Log:Lizard Dawn, Scene 3

Lizard Dawn 2017/05/26 	 Tap Chen Zero Mechanica Frogirl Ariya Ss'lisk

3

Waves, typically gray and gentle, lap at the dark brown large-grained sand of Colonial Bay's northernmost beach, which runs northeast from the mall for over a mile and a half. At high tide the sea can come right up to the cycle path which runs along the edge of the boardwalk, but at low tide the sea is well out, even displaying a rocky bed where the sand has washed away. The scent of salt water wafts in from the east. During the day in season joyous sounds of the beach-goers lighten all but the darkest mood, but at night the silence of the dark and the call of the seagulls bring a quiet calm, almost chilling, but certainly relaxing.

For the first mile the boardwalk parallels the beach, affording not only views of sand, sea and island but also many other entertainments. Tourist shops, food stalls, icecream shops, a fresh seafood restaurant, rental shops for surfboards or bikes, and even a full amusement park can be found along its length. Each is in a "retro" design to give an old-fashioned seaside feel. Various entertainers amuse the crowds during the busy season, and during the off-season it remains the number-one place for joggers and those who simply wish to breathe the salty air. Benches and, near the food vendors, tables abound. Several ramps and stairways lead down to the beach.

North Beach is a center of activity on Memorial Day weekend. The beaches are officially opening today, and several people have taken the day off from work to make the most of it. The hotel is having a convention as well, which is just finishing up for the day. The sign outside the hotel says, 'Welcome Society for Genetic Studies'

Marion Goldchurch has a copy of the speaker list for the convention, with the names of those the Baron wants her to ask questions of marked up. She's waiting outside the hotel lobby doors to catch people as they exit.

Tap is here to enjoy the beach. Although she doesn't really have work to be off from. She does stick out, rather, in that she's not, as most people, stripped down despite the fact it's not summery, but rather has her customary hoody on. However, she is barefoot, carrying her shoes as she moves across the beach.

Tap(#2850PenACcF?)

Tap stands barely five foot tall, and looks like she must be thin as a rake under her clothes. She is typically dressed scruffily in well-worn jeans and a dark grey hoody, too large for her: its hood is easily big enough to hide her face in its shadows. Of her self, normally only her small and slender hands show.

She generally seems quiet, alert and skittish, as if always ready to run. But when she does stand her ground she betrays no hint of fear.

Marion Goldchurch(#2559PeACcF?)

A mousey middle aged woman wearing a dull slightly creased business suit. She has a PDA constantly in her hand and also has a press credential pinned to the left side of her plain gray jacket.

An almost 7 foot tall robed and veiled figure comes out onto the street along with other convention attendees. He stands out among them due to his height, build and dress. The figure seems to be looking over something on an Earth made PDA, his fingers flicking as he switches pages.

The convention has brought another pair of metahumans out of their shadowy-lifestyles and onto North Beach.

The Heroines Mechanica & Zero are present- the former in one of her holographic disguises, the latter as her alternate ID 'Norah Miles'. They walk arm in arm with convention identiifcation lanyards hung aorund their neck- though considering who's necks they are around they are likely falsified documents.

.o0(All we have to do is make sure we avoid a PsiBand booth if we run across one... otherwise I think this will be a good time. Plus we can party afterwards!) Zero thinks to MEchanica along their secret mental connection- though this is obscured by Zero's psionic obfusication field.

A few of the attendees from the convention head outside, looking to get an early dinner, or at least a few drinks. It's obvious that they're from teh convention, as they're still wearing lanyards with name tags.

Frogirl is actually a participant in a genetic study, as it happens, and the lead researcher, Dr. Gayethri Narayanswamy of the CBSU Genetics Department, was a speaker at the conference. Frogirl had been invited along as part of the presentation. She exits the conference center by herself, Dr. Narayanswamy having stayed behind to chat.

Marion Goldchurch scans the name tags and spots one of her 'targets'. Crossing the distance she lifts the PDA and asks in a German accent, "Herr Doktor Harris? Marion Goldchurch, Journal of Environmental Genetics Magazine, Berlin. May I have a moment of your time?"

When not involved in grading papers, research projects, or other activities, Professor Harim does enjoy more casual reading as well as the beach. She prefers enjoying both without crowds, and she presumed that today would be one of the last opportunities to do so. Unfortunately, while true, the solitude of the day ends well before the day, itself.

Mechanic's holoprojects overlay a disguise over her suit, making her look like a young hispanic woman with her hair tied back in a bun, black-rimmed glasses, and a black blouse tucked into a high-waisted asymmetrical skirt with high heels. Bookish, smart, controlled, with dark eyeshadow and red lipstick. Beneath the illusion, her cloaking device is activated to hide her should someone see through it. (-6 to see through the illusion vs sight and hearing groups, but she's invisible vs sight, sound, and radio underneath).

The hacker/information broker smiles thinly at that tidbit of information about her friend. o O (Psiband? Why is that?) The after party is what interests her, almost more than Zero's secrets.

Marion, Mechanica, and Ariya notice a couple of people moving along the rooftops, trying to mostly stay hidden. They stick out for two reason: 1) They're on the roof. 2) They look like...reptile/human hybrids.

Doctor Harris stops and nods to Marion, "What can I do for you?"

Tap, noticing nothing, continues down the beach till her feet are in the water.

Mechanica tights her grip on Norah's arm. . o O (Maybe the afterparty has to wait. Discretely look up, at your 2 on the roof. Is it normal in this city for lizard men to be on the roof? I haven't noticed any before while ...working.)

One of the attendees on the way to the restaurant says, "I'm telling you, we should seriously consider it. Think about it: You could regenerate tissue or an entire limb!" The other two people with him laugh, clearly not buying it.

Marion Goldchurch sighs, "Get back into the hotel. Persuade your colleagues to do the same. And ask the hotel desk to call the police." she tells the Doctor. Then, raising her head she shouts up at the sneaking lizard types, "Go away. I have a job to do. Just let me got on with it."

Dialydd slowly wanders out onto the sidewalk in front of the hotel, his attention caught by whatever he is reading. He stops to look at what is on his PDA then glances over as Marion Goldsmith speaks up. His head tilts to one side as he watches the woman speak.

Ariya decides that the noise level has reached her threshold and stows her novel in her bag before standing. She looks towards the hotel and those exiting from it, before her eyes shift upwards at the additional movement. She quite familiar with the rooftops as the freeway for terrestrial travellers who wish to remain incognito and frowns as her eyes follow the travellers.

Tap glances over her shoulder as the odd shout attracts attention even from this far away.

Doctor Harris looks confused at Marion's comment. He looks up at the building where she shouted. "Who are you talking to?

Frogirl tilts her head, an unnecessary movement really, with her arc of vision, to look at who the woman is shouting at.

The feeling over Mechanica & Zero's shared connection changes to one of nervous concern.

She sighs, a feeling transmitted to her invisible counterpart before she thinks, .o0(I'm not exactly a 'free woman'...)

They walk on admiring the many and varied audience here for the convention. Her eyes follow along as she people watches.

(They... made me and while I'm here hopin g to find out more about what I am and where I came from... I bet they are here with other intentions. I'd like to avoid their hounds if I can handle it.) This is likely why her obbfusication field is up- making both she and Zero immune to Psychic attack, surveillance and interventions.

Marion Goldchurch reverts to a normal level of voice as she tells Dr Harris, "The lizard people on the roof trying to sneak here. Please go inside. Your work is valuable and holds out hope to countless future childern."

Doctor Harris smirks and looks around, wondering if a prank is being played on him. But...he does see it when not one...or two...but FOUR reptile people jump off the roof of the restaurant to surround the three people discussing regeneration.

Reptile Warriors(#2851TOn)

Four hybrid creatures, looking like crosses between reptiles and a biped. Perhaps...a human? One looks very much like a large Raptor. One is winged and seems similar to a Pteradactyl. Another looks female, and is armored, with a club tail. The last is a female as well, with a frill on either side of her head.

Marion Goldchurch shakes her head, "Why didn't you just leave?" she calls over to the four reptile warriors. "Now I'm going to have to break cover and beat on your scaley asses."

Tap hopes these reptile people aren't some new gang. But they seem to be giving people anx like one. She starts walking toward them, for now not being obvious.

Dialydd tilts his head to the other side as the reptile warriors drop around the talking trio of researchers. He raises the arm with bracer on it, the cerulean inlays on it pulse and a golden-silver haze wraps around him. As he does this, he lets himself open to the Dream of Reality to sense what he can sense about the reptilian figures.

Ariya had hoped that the reptiles were travelling one: not for them or herself, per se, but for the multitude of unknowing innocents flocked or flocking to the beach. She takes the light scarf around her neck and ties it around her head. Protection for her hair from the wind and sand, and, not unintentionally, enough slack to cover her mouth and nose should she choose.

The Raptor points at the one talking about regeneration, and he says something in a language...that isn't native to Earth. The winged reptile opens his wings in a display meant to intimidate the man, who...does indeed seem intimidated.

Mechanica doesn't get the chance to communicate more on the matter with Norah other than protectiveness and understanding. She slips her hand out of Norah's arm and starts to move towards the lizards while her holographic projectors begin to recreate the area around Norah to hide her briefly. . o O (I've got you covered to go change. Put on your mask. Things are about to get ugly, I think.)

But no violence has broken out yet. She gives the lizards a chance to surrender. Her hologram offers in English first, then translates in Spanish and Japanese afterwards, "I don't know who you are, but if you don't stop trying to intimidate those people, things are about to get dangerous." The real Mechanica stands 4m to the left of her hologram.

The reptiles notice the hologram...but it's not clear if they understand.

Frogirl hops in between the regeneration researchers and the lizards and holds out her hand. "Stop! If you have something to say, say it, but I won't let you hurt people."

Sabre turns and running leaps over to get between the intimidating winged reptile and the researcher. As she crosses the distance she morphs, and when she gets there it's a fully grown sabre-tooth tiger crouched facing the reptile with mouth agap, fangs visible, roaring at the reptile. A roar that almost bypasses the modern mind and speaks fear to the ancient animal brian beneath.

Three of the four reptiles immediately bolt. The winged one goes aloft, flying eastward. The raptor and frill leap back to the building they came from. The last, looks like he might follow.

Norah takes the opportunity to pull her goggles out of the inside pocket of her wind-breaker and pull them over her head.

She then turns her windbreaker inside out to provide a little plausible deniability.

A moment or 2 later, Zero is standing there ready for trouble.

.o0(Ready!) She says over their shared mental like before taking off down the boardwalk towards the reptilians- yanking herself along with her swingline to cover the distance faster as needed.

Norah narrows her eyes on the four reptiles and considers her options. Considering PsiBand is in the Convention Center, she decides to keep her abilities tempered so she stays off the hounds' psionic radars.

SHe scans the crowd in the immediate vaccinity to see exactly who it is on her side.

Then suddenly a someone turns into a Sabretoothed Tiger. This causes Zero to rethink her approach- slowing and stopping just a bit shorter than she intended to stay out of the way of the ancient tiger.

Sabre adds in a human sounding voice, odd hearing it from a tiger, "If you want to ask questions without the threats and intimidation, go ahead. I respect the first amendment."

Tap had been about to jump in to scare these reptile people off. But it looks like a sabre-toothed tiger has beaten her to it. So for now, at any rate, she just waits.

The Tiger's speech on the 1st Amendment does enough to let Zero know she shouldn't worry about being evicerated by claw or sabretooth.

She lets out a sigh of relief as she squares up into a ready posiition behind the reptiles.

Normally she'd try to pull the information from the minds of the Reptilians, but her fear of being discovered by PsiBand has paralyzed her from using her psionic gifts in any way besides obscuring her own existence or that of her friend.

The armored reptile follows his fellows, but he's not as nimble as they are. He jumps, not quite as high, and has to pull himself up onto the roof.

Dialydd watches the various figures talk, roar and then talk again to the reptilian warriors as they interpose themselves between the researchers and the warriors. As the last of the warriors leaps up then pulls himself away onto the roof, the alien youth lets himself open to the Dream of Reality again to sense what he can about them but otherwise remains still.

Mechanica notices Zero hesitating. Something is definitely...off with the brash heroine. . o O (I'm going to follow them and see where they go.) She turns and begins to run after the reptiles, leaping and climbing over obstacles in her way at rapid speeds, thanks to her suit's enhancements. Her holographic projector drops, and the business attendee that was challenging the lizards moments ago pixelates and disappears with a glitch of transmission.

The flier soars off to the east, continuing out in the direction of the observatory. The Raptor bounds along the building, no longer trying to be sneaky. He leaps and lands on the street on the far side, away from where the altercation occurred. He opens up a manhole cover, clearly intending to drop into the storm drain or sewer line. Whatever lies beneath here.

Mechanica leaps up catches the edge of the rooftop with her hands, hefting herself over and chasing after Raptor. He's fast, but she's faster. She leaps down after him, landing in a three-point stance before sprinting over towards Raptor and the manhole cover.

Mechanica thinks. o O (Zero, I can't follow the flyer, but one is going in the sewers. Fantastico. Korean spa day after this. Maybe deal with the slow ones unless you can go after the flying lizard.)

Frill continues running, catching up to Raptor. She jumps down through the open cover and disappears from sight.

Frogirl stays where she is, guarding the researchers, in case this is just a feint.

Sabre morphs from sabre-tooth to domestic tabby. She looks over at the fleeing reptiles, but decides to stay where she is in case the 'obvious' attack was a feint. For the first time in months she's envious of her aunts. If she was fully a child of the Baron she could do both.

Tap perceives the threat to have passed, so sees no need to make herself known.

The armored reptile bounds after the others, keeping pace, more or less. She also drops down into the sewer system.

Dialydd walks over to the researchers who were accosted by the reptilian warriors and bows slightly to them. "Pardon my forwardness, but do any of you know why those creatures assaulted you? They seemed to recognize you." His voice is gentle and firm, deep, rich and resonant. Behind his veils, Dialydd's attention focusses on the researcher who was talking about regeneration. He carefully watches the man's reactions.

The man shakes his head, "I...have no idea. Though I do work with reptiles and amphibians. But...I had no idea what they said to me. It sounded like gibberish."

One of the others with him says, "I bet it's your crackpot theory. He wants to combine reptile and human DNA to 'improve' humans."

Mechanica chasing after the reptilian warriors snaps Zero out of her terrified trance. She's not the type to let a friend run into danger without her. She tells herself that as long as she keeps her psionic abilities to a minimum she should be safe enough from PsiBand.

Mechanica chasing after the reptilian warriors snaps Zero out of her terrified trance. She's not the type to let a friend run into danger without her. She tells herself that as long as she keeps her psionic abilities to a minimum she should be safe enough from PsiBand.

Zero chases after Mechanica and the Reptilians, pulling a grapnel gun from a hidden holster beneath her jacket.

She shoots the line and a second later is yanked off her feet.

Mechanica's strategy is transmitted to her and she changes direction slightly, angling for the slower moving set as opposed to Raptor.

She tries to swing herself in front of the other fleeing reptiles while simultaneously hoping someone can go after the flier because she's not capable either.

She rolls her landing to bleed off excess momentum before popping up to her feet.

She's looking forward to a spa day, even if she isn't the one going into the sewers... this time.

"I don't know what the anx is- but you can't go terrorizing people like that for no reason." She says to the Reptilians a frown behind her goggled eyes.

Sabre meows, then comments, "Well it worked for me."

The Raptor sees Zero slip past and he follows down. Being half animal, he has a protective instinct...and he attempts to chew on Zero with his sharp teeth.

Mechanica had already caught up below when Zero catches up and nearly gets bitten. Mechanica slowly and whips around, two feet planted more than shoulder width apart as she flings her arm up and drops her cloaking to let the lizard see the blaster port pop up from her bracer. The barrel glows an angry magenta as it hums louder and louder to prime.

"Uh uh uh," Mechanica scolds as she shakes her head. "No biting if you don't want us to bite back," she warns as she holds Raptor at blaster-point.

She frowns at a realization. "You could've just eaten those people, but you didn't. So what did you want?" She glances at Zero with her eyes alone. . o O (What are you waiting for? Get in its head and find out!)

Ariya cannot fly, and climbing a building in a sundress would be uncomfortable if not conspicuous and possible risque', so when the reptilians leap upwards and onwards, she leaves the beach at street level. When/if it becomes apparent that they are delving into the sewer system, she alters course slightly towards an access point further ahead, walking briskly. She may not know their precise course, but the shore does limit their direction of travel, so her chances of some near intercept are increased, at least.

Sabre changes her mind. One hero, but maybe not a meta hero, has gone into the sewers after three reptiles. Those are odds she doesn't want to leave the hero facing. Putting extra muscle bulk into her tabby's legs she races after the reptiles and hero.

Frogirl keeps her eyes out for any other attackers.

Tap saw no need to get involved - until that shapeshifting cat moved as if this wasn't over. So she follows the cat - and rather suddenly reveals herself to the beach as a meta.

Zero instinctively jumps away from the manhole- deftly dodging the chomping Raptor.

Mechanica's demand in her head doesn't give her time to respond to nearly loosing a chunk of flesh.

(... I... I...) She hesitates over their private channel.

Zero visibly steels herself, calming the terrified girl inside her as she realizes it seems to be the only way. She(You're right...) She says finally, dropping her mental obfusication field.

She changes her attention to the slower, armored one. Opening her mind to the psionic flow all around them.

She reaches out to connect with him... to probe his mind. "I'm not trying to hurt any of you... and I even came into this stinky hole to help you." She says aloud. Reminding herself more than expecting them to understand her-yet. She uses a light touch at first to keep this Herpatology Summit from going full underground riot.

Frill's....frills spread, and she hisses, spraying a cone of poison spittle at Zero.

The spray gets Zero right in the face and her low cut top. Luckily her eyes are goggled or she may have gotten them sprayed too.

She takes a step back, gritting her teeth- desperately trying not to scream. She reaches out for Mechanica's mind. .o0(They were ordered here... by some lizard from another ... world...) She manages to get out as the stinging, burning sensation intensifies. Shes been maced before, but this is definitely worse- a lot worse.

Dialydd murmurs gently to the 'crackpot' researcher. "Well, it does seem that those four individuals were perhaps representative of what your work envisions, ser. You are certain you have never encountered such beings before? They seemed very interested in you after all." His tone indicates concern and curiosity. "Anything might help protect you from them." Then he adds, "Ah, and my apologies. I am Dee and you are doctor?..." His gaze drops to take in the researcher's convention ID. Hopefully the man is still wearing it.

He shakes his head, "Doctor Simmons. From Johns Hopkins. I've never seen anything like them before. Well, other than that villain that was released recently from prison. Oh...and that hero. Uh...what's his name?" One of the others interjects, "Kibin."