Log:Sins of the Doctor, Part 4

2008/09/26 	 Dark Horse Halcyon Kibin Lorelei Mystique Dr. Emil Szasz 1

This warehouse sits quietly on the Colonial Bay waterfront, just one building amongst many others like it. It's 50" long, 20" wide, and 4" tall. There are no windows along the sides of the building though there are a few skylights along the rooftop, though all of them are shuttered closed right now. The building has no markings identifying its owners, though some faded spots on the exterior hint as to where signs used to be.

It starts with the thinnest wisp of mist low to the ground. Over the space of a few seconds the mist thickens and spreads wider until it's almost twenty feet in diameter. Then it gathers together and coalesces into Mystique. The witch is looking thoroughly disgruntled.

Lorelei says, "MYstique! You're ok!"

Dark Horse arrives on his motorcycle, the bike glides through the warehouse district quietly. He parks it, kicking down the stand. He then removes his helmet, and gets off the bike, running a hand through his hair briefly.

Mystique says, "No. I was completely vapourized by the explosion. But that doesn't mean the same to me as it would to you. Now, though, I an irritated."

Lorelei winces. "Um. I can imagine. Well, not really. BUt I'm really glad you, um, got better."

Following the motorcycle, Halcyon flits on wings of shadow, stepping through the ones that buildings make to avoid direct sunlight during the trip.

Lorelei gets off Dark Horse's bike, trying not to be terribly conspicuous, which alas isn't her strong suit. "So - what's the plan?"

Mystique points in the direction of the warehouse, "Is this the building?"

Dark Horse checks his PDA, "That's the one."

Dark Horse says, "It's the last building owned by the Foundation in question. Everything else was sold off."

Lorelei says, "So they're here. Or they aren't. Or this is a trap."

Mystique says, "I can scry if you wish."

Dark Horse grins (or appears to, based on the way his mask moves), "Even if it's a trap, we'll get out of it."

Dr. Emil Szasz is here as well. He stands, by listening quietly mumbling to himself.

Lorelei says, "Did I say otherwise? Mystique, yes, scouting would be good, thanks!"

Mystique sends a thin tendril of mist curling across the ground towards the warehouse. It thins as it travels and is quite inperceptionable by the time it reaches the experior and starts to seep inside.

Lorelei still keeps an eye on Szasz. She still strongly suspects he's involved more than he's saying. She might have tried questioning him more emphatically if she weren't afraid of damaging the mental blocks placed on him.

Dark Horse puts his PDA away, "This is an odd feeling. I'm used to being the scout." He chuckles. "This works well, though."

The warehouse feels mostly empty. There are crates and old machinery here, but most of it has been pushed out the the walls of the building, leaving a lot of open floor in the middle of the room. That open space is broken up by support beams that run form the floor to the ceiling. These beams also support a catwalk, 3" up in the air. Although the space is empty now, it feels as if it has been recently used; in the very least, there's no build up of dust or cobwebs. The room is dark, except for the light coming from a large machine in the middle of the room.

Deciding to not be seen, Halcyon omits herself from the view of everyone.

Mystique puts a hand unconsciously on a brooch pinned to her robes as she uses magical enhancement to see into the shadows up where the catwalks are before looking more closely at the machine.

Mystique describes what she is seeing.

Lorelei says, "Doesn't sound promising so far..."

Dark Horse says, "There'll be an office, though. And she might be held underground. I'd put money on a trapdoor someplace."

Dark Horse says, "Or...she's in the machine proper."

Lorelei nods. "Assuming anyone's here at all - any idea what the machine is, Dr Szasz?"

Mobile Examination Bed:

This large vehicle looks like one part hospital bed, one part tank. In the center of the vehicle, there's a clear plastic tube with a bed inside, large enough to contain a person. Yolanda is inside the tube, apparently unconscious. She's wearing a hospital gown and has some kind of helmet fitted over her head. The helmet connects into the device.

The rest of the machine is a combination of tool arms and examination equipment, things that one would expect to find in a hospital operating room, and then more gear, all of it connected to robotic arms. All of it is set on top of a mobile platform with bulldozer treads to move it.

On top of the machine there is a large monitor screen, to display the vitals of the person inside.

Mystique says, "I can see nobody in the warehouse. I'll look more closely at the device emitting light but I'm not a scienific expert. Then I'll look for any sub-surface areas.

Deciding to take initiative, Halcyon tries to move herself to a sub-surface area to save Mystique some time and to alleviate her own restlessness and curiosity.

Mystique again describes what she is seeing through the mist sense.

Lorelei says, "Dr Szasz, what is that machine?"

Dark Horse nods. "I'm only a math and stats kind of guy. So, science for the most part isn't my ball of wax."

Dr. Szasz says, "Hmm. It sounds like an M.E.B... It's like a remote set of arms that a doctor can use to examine a subject. Next Generation seems to favor them, because it allows them to keep their doctors in safe, central locations, away from the test subjects."

Lorelei says, "Is it safe to remove her from it?"

Dark Horse starts looking around the exterior of the warehouse proper for security systems.

Dr. Szasz says, "I think so. I've done it before but my recollection of it is rather..." He pauses, a look of confusion coming to his face. "Unfortunately, I afraid it's one of those things that I'm no longer able to do."

Lorelei nods. "I think getting her out of there should be a priority - that machine could presuable cut Yolanda open if we don't get her out before they can react."

For a warehouse with supposedly no one home, the security system is rather high tech and state of the art. But still, it's not beyond Dark Horse's grasp.

Dark Horse nods to himself as he looks over the security system. "I think I can disable the system enough to get us inside."

Failing to locate a sub-level, Halcyon appears inside the warehouse, looking around bewilderedly. She takes notice of the MEB, and the contents, thoughtful.

Mystique remains unaware of Halcyon's arrival being unable to see her.

Mystique tries to find any underground areas or entrances to same.

Dark Horse pulls out some basic tools from a pouch, and works on the door a little bit, being quiet about it. "'K. Security's taken care of. Might be able to open it now."

Lorelei nods. "Just be ready to get Yolanda out as soon as we go in!"

Dark Horse nods, and starts to work on picking the lock. "Likewise. Almost got it..."

Looking the bed over, Halcyon ponders how she might open it up. Then she realizes she doesn't need to open it to extract the contents. She appears within, focusing on preventing things such as traps from springing upon her, eliminating the invisibility surrounding her. Absconding with Yolanda plan enacted in 3, 2, 1..

Dark Horse hears a 'click', and smiles, putting his tools back in his pocket. "It's open."

Dark Horse opens the door, and peeks inside, looking for further security inside the building.

Lorelei hangs back just a bit, letting the more physical people take the lead. And she keeps her eye on Szasz.

Inside the warehouse, just after Halcyon enters the MEB cylinder, the monitor on top of it switches from a display of the patient's vitals to the camera feed. There's a man in a silver mask that covers his eyes and nose but leaves his mouth uncovered. On the forehead of his mask there's the stylist eye inscribed.

Mystique lets the mist sense disspate. "There does not seem to be any sub-surface areas." What is the plan then?"

Appearing with Yolanda's blackened form beside the group on the far side from Szasz, Halcyon waves, continuously in contact with her newly-found victim of kidnapping.

"Deeeeeeeeeee." The MEB emits a noise that sounds like a flatlining EKG.

Lorelei says, "You got her out!"

Lorelei watches Szasz the more. Just in case he does bear a grudge against Yolanda.

Dr. Szasz folds his arms, tapping a finger to his lips, thinking.

Lorelei says, "What's on your mind, Dr Szasz?"

The masked man on the monitor says, "I'm not sure who you are, but you'll par for interfering..." He closes his eyes and the third eye inscribed on his mask begins to glow.

"Nothing..." Szasz says. "Just trying to remember."

The MEB begins to move. It's caterpillar tracks begin to carry it towards the front door, and Dark Horse. Servos whirr and the bed begins to deploy it's mechanical arms.

Mystique says, "I can hear something from the bay behind the building. I would guess there's something large breaking the surface of the water there."

Dark Horse blinks, "This might be a problem. How do we get her out of there?"

Dark Horse gets up, and around the corner of the door, on the outside as he waits for hte thing to arrive.

Lorelei says, "We have Yolanda - maybe we should just go?"

Foosh! From the water side of the warehouse, a dozen armed troopers jet into the air. It looks like they are coming towards the heroes grouped in front of the warehouse.

Mystique quickly casts a mage shield spell and when the NG agents come into sight a Noxious Cloud.

Kibin runs up to the front of the warehouse after getting a message over radio about it, looking around.

Halcyon offers her hand to Lorelei, eyes wide with urgency.

Mystique casts a protective mage shield around herself and follows that with transforming some of the air around the oncoming agents into a noxious misty vapour.

Dark Horse realizes where Yolanda is finally, and closes the door before the machine gets anywhere near him.

Kibin gets with the group and waits for those guys to come closer, wondering why they're here.

Dark Horse moves away from the door, just in case the machine bursts through. He moves in the direction of the other heroes, and then searches through a pouch for something.

Almost on cue, the MEB burst through the doorway. It moves ahead straight for Yolanda and Halcyon, bearing down to within 2" of them.

Dark Horse attempts to slide underneath the machine, and hold on...looking for anything which connects to the drive system

Lorelei stands out in the open as if frozen in surprise by the approaching people. Thought it "happens" that the pose she's frozen in is a stunning one from the point of view of one of the incoming men.

One of the troopers clutches at his head. He starts spiraling down out of the sky.

The rest of the team of troopers split into two groups that fly into opposite alleyways along side the warehouse. They don't advance much closer, but they drop out of line of sight.

The last trooper manages to correct his flight, but he's left behind by his mates' latest maneuver.

Halcyon makes another attempt to take hold of Lorelei, while she remains in contact with Yolanda. She seems terrified.

Lorelei says, "Get Yolanda to safety, Halcyon..."

Halcyon still has her hand out for Lorelei.

The masked man on the monitor speaks: "I'm still trying to figure out how you got Dr. Simmons out of the M.E.B... But it's not important. I've already gotten what I need from her. Whether you realize it or not, you all have volunteered to take her place as my test subjects!"

Lorelei doesn't intend to take Halcyon's hand. She realises she might be needed in the fight, and touching Halcyon probably wouldn't help with her powers..

Dark Horse looks around for a weak spot in the machine, knowing his fist can't go through metal.

Waiting no longer, Halcyon vanishes with Yolanda. They port to a nearby building, concealed from sight of the whole big fighty thing (Phase 2)

A thick hose zips out from the trunk of the M.E.B. and it snakes towards Lorelei. The end of it cranes upwards, level with Lorelei face. It tries to douse her with a cloud of anaesthetic gas.

Lorelei snatches a breath and dodges aside from the spray of gas.

The lone trooper flying above the roof continues towards the heroes. Th rest of his team remain out of sight.

Kibin gets over his confusing at first, when he sees the MEB spray gas at Lorelei. He leaps and slashes one of the sickle claws on his feet at it, trying to put it permanently out of commission.

Kibin scratches along the armor of the MEB, landing back on the ground.

The man on the monitor atop the MEB says, "And Kibin too. This will be like killing *three* birds with one stone."

Mystique turns her attention to the rampaging bed. She creates and strongly acid mist on the exposed surfaces.

Kibin spins around and slices at the odd bed tank thing again, saying back to the man, "I think you need your overconfidence looked at."

Kibin slices throug the armor of the MEB, cutting through several wires before the claw leaves the machine and sets back down on the ground.

Underneath the MEB, Dark Horse is hang onto for dear life. He's about to unleash a kung-fu strike into the underside of the vehicle, but it swivels and throws him off balance; his attack misses.

The man on the monitor speaks. "Decisions... Decisions..." The MEB swivels, changing its facing between the heroes. "Let's see what you can do." And with that, the MEB unfurls a robotic arm ending in a laser scalpel and it takes a swipe at Mystique.

The misty shield around Mystique slows and softens the cutting laser so it fails to slice into her enchanted robes.

Kibin goes for a third slice at the MEB, briefly wondering where the trooper guys are...

Kibin harmlessly bounces off the armor of the device with that attack, frowning as he lands back down on the ground.

"Grunnf!" Dark Horse grunts as he tries to through his fist through a lightly armored section of the underside of the MEB.

Dark Horse's fist strikes through the armor and into a the mechanics of the MEB. His reward is a face full of motor oil that gushes out from a broken hose.

Lorelei apparently runs away from the fight a bit!

The lone trooper flying over the building closes to 44" from the heroes. His teammates remain out of sight.

Mystique feels her acid vapours are unlikely to affect the machine. So she waits for the troopers to appear and hopes Kibin and Dark Horse can prevail.

A shadowy veil falls over the MEB, probably courtesy of Halcyon. It prevents details about the thing from being seen.

The shadowy veil, as described, prevents details about the MEB from being seen. It also probably interferes somewhat with its sensors.

Kibin slashes again through the veil at the machine, feeling carefully to make sure how hard he hit it this time.

Dark Horse throws another punch into the transmission of the MEB.

"Darkness powers..." The man on the monitor says. "Interesting." The M.E.B. deploys an arm with a dish like sensor on the end. It powers on with a high pitched whine.

The MEB swivels on it's tracks until it faces Dr. Szasz. "I didn't think I would have another chance at you, Doctor." the monitor man says, through the darkness shroud. The laser scalpel arm rises and prepares to strike Szasz.

Dr. Szasz says, "Ul-ultrasound imager..."

Mystique sees the MEB turning on the probably not innocent but possibly useful Dr. Szasz. Emitting a stream of mist that forms into several large hands she directs the hands to take hold of the MEB and if successful to move it back away and up into the air.

Mystique directs the hands to carry the MEB upwards, watching as they move it twelve meters to start with.

The laser scalpel swipes at nothing.

"Yaaaaaaah!" Dark Horse managed to hold onto the bottom of the MEB as it gets lifting up into the air.

Kibin stays where he is and looks up at the MEB, waiting for it to come back down for him to be able to attack.

The lone trooper closes to 28"

Mystique continues to direct the misty hands to lift the MEB higher.

Halcyon aims a second interference upon the MEB, this time eliminating sound upon it.

Mystique says, "I will only be able to continue this level of spell casting for another fifteen or twenty seconds. It trying to contain the machine I am compromising my ability to dealt effectively with the oncoming human agents."

The thing's field of sensors is reduced by Sound now as well. Halcyon appears to have an answer for the whole 'aiming laser scalpel at people' problem thusfar.

Lorelei strikes another stunning pose for the straggling agent.

Hanging from the bottom of the MEB, Dark Horse swings his feet up and pushes a double-booted kick into the transmission of the M.E.B. Spang! Something is knocked loose and the treads grind to a halt. The arms of the vehicle stop moving.

Kibin runs towards one of the alleys, looking around the corner to see if those troopers are still there.

Lorelei looks relieved as one guy at least takes a dive. It's a start....

In the alley, Kibin can see roughly half of the team of troopers. There are 6 of them, evenly spaced out, and the first one is 2" away from Kibin and the opening of the alleyway.

Kibin guesses these are bad guys like the one Lorelei knocked unconscious out there, moving forward, spinning around, and hitting the one in front with his tail.

Kibin slams the trooper back into the warehouse, as he runs back after him, trying to slam him into the wall again.

Kibin slams him into the wall again, with him barely standing. He looks at the other troopers, getting ready to dodge their attacks.

The six members of the team fighting Kibin turn flying upwards, to 7" altitude and space into a formation with 2" between every teammember. Five of them turn their guns on Kibin and start shooting with carefully orchestrated gunfire. The sixth member, the one the Kibin bashed into the warehouse joins the formation late.

The troopers open up with a volley of assorted gunfire: netguns, sonic blasters, plasma pistols. Kibin is hit by a plasma pistol.

Meanwhile the other team emerges from the alley in a regularly spaced formation.

Lorelei has positioned herself in such a way as to look rather... distracting as the troopers come into view. She smiles as they do so. "Hi guys - looking for me? Usually my fans are less heavily armed."

Mystique cancels her misty hands and calls down the mist. As it descends it loses the semblance of hands and turns into the foulest rankest smog with a stench that is noxious even where the heroes are standing. How much worse where it is billowing around the agaents,

Mystique sees one of the human agents stumble and most of the others choking and gagging.

Halcyon lifts the effects from the MEB, hesitating and not sure what she should do yet...

Halcyon spends a few moments checking to see how stable Yolanda is without assistance.

"Oh no!" Dark Horse is falling along with the MEB.

Dark Horse manages to swing from the bottom of the MEB and onto the rooftop of the warehouse where he tucks and rolls to break his fall.

Lorelei keeps up the distracting look and patter. "I can see you're all pleased to see me, boys...."

The troopers still seem in awe of Lorelei.

The monitor man reappears once Halcyon drops her shroud over the MEB. "That's better," he says, "At least now I can... What THE?!" The MEB hits ground and smashes.

Mystique is showing the effects of such an intense sustained use of mist magic. Her face is gaunter even than usual with eyes seemingly sunken into her face and cheeks hollowed. But she continues her efforts and intensifies the smog aroung the agents.

Halcyon focuses on the MEB, picking it up with shadows...

The monitor smashed too when the MEB fell.

The shadows lift the MEB quite handily.

The MEB is then sent toward one of the armored flying men. It appears that Halcyon has joined the fight.

KLONG! Down goes one armored fellow. The MEB assists him with sleep.

Kibin hops up and then ROARS at the troopers to try and get them to drop their weapons. He then jumps and swings at the closest still conscious trooper.

Kibin hops up and then ROARS at the troopers to try and get them to drop their weapons. He then jumps and clings to a nearby wall with his claws, ready to jump back off again to attack.

Kibin jumps up and swings around at one of the troopers in the air, flipping and trying to hit him into the ground below. He then falls back down onto the wall downwards, where he was before.

Kibin slams that one into the ground, unconscious. He looks back up at all of the other troopers still remaining, wondering if his roar did anything...

Lorelei keep it up - it seems to be working. "So what, do you guys want my autograph? Who's first? Who should I make it out to? Oh darn - do you have a pen that works?

Mystique can affroad no more smog to increase the effect. She continues the smog that is doing its job and tries to gather the remaining wisps around those agents who are less affected.

Mystique manages a smile despite the drain on her essence as agents start falling out of the air with their coughing and choking.

That single armored man remaining is not bashed with the MEB, but pinned to the ground by it. Halcyon feels this is probably enough.

Lorelei says, "Oh. Looks like they don't want my autograph."

Setting the MEB to simply rest atop the armored one, Halcyon crafts a message: 'interrogation?'

Lorelei says, "I was thinking we should ask some questions, yes, Halcyon."

Kibin jumps back off of the wall, landing back on the ground and getting his breath back.

Mystique pulls out her PDA and call 911. "Police and ambulance please."

Szasz begins to walk over to the final trooper and what remains of the MEB.

Halcyon sends a tendril to hold Szasz away from there. She does not trust him.

"Oh!" he says, surprised at first.

Lorelei heads over the the trooper, since Halcyon has Szasz in hand. "Now then - do you mind telling me what all this was about? And what you've been doing ot my neighbour Yolanda?"

Kibin walks back over to the last trooper once he regained his breath, supposing from the lack of gunshots from this trooper she's not interested in continuing the fight.

The last trooper stops struggling to get out from under the MEB. She seems resigned to being stuck there. "Yeah, I do mind."

Once she has deemed Szasz to be capable of behaving himself, Halcyon crafts another message: 'Yolanda is having trouble breathing on her own and she does not look healthy'

Lorelei shrugs. "Never mind then. I'll have to tell the court how uncooperative you were, but don't worry, I'm *sure* the court won't be swayed just because I'm famous. I'll just asks one of your friends when they wake up. One of them is bound to be more helpful." She starts walking away.

Mystique walks over, "You have the right to remain silent. You do not have to answer anyquestions. If you do answer our questions it may save you a lot of pain." She tells the agent. Then she looks at the others. "Oh, am I allowed to do that those days?"

"Wait. Look..." the trooper begins. "They don't tell us what's in the warehouse, just be prepared to ambush some capes when they go inside."

Kibin stands there nearby, and looks scary. Trying to at the very least help Lorelei by his presense.

"We were supposed to have meta-level support," she says, "And this what HQ provided..." She looks away and to the side, angry.

Lorelei nods the trooper. "Sure, I can understand that. But well, I'm sure you can understand that anything you *can* tell us would be a big help. To us and to you. Especially since Yolanda is in such a bad way.

"Who's Yolanda?" she asks. "We're called a collection team. We're trained to go out and collect samples, as in meta-humans."

Lorelei says, "You do realise you're an accessory if anything happens to her. This isn't like a run-of-the-mill scrap with metas. And Yolanda happens to be the name of the 'sample' that was in your warehouse."

Halcyon starts making a report on her PDA about Yolanda, detailing how she has kept her stabilized.

Police and an ambulance arrive on scene.

Halcyon ports with Yolanda to the ambulance, showing her PDA to the paramedics.