Location: Center City near midnight
As he left the Soiree Heights entering Center City, David soon noticed three police cars in his rear view mirrors. “That’s . . . unusual? Take it easy, it probably has nothing to do with me. If MEDUSA or CHESS wanted to pick me up I doubt they’d use the cops like this to do it.” Half way through Center City, the patrol cars passed David. He was a little surprised to see that every car had two officers and the middle car had a passenger in the back. Must be someone really “wanted” in that car for them to double up their officers.
His heightened senses extended to avoid potential traffic hazards, David “sees” the large vehicle barrel out of the side street, but was helpless to prevent it from crashing into the cruiser in front of him. WHAM! The last patrol car was hit by a garbage truck. David hit the brakes on his bike. It skidded to the side. He pulled hard on the handle bars, correcting the slide. His actions prevented the bike from crashing. David maneuvered into a nearby alley and came to a stop. “What the hell? Is that guy drunk? He never hit his brakes.”
Then on the edge of his spatial awareness David “sees” the second vehicle moments before it crushed the side of the lead cruiser. WHAM! The first patrol car was hit by an ice cream truck. It’s an ambush. Same tactics I used against the bikers last week, but no alley walls.” VROOM! The middle patrol car swerved around the first patrol car’s wreck. It sped away into the night. His bow and quiver already pulled from the back of the bike, David tracked the rear tire of the cruiser before letting it go. I wonder if Craftsman could fit a tracking device into one of my arrow-heads?
David “sees” that the driver of the garbage truck was huge and covered in debris. He appeared to be strong and the trash in the truck was moving on its own. The driver of the Ice Cream truck got out first. He ran to the smashed in side of the patrol car. The driver removed a syringe from his coin dispenser (a fake one) and injected it into the neck of one of the policeman. Archer sensed there were more syringes hidden in the fake coin dispenser and two 45s hidden behind his back. The driver pulled the police officer out through the window. The officer appeared to be sedated.
"Sensing" the syringe and weapons hidden on the Ice Cream Man, Archer carefully took position in the shadows of the rooftop drawing his bow. These guys have already assaulted half a dozen police officers; I don't plan on giving them a chance to do anymore damage.
Archer sensed there are three other individuals on the rooftops. Two were on one building with one of them standing and the other lying prone. The third was standing on a different building. They all had normal athletic builds. David can barely see them visually in the darkness and he had no clue whether they can see him or not.
From across the street walked another man toward the accident between the ice cream truck and the patrol car. He was dressed in black including a heavy leather jacket and a mask.
"You there," he called to the driver of the ice cream truck, "Stand down."
The driver stopped and turned his attention to the masked stranger. “This is none of your business. These officers have volunteered to be organ donors. So unless you are here to help me load them in my truck, I would suggest you walk back the way you came.”
The Mystic Bowman had heard enough, regardless of the risks to himself, he had to help the officers escape the ambush.
*thunk* ... *thunk*
Two blunt point arrows flew true to their target, striking the Ice Cream Truck driver in the head. Wham! Wham!
[GM note: Special Attacks using Dual Attack combat method PR -2]
The driver dropped with a thud to the ground. He was incapacitated. The man in the mask dropped down behind the car making himself a harder target for Archer to hit. The man in black opened the patrol car door and appeared to be checking the officer behind the wheel. The officer was conscious but shaken.
The Mystic Bowman’s spatial senses screamed for his attention. The two men together which appeared to be in sniper formation did in fact have a rifle. The standing man had moved to a fire position. The rifle was aimed below towards the accidents but he couldn’t tell who was being targeted. The other man was still prone and was now cuffed to the building.
The driver of the garbage truck opened his door and climbed down. He walked to the side of his truck. He extended both his hands to his sides at a 45 degree angle. Archer could not believe his senses. He focused harder but nothing changed. The trash in the truck was forming into something. It was becoming a serpent!
A trash laden Serpent rose from within the truck moving higher into the sky. It was about 100 feet long. It moved and swayed. It positioned itself toward one of the patrol car windows.
BLAM!
The sniper fired on the garbage man. The round struck him in the head. The man was unfazed. The round shattered against his skull.
CREAK!
The front bumper to patrol car came off. It floated in the air briefly, and then spun toward the serpent. It missed the bobbing and weaving head of the trash beast.
SMASH!
The serpent’s head smashed into the passenger window. Oww! David heard the woman officer scream in pain.
Within the garbage truck, Archer heard a communications device sound. “Sam, this is Centurion. Dr. Morrow has created a force field within the patrol car. We can’t get him out. Collect your trash ASAP. We will need to bring the whole freakin car back to the Citadel in your truck.
Current Conditions:
Archer Hit Points: 53 Power Points: 73
Blunt Head Arrows: 18
Broad Head Arrows: 10
< Due Date: August 17th, Actions, Goal, Replies>
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Archer Issue 11 “Another One” (responses, actions, and goals)
OOC: Wow Tom, that Seth Demaris thing kind of threw me off balance – something I know you love doing. Not sure why, but it did. DarkStar’s timing might have been better (lol) but I think David’s responses to Tommy’s exuberance over the appearance of Prankster and Wonderboy would have been priceless.
“Hey! Where’s my sailboat?” (roflmao)
If you don’t mind I think I might write up a Side Shot exploring the character interaction of the two from there til the point where David is riding into the Crusher Crimewave.
<Archer: IC Responses> As he left the Soiree Heights entering Center City, David soon noticed three police cars in his rear view mirrors. That’s . . . unusual? Take it easy, it probably has nothing to do with me. If MEDUSA or CHESS wanted to pick me up I doubt they’d use the cops like this to do it. Half way through Center City, the patrol cars passed David. He was a little surprised to see that every car had two officers and the middle car had a passenger in the back. Must be someone really “wanted” in that car for them to double up their officers.
His heightened senses extended to avoid potential traffic hazards, David “sees” the large vehicle barreling out of the side street, but is helpless to prevent it from crashing into the cruiser in front of him. WHAM! The last patrol car is hit by a garbage truck. David hit the brakes on his bike. It skidded to the side. He pulled hard on the handle bars, correcting the slide. His actions prevented the bike from crashing. David maneuvered into a nearby alley and came to a stop. What the hell? Is that guy drunk? He never hit his brakes.
Then on the edge of his spatial awareness David “sees” the second vehicle moments before it crushes the side of the lead cruiser. WHAM! The first patrol car is hit by an ice cream truck. It’s an ambush. Same tactics I used against the bikers last week, but no alley walls.” VROOM! The middle patrol car swerved around the first patrol car’s wreck. It sped away into the night. His bow and quiver already pulled from the back of the bike, David tracks the rear tire of the cruiser before letting it go. I wonder if Craftsman could fit a tracking device into one of my arrow-heads?
<Archer’s Actions> David will use half his movement utilizing his acrobatic and climbing skills to get to higher ground, donning his ceremonial fighting garb along the way. He will take the other half of his movement to get a picture of the battle ground and it’s occupants using his spatial awareness. If he has an opportunity to make any attacks, he will focus his attentions on the driver of the ice cream truck, making a dual-attack with two blunt-head arrows. Unless he determines the ambush has sniper support. In which case he will shoot whoever he can determine is the most immediate threat to one of the police officers.
Archer will enter the fray with 10 broad-heads and 20 blunt-heads.
<Archer’s Goals> This is a complex and apparently failed ambush. I don’t think the sniper presence is likely – otherwise they would have shot out the middle cruisers tires – probably. The Archer is best at long-range and will try to utilize this advantage to help the police officers escape the ambushers. This will be his primary goal throughout this adventure. The safety of the officers trumps any other concerns (i.e. capture of Blue Xiang). Secondarily if he can take down a criminal or two even better, but Archer’s learned he's no superhero and events at The Festival have reinforced the fact there is a league he doesn’t belong in, and guys tossing sailboats or ice cream trucks are fine examples of such.
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Hi Tom
Wanted to make sure I was visualizing the scenario correctly.
Are Phantom, Archer, and Wraith aware of each other’s presence?
I was hoping Archer's Spatial Awareness would make him aware of the battlefield occupants, while enabling him to hide in the shadow of the roof tops, keeping his own presence a secret for the moment.
***Archer Update***
After re-reading everyone's newest issue and the newest SP update, I've decided to make a "minor" change to Archer's action.
***<Archer: IC Response> "Sensing" the syringe and weapons hidden on the Ice Cream Man, Archer carefully takes position in the shadows of the rooftop drawing his bow. These guys have already assaulted half a dozen police officers, I don't plan on giving them a chance to do anymore damage.
*thunk* ... *thunk*
***<Archer's: Action> everything remains exactly the same as before except the "trigger" for who and when he lets loose with his attack. Archer should be positioned above and to the flank of the Ice Cream Man. Archer will make a "special attack" with both blunt-head arrows, targetting the head on the Ice Cream Man. He will make this attack as soon as the Ice Cream Man turns to face the masked man coming towards him from the other direction.
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GM Reply
Archer can sense there are three other individuals on the rooftops. Two on one building where one is standing and the other is prone. The third is standing on a different building. They are all of normal athletic builds. You cannot visually see them in the darkness and have no clue whether they can see you or not.
To gather more information with Spatial Awareness would require more movement spend or changing his focus from the entire battlespace surrounding him but a narrower selection.
Best,
Tom
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Thanks for the info Tom
[Archer: OOC] The two on the roof are worrisome. That generally being a standard sniper team configuration. Though having one standing isnt standard.
Like Archer's own alley ambush scenario, he's designated his Primary and Secondary goals, and if focusing on doing everything possible to make that successful puts him in harms way, then that's the way the ball bounces.
Only having one action a turn should speed this stuff up I bet.
