothes I'd just get annoyed when they got ruined." He then looks over towards the computer and the stuff, "Well, this is way out of my pay grade... I'd just try to get him to a hospital if we can. Call for a sealed ambulance or something."

Miss Chief says, "Can he even be moved safely?"

Miss Chief looks. "Yeah- the equipment looks portable."

Victory heads over to Star Girl, and notices the person everyone is talking about. "Huh."

Miss Chief says, "So, uh, can someone strong carry him to the hospital? Or do I need to find something strong enough to do it?"

Star Girl smirks at Pleia. "Don't forget to get a few snaps of tube boy. You know... for evidence..." She then says over to Jeremy. "I'm joking mostly. But I am in over at Starguard now, though. Maybe I can get them to hook you up with some threads..." She shrugs. "I mean, it's not like they had to pay for my costume."

Victory nudges Star Girl, "For evidence, huh?"

Star Girl smiles and tries to look innocent, which mostly consists of her eyelets going wide and arching skyward.

Pleiades blinks, "That's what I'm doing. This looks kind of like an Artificial Person chamber, so my superiors might be interested."

"I'm sure I can carry him if needs be. I'll get him to the hospital quicklike unless that apparatus weighs more than four hundred tons, which I highly doubt." Jeremy offers to the others, "I just don't want to disconnect him if it'll kill him immediately."

Miss Chief says, "No, he can be moved...."

Victory raises a brow, "So...uh...what do we have here? Why not bring in some specialists to deal with this? Rather than moving him personally?"

Star Girl looks over to Victory. "I'm not sure... whatever it is, it looks like VENOM wanted to keep it hidden."

Victory furrows his brow. "VENOM? You sure?"

Miss Chief says, "Well, the computer at the other base said it was VENOM. KIngsnake, to be precise."

Jeremy shrugs at Victory, "I don't know any experts on stuff like this. I'm merely offering to be a taxi. Already said this is above my paygrade." He leaves it at that and walks over towards the guy in the tube, "I bet he's like that guy in that really really old television show, Khan or whatever. Genetically engineered to be a conqueror..."

Miss Chief says, "Or a timebomb."

Miss Chief says, "Or he's some poor natural-born meta being kept under."

Pleiades bites her lower lip nervously.

"Starguard can have a tech team come over and examine all of this stuff." Star says.

Victory nods. "I'm inclined to let Starguard deal with it, honestly."

Miss Chief says, "Ok - we'd better warn them what might be involved though."

Longbow sneaks away. One last exam.

"Alright then, I gotta get back to campus, got to sign up for summer term." Jeremy says with a smile, "Give a call if you need me for transport or whatever. Peace." And he's heading out as well to sign up for college!

Miss Chief says, "I should too - oh, what about the places in other cities? We need to tell the local heroes about those!"

Victory waves. "See you."

Star Girl nods. "I'll call it in." She raises her thumb and pinky to the side of her head. "Yes," she says to someone on the other end. "It's Star Girl. We need a tech team at the following address..." She looks aside to Miss Chief, "It's been taken care of."

Miss Chief says, "Ok. See you around then!"

Miss Chief vanishes.

Pleiades takes a few more pictures and mutters, "There. The Asura should receive it next time they stop in to read the dimensional buoy."

Victory raises a brow. "What 'the Asura'? I think you told me once, but I'm not sure."

Pleiades shakes her head, "The Asura is an SDPA cruiser. It stops by periodically."

Victory nods. "Ah. Gotcha. Tran-dimensional cop car." He smiles.

Pleiades grins, "Um, more like transdimensional battleship."

Victory shrugs and smiles. "Understood."

Pleiades ums, "But I guess this probably isn't Scarlotti's work, unless she's working with this VENOM group."

Star Girl says, "So, at the bunker that was uncovered back at campus, we found a computer with a countdown, and a map indicating a bunch of locations on a map. This place was one of the locations on the map -- that's how we found it.""

Jeremy leaves Downtown and enters Sky Above West Side.

Victory nods. "What kind of countdown are we talking about? Days? Minutes?"

Star Girl says, "Years... It was counting down to January 25, 2065."

Pleiades blinks, "That's... a long time from now, right?"

Victory furrows a brow, "About three years."

Victory shakes his head. "Well, I suppose we won't know until Starguard takes a look. They could be clones. Or grown metahumans. Hard to say. I do know that VENOM seems to be taking a special interest in me, for some reason."

Pleiades looks at Victory curiously, "Oh? Are you an Artificial Person?"

Star Girl says, "It seemed like something big. It looked like they had bases in LA, New York, and Chicago, too."

Star Girl just smirks, biting back a comment.

Victory shakes his head. "I think it's because my father was a supersoldier. Perhaps something genetic."

Pleiades nods, clearly still confused.