Sunday, June 17, 2012

Phantom Man Beast: In Search of Nicotine - Issue 4

Location: Rooftop.

The sound of Detective Hill’s badly beaten form falling on to the fire escape below went completely unnoticed by the Phantom. The scream of police sirens wailing in the distance were barely audible to him as he stepped away from the edge of the building and began to get swept away in a memory he thought he had long since forgotten.

The warm summer breeze moved gently across a field of tall green grass, the afternoon sun set high above on its heavenly perch, and a man watched as his wife and two daughters danced whimsically about in a small circle. As they frolicked, the sunlight filtered through their hair and made it all look like threads of finely spun gold. They laughed as they spun quicker and quicker, and laughed even hard as the circle broke and they all fell carelessly to the ground. As his wife leaned forward to tickle their children she looked over to him with the kind of love in her eyes that most men go a lifetime without knowing. As his heart reached out towards its one true love . . . the memory of the moment began to fade.

The illusion of happiness that was playing out before him began to slowly collapse as the escalating level of chaos unfolding around him in the preset began to drag him back into the world he was truly living in.

Loneliness quickly swept across the voids created by the fickle finger of fate, and emptiness mercilessly filled the ruins that littered the tattered landscape of his soul.

Once again he felt the sense of vengeance that for far too long had been his only companion in this world.

He promised that he would always protect them and keep them safe

He promised her that he would love her forever . . .

The massive Man-Beast observed the Phantom's interrogation of the crooked cop with renewed appreciation of the white widowmaker's ruthlessness... until the end. Then it snarled, "You made one mistake, little man. You let him live. If we're gonna work together, you've got to stop being so damn soft. They won't return the favor."

The “Angel of Death’s” eyes squinted unconsciously as he glanced over at the supernatural beast and in a noticeably confused and surprised tone asked, “. . . work together?”

The creature chuckled gutturally. "That's right. I aim to prey on the underworld of this city... to tear out its heart and devour it while it's still beating. Before I'm done, they'll know what fear is. I sense you've got the same goal. If we don't work together, we'll just get in each other's way. I trust you'll be able to keep up with me?"

The veteran solider simply shook his head slightly, released a gentle sigh, and in a tone filled with a small measure of disgust and disbelief responded to the creature,” . . . anyone ever tell you that you talk too much?”

As he spoke, the Man-Beast absently padded over to Detective Hill's lost finger. It bent over, picked up the bloody remnant, sniffed it to get Hill's scent and then tossed it into its slavering jaws. Crunch. Nom.

It swallowed, smiled and turned its yellow cat eyes back at the Phantom. Its pupils shrank to vertical slits and it growled with merry hate: "Now... Trickshot, the Moonlighters, Buzzard... Who do we kill first?!"


Phantom turned his head, looked at the Man-Beast and calmly responded in distinctively aggressive and throaty tone, “. . . Trickshot”

They parted their separate ways. Phantom went to one of his secret arsenal locations. He changed out his gear for more assault oriented arsenal.

He went to the location he had for the Nicotines holdout.  They were all there. A guard was at the front door. He was watchful as if he expected trouble. The gangs’ motorbikes were in back with the pickup truck he had seen Trickshot driving. They were placed strategically where they were easily watched from the windows in the house.

When Phantom arrived at the rendezvous place Man Beast wasn’t there but the reporter he had seen earlier.  Sam Jones explained the Man Beast had undergone a change in his life which prevented him from making the meet. Sam went on to explain that he would square it with the cops so any kidnapping charges would be dropped before he left town. As he turned to leave he hesitated.

“Any chance of an interview?”


... To Be Continued ...

<Due Date: May 12th,  Actions? Replies?>

Current Conditions:
Phantom                       Hit Points: 23    Power Points: 50           Invulnerability: 5           
Two, FN Five-Seven Pistols: 3 to hit, 1d8 damage, 20 rounds per magazine
Four, extra Pistol Magazines: 20 rounds per magazine
One, FN P90 Submachine Gun:
+5 to hit, 1d8 damage, 50 rounds per magazine
Two, extra P90 Magazines:
50 rounds per magazine
Two, M67 Fragmentation Grenades:
+2 to hit, 1d10 damage, 2” blast radius
Two, MK3A2 Concussion Grenades:
+2 to hit, 1d2 damage, 1” blasé radius, Paralysis Ray attack
Gerber Mark II Combat Knife: +2 to hit, HTH+1d3

Man-Beast                    Hit Points: 34    Power Points: 67
---------------------------------------
All of the following is OOC –

Tom, GREAT issue! I must admit that I’m dying to know if Detective Hill is going to be investigated by the police department in the upcoming issues or will he just be seen as an innocent of victim of vigilante violence. No need to answer that – just thinking out loud ;)

Jeff, we’re probably going to have to write-up some ‘back and forth’ conversation in order to explain how Phantom and Man-Beast come to agree on a partnership – should be interesting to say the least.

Some Idea’s and Future Goal’s:

- Hook up with Father Lonnigan
- Clear Phantom of kidnapping ‘the reporter’
- Wipeout Trickshot and his new friends
- Stake out the hospital where Detective Hill is being treated to see who comes to visit him. I’m guessing we’ll see some of the Moonlighters that Hill named and maybe the Buzzrd himself ( in his secret identity ). I’m guessing they might also try to kill him or at the very least shake him up a bit to see if he ratted them out to Phantom & Man-Beast or not.

TOM WROTE:

After a brief cry of pain, Detective Hill replied, “He has taken up with the Nicotines. You should be able to find them at their safe house.” Detective Hill provided the address.


- Is the Nicotine’s Safe-house in the Foundry? I’m assuming that it is, but I just want to make sure.



TOM WROTE:

. . . Hill said, “We own the Foundry precincts and are without number. No names only badges.”


- How many precinct houses are there in the Foundry? If you don’t have a particular number in mind that’s fine – the reason ask is because I was just wondering how spread out these guys are, or are they more consolidated. For example if there’s only one or two houses it might make finding out who the Buzzard is a little easier, if there’s four or five it might make it a little more difficult.


TOM WROTE:

Detective Hill quickly gives the names of 8 Megalopolis PD officers. The Phantom had not heard any of their names before.

As the corrupt detective finished telling Phantom all he knew about the Moonlighters, . . .


- Am I correct in assuming that in addition to the names of the eight officers that Hill gives their ranks, precinct house numbers, etc.?

- Are you going to allow Phantom to be able to just remember all this info or should I have him write it down somewhere?



Talk to the both of you soon,

- Kev
------------------------------------
- Is the Nicotine’s Safe-house in the Foundry? I’m assuming that it is, but I just want to make sure.

Yes it is.

- How many precinct houses are there in the Foundry?
3

- Am I correct in assuming that in addition to the names of the eight officers that Hill gives their ranks, precinct house numbers, etc.?

You have their names and ranks but not precinct house numbers. You know the breakdown is 2, 3, and 3. Detective Hill was in the same precinct as the 2 he names.

- Are you going to allow Phantom to be able to just remember all this info or should I have him write it down somewhere?
Yes, I am going to allow it to be a part of his knowledge. He doesn't have a weakness which would cause him to have a chance to forget it. I won't make you remember it as a player.

Best
Tom
-----------------------------------
Man Beast

OOC

Great issues, no foolin. Haha. See what I did there?

Sorry I didn't answer Phantom's questions last ish. Great job replying for me, Tom. Thanks. Will pay better attention from now on.

I'm traveling this week, so I'll be a little quiet til after Easter.

The creature will want to go after Trickshot or the Moonlighters,tonight, before Hill tips them off. He doesn't want to see Lonnigan.But I'm completely open to whatever you want to do Kev.

Best,
Jeff
------------------------------------------
The massive Man-Beast observed the Phantom's interrogation of the crooked cop with renewed appreciation of the white widowmaker's ruthlessness... until the end. Then it snarled, "You made one mistake, little man. You let him live. If we're gonna work together, you've got to stop being so damn soft. They won't return the favor."

The angel of death looked skeptical at the creature's phrase "work together."  [OOC: Kevin, feel free to alter this any way you deem fit. I just needed a narrative device.]

The creature chuckled gutturally. "That's right. I aim to prey on the underworld of this city... to tear out its heart and devour it while it's still beating. Before I'm done, they'll know what fear is. I sense you've got the same goal. If we don't work together, we'll just get in each other's way. I trust you'll be able to keep up with me?"

As it spoke, it absently padded over to Detective Hill's lost finger. It bent over, picked up the bloody remnant, sniffed it to get Hill's scent and then tossed it into its slavering jaws. Crunch. Nom.

It swallowed, smiled and turned its yellow cat eyes back at the Phantom. Its pupils shrank to vertical slits and it growled with merryhate: "Now... Trickshot, the Moonlighters, Buzzard... Who do we kill first?!"

Jeff
------------------------------------------------
> PHANTOM’S IC RESPONSE <

The sound of Detective Hill’s badly beaten form falling on to the fire escape below went completely unnoticed by the Phantom. The scream of police sirens wailing in the distance were barely audible to him as he stepped away from the edge of the building and began to get swept away in a memory he thought he had long since forgotten.

The warm summer breeze moved gently across a field of tall green grass, the afternoon sun sat high above on its heavenly perch, and a man watched as his wife and two daughters danced whimsically about in a small circle. As they frolicked, the sunlight filtered through their hair and made it all look like threads of finely spun gold. They laughed as they spun quicker and quicker, and laughed even hard as the circle broke and they all fell carelessly to the ground. As his wife leaned forward to tickle their children she looked over to him with the kind of love in her eyes that most men go a lifetime without knowing. As his heart reached out towards its one true love . . . the memory of the moment began to fade.

The illusion of happiness that was playing out before him began to slowly collapse as the escalating level of chaos unfolding around him in the preset began to drag him back into the world he was truly living in.

Loneliness quickly swept across the voids created by the fickle finger of fate, and emptiness mercilessly filled the ruins that littered the tattered landscape of his soul.

Once again he felt the sense of vengeance that for far too long had been his only companion in this world.

He promised that he would always protect them and keep them safe

He promised her that he would love her forever . . .

The massive Man-Beast observed the Phantom's interrogation of the crooked cop with renewed appreciation of the white widowmaker's ruthlessness... until the end. Then it snarled, "You made one mistake, little man. You let him live. If we're gonna work together, you've got to stop being so damn soft. They won't return the favor."

The “Angel of Death’s” eyes squinted unconsciously as he glanced over at the supernatural beast and in a noticeably confused and surprised tone asked, “. . . work together?”
The creature chuckled gutturally. "That's right. I aim to prey on the underworld of this city... to tear out its heart and devour it while it's still beating. Before I'm done, they'll know what fear is. I sense you've got the same goal. If we don't work together, we'll just get in each other's way. I trust you'll be able to keep up with me?"
The veteran solider simply shook his head slightly, released a gentle sigh, and in a tone filled with a small measure of disgust and disbelief responded to the creature,”. . . anyone ever tell you that you talk too much?”
As he spoke, the Man-Beast absently padded over to Detective Hill's lost finger. It bent over, picked up the bloody remnant, sniffed it to get Hill's scent and then tossed it into its slavering jaws. Crunch. Nom.

It swallowed, smiled and turned its yellow cat eyes back at the Phantom. Its pupils shrank to vertical slits and it growled with merry hate: "Now... Trickshot, the Moonlighters, Buzzard... Who do we kill first?!"


Phantom turned his head, looked at the Man-Beast and calmly responded in distinctively aggressive and throaty tone, “ . . . Trickshot”

> PHANTOM’S GOAL(S) <

Phantom has two goals at the moment:

1. Find Trickshot and wipe him and the Nicotines out. Trickshot because it would mean the definitive end of the Sons of James gang, and the Nicotines for try to protect Trickshot.

2. Phantom wants to see what his new partner is made of – nothing like a ‘live fire exercise’ to find out.


> PHANTOM’S OOC RESPONSE <

My sincere apologies once more for the lateness guys.

Tom, I’m assuming that Phantom will be allowed to change weapons at this point. If you’re going to allow him to do so, then this is what he’s going to grab.


- His standard miscellaneous equipment ( i.e. Zippo, Hinged Handcuffs, tactical LED flashlight, etc. )
- Two, FN Five-Seven Pistols
- Four, extra Pistol Magazines
- One, FN P90 Submachine Gun
- Two, extra P90 Magazines
- Two, M67 Fragmentation Grenades
- Two, MK3A2 Concussion Grenades
- One, Ka-Bar Combat Knife



FN Five-Seven Pistol:
+3 to hit, 1d8 damage, Ax6 range, 20 rounds per magazine, capable of automatic fire. Phantom equips his with an under-barrel tactical flashlight.

FN P90 Submachine Gun: +5 to hit, 1d8 damage, Ax7 range, 50 rounds per magazine, capable of automatic fire. This weapon is equipped with a tactical flashlight on its right rail. The P90 fires 5.7x28mm rounds from a standard 50 round magazine ( same magazine used by the AR-57 ).

M67 Fragmentation Grenade: +2 to hit, 1d10 damage, weight = 1lb., 2” blast radius.

MK3A2 Concussion Grenade: +2 to hit, 1d2 damage, weight = 1lb., 1” blast radius. Anyone successfully hit by the blast will also suffer the effects of a Paralysis Ray attack.

Combat Knife: +2 to hit, HTH+1d3 damage, A” Range. Phantom uses either the USMC Ka-Bar or the Gerber Mark II combat knife.


Talk to you guys soon,

- Kev
-----------------------------------------------------------
Yes you will have time to change weapons.  In fact, I am going to use this change to level Phantom up.  For Street Patrol I am using standard improvement from V&V 2.1.  This means Phantom can increase one of his Stats by +1 or he can improve as secondary stat like Accuracy Modifier with a +1.

Please let me know what improvement you would like.

Thanks
Tom
--------------------------------------------------------------
Cool! For some reason I didn't think we were going to level-up the Street Patrol guys - no idea why I thought that.

To be honest I'm pretty happy with Phantom in relations to where he stands as compared to the other villains he's been facing. I mean if I was one of those Min/Max type players I would automatically just say - Agility or Endurance, but I want something 'more' for Phantom, and the 'Man-Beast & Phantom' storyline - you guys have any idea's or suggestions?

I was thinking maybe something team oriented like 'Team Tactics' or 'Deadly Duo' - a +1 to Accuracy, or Damage, or whatever - to both Phantom AND Man-Beast whenever they're within close proximity to each other or something ( must be within ?" of each other to gain bonus ).

I don't know - what do you guys think? Any ideas/suggestions?

-Kev
------------------------------------------------------------
Since Jeff had to drop, we will work together on a new idea of his leveling up before next issue.

Tom