Log:Free Radical

2010/12/09 	 Dasha Devil Dog Jennifer and Jessica Nightkitten Quirk 1

The following breaking story is reported over the airwaves. The Chinese supervillain Radium has been spotted in Nevada. She's broken into the nuclear power research facility there and seems to be jury rigging it for some unknown purpose. This is the first time Radium has been spotted since her escape from custody... ( *Reported in +media, -Angst )

Devil Dog is currently organizing food and other things in the basement of his church and sighs, walking over to his radio and flipping it off as he gets ready to go. A quick change into his costume upstairs and he hurls himself out a window and explodes into flames, appearing at the radiation plant high in the air just moments later.

Quirk quickly gets on Heronet to offer rapid transportation to any heroes wanting to head to the site.

Nightkitten turns to her partner. "Nyalice, ready? I got us transport from Heronet."

Quirk will open a door - quite literally - to the facility.

The Army has trying to simultaneously trying to drive Radium from the base and evacuate civilians from the facility. The Department of Energy is fearing the worst: Radium has managed to bypass the safety locks of the research lab and in the worst case scenario, it could lead to a nuclear explosion that could devastate New Mexico and drop fallout over the Southwestern US.

Dasha nods and adjusts her hat. "You bet I am! My first major gig as a hero, this is gonna be great!"

Jennifer and Jessica get the message on a drop exercise. The insertion craft changes course and accelerates to high Mach numbers. Very shortly afterwards the rolling thunder of a sonic boom rattles downwards as the drop ship flashes across the sky, two drop capules exjecting as it passes over the facility.

Quirk is pleased to take any heroes who contact him to his home - well, a room in it filled with doors on the floor, walls and ceilings - and thence to Sandia.

Two drop capules scream down through the sky leaving a fiery trail of white hot plasma behind until they slow from air friction to the point at which the occupants blow the shells and free fall for a HALO approach.

Jennifer thinks. o O (I need to get a Safeguard comm unit. Yeah, I'm an idiot for putting it off.)

Dasha picks Nightkitten up into her arms and sprints off to Quirk's place.

Devil Dog flashes into existence about 24 M in the air, hovering over the entrence way to the facility, "Hrm." he grumbles as his flaming wings sprout from his back to hold him at this altitude, arms folded over his chest.

Description has been changed. Type look to see the new description.

Quirk opens one of the door of the strange room straight to New Mexico. "After you!".

Nightkitten steps through the portal with her partner.

Dasha blinks as Quirk opens a door. "Why thank you." She walks through with Nightkitten.

Since 1949, Sandia National Laboratories has developed science-based technologies that support our national security. Today, the 300+ million Americans depend on Sandia's technology solutions to solve national and global threats to peace and freedom. Right now the base looks like a warzone. At the center of the chaos is    Building 30, the main nuclear research facility. Someone has blasted a hole in    the roof of the building exposing and ominous glowing light from within. Civilians are fleeing the base on foot and in cars in a disorganized panic. Around the base, there are a number of military rescue vehicles and unmanned main battle tanks. Almost all of the tanks have been reduced to half-melted, smoking heaps of junk.

Dasha blinks. "How the hell did they blast through THAT?!" She points at the building.

Nightkitten meeps. "Bast above and below."

Jennifer and Jessica use their grav belts instead of the parachutes strapped to their backs, setting the belts for a descent rate far higher than any normal paratrooper could cope with. Being on exercise they are wearing BDUs with a large number of pockets and pouches. Catching sight of Quirk's group emerging from the 'door' she lands near them, taking the impact with a rolling breakfall. "Hi. Anyone know more than just its Radium and she's inside the security perimeter?" she asks the instant she's down.

Quirk says, "I'm afraid not. DOes anyone know anything about this 'Radium'?"

Nightkitten says, "I only know what little was on her police report..."

Dasha says, "I'm more worried about the fact that there's a hole in the building designed to withstand planecrashes and nukes."

Jennifer nods, "Yes. She's tough and dangerous. Has radiation powers. Just being near her is bad but we have some leeway. Don't take chances. Use the advantage of numbers. Know where the nearest cover is and if she attacks you, dodge or dive clear. Your companions can get a shot once she's committed herself."

Radium flies through the air, returning from the perimeter of the base where she's just slagged another robot tank.

Super Radium

A radiant being of energy. The form of this creature seems female, from the shape of hear incandecent body, and the long mane of black hair that cascades from her head, passing her shoulders. Through the translucent exterior, one can see the the dark shape of her skeleton, lurking underneath. She's clad scantily in plates of silvery armor. One piece of armor frames her featureless face, two plates cover her chest, with rings of the material around her arms legs and waist. On the waist of her armor, there's a manual dial, that Radium adjusts from time to time. Those who have encountered Radium before will recognize a difference. Her aura glows brighter with swirling motes of energy circling her form.

Devil Dog ignores caucion and discussion, the melted tanks probably mean dead people and that really pisses him off. Attempting to keep his tempor iin check he flies forward away from his spot in the air to land on the ceiling of building 30 once he reaches it and look threw the hole there.

The twins activate their defenses.

Quirk is impressed with the apparent physical formidableness of Radium. So he gesturs grandly calls out to her, at the top of his voice, "Powerful you may be, Radium! But what can you do, now I take the sight from your eyes, the sound from you ears, take away every sense you have?"

Radium seems to shake off the effects of Quirk's magic, but he certainly succeeded in getting her attention. "What if I simply take... your life," Radium says.

Dasha grits her teeth at her powerlessness to fight Radium. "Kit, I'm gonna go be stupid. The bitch is too high for me to jump at her, so I'll do something else to help out." She starts running toward Building 30, clearing almost all of the distance in the blink of an eye.

Jennifer thinks. o O (She seems to be thinking ahead. Radium is still here so she wants something in the building. Get inside it and Radium won't be able to stay out of her reach. Glad these new heroes are getting smarter.)

Jennifer moves to interpose herself by standing in front of Dr Quirk. She draws her sword from it's sheath across her back and stands ready to react if Radium, or maybe when Radium, attacks Dr Quirk. Jessica however runs forward towards the building, "Radium! We meet again! Surrender or face the consequences." . o O(That covers the required niceities. Now let's take her down.)

Radium turns her head, catching sight of Dasha heading towards the building beneath her. She returns her attention to Quirk and Jennifer, flying forward until she's directly over their heads and 10 m up in the air. "You again," she says to Jennifer. "You might have gotten the better of me last time, but you have not a chance this time..." She points her hands down at Quirk and Jennifer and tries to bombard them with a brilliant blast of light energy.

Jennifer defects the blast coming down at Dr Quirk, the energy reflecting off the flashing sword balde. But she's a fraction too slow to get the blade back to cover herself and the radiation smashes her to the ground, haloing her in its radiance but, fortunately her dark paratrooper glasses protects her eyes from flash blindness.

[To Jennifer] Quirk says, "Thank you!"

Jennifer chuckles from the ground, "Anyone that can piss off Radium is okay in my book. Glad to have helped out."

Nightkitten leaps out of the way of the attack, hoping to keep herself a low priority target. She then turns around and sends a spirit kitten towards Radium.

The impact of the blast knocks Radium upwards, though she doesn't seem phased by the attack, only angered.

Jessica watches Radium sent sailing off out of her energy whip range. So her hands remains in a pouch as she waits for a chance to engage.

Devil Dog suddenly flaps his wings hard and launches himself down at the prone Villain, attempting to smash two flaming feet into her back and send her plummetting to the ground.

KRAK.. THUD! Devil Dog's kick slams into Radium and sends her into the ground where she impacts with pavement splintering force, just a handful of meters from Quirk and Jennifer.

Devil Dog growls out to the villain on the ground, sounding pissed as he sends her smashing down into the dirt, "Get up! GET UP!" it is clear he has some venting to do.

Jessica slips a hand into a pouch and draws out a crystal goose-egg. She doesn't use these often now, but in Radium's case... The hissing energy whip lashes out curling up and around to strike down hard and fast from above Radium.

The ground shakes as Jessica's blow drives Radium a bit deeper into the ground.

Radium floats up from the impact crater, bits of cracked pavement s=falling away from her radiant frame. She rights herself effortlessly.

Radium curls up, drawing her knees into her chest and wrapping her arms around them as she floats next to Quirk and Jessica. She hums softly as she begins glow - her aura brightening with shimmering energy until "Graah!" She yells, exploding with a shock wave...

Radium throws open her frame, arms and legs akimbo, as the throws the shockwave.

Quirk quickly mimes a defensive wall to shield himself and Jennifer.

The glass wall that Quirk brought into being (or maybe people are just imagining it?) holds under the blast.

(reposed) Radium curls up, drawing her knees into her chest and wrapping her arms around them as she floats next to Quirk and Jessica. She hums softly as she begins glow - her aura brightening with shimmering energy until "Graah!" She yells, exploding with a shock wave... Radium throws open her frame, arms and legs akimbo, as the throws the shockwave.

Jennifer nods to Dr Quirk, "Thanks."

Quirk says, "My pleasure."

Nightkitten leaps back again, fearful of the shockwave. With luck, she can continue the onslaught. She sends another spirit kitten at Radium.

The blast hits Radium in the side and knocks her against one of the buildings. She slumps down into a seated position. She's still conscious though, and none of the fight seems to have left her.

Jennifer thinks. o O (Now. With heroes facing Radium? They have to be kidding.)

Jennifer speaks into the microphone of her secure comm link headset, "Say again... Your last transmission was scambled. Unable to make it out." while thinking. o O(That should buy me a few seconds.) Jennifer gets to her feet and draws from a pouch the same type of crystal device that Jessica used. A pair of energy whip lashes spring into existance, merging as the tips and several meters intertwine around each other. Then the combined lash strikes down at Radium.

Radium turns transparent... Well, more transparent than usual.

Jennifer mouths a silent 'oops' as the combined lash hammers a great chunk of reinforced cermatite from the near nuke proofed building wall.

Devil Dog hurtles down from the sky and skims along the ground, as soon as the twin's whips are out of his way he passes past the now fading villain and swings his feet around again, attempting to kick her with flaming booted feet as he passes.

Jennifer calls out, "Keep her from getting back into the building. Whatever gave her a boost is starting to run out."

Devil Dog back flaps and spins in the air, winging it to the hole in the roof of building 30. He takes Jen's advice to get there before her, hoping she'll have to solid up, and give him another chance to tear her a new hole or two.

Nightkitten takes a full leap towards the fray.

Jennifer steps over towards Radium while pulling a fine silvery metallic mesh from another pouch. "You know, I had this problem once before. But my sister's boyfriend helped me out. If you resume solid form we're going to kick your butt into next week. If you don't you ain't going anywhere." and with those words she throws the mesh at Radium.

Jessica holds her action, waiting to see what Radium is going to do.

Quirk resumes the assault on Radium's mind, gesturing toward her dramatically. "You know you cannot long resist my magics - even now your senses are fading to nothingness."

Quirk is disappointed at her resistance. "She's fighting my influence as one desperate...."

Jessica says, "That's a good sign, Dr Quirk. A lot better than her not bothering because it wouldn't affect her if you succeeded."

Dasha doesn't find anyone initially in Building 30, but a banging sound and calls for help draws her into the middle of the building. Here, a number of scientists are locked behind a radiation proof blast door with a small window in it. "Yes! Over here! Get us out!"

Dasha runs to the door and searches around for a handle. "Hang on two ticks and I'll get you out!"

Dasha mutters to herself. "Well, time to be stupid." To the scientists, she calls out: "Clear the door!" Taking a few moments to rear back as far as the room will permit her, she begins running at full-tilt, shoulder lowered to ram.

Dasha charges the door, every muscle in her body burning to put as much force to this blow as possible.

Dasha bursts the door from it's hinges, stumbling into the room along with it. Her shoulder bruised and feeling odd, she picks herself up and makes ready to lead the scientists out of the building.

Radium becomes solid, and she prepares to blast her way loose.

Radium blasts free of the net!

Radium grunts as the energy whip bites into her. All the bits of energy orbiting her body have faded. She groans. She's still up, but moving slowly.

Radium goes transparent and sinks into the ground.

Meanwhile, in Building 30, the scientist run for their lives now that Dasha has freed them from their captivity. One of them stay behind though. He says to Dasha, "You must stop her! She's going to overload the particle accelerator!

Jennifer calls out to the heroes on hand, "She'll be heading for the research lab. She was building some kind of jury-rigged device in there.

Dasha starts gets up and starts leading the scientists out.

Quirk says, "Where is that?"

The Lead Scientist tries to stop Dasha from leaving. "No you don't understand... if the accelerator overloads, there's not way to reach safe distance!"

Jennifer shrugs, "Your guess is probably better than mine, Dr Quirk. I came close to flunking science in high school. With any luck there'll be a building map in reception."

Quirk says, "Not my field, either."

Jessica starts moving into building 30. Jennifer commences a run towards building 57.

Jessica says, "Follow me."

A fleeing scientist locks eyes with Quirk.

Quirk walks back in the door he just came out of, no longer leading to his home.

Dasha picks up the lead scientist. "Unless your being here is actively preventing something from exploding in a big way, come on!"

Dasha picks up the lead scientist. "Unless your being here is actively preventing something from exploding in a big way, come on!" She sprints to the exit, carrying him over her shoulder.

"The accelerator has to be shut down!" cries the Lead Scientist as he bounces on Dasha's shoulder.

Dasha skids to a stop. "Where is it?!"

The Lead Scientist points in the direction of deeper into the building.

Just as the scientist mentions it. Radium rises up through the floor of the building, appearing between Dasha and the Accelerator. She looks back towards Dasha, then turns and flees, disappearing around a corner. She moves a little sluggishly, not with the same swiftness and agility as before.

Quirk vanishes, and appears in building 30.

Dasha ignores Radium and heads straight to the accelerator. "What do you need to do?"

Quirk winds up in a broom cupboard. Typical.

Inside Building 30, flashing red lights and alarm klaxons warn of an impending reactor containment failure and emergency signs point the way to the exists. Night Kitten and Jessica have just arrived at the front of the building, just as a bunch of freed scientists are escaping out of the front door. Inside the main corridor of the building, Dasha is being warned by the Lead Scientist of the potential disaster. Quirk is in a broom closet just off the main corrider. Radium appeared briefly in Dasha's line of sight, but she quickly vanished around a corner, heading to the particle accelerator room.

Jennifer is just now reaching Building 57, on another part of the base.

Quirk grabs a bottle of cleaner from the cupboard, hiding it in his robes, and leaves the closet, trying to guess the right way to go.

Nightkitten rushes in, hoping to bring justice to the villainess.

Dasha sprints to the collider area, carrying the scientist. "You can shut that thing down before it goes, right?"

The Scientist says, "I'll try! We don't have any other choice!"

Dasha nods, still running as fast as the corridors will allow.

Quirk runs afteer the people who seem to know wherre they're going.

Jessica grabs one of the older, hopefully less panicked scientists, "Not so fast. You can't outrun a nuclear blast but unlike me you might have the knowledge to stop it. Let's go. Which is the quickist way?"

The scientist points out the path to Jessica.

Dasha's path to the atom smasher leads her into the basement of the building. Here, she catches up with Radium, who is punching in a key sequence to open the heavy radiation-proof door to the reactor chamber.

Dasha drops the scientist where she stands and sprints at Radium, shoulder lowered to ram Radium as she makes the approach.

Dasha rams into Radium with her shoulder, knocking the radioactive villainess into the heavy, lead-lined door with a loud THUMP. She brushes off her shoulder and adjusts her Fedora. "Sorry about that COLLISION, but I can't let you off so FAST. You're not taking another step, Radon!"

Dasha's charge connects solidly with Radium. She slams into the reactor door and then rebounds, falling flat onto her front. She moves slowly, pushing up on one elbow to look up at Dasha.

Radium looks up at Dasha and says, "You may have stopped me from winning today. But I'll make sure that you all will lose." She raises her hand at Dasha. She then turns her aim on a set of computer banks nearby. She fires a wide angled blast of radiation, destroying the computers.

Quirk runs into the room, high up a wall, to keep the path clear for any other heroes who might be coming.

Jennifer gets into sight of Dasha and Radium. Letting the scientist down around the corner she winces as Radium blasts the computer banks.

The Lead Scientist shouts, "No!"

Quirk asks the scientists, "What does that mean? What's going to happen? How do we stop it?"

"She's destroyed the controls for the reaction," the scientist says. "If that happens, the control rods should drop into place, but Radium has fused them in place on the inside of the chamber."

Quirk says, "Tell me exactly where the fissionable material is!"

Jennifer says, "Huh. Would be today I left the rad-suit at home."

Dasha leans down and sends a quick, hard jab at Radium's head.

The scientist says, "You can see the rods through the viewing port." The door to the reactor has a thin window, about an inch tall and a foot wide. It allows sight of the inside of the airlock.

Radium falls unconscious from the blow.

Quirk says, "Right - everyone look away from the rods - now!"

Dasha strikes Radium in the back of the head, knocking her out as her face impacts the ground with a fairly impressive force.

Jennifer runs into the door of building 57. "I'm looking for a Dr Oakca?" she calls out, wondering if she got the name right.

Quirk says, "Look away, and I'll shut it down!"

Dasha looks away.

Nightkitten closes her eyes and looks away.

Jessica slaps Radium across the back of her neck with a shock baton, making sure she won't interfere, while taking care to look away from the area of the window and control rods.

Quirk casts a spell on the rods - he just hopes he has his science right. Never his strong suit.

There's a dark skinned African man in a doctor's lab coat. He's wearing tinted glasses with perfectly round lenses. "Okeafor," he says correcting Jennifer. He offers a silver attache case to Jennifer. "Here you are. B-4s are inbound. I don't want to be here to see it when they show up."

Jennifer shrugs, "Dr Okeafor, I was told to pick this up. But nobody has gotten around to telling me what I'm supposed to do with it. Think you might enlighten me?"

Okeafor says, "Escort it back to Colonial Bay. Anywhere safe that's not here. You'll receive instructions on where to deliver it."

Jennifer nods, "Okay. That's assuming I survive any blast that happens but if I do it will be in Colonial Bay shortly. This had better be worthwhile. I had to leave people fighting Radium to collect this. Leaving people in peril doesn't go down well with me."

As more and more of the reaction material is turned to lead, the reactor can no longer sustain critical mass.

Quirk says, "You can look now."

Quirk wants to see the looks on the scientists' faces. They're so easy to amaze.

Quirk says, "Just no one mention the names of the three great Miletian philosophers in chronological order."

Dasha says, "Who?"

Nightkitten says, "Za?"

Quirk smiles. "Good."

"What?" the scientist says. He rushes to the viewport to see what's happened. "What did you do?"

Jennifer quips, "Oh. You mean...." and smiles.

Dasha says, "Can you list them in non-chronological order? Otherwise I'm totally gonna look it up."

Okeafor says, "Don't complain to me. I got the same call you did." to Jennifer.

Quirk says offhandedly, "Oh, turned it all to lead. If you want it turned back, say the names of the three Miletian philosophers in chronological order. But I suggest you sort out whatever you need to do to stop a meltdown first."

Jennifer sighs, "Well looks like your package and your establishment is safe. The reactor has been shut down. Now..." Switching on her secure comms, "Hey, guys, you want to call off the B-4's maybe. The situation is safe and site secured."

Nightkitten tackleglomps her partner. "You beat her!"

Jennifer adds, "Oh, yeah, send someone to collect Radium. Can't we give her back to the Chinese?"

"Oh, by the way," Quirk lies, "I happen to have brought along some boric acid." He pulls what used to be the bottle of cleaner from under his robes. "I gather this is useful for keeping Radium there contained?"

Okeafor says, "Your instructions still stand. The package needs to be relocated."

Dasha giggles and wraps her arms around Nightkitten. "Yup! I guess I was just in the right place at the right time!"

Jennifer nods. "The standard deal I assume? Guard it with my life, blah, blah, blah..."

Quirk says, "I believe one submerses her in water and puts this in."

Nightkitten nuzzles her partner. "Nice quips, by the way. I think this calls for tuna!"

Dasha smiles and pets her partner's ears. "Thanks! I tried to make them as cheesy as possible. And this DEFINITELY calls for tuna!"

Jessica nods, "Nice work, you two." she says to Nightkitten and Dasha, "Where do you hail from?"

Okeafor says, "You've got it." He starts to jog off, heading for the main gate.

Dasha says, "Born and raised Colonial Bay."

Jennifer starts to jog back towards Building 30.

Nightkitten shrugs. "I'm from the suburbs of Colonial Bay, but I'm just off campus now." She indicates Dasha. "We're roomies. And partners in crimefighting."

Quirk says, "Do you have a suitable container and some water around here or do I have to provide that as well?"

Jessica says, "New on the hero scene? I don't recall seeing you around, and you're good enough I would have remembered."

The scientist says, "Yes we do. Despite what happened today we're normally very good at keeping radioactive material locked up."

Dasha nods. "Yeah, this is our first major gig. I was pretty sure I was gonna screw up big time when I ran in here."

Nightkitten says, "Yeah. It was intense."

Jessica smiles, "You did good. Dr Quirk, very impressive as well."

Quirk says, "Thank you. Well done, everyone. A very smooth operation, it seemed to me."

Dasha blinks. "I did good? I mean, I know I did GOOD, but like, I did WELL?"

Jessica points to the KO'ed Radium, "She's dangerous at the best of times, and somehow she got a boost before we arrived. So, yes, you did real good."

Nightkitten squeezes Dasha. "You hear that, we're be complimented by an actual hero!"

Dasha squeezes Kit. "Y-Yeah! I was so sure I was being an idiot by running in here, too!"