Log:SERAF, Issue 5

2011/06/19 	 Grace Halo Jolt Mighty Massive Man Timothy Gant Wonder 1

Wonder is here today as 'himself'. He sits rather stuffly waiting for other people to turn up.

Grace Adler is here, working the phones. She's a slightly overweight woman with hair that's more white than blonde now. She's dressed professionally in a pale green skirt and suit. She wears pearls and earring to match.

Grace says on the telephone, "And yes, if you see him, please tell him to get in contact with us at the Bureau." She sets down the handset for the phone and sighs to Wonder: "This Max Mirza person has been tough to get hold of."

Wonder says, "Has he? I was wondering if the thing to do would be for me to take his place. Though they're probably expecting that by this point - they know there are two shapeshifters on the team, presumably."

Halo Has arrived, jsut at Graces comment. Halo enters in her ussual way...Aglow and seemingly very self assured. Probably a caveat of her super-human presence. "Now thats' onne message I haven't had time to follow up on. I'm glad someine has bee truying to get ahold of that man."

Grace nods to Wonder, "It might be just the thing we need to get ahead of Next Generation," she says. "It seems that we've been one or two steps behind them since the very start." She nods to Halo, hello, before she starts making another call.

Halo looks around at those in the office.

Wonder watches Halo's entrance, which rather distracts him from the conversation.

There was a call for aid, and Mighty Massive Man answered. He may be a week or two late, but it is a large city. There are always others in need, papers due, bosses to appease... yes, other people in need. He floats through the entrance and lands lightly with a solid *THUD*. "Next Generation? What have they done this time?"

Halo notices Wonder, smiles at him and sits next to him since on ly Grace otherwise inhabits the room.

Grace looks up at MMM as he thuds into the room. She turns her chair to the side and tries to focus on her phone call. "... You say he missed work yesterday...?"

Wonder says, "Oh no... sounds like they might have got another one...."

Halo waits to see when Grace finishes her next phone call before interjection bfore her next call. "I guess I shouls give a little info that I have learned from my investigations as an update today too.

Jolt certainly got a call to come and help. Naturally she's arrived and yawns a bit "So what are we up to today?" she asks the others "Find more of those goons to beat up on? I could use some target practice" she laughs

Grace nods to the person on the other end of her call before she hangs up. To the others here in the office, she explains, "He's not at home. He's not at his office. It is not looking very good right now..."

[To Jolt] Wonder says, "Beating them up doesn't really help if we can't stope - whatever they're up to..."

Wonder says to Grace, "So much for substituting myself.

Halo stand up and hands the others a paper printed file. "this is what I learned as I tried to investigate on my own about things from our last few run-ins with NG and the meta's involved...

"Kidnapping?" MMM takes a semi-educated guess to answer his own question. That's all he says, though, and turns his attention fully on Halo.

Wonder too falls silent as he listens to Halo.

the file reads as follows:

Results from check into the details of Rampart's brother, D'Angelo Talbot, at Atlanta General hospital. Rampart checked him into the hospital about two years ago. D'Angelo was in a coma when he checked in and has been ever since. Rampart has been bribing a couple of the staff at the hospital to take care of him, off the books.

One of the people looking in on Rampart's was a brain surgeon who's been monitoring D'Angelo's condition. He's been unable to treat D'Angelo based on his unique condition: he's got an piece of someone else's brain grafted into his skull. The thought patterns of the foreign brain matter are interfering with his own thought patterns and the result is his comatose state.

What I learned from an FBI agent. A while ago Next Generation ran an experimental project to give normal people psionic powers by transplanting brain tissue cloned from psionic test subjects. From the test subjects that survived, Next Generation gained a couple of soldiers with psionic abilities. Gant thinks that Spectre, Rampart, and his brother D'Angelo were all test subjects in the program.

Spectre is a known operative for Next Generation. It's believed that his power is to manipulate the molecules of his own body via psychokinesis. This is how he's able to become intangible, fly, and pass through solid objects. On top of that, he's a skilled hand to hand fighter. His skills point to experience in the military, perhaps in Special Ops.

Rampart is a former operative for Next Generation. His ability is a powerful form of touch-ranged telekinesis. He can shield himself from damage with a force field and wield his telekinesis like super-strength. Effectively he functions as a combat brick.

Halo includes Grace in her hand-out of information, giveing her a copy first actually.

Grace nods to Halo and files the information.

Wonder hms.

Halo shrug her shoudlers. "I amhoping it will help us in dealing with these mata's next round, and maby cluse will come together more as things unfold to lead us to understand what's really going on here.

Wonder says, "Has anyone found a pattern to the targets yet?"

Mighty Massive Man reads the handout. Twice. "It's good to know what we're up against," he nods, "but do we know-" He stops as Wonder beats him there. "Yeah. Any idea where they're going next?"

"Hey guys, got something for you." A broadshouldered FBI agent steps into the office. It's Timothy Gant, for those who have seen him before. He takes a moment to look around. "Any word when you guys are going to be moved out of this cave?"

[To Mighty Massive Man] Wonder says, "They're decoding the list slowly - more important is to work out the why of the targets, rather than the who-next."

Halo gets a big girish smile as Gant enters the room. She seems to sit a little more lady-like too.

Grace says to Wonder and MMM, "Miles said that he was following on a lead that might help with that." She looks to Tim and ignores his joke for now. "What is it?"

Jolt shrugs a bit "Isnt the why obvious? They need test subjects. I'd say the best bet is to stay one step ahead of them and find their next targets. That way we can set up a proper ambush for them"

Tim nods to Halo. "Hey, Sunshine." He glances at the other people here before continuing. "I've been looking at the phone logs on this Mirza guy. A lot of phone call recently to some lawyer out in California. But more importantly, we just got a hit on this PDA -- out by the Industrial Park."

[To Wonder] Mighty Massive Man says, "Why is important, too, but we can stop them even if we don't know why. We can't do that without the where."

Wonder says, "I don't know. First they grab someone who can make earthquakes, and then Dr Kim...."

[To Mighty Massive Man] Wonder says, "The why is very important when they've kidnapped someone who might be able to trash the whole country!"

Wonder says, "Hang on - who's this 'Mirza guy'?"

Halo looks at Agent Gant. "I assume you're implying that this is a good time to go pick up Max since you have ided his location?

Halo assitionally says to Agent Gant, "If we do go pick him up, Can i ride shotgun with you Timothy?"

Wonder says, "Let's go find him. Or whoever has his PDA."

"Destroy the whole country?" Mighty Massive Man looks from Wonder to Halo to Agent Gant. "He's a link, or the PDA is."

Tim nods to Halo. "You want to talk to this guy, right? I'd hate to think I sifted though all those phone calls for nothing." He nods to Halo at the suggestion of shotgun. "Let's roll."

The PDA signal leads to a two story office building. A tall yellow sign announced that it's available for leasing. The building is dark inside, and quiet.

Halo steps out from the passenger side of Gant's vehicle. She survyes the scene, apying attention anything abnormal that is noticalble to her.

Wonder steps out too, no longer in costume, but looking like an FBI agent. He hopes this may help get surprise if there's any trouble.

Mighty Massive Man continues to look like, well, himself, following the SUV from above. He descends to the ground, but remains hovering a few inches above it. He also looks around for anything obvious. The less than obvious looking can come after.

Halo steps out from the passenger side of Gant's vehicle. She survyes the scene, apying attention anything abnormal that is noticalble to her.

Halo knows she's not exactly inconspicuous. She also isn't a specilaist in recon and stealth. "I guess we're not excactly an inconspicuous group today. anyone agree to just head in and she whats open?

Wonder looks in the window. "THere's something there in the middle of the room - can't see what."

Mighty Massive Man (Ned) pages: What is the building facade made out of?

Tim steps out of the drivers side of the SUV. He nods to Halo, "Exigent circumstances. Let's go." He pulls out his pistol.

Wonder nods and moves in with the "other" FBI agents, pulling out a simulated pistol.

The door is locked, and a security company sticker marks it as alarmed as well.

Wonder says, "Hm. Can anyone get it bypassing the alarms?"

Tim moves up to the side of the building and leans against it. He peers in through a window.

Mighty Massive Man floats towards the building. "Let me see if anyone else is inside, first." He focuses his other senses on the space-time curvature of the vicinity. everything has mass, thus gravity, which can be detected. It's just a matter of whether the building, itself, is so massive that it overshadows everything else.

Halo smiles ruefully, "Do we care? more police the better. I'd rather suggest Timothy simply call teh local station to let them know.

Mighty Massive Man (Ned) pages: Attempts his mass sense, but isn't sure if the partially penetrative will penetrate the walls.

[To Halo] Wonder says, "You're assuming this isn't a trap, then?"

Jolt hrms and listens "Someone needs a lock busted... I could do that" she speaks up "You dont know for sure the alarm would goto the police"

[To Wonder] Halo says, "I'm expecting it actually, but i've no ideas other than expectin it. Unless you hae a way in that wont set the alarm off?""

Tim gets onto to the phone. He calls into Grace to get notify the local PD and to try and get a hold of the security company and warn them as well.

Wonder says, "I'm going to try sneaking in."

Jolt shakes her head "Naw, dont warn the company... Let me try opening the door" she insists as she starts examining it.

Halo steps out of the way, noding to jolt. "have at it then."

Wonder changes into a small monkey and heads for the ventilation system.

Tim holds the call. He waits on Joly.

Wonder thinks. o O (A cat is less conspicuous, but I may need fingers!)

[To Wonder] Halo says, "I'll let you do your sneak thing, but I hope you have anouther route planned."

Jolt asks out loud "Anyone got a quarter on them I can borrow?"

Mighty Massive Man suggests, "If it was a trap, wouldn't they be dropping it about now? If it isnt, they might be walking out the back." He flies up to the second story to see if he can see or sense anything on the upper floor."

Halo starts to glow a bit from within and seems to be tilting on her tip toes.

Halo start ot hover a few inches off the ground.

Halo rolls for HAP's and gets 3 for this scene.

Guardian enters from MagLev System.

Jolt scans the area and sees a quarter on the ground. It flies up and into her hand where she magnetizes it and attaches it to the lock where it sticks. Then she just forces the door to open with magnetic force. The lock still presumably still shows a Red dot as if the door itself was never opened "Gotta love tricking these sensors into thinking the door is still closed. Magnetic sensors... hehe"

Tim looks over at Halo. "Your friend has in interesting set of skills. I wonder how she learned them." He sounds disapproving.

Mighty Massive Man says, "There's someone inside on the first floor, in a chair. Bound or maybe unconscious. There's also ... large drums by them, and scattered around the building." He calls down. "Does that sound like a trap to anyone else?""

Halo winks at Tim, "Don't look at me! it's your office that recruited her."

Wonder makes his way up the ventilation shaft, not nearly as quietly as he hoped.

In sneaking into the building, Wonder makes a false step that rings throughout the entire shaft and into the building.

Halo furrows her brow, "yeah, that sounds trap-ish. and maby like they have no more use for Max if he's still in there"

Halo says, "not good."

At the sound of Wonder's movement, the man in the chair inside the building stirs and starts to move. "MMMMphhhrrrph!"

Mighty Massive Man also flies higher, over the roof of the building, to hover over where his best guess of the person inside is located. "Then we should get him out?! Where'd the monkey go? Anyone else have a radio?"

 Wonder says, "Oops."

Halo jsut shake her head, "well, we've been anounced. It doesn't sound as if anyone is keeping that poor man quiet either. I'd wager an explosion is in store for US TOO if we don't do this right. Call teh bomb squad now or try ourselves?

Jolt just sorta smirks at Tim and replies crypticly "Not all criminals are unredeemable" then hearing what they're going into "Definately a trap and damn rigt we should get him out... Sooner rather than later. My guess is it was wired into the alarm system. A sort of case if they cant have him noone will"

 Mighty Massive Man has joined this channel.

Wonder drops on top of Mizra to cover him as a living suit of armour, as he did with Kim.

Tim steps up to the door, with his gun ready. He looks to the others. He's about to go in. "Ready?"

Halo sighs at Wonders update, "I knew I should have taken that explosives class in highschool."

As Wonder envelops Mirza, his muffled speech becomes more frantic.

Halo holds up a hand in Tim's way, "I'm not sure that gun shots and explosive barrels go together?"

Wonder says quietly, as he forms armour about Mirza, "Stay calm - this will be weird but I'm here to protect you!"

 Halo says, "Wonder, do you see anyone else in there?"

 Mighty Massive Man says, "Going in!"

Jolt shrugs "Neither is electricity and explosives" she admits knowing her presence might even set off explosives

 Wonder says, "I have him covered - I just hope the explosives aren't too much for me to take! And no, no one else...."

Mirza says, "MPPPZH!"

He still seems very agitated.

Mighty Massive Man drops like a stone, and a heavy one, onto the roof. If mass and momentum are not enough to create a new entrance, a stomp should help. Hopefully the possible bombs aren't seismically triggered.

Wonder thinks. o O (Um... I wish I could ungag him... Can I form hands inside myself? Um... no, too complicated....)

Wonder tries to work out if moving with Mirza will trigger the presumed explosives.

Mirza frantically tries to say something. "Mppppnhmmgh!"

Wonder think Ok, there's got to be a way to do this...

Wonder thinks. o O (Ok, there's got to be a way to do this...)

Mighty Massive Man drops through the roof (the building needed a skylight, anyways) and brakes his descent to land heavily near the Wonder-covered mirza. No BOOM is a good sign, so far.

 Halo says, "I'm half expecting the 'explosive barrels' to be a distraction themself, so look out for Specter to phase from somewhere near MAX!""

Click. Green lights in the corners of the room switch on along with matching lights on the drums scattered about the room. The lights begin to blink as some kind of system is armed.

"MMMPH!" Mirza says.

Wonder decides it's time to get out and runs for the door, Mirza inaide him!

[To Timothy_Gant] Halo says, "What's the liability to the FBI when all this goes up in smoke?"

with MMM's grand entrance, Halo gives up on caution and flings teh door wide open so she ca see teh going's on.

As Mirza and Wonder move from the center of the building, a concealed pressure plate clicks upwards. All of the barrels detonate and the building explodes.

Jolt peers inside the building and takes a deep breath and asks over the communicator "Does it look like the stuff is all wired up to the electrical?" she starts thinking of alternative ways to shut whatever is goign on down.

Wonder is blown clear out though the exploding wall of the building. The "armour" of his body is visibly dented.

Max Mirza is out cold, but in one piece.

Halo hits Agent Gant, knocking him over with herself on top as she'd hopped to shield him from blast damage. As the heat and debis fly and surround them, she simply hold her breadth and tries to cover Timothy as best she can.

Hot, smoking bits of the building rain down from the sky for blocks.

Wonder lies still on a torn-up bit of turf.

One blew left, one blew right. MMM doesn't prove to be so mighty or massive this time, and is sent sailing towards the back wall (or what's left of it) of the building. He leaves a rapdily shallowing groove in the flooring as mass bleeds off, leaving him as Limp Ragdoll Man in the Smoking Costume.

"Oolf!" Gant gets knocked to the ground by Halo. "Jesus...!" He covers up as bits of brick fail from the air like hailstones.

Halo waits for the hail-stone/schrapnel eases up. I the process the has a little giggle as she thinks about the situation.

Halo thinks. o O (Now this is where I want you Mr. Gant...Wrong situation though.)

Halo get off Timothy and quickly looks around for what left of her team.

Jolt is knocked over as she oofs and covers her head as debris falls from the sky "Too bad I never played with any explosives growing up" she comments out loud thankful she didnt go into that mess although there are very few ways to think how it could have turned out worse.

"... Wonder and the big guy where in there," Gant says.

"Okay, what's the situ..." *KABOOOOOOM!* Guardian winces as the explsion appears to go off in her earpiece, and she looks down in time to see the building come apart. "Right, I told'em Next gen has a habit of prepping anti-meta traps. I was assuming that the Max-napping was just the bait to draw us in." She starts dropping out of the sky at high speed, hoping that she might find survivors in the mess down there. From the looks of things though, anyone caught inside will be horribly maimed if not dead. "Respond! I repeat anyone on this channel, respond immediately!" she calls out, cloaking field off now as she aims for the rubble, but keeps an eye out for flying vans. After all she's got a van-jacking quota to maintain.

Halo thinks. o O (Do these guys have an inside man in the FBI-seraf loop or have they figured out that we have a copy of their list?)

Hwen she finds Wonder, Halo kneels gently beside him, taking his pulse.

Wonder has no pulse. But begins to stir as Halo does this. "Unh...."

Tim sits up and calls it in.

[To Wonder] Halo says, "Ok, your alive, how about Max, he still with us?"

Wonder says, "Ow! What the heck's... he's still breathing.... better shape than.... me...."

The armour that is Wonder gradually begins to un-dent.

Halo Waits for Wonder to un-surround Max so she can tend to him and his wounds.

Wonder unsurrounds Max as soon as Halo says this.

Wonder says, "What about.... the new guy?"

Wonder goes to check on MMM as soon as he's sure his own condition is no longer critical.

Halo begins trauma life saving care on MAx.

Wonder attempts to stop MMM's bleeding.

Wonder says, "He's losing a lot of blood - I don't know what to do!"

Halo noone move Max's body! we need a c-collar as soon as we have one availabel...Wonder, how is MMM doing?

Tim calls, "FD and Ambo on the way!"

Halo says, "Tim, come keep Max's head and neck stable, I nee dto go see MMM"

Tim rushes over and does just that.

Halo as Tim takes over, Asanna rushes to MMM and decides she has to stop his bleeding.

Wonder watches Halo anxiously as she treats MMM, until he's sure he'll be ok. Then looks back at the remains of the building.

Wonder thinks. o O (Boy, did we mess up.)

Halo seems to focus and a tear of sorrow corssed her cheek, "Breath, damn you!I know you can still fight it!

Halo 's glowing aura seems to wrap around MMM and he seem to shine with an unearthy light. A bit more color shows in his face.

Wonder looks about for any sign the bad guys might be about, then finishes healing himsself

Wonder uses +BODY to increase Body statistic.

Halo continues to exhude aural-power that flows into MMM and provide some degree of help.

There doesn't seem to be any sign of additional NG activity in the area.

she also begings CPR if necessary until ambulances arrive to take the fallen to the hosptial.

Wonder says, "I guess any clues will have been blown up....."

Halo wanders over to Agent Gant, 'You need and rescue breathing Mr. Gant?" She's smiling at that but looks more tired after her life savifgn efforts.

Halo will leave the forencs to the FBI...she has no skills in that. She will follow Max to the hospital, find a quiet place to change ID and become his undercover SID nurse to enusre NG doesn't try to kill him in the hospital...they already kidnaped someone from there once.

The hospital staff lets the heroes know when Mirza regains consciousness.

Wonder check himself over (back in human form) as he enters the hospital.

Wonder thinks. o O (Wow - I'm all better! I could put all the damage right myself...)

by the tiem MAx regains conciousness, Halo has changed ID, but is there to offer him his first wakening greeting.

Max's eyes blink open. "Where..?"

Asanna when he opens his eyes, a beautiful Nurse greets Mr. Mihzra.

Wonder says, "The hospital."

Asanna performs a nurses neurological exam on max, including checking his orientation and shining a light in his eyes for pupil reaction. she finishes, "so do you know waht year it is?"

Max Mirza is a Persian man in his early thirties. He looks a little banged up from his recently adventures. "Yeah... 2061...did you catch him?"

Wonder says, "Catch who?"

Nobody says, "He called himself Kubik. I would have told you guys earlier..."

Wonder says, "We didn't see anyone - we were concentrating on getting you out alive."

Asanna listens as she fusses over infusion pumps and her patient, Max. In this ID noe of the heroes knwo who she is.

"I don't know how long I was there..." Max says. "At least a night. He said he was setting a trap for you guys. There was one trigger on the chair -- it would blow up when you tried to move me. There was another one on a timer, hooking up to motion detectors."

Wonder says, "That's what I guessed..."

Wonder says, "Do you know what he wanted you for in the first place? Your name appeared on a list...."

Wonder says, "And why he decided you were expendable despite your name being on that list?"

"A list...?" Max shakes his head. "I don't know anything about a list. He said he was going to put an end to my legal problems."

Wonder says, "What legal problems?"

Max winces and puts his hand to the side of his head for a moment. "My dad..." He pauses and takes a moment before continuing. "Look I come from money. I wasn't going to let some crooks con men out of my inheritance."

Wonder says, "Go on."

"He's sick," Max says. "Terminal cancer - he doesn't have too long. But instead of going to a real hospital, he's staying at some hippie new age healing place."

a service worker delivers a meal tray for Max. Asanna (Halo) takes teh tray and takes her sweet time arraning it for Max, giving her a nexcuse to listen in her SID as hi nurse. She actaully doesn't mind leting on that she's lintening in since Nurses often try to elarn about their patients lives. "Oh! con men and explosives, go on..."

"They're stealing money from him, and what's more, he plans on giving his entire estate to them."

Wonder says, "How did Kubik say he'd help?"

"By killing me. He's crazy. I'm filing a lawsuit against the clinic.. this 'clinic'... I'm suing them for everything they've got," Max says.

Asanna says, "Oh! I'd have to report a medical fraud like that! What can you tell me about where that hippie healing place is and its name? any thin you know is imoportant.""

"It's out in Los Angeles. I'll tell you all about it..." he says.

Asanna thinks. o O (now we're gettign somewhere, probably literally.)

Wonder thinks. o O (Second time LA has come up...)

Wonder thinks. o O (COuld this clinic be a front for New Gen activities - maybe this guy was a threat because of his lawsuit? I dunno....)

Asanna gets out some patient lotion and begins rubbing Max's feet with it to help him relax and to be a good nurse.