Log:ACRO - The Enemy Ace Connection, Scene 4

ACRO - The Enemy Ace Connection 2010/06/18 	 Imaginary Girl Jade Phoenix Enemy Ace

4

This is suburbia: no towering buildings as to the east, but laid out as far as the eye can see thousands of lower to higher middle income houses. There are strip malls, grocery stores, and other commercial buildings, schools and hospitals, none over three storeys tall, all with parking lots. And there is more green space than in the city, but there's little sense of a heart.

Creekfield, however, is something of an exception. If you know where to look, you can still find a trace of the old village, with a couple of churches and some older houses, and even the ancient schoolhouse, still used as a meeting hall, clustered about the creek which gave the town its name.

To recap from whence last we left our heroes: The scene is an idyllic suburban neighborhood. One where the peace has been severely threatened by a metahuman battle within a quiet, perfect-looking home. There is a hole burned through an outer wall of the building...and inside: Domina is unconscious in the living room. Mortua is standing, no longer coated in ice. Jade is in the basement, near Enemy Ace, who is on the floor of the basement. Aoi, Flux and Phoenix are up on the ground floor. Enemy Ace has just delivered an ultimatum. He claims there are twenty bombs scattered about the neighborhood, and if they are not allowed to go, he will cause them to explode.

Jade careful tends to the injured man while being sure not to turn her back on Enemy Ace. "No I-think-not we've-only-your-word-about-the-bombs-and-you-won't-give-any-detail besides-if-we-let-you-go-you-can=plant-still-more-bombs-and-threaten-still-more-people there's-no-reason-to-assume-there's-any-advatnage-to-letting-you-go."

 Jade says, "Anyone-out-there-who's-quick? We-have-an-alleged-twenty-bombs-in-the-area."

Enemy Ace stands. "There are twenty bombs. I...have just set the timer. You have twenty minutes to find them all. Otherwise, they will explode. Like I said...you may have Ruger. He's too injured to be of any use to me. Therefore, you win. You save the citizens here...and you win."

Phoenix floats above the hole in the floor to the basement. She calls to Enemy Ace, "Assuming that there are bombs. Tell us the location of one of them, as a show of faith."

Mortua smiles slightly, and moves over to Domina, to check on her. Enemy Ace takes off again, flying up through the hole between the basement and the ground floor. "They're based on the ACRO plasma technology. With a minor change, I believe your friend's scanning device should be able to detect them with minimal effort. Assuming she's as smart as her reputation would lead me to believe.

Jade sighs and pulls out the omniscanner - when did this become public knowledge? - and sees if she can detect the bombs.

"Arms dealing..." Phoenix says to Enemy Ace, "It seems like a step down for you." She floats backwards to a position where she can keep an eye on Domina and Mortua as well as the Ace.


 * CRASH*

Imaginary Girl comes to a hovering stop in the first floor of the house after literally smashing her way down into the building through its roof, looking around at everyone - and she doesn't look at ALL happy.

"There's /children/ in this neighborhood!", she says, making a sweeping gesture with one hand. "Who's threatening to blow them up?!"

Enemy Ace chuckles. "Think what you like. I'm not an arms dealer." He looks over to Imaginary Girl, and tilts his head. "Hmm. Impressive."

Jade says, "Ok-I-concede-there-are-things-that-*could*-be-bombs it-remains-unclear-that-they're-any-less-likely-to-explode-if-we-release-you."

[To Imaginary Girl] Phoenix says, "Enemy Ace says he has 20 bombs in the neighborhood. He will detonate them if we don't let him and his people escape."

Enemy Ace states, unfazed by Imaginary Girl's arrival, "And yet...can you take that chance? You have nineteen minutes now. The only way they will explode is on that timer. Or if I set them off through my comm systems. I have no desire to do so, however. Tick, tock, ladies and gentlemen. Tick, tock." Mortua kneels next to Domina, trying to wake her. She's a little distracted when Imaginary Girl shows up, looking up at the newly arrived flying woman.

Jade thinks. o O (Damn. If they get away all this was for nothing.)

Imaginary Girl looks over at Phoenix, her normally very pretty face changed by the angry scowl and dark look in her eyes. Then Ace speaks, giving away who he is. Turning to look down into the basement through the hole in the floor, she completely ignores Mortua and floats down to land in front of Enemy Ace, hands on her hips. Once landed, no longer bothering to hover, she slowly lifts a hand, one finger extended. "If even ONE bomb goes off in this neighborhood filled with children", she says... then lowers her hand back to her hip and moves forward, if allowed, until she's all but nose-to-nose with him, and says in all but a growl, "I /promise/ that the next time anyone sees your lifeless body will be on the next manned mission to Mars. Turn them off or I'll turn /you/ off."

Phoenix floats down to Jade. "20 bombs. That's four bombs a piece. Jade tell us where they are and how to disarm them." She levels a fiery finger at Enemy Ace. "If you're still in Colonial Bay when we're done, then you are ash."

Enemy Ace smiles, "I'm sure you would, Imaginary Girl. You have quite the reputation of destruction that you leave in your wake. I suggest you hurry. You're quite fast, after all. Though...perhaps you shouldn't plow through the neighbor's houses."

 Jade says, "Imaginary-Girl can-you-get-him-out-of-range-so-fast-that-he-can#t-detonate=them-by-radio? Then-we=tackle=the-bombs!"

Jade keeps scanning and noting bomb positions.

Imaginary Girl stays right in his face. "Turn them off or die the moment one of them goes off", she says to him, flatly, coldly.... then reaches up to her ear, digging something small out of it to toss aside - her Safeguard Communicator. She doesn't want to be bothered right now, apparently.

Enemy Ace hesitates slightly, but then smiles. "It's a risk I'm willing to take, Imaginary Girl. You have eighteen minutes now. Threatening me doesn't save those families."

Jade starts running for the nearest bomb.

"Feed us those locations, Jade!" Phoenix says. She flies up to Imaginary Girl. She lets the flames dies out around her hand, which she tries to place on Imaginary Girl's shoulder. "Imaginary Girl... I understand how you feel, but we have to go find those bombs!"

Jade starts reporting the bombs locations she has so far. She saves the closest for hereslef so she can get a look at one.

Flux looks a bit dumbfounded. Not sure what she can do, or should do, she just stands there without being on fire.

Jade hopes people know more about defusing bombs than she does.

Jade says, "Flux=can=you=help=me-get-about-quicker?"

Imaginary Girl says, still in that flat tone of voice, "I'm not threatening. I'm promising. One bomb goes off and you're DEAD!", with the last word not being flat... more a pained cry as she reaches her hands up, going for Enemy Ace's throat!

Enemy Ace backs up just enough to be out of reach. "Imaginary Girl. Your friends need your help...I fear they won't find them all without you. And attacking me...will just mean that it will be harder for your friends."

Flux concentrates, given a task, she sprouts wings of flame without igniting her body. "Uh. Okay." She offers her arms to Jade, clearly unsure but being the least experienced of everyone she simply follows directions.

Jade directs Flux to the nearest alleged bomb.

Meanwhile...Jade reaches the next door neighbor's house with Flux's help. It's in the garage of the house next door. Likewise, Phoenix reaches house third.
 * 1) 2...again, it's theoretically in the garage of the house. Aoi has headed to a

Enemy Ace moves over to where Mortua is, and lands. "Imaginary Girl, I assure you, we'll have time to fight another time. We can...make time."

Phoenix tries tossing a small blast of fire at Imaginary Girl, to get her attention. "Hey! Snap out of it! Even if you kill him, those children will _still_ _be_ _dead_. If you want to safe the children, help us find those bombs!"

Jade says, "Can-you-force-the-door-Flux no-time-to-ask-for-it-to-be-opened/"

Flux looks at Jade, pursing her lips. "Uh. Best I can do is throw fire at it. That might not help."

Jade says, "The-best-I-can-do-is-kick-it!"

Jade does so if Flux doesn't act.

Imaginary Girl floats up after Ace... landing next to him. The anger she was feeling and showing is .... clearly draining away. She gets hit by the little blast of fire, more or less swatting at where it hit her. Then, she just drops to her knees in front of the villain. "Please... please don't kill the children!", she says... pleads. "Just turn off the bombs... please!" The waterworks have begun, too, and she reaches out her hands... more as if asking to be given something than as if to grab hold of him.

Flux thinks, then ahs! "How about..." she creates a thick cylinder, long as Jade is tall, out of ice, "A battering ram?"

Enemy Ace raises a brow. "Let me make this clear, Imaginary Girl. Since you're not getting it. If you head out right now, and help your friends, no one will die. No one. Not one child. Keep wasting time, and they might."

Enemy Ace smiles. "And as much as I'm enjoying watching you beg...that diversion will have to wait until next I see you."

"You can save them /now/!", Imaginary Girl pleads. "Just... just turn off the bombs... and I'll do whatever you want", she says, lowering her hands to her sides and her gaze to the floor. "Just... don't hurt the children."

Flux thinks, then ahs! "How about brittle lock?" She freezes the lock solid, and then keeps lowering its temperature. She then applies intense heat, abruptly changing its state from frozen to flash-fried.

That does it...the lock breaks, leaving the door mostly intact.

Jade hurriedly opens the door and rushes in to inspect/scan the bomb so she knows what she's dealing with.

Phoenix blinks and watches Imaginary Girl. o O ( ... Is this for real? ) "Damnit, Imaginary Girl... we don't have time for this. Pick yourself up and let's help the others!" She beings to float towards the outside, edging towards moving to help Jade and Flux.

Jade notices...Bam. It's obvious. There's a small device attached to the generator...that looks like it would cause it to cycle and go into an overload state...and thereby explode. Just the bottom wire needs to be disconnected. It's so simple, that anyone should be able to do it.

Jade does that. And radios the instructions on how to do it to everyone, on both channels.

Jade says, "Ok on-to-the=next=bomb!"

Enemy Ace shakes his head. "Imaginary Girl, it would amuse me to no end to continue this...however. I have places I should be. Like away from here, after your friends find those bombs. Or fail to." He moves over to Mortua, and picks up both Mortua and Domina.

Jade makes a point of scanning while in flight to make sure she locates all the bombs,

Enemy Ace smiles. "Just be sure to see to Ruger. He does need medical attention, after all. A hospital, most likely."

Jade reports the locations of all 16 bombs she's located so far.

Imaginary Girl drags herself to her feet and floats down itno the basement to find her little Safeguard earbud. It's not hard for her to find it, with her superhumanly acute senses, and it's finally back in her ear. "Turn off half the bombs, and I'll make sure Ruger's okay... I promise. Please... give me that much?", she pleads, looking up at Ace as she scoops up the badly injured villain.

In the next few minutes, another 6 are disarmed. Two by each team: Flux/Jade, Aoi, and Phoenix.

Thanks to the adrenaline rush, the excitement, Flux's small frame and underdeveloped muscle mass is not hindering her will to keep going. "You could maybe plot the spots on a map for PDAs or something?" she suggests.

Jade also tries to extrapolate the location of the others, if there's any pattern.

Enemy Ace, "No...I'm guessing you'll take him to the hospital anyway. After all...he didn't plant the bombs. I did." He takes off, and flies through the hole in the roof left by Imaginary Girl.

Jade follows Flux's suggestion and sends the actual cooridinates to people's PDA's s well. She also plots projectd approximate locations of the other bombs.

Phoenix tucks her arms at her sides and flies outside. She'll follow Jade's information via PDA and try to tackle bombs on her own. Speed is of the essence in her mind, and she won't hesistate to do a little property damage in order to get to the bombs.

Imaginary Girl's shoulders slump, in a somewhat defeated manner. The villain is right, after all... she wouldn't leave an injured man there to die. "but... the kids are more important", she says, mostly to herself as she flies up out of the house... to land in the yard and lay the injured Ruger on teh grass. "Stay right here... I'll get you help as soon as I can", she says to him, then lifts up into the sky. Over the Starguard comm, she says, her voice still sniffly from the tears, "... where's there a bomb?"

Jade gives IG some bomb locations.

Tick, tick. More time passes. Another three are disarmed, even if a few garage doors get damaged along the way.

Enemy Ace turns in the air, and flies off to the east...keeping low enough to avoid radar. Meanwhile...with Imaginary Girl in the hunt now too, the work goes faster. Another four...then eight. And finally the nineteenth. Leaving you with a conundrum. You've found nineteen.

Jade says on comms, "We're-a-bomb-short he-claimed-there-were-twenty."

There are still two minutes remaining...

Imaginary Girl flies back to the house the fight took place in. "Maybe it's in the house we all started in?", she questions, over the Safeguard channel, as she goes into the place to search.

Jade says, "I'd-probably-have-detected-that."

Flux suggests, "He could have been lying about how many..."

Phoenix says, "It's a bluff. He's buying himself more time to escape." She seems about ready to launch herself after Enemy Ace.

Phoenix stops herself. "What about the power armor in the basement?"

Flux looks weary. Flying around like a maniac, destroying locks, carrying more than she thought she could... she sits down, her fiery wings extinguishing.

Jade says, "A-bluff-of=one? Seems-unlikely it-may-just-be-an-estimate-of=course but-I've=tyhe-sense=he's-taunting-us I-thought-of-that-but-should-have-detected-it."

Tick, tick...

Flitting back up out of the house, as Jade says she'd have noticed the bomb there, Imaginary Girl lands down next to the injured Ruger, kneeling next to him. "Will you tell me wehre the last bomb is, please?", she asks of him, as she scoops him up. "I'll... take you to the hosptial, now, I guess..."

Jade can't really push Flux and further. She doies the best scan she can - bioth for the bomb and to try to track the escaping villains.

Ruger is quite unconcious, currently. His legs are inside the suit of armor he was putting on, and the armor was locked in place. He's leaning forward, with his arm at an odd angle, and there is some blood on the back of his head.

The escaping villains disappear, heading due east, out over the water.

Imaginary Girl sighs. "I'm gonna take this Ruger guy to the hospital before he dies on us...", she says into the Starguard comm, lifting the man up into the air. "Please hurry adn find that last bomb!"

Jade tries to think if anything she might have missed.

Two police hovercars come gliding up the street, light going, and sirens blaring.

Jade says, "Damn-I-think-he-*was*-lying can-we-make-chase-before-we-lose-him?"

FOOOSHT! Phoenix jets off into the air. As she rockets past, she tries to grab Jade and carry her with.

Imaginary Girl gets Ruger to the hospital without much problem....and gets him admitted to the emergency ward. He's taken immediately, given the extent of his injuries.

Jade thinks. o O (I'm an idiot! I should have trusted to mathematics and not tried to 'read' him. I know I'm no good at that!)

The police stop their vehicles, and open the doors of their cars. At least one says through a megaphone as Phoenix starts to fly off, "Stand down! You're under arrest for breaking into people's homes!"

Jade scans ahead, hoping Enemy Ace's power systems will show up even at a fair distance.

Jade shouts to the police (if not audibly) "We-were-defusing-bombs you-can-thank-us-later."

As soon as she's handed Ruger over to the hospital personnel, /and/ warned them to call the police because he's a supervillain, she takes to the air. "I saw that Ace guy flying out to the Atlantic!", she says over the comm, turning her flight that way.

Phoenix's fiery contrail forms letters for the police to read: "CHASING ACRO" She continues eastwards through the sky.

Imaginary Girl is able to catch up to Phoenix and Jade as they get to the shoreline.

Phoenix calls over to Imaginary Girl. "You take Jade.. you're much faster!"

The police hesitate, and do not open fire on Phoenix and Jade. However, they do walk over to Flux and Aoi, who are still in the area. One of the officers speaks. "What the hell just happened here?"

Flux looks up, weary-eyed. "Uh. Stupid happened."

Jade says, "Damn-they're-gone I-wonder-how-they-disappeared-so-quickly hidden-base-maybe."

The policeman raises a brow. "Care to explain why you were all spotted breaking into homes here?"

Flux nods. "Bomb disposal."

Phoenix says, "Submarine, perhaps."


 * says, "Lemme go way up high, maybe if there's not a lot of clouds, I can spot

him!", and darts up into the air!

Jade says, "Lots-os-possibilities. Damn-it I-knew-we-shouldn't-have-played-his-game!"

Phoenix says, "You know that we didn't have any choice, Jade."

Jade says, "Just=as=well=though if-the-mentalist-is-awake-we're=bettr-off=not-catching-them."

The policeman tilts his head. "Bomb disposal? What do you mean?" Aoi then goes into a little more detail about the bomb situation, and how it came about.

Jade says, "Well I-thought-we-did-once-Imaginary-Girl-arrived."

Phoenix says, "Still, we managed to capture one of their agents, and disrupted their smuggling operation. It's better than nothing."

Jade says, "HArdly. THose=three-are-more-dangerous-than-any-of-tyhat still-maybe-my-scans-will-help-me-track-them-in-future and-there's-that-armour-suit-to-analyse..."

Imaginary Girl calls down from way up high. "I don't see 'em... just normal air traffic stuff over the city... some boats and ships in the ocean... and the islands that're always there, is all", she reports.

"... can we head back?" Phoenix says. "I'm not actually that strong..."

Jade says, "We-might-as-well sadly."

Phoenix turns back to shore. "Maybe the equipment will lead to finding their base somehow."

The police take down Flux's and Aoi's statements about what happened, and start to survey the damage. Several neighbors have started to turn out, trying to figure out what's going on.

Flux even shows the police what a bomb looks like so they can do their looking over it thing.

Imaginary Girl flits back down to the city proper, too... and reaches out to take Jade from Phoenix, finally, for the last bit of the flight back.

Phoenix returns to Creekfield with Jade and Imaginary Girl.

There is a decent sized crowd now...surveying the destruction in the neighborhood. Some houses look much better than others. The ones that Phoenix dealt with have large holes in the garage doors.

The Ruger armor is taken as evidence, of course.

Phoenix floats down and tries to explain matters to the police.

The police take the statements of the other heroes as well, being pretty thorough.

Jade thinks. o O (Oh, right. Take even the armour from someone who could actually learn something useful from studying it. Idiots.)

One of the officers speaks to Phoenix, "I suggest if you want access to the armor in the future, to look it over, you should speak to Detective Carpenter. He's in charge of the ACRO investigation."

Phoenix nods. "Thank you officers." Aside to Jade, she offers a smile and a sigh. "For a moment, I thought that we had them."

Flux just stays quiet, offering no information except to the police. She's too tired to fly away just now, and she really doesn't feel like dealing with press questions.

The press show up shortly thereafter, with a hover camera truck and a single reporter.

Jade says, "It-was-all-over-once-we-let-Enemy-Ace=play-that-stunt especially-once-he-recovered=the-mentalist. But-there-was=nothing-*I*-could-do."

Phoenix says, "It is not over. One day, we will have another shot at Enemy Ace and his allies. And when that day comes I would be happy to have you on my side again." She kills the fire on her hand and offers it to Jade for a shake.

Jade avoids the reporter (other than the usual paranoid check to make sure nothing is amiss). After shaking Phoenix's hand she calls for a taxi back into the city.

Phoenix sticks around and talks with reporters.