Location: Megalopolis PD Crusher Crimewave Task Force HQ
The new heroes has successfully stopped the kidnapping of Dr. Morrow and captured more Crushers. They had completed their interrogations and discussion with Dr. Morrow about the recent thefts. They considered their next move.
Manta Lad turned it all over in his mind:
- The Crusaders "never left the ballpark."
- Mocker was plagued by "a circular logic loop where he repetitively creates similar plans."
- Manstar "dreamed a lot about flying around and onto the roof of Crusader Citadel."
- Centurion's tracking signal "disappeared when it was near the Citadel."
- Dr. Morrow said "the Crushers could have but one reason to gather the particular equipment they have been collecting – the circumventing of the Crusader’s computer system, TEACHER!"
The boy detective suddenly blurted out: "That's it! There's, like, a crisis at Crusader Citadel!"
"The Crushers are holding the Crusaders captive in their own Citadel!"
Having a small living quarters in the Citadel, the invasion felt like an especially creepy and personal violation to Manta Lad.
He hoped that the Crusaders were unharmed and alive!
He hoped the Crushers hadn't broken TEACHER's programming yet!
But the teen hero especially hoped the Crushers hadn't found what he keeps under his mattress!
Black Orchid thought about the best way to enter the Citadel. "Well, can we hit them where it hurts the most? ... Power. If we can isolate the Crusaders building from the grid, then send someone in as a strike force to disable any secondary power they have, that will throw them off guard and buy us a little time. I might be able to help."
“I need all of your help. There is no way I can send a SWAT team into Crusader Citadel”. Detective Broyko put his hands to his temples. “Great, they have been right under my nose the whole time. Okay, I want you heroes to go home to rest. We will meet tomorrow to figure out what our plans are. You are Central City’s only hope.”
Black Orchid reviewed the previous questioning in her mind. She kept thinking about her interrogation of Manstar had said.
Manstar had looked pleadingly at Black Orchid. “You will help me won’t you? I can help you in return. I can join you. There has to be away for me to take my life back? Therapy, medication, anything, I will do anything to not be Manstar again. Let me help you, I can take you to them”
"We'll see what we can do. I'm sure the people here will do their best to help you." The Black Orchid replied, sympathy in her eyes. She hated saying such a cliche phrase, but it was much better than saying 'There's nothing I can do.' Inwardly she promised, though, to really try to help him out. It wasn't too long ago that her life was at a low ebb as well, with denials and lack of faith swirling around her like ghosts.
When they are away from Manstar, she said to the rest of the group, "Do we have some technology to help clear his mind a bit? We might get some of the information he is talking about if he can remember what Manstar did a little better." Detective Broyko indicated the police department didn’t but he would place a call to The Psychic/Scientific Institute. They would have the resources.
"We'll see what we can do. I'm sure the people here will do their best to help you." The Black Orchid replied, sympathy in her eyes. She hated saying such a cliche phrase, but it was much better than saying 'There's nothing I can do.' Inwardly she promised, though, to really try to help him out. It wasn't too long ago that her life was at a low ebb as well, with denials and lack of faith swirling around her like ghosts.
When they are away from Manstar, she said to the rest of the group, "Do we have some technology to help clear his mind a bit? We might get some of the information he is talking about if he can remember what Manstar did a little better." Detective Broyko indicated the police department didn’t but he would place a call to The Psychic/Scientific Institute. They would have the resources.
The heroes left to rest and prepared for their next planning meeting. {GM Note: one day’s worth of healing for PCs. Emerald Dragon restored all his doses of Acid Breath and Manta Lad Luck Point Pool was restored}.
Location: Megalopolis PD Crusher Crimewave Task Force HQ, next evening
When the entire team had returned including newcomers Midnight Bug and The Wraith, Black Orchid informed them she had invented a stealth chemical that would provide the wearer with Invisibility.
{GM Note: Standard Invisibility rules with exception that after second turn a save against END is made if unsuccessful the chemical becomes unstable making the wearer visible. Every turn after second the save difficulty in increased until the roll fails. Increase difficulty increments are -2, -4, -8, -16, and -32.}
Manta Lad liked the idea of a stealth infiltration. It's apparent that the teen hero saw it as a rescue of his mentor and the Crusaders, not a showdown with the Crushers.
The kid with the help of Starbolt laid out Crusaders Citadel on paper, as best as they were able, and would doggedly work with the team and the police to find the best way in.
As Manta Lad drew and labeled the map, Starbolt told the newcomers about the basics of Crusader Citadel. “The four stories that make up the Crusader Citadel are the top four floors of the Harmon Building. The building contains thirteen stories of offices. Above those are thirteen stories of condominiums. There are also a two floor basement and underground garage in the building.
The Citadel’s exterior walls are of decorative steel, eight inches thick. All the interior walls are of hardwood-reinforced plasterboard, six inches thick. Floors and ceilings are of steel-reinforced concrete, twelve inches thick. The ceiling hatches are made of one half inch thick steel.
All windows are Plexiglas (plastic) and are one inch thick.
The elevator doors are made of one inch thick steel, as are the large vehicle access doorways (garage doors) on the fourth level. All other doors are one inch thick hardwood. The walls of the shuttle launch tube are one inch thick titanium.
Manta Lad started with the bottom, Level 1:
· C-1 Computer Center
o Computer Terminal to TEACHER
o Giant Central Processing Unit
o Storage Units
· E-1 Electronics Lab
o Tool storage cabinet
o Battery recharger
o Canister of battery acid
o Workbenches
o Emergency generator
o Ultra-spectral light analyzer
o Mold and Die machine
· C-3 Chemistry Lab
o Two Dangerous Chemical cabinets
o Six Tables
o Radiation cylinder
o Electron Microscope
o Light ray generators
· I Infirmary
o Three beds with cabinets of life support equipment
o Bed with medical sensors
o Two cabinets containing assorted medical and first-aid equipment
o Visual Display showing the life signs of all patients
o Various automated medical and surgical equipment
o Human size Plexiglas tubes
· S-3 Storage
o Usually empty
Level 2
· R Recreation Room
o Bookshelves
o Coffee table and comfortable chair
o Television, table and sofa
o Circular Table and chairs
· K Kitchen
o Refrigerator
o Stove
o Oven
o Dishwasher
· P Pantry
o Shelves
· Q Quarters
o Bed
o Chest of drawers
o Night table
o Cabinets
o Small chair
· T-1 Trophy Room
o Stuffed Dinosaur
o Plaques and Medals
· G Gymnasium
o Trampoline
o Free Weight Set
· W-1 Weapons Storage
o Pistol, Rifle, and other various firearms
Level 3
· M-1 Meeting Room
o Table and chairs
· M-2 Map Room
o Map display table
o Weather map printer
· P-1 Project Room
o Video projection equipment
· S-2 Shuttle Ready Room
o Shuttle systems indicator
o Air-lock leading into the shuttlecraft
· V-1 Vacuum Suit Locker Room
o Lockers here contain six vacuum suits
· L Launch Control Room
o Various control consoles to monitor shuttle take-offs and flight in atmosphere
· C-1 Launch Computer Room
o This computer calculates the shuttle’s course and programs it into the shuttle’s own computer.
· C-2 Communications Room
o Short wave radio
o Mini-tracking station
o Small television broadcasting station
o Security Monitor
o Emergency Communications Console
Level 4
· H-1 Hovercraft Hanger and Repair Shop
o Tools and equipment
· J-1 Jet Chopper and Repair Shop
o Tools and equipment
· T-2 Workshop
o Benches
o Tool Chests
· P-2 Photo Analysis Lab
o Micro-viewer
o Photographic developing fluids
o Light table
o Photo files
· D Darkroom
o Sink
o Canisters of developing fluid
o Table
Level 5
· O Observatory
o Telescope
o Miniaturized radio-telescope
Manta Lad reviewed the maps in detail. As Starbolt pointed out that the top level with its multiple entry ways would provide the best access, Manta Lad realized with the Crushers were holding the Crusaders.
“They’re in the Infirmary!”
<Due Date: January 7th, Actions? Replies?>
Current Conditions:
Black Orchid Hit Points: 30 Power Points: 87 Willpower Defense inactive
Emerald Dragon Hit Points: 79 Power Points: 98 Acid Breath: 30 Doses
Manta Lad Hit Points: 13 Power Points: 69 Luck Points Pool: 3 Lightning Defense inactive
Starbolt Hit Points: 34 Power Points: 75
Midnight Bug Hit Points: 20 Power Points: 60
The Wraith Hit Points: 10 Power Points: 53
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Manta Lad
Manta Lad turned it all over in his mind:
- The Crusaders "never left the ballpark."
- Mocker was plagued by "a circular logic loop where he repetitively creates similar plans."
- Manstar "dreamed a lot about flying around and onto the roof of Crusader Citadel."
- Centurion's tracking signal "disappeared when it was near the Citadel."
- Dr. Morrow said "the Crushers could have but one reason to gather the particular equipment they have been collecting – the circumventing of the Crusader’s computer system, TEACHER!"
The boy detective suddenly blurted out: "That's it! There's, like, a crisis at Crusader Citadel!" [Sorry. Couldn't resist. :) ]
"The Crushers are holding the Crusaders captive in their own Citadel!"
Having a small living quarters in the Citadel, the invasion felt like an especially creepy and personal violation to Manta Lad.
He hoped that the Crusaders were unharmed and alive!
He hoped the Crushers hadn't broken TEACHER's programming yet!
But the teen hero especially hoped the Crushers hadn't found what he keeps under his mattress!
OOC:
Another great issue, Tom.
Thanks,
Jeff
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Black Orchid
Manstar looked pleadingly at Black Orchid. “You will help me won’t you? I can help you in return. I can join you. There has to be away for me to take my life back? Therapy, medication, anything, I will do anything to not be Manstar again. Let me help you, I can take you to them”
"We'll see what we can do. I'm sure the people here will do their best to help you." The Black Orchid replied, sympathy in her eyes. She hated saying such a cliche phrase, but it was much better than saying 'There's nothing I can do.' Inwardly she promised, though, to really try to help him out. It wasn't too long ago that her life was at a low ebb as well, with denials and lack of faith swirling around her like ghosts.
When they are away from Manstar, she says to the rest of the group, "Do we have some technology to help clear his mind a bit? We might get some of the information he is talking about if he can remember what Manstar did a little better."
-------------------
In the wrong hands, TEACHER is a deadly tool.
"Well, can we hit them where it hurts the most? ... Power. If we can isolate the Crusaders building from the grid, then send someone in as a strike force to disable any secondary power they have, that will throw them off guard and buy us a little time. I might be able to help."
<<Can The Black Orchid use some of her inventing to create a temporary "stealth" chemical like she was working on when she first got her powers?>>
"We'll see what we can do. I'm sure the people here will do their best to help you." The Black Orchid replied, sympathy in her eyes. She hated saying such a cliche phrase, but it was much better than saying 'There's nothing I can do.' Inwardly she promised, though, to really try to help him out. It wasn't too long ago that her life was at a low ebb as well, with denials and lack of faith swirling around her like ghosts.
When they are away from Manstar, she says to the rest of the group, "Do we have some technology to help clear his mind a bit? We might get some of the information he is talking about if he can remember what Manstar did a little better."
-------------------
In the wrong hands, TEACHER is a deadly tool.
"Well, can we hit them where it hurts the most? ... Power. If we can isolate the Crusaders building from the grid, then send someone in as a strike force to disable any secondary power they have, that will throw them off guard and buy us a little time. I might be able to help."
<<Can The Black Orchid use some of her inventing to create a temporary "stealth" chemical like she was working on when she first got her powers?>>
----------------------------------------------------------------------
GM
She can perform a 1 shot invention now.
If she wanted to make it available for repeated use it will required down time after this adventure to make it a stable formula.
Best
Tom
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Black Orchid
Excellent! I will try it if others agree to the plan, or have a similar plan that requires a similar level of subterfuge.
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Manta Lad
Manta Lad likes the idea of a stealth infiltration. It's apparent that the teen hero sees it as a rescue of his mentor and the Crusaders, not a showdown with the Crushers.
The kid laid out Crusaders Citadel on paper, as best as he was able, and would doggedly work with the team and the police to find the best way in.
OOC: Tom, can Manta Lad deduce the location where the Crushers would most likely contain the Crusaders in the Citadel?
Thanks.
--------------------------------------------------
Starbolt
Starbolt would be interested in using the stealth approach. OOC: If Starbolt has any knowledge of the citadel he will use it in the plotting of the infiltration.
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