6/25/06: An old friend comes to visit.....

PARTICIPANTS: IRONIC, GREEN LANTERN, ZEPHYR


Awakening on what he hoped would be his last day at the hospital, Ironic came to a stunning realization. There was something not... right about his room. He studied the room and finally, his eyes came to rest on a vase of flowers sitting on the table next to his bed. Those weren't there when I went to sleep last night.

He reached over and pulled the card attached to the vase and read, "To: Rex Hoping you feel better soon. Love, A Friend"

As he puzzled over the whole thing, his doctor entered the room and they had a discussion of his case, how he was feeling, and if he was feeling well enough to... go home. The doctor stated that he was going to be sending Ironic home but that he first needed to make sure his chart was up to date for the records people. He moved to the foot of Ironic's bed, got a confused look on his face and called out to one of the nurses. "Rex's chart is missing." Ironic began to recognize a theme. Flowers with no record of delivery appearing in his room the same night that his medical file disappeared. Someone must have a problem with AlertForce, he thought. I don't have anyone in my history... that I can remember... who writes like that and is after me.

Ironic was released from the hospital and an AlertForce car was waiting to take him to his apartment. When he got home, as he was pushing the key into the lock, he heard a few strange tumbles. The greatest odds of why he heard that was that there had been lock picks in that bolt recently and they had kinda messed the system. His key still worked, but he was sure that the place would be trashed when he opened the door. When he did open it, he was surprised. The house was exactly the same as he left it, but he was sure someone was here. Everything had been picked up and searched through but put back a fraction of an inch off (sometimes more. The couch centered between front door and bedroom door was not 4 inches closer to the bedroom).

He contacted the superintendent and asked if anyone new had been spotted around the building. The super responded no. Rex then phoned the police to ask them to come and check out his apartment. While he waited for them, he contacted AF to let them know that there may be someone after them. He spoke with Zephyr and Green Lantern about a possible threat on AlertForce which has chosen him as his opening contact. As he was waiting for the police and Green Lantern to show up, he noticed a folder on the table in front of the couch. It was his folder from the hospital. A stick-on note on the inside of the folder had the following note: "Rex, I didn't know you medical problems like this. I thought you were just nuts. Love, A Friend." As he read the note, he realized that the structure of the letters of this note and the note with the flowers matched each other TOO perfectly. The notes were not hand written. They were composed on computer and printed with a font designed to simulate hand writing.

"Wow. Someone took your file at the hospital and then left it with a note in your apartment? Weird." Green Lantern's voice shocked Ironic. He was so engrossed in his own medical history, he didn't notice that GL had been reading over his shoulder for the last 3 minutes. Before the conversation could continue, the intercom buzzed and the police had shown up to start forensics. Ironic asked the technicians to dust his medical folder for finger prints but nothing was found. Not even the prints of the medical staff at the UCLA Medical Facility. The same was found around the whole apartment. That is... nothing was found. No prints. Not even those of the superintendent, who had fixed the air conditioning 6 weeks earlier.

Ironic decided to find out who had sent him the flowers. There was an envelope holding the note with the flowers that had the address of a specific florist on Hollywood Ave. When Ironic showed up at that flower shop, he saw that the doorway was barred by police tape. He asked an officer standing nearby what had happened and was told that the night before, someone broke in and stole money and flowers from the shop. Oddly enough, there were no fingerprints in the entire shop.

Ironic started walking, then. He thought that if this guy was after him, he would have to make himself an open target. As he walked, he turned towards the beach. There was a bench there he often sat on to stare at the sea and think. But nothing happened. When he gave up he stood up and noticed that the people who were, earlier, frightened by his iron skin were now laughing at him. He had a message on his back He looked at the bench he was sitting on and saw the message in the paint that was left there. It said, "I have found you. Now it is your turn to find me." That was when Ironic had a flashback to Arkham Asylum and a patient there named Jack Smyth, aka Trapper Jack. Jack was on considerable medication but he was still able to move with astonishing speed. And the number of nurses and attendants who reported stolen watches, wallets, what ever shortly after encountering Jack in the hallway illustrated his habit of.... acquiring things from people. Jack often came in to Ironic's room and tried to get him in to a game of Tag. But Ironic's basic paralysis prevented him from playing.

Ironic began to do a little research on Jack. His first attempt did not go well because the LA Public Library does not have microfiche anymore, depending on the computer for news research. And Ironic and computers do not mix. So he went down to the LA Times office to talk to crime reporters, hoping to learn more about his opponent. The receptionist directed him to Steve Robinson, who knew little about Jack's history but did have a frat brother who worked for the NY Times who probably covered that case. He gave Ironic the card of Edmund Bergison. Ironic called him and learned that Jack was a very talented thief.... who is insane. There is also a record of this man having "running powers." Ironic asked Bergison for any records he had on the case. Bergison informed him that, while he has a few articles he can send him, they would give him very little additional information. If he wanted a case history, he would need to talk to the PTA.

Not having any contacts with the official PTA, Ironic spoke with Stanley Mortimer, an AF associate who was, until recently, a director of the LA PTA and previously worked in NY.... though for some group OTHER than the PTA (he will not discuss his previous work). Mortimer knew about Jack's case. Though he could not produce the PTA file, he did remember this man's history as a very talented thief. The one oddity that sticks out about this man is that, in his history of breaking the law... being a super villain.... he has never... killed anyone. He did, however, generate binding material which would, if needed, entrap an opponent. He would then taunt his opponent, and run (at a very astonishing speed).

His first day out of the hospital and Ironic is facing a super-villain who thought that they had... a history, and was now in the LA area, hoping to restart a friendship that never existed.

AWARD: 4 points, Ironic. 2 points, Green Lantern and Zephyr.

6/21/13: LOUP PICKS UP THE INVESTIGATION

PARTICIPANTS: LOUP GAROU, SCOTSMAN

Loup watched a videotape of the Scotsman's interrogation of Toad, and made a little investigation of his own using HAL and some research. He eventually held a conference with the Scotsman to compare notes, and reach some significant conclusions regarding their theories on Westron Security, Simon Barr Sinister, Toad, Polecat, the Government, and what is really going on.

The also wanted to speak with Joe Hicks...

AWARD: 4hp

6/20/13: SCOTSMAN CONTINUES HIS INVESTIGATION

PARTICIPANTS: SCOTSMAN

Scotsman continued his investigation of Westron, Sinister, and Toad, in connection with security leaks involving high tech systems protecting thousands of banks, government agencies, and other sensitive installations.

He managed to arrange a videoconference with Toad, in the PTA incarceration facility in San Francisco. During the interrogation, Toad revealed no new information, but his reactions revealed (at least to Scotsman) that he is somehow in cahoots with Simon Barr Sinister.

No further clues were discovered.

AWARD: 4hp

6/14/13: BANE LEAVES THE HOSPITAL

PARTICIPANTS: BANE, LOUP GAROU, JURGEN

Bane left the hospital with Loup Garou and Jurgen. They went to a nearby soda shop and enjoyed chocolate milkshakes while Bane told the tale of her odyssey. She asked if they could visit the building she had been held in to see if she could find some trace of the VISION, whom she said rescued her. They did, and found the building swarming with government agents in dark suits and with black sedans. Bane picked one of their pockets and found they were CIA agents. She searched the building and found no trace of the VISION.

They then found Iron Maiden (who was still waiting for Loup's signal) and asked for a ride in her mustang back to Kansas City, where Loup had left Bane's car. They flew there and got Bane's car, and returned to AlertForce mansion.

AWARD: 2hp

6/12/13: DIABOLICAL DEATHTRAP FOILED - BANE RESCUED

PARTICIPANTS: Zephyr, James Star, Loup Garou, Green Lantern (apologies to Jurgen, who wanted to join at one point, but skype would not permit the extra person)

Zephyr responded to Loup Garou's distress signal by summoning Green Lantern for a quick hyper-flight to New York.

Meanwhile Loup was fighting Sabretooth atop a 10 story building. The two traded blows for a round or two, until Sabretooth started attacking the building beneath Loup's feet instead of Loup himself, forcing Loup first over the edge of the roof, then down to the street below in a rain of debris which injured (or killed) a number of bystanders. While Loup was below, Sabretooth disappeared from the rooftop (leaping in the other direction) just as Green Lantern and Zephyr arrived via a green-hued hyperflight portal.

The two of them followed Loup, who was zeroing in on the building he had originally identified as likely holding Bane. They found a wall and burst through it, entering into a hallway. Loup and GL burst through an inner wall to find the vat of acid and Bane dangling above it in a glass tube, while Zephyr followed the outer hallway around to one side, to find Sabretooth there confronting her. He leapt at her, missing, and began to shimmer as some device on his wrist activated. She got in a good blast of air, knocking him back into and partially through a wall, before he shimmered more, and vanished into thin air.

Inside the Vat Room, GL grabbed Bane's tube with a green energy field, and pulled it towards the exit, and although he almost dunked it into the acid, managed to pull it to safety. However, the movement of the vat triggered targeting of the 10 lasers around the room, and Loup leapt over the vat to draw their motion sensitive firing mechanisms away from Bane, saving her tube from severe damage (but getting blasted through the far wall himself). With Bane finally freed (although unconscious), Green Lantern suggested vacating the premises in case Joker had booby trapped the whole building. Zephyr, Loup and GL quickly left the scene.

At this moment, James Star (who had been monitoring the whole battle, invisibly) check the building for traps, and found that the entire vat of acid was in fact lined with explosives, with enough force to blast the entire building to pieces, and in the process shower concentrated hydrochloric acid for blocks around. Star quickly activated his communicator, calling Zephyr and GL back into the building.

While Loup took Bane to safety at a hospital nearby, GL put a force field around the building and Zephyr used her military science expertise to defuse the explosives before they had a chance to go off.

Although no sign of the Joker or NOMAD was found, and Sabretooth appears to have escaped, Bane was rescued and the day was saved by AlertForce, yet again.

AWARD: 5hp

6/11/13: REUNION

PARTICIPANTS: LOUP GAROU, MANTIS (KIBBITZING)

Loup continued to pursue his investigation of the clues relative to the Joker's broadcast. After having obtained a list of all buildings on the Eastern seaboard that would be large enough to hold the room shown in the video, he cross-referenced those with any building that has any connection to the Joker (old hideout, old site of a criminal act, etc). He narrowed the list to 37 buildings.

While flipping through the photos for the 10th time to try to find come clue, one triggered a memory in his mind -- Loup had been at this place before. Long ago, when AlertForce was based in New Jersey, they fought a group known as the Marauders. One member of the Marauders was Loup's most hated enemy, Sabretooth. The warehouse in the photo was the site of one of AlertForce's battles with the Marauders. Loup decided to take his hunch and check out this place.

Having no fast transport to New York, he called Iron Maiden in Pittsburgh, and asked her to meet him in Kansas City to shorten the trip, since every second counts on the countdown to save Bane's life. She agreed. He then hotwired Bane's flying car, and took it to meet Iron Maiden. He left Bane's car on a rooftop in Kansas City, and joined Iron Maiden in her faster car, for the trip to NYC.

He briefed her on the way, and soon found himself stalking the rooftops of NYC near the site of his former battle. He soon picked up the scent of the Joker, NOMAD, Bane, and one surprise -- Sabretooth. Loup almost went into a rage on the spot, but contained himself.

Just then, hearing a thump on the roof behind him, he whirled to see none other than his old nemesis Sabretooth facing him. This close, Loup took a deep breath, and filling his nostrils with the scent revealed that this person was 99.5% Sabretooth -- another of the clones Joker and NOMAD used so frequently with the DOA. Nevertheless, he did not look particularly friendly.

He growled his threat to Loup Garou between clenched teeth as he started towards Loup.

"They tell me you killed me once... I aim to return the favor"

Tune in next time to see Loup's fate.

AWARD: 4hp

6/8/13: SCOTSMAN CONTINUES HIS INVESTIGATION

PARTICIPANTS: SCOTSMAN, ZEPHYR (FOR A FEW MINUTES AT THE END), LOUP GAROU (FEW MINUTES)

The Scotsman continued his investigation into the problems at Westron Security. He attempted to use HAL to research the former Westron Treasurer, Mr. McGee, who appears to have taken bribes to give away Westron security secrets. HAL was no help with him. He also asked HAL to research the name "Sinister" and found that a famous corporate raider named Simon Barr Sinister heads a large financial empire, and has made his money on making hostile takeovers of companies either just before or just after events that caused severe difficulty for the takeover targets. Scotsman slowly pieced this together with the Westron situation and developed a theory that Sinister is somehow obtaining westron secrets from McGee, and funnelling them to hired supervillains. as more reports flooded in regarding failures of Westron systems, Scotsman contacted his employer, and they urged him to find a way to unravel Sinister's scheme, while they at the same time negotiate a hostile takeover attempt by Sinister against Westron. They asked him to solicit AlertForce for assistance in the endeavor.

Scotsman gathered Zephyr and Loup, and outlined the situation for them. But before they could formulate a plan...

AWARD: 4hp (1 each for Zephyr, Loup)

6/5/13: JURGEN FINDS A NAUGHTY TOAD

PARTICIPANTS: JURGEN, BANE (KIBBITZING), LOUP (MOMENTARILY AT THE END)

Jurgen fulfilled his contract with Setec Associates to do a sneak on the Federal Reserve Bank of Los Angeles. This time, instead of a vertical assault, he selected the water and utility conduits as his access route, finding his way into the building through a basement crawl space for wiring, after sneaking up the street via the underground sewer and water line passages. Once inside, he found the security system was OFF (much to his surprise).

He made his way to the security main station, and found two guards unconscious there, and another sitting there calmly watching blank screens. The conscious guard did not react to Jurgen in the least, but instead had a coversation with him about the plan to rob the bank, and the fact that the "other guy" had deactivated the security systems using the highest level passwords that the guard didn't even have.

While Jurgen took advantage of the situation to pump the guard for more info, he was attacked from behind by TOAD. A brief but intense battle resulted, with Jurgen in the end using his energy blasts to out-duel Toad's prehensile tongue, and sending him flying, unconscious, down the hallway, smoking from Jurgen's energy discharge.

Jurgen then re-booted the system, and calmly waited with both the guard and Toad while the police arrived and took everyone (including Jurgen) into custody. Several hours later, he managed to untangle himself from suspicion, and was released. The PTA arrived and took Toad into custody.

Jurgen returned to AlertForce mansion and discussed his night's work with Loup, whom he understood had encountered Toad recently. They both wondered how Toad had acquired high level passwords for the Federal Reserve Bank security system.

AWARD: 5hp (Loup 1)

6/4/13: BANE ALIVE... FOR NOW

PARTICIPANTS: BANE, LOUP GAROU (KIBBITZING)
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WARNING: CLASSIFIED INFORMATION FOLLOWS

ANY WHO HAVE DIFFICULTY SEPARATING CHARACTER KNOWLEDGE FROM PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE FOR GAMING PURPOSES STOP READING NOW
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Bane continued her solo gameplaying by advancing her storyline thus:

Bane first tried to move around a bit and found that her injuries severely limited her mobility. She examined the android chassis of the Vision, and found that he is completely inoperative. Still unaware of her location (or even dimension) Bane pulled the dimensional shift mechanism from the construct arm attached to the Vision's shoulder, and began attempting to attach it to the batteries from her AlertForce communicator, GF communicator, and night vision goggles.

As she did so, she heard a helicopter approaching. Much to her chagrin, she saw a purple and green chopper with a big smile painted on the front, and watched in horror as it made a beeline straight towards her. She grabbed the vision and pulled him into the underbrush. Thankfully, there was nowhere convenient to land, and the chopper flew off, in search of a clearing.

Shortly thereafter, Bane heard laughter as the Joker, NOMAD and several henchmen approached her position. Joker was holding some kind of detector, and apparently could tell where Bane was. With no mobility because of injury, no strenght due to injury and lack of food, and no idea where she was, Bane gave herself up. The henchmen pulled her from the underbrush, and then grabbed the VISION and pulled him after her. NOMAD placed a pain collar on her, and they dragged her aboard the chopper. Several hours' flight later, and Bane was taken from the chopper on an airstrip, and placed aboard a small jet. NOMAD told her "nothing personal, just revenge," and hit her with a healthy dose of chloroform, knocking her out.

She awoke sometime later, trapped in a glass or plexiglass tube, and suspended over a large vat of some bubbling liquid. Joker was nearby, and explained that in order to seek revenge against AlertForce, whom he blamed for thwarting his plans and turning his girlfriend Harlee Quinn against him, he had apprehended Bane, and intended to execute her on live television. She tried to talk him into taking another course, but Joker seemed intent on returning to his roots, with a diabolical death trap, an explanation of his plan and motives, and a quick exit, assuming all would go to plan. With NOMAD shaking his head, Joker explained his plan, and the two of them left, along with the henchmen, leaving Bane to dangle above a vat of boiling acid, until the moment of her demise on live television.

AWARD: 4hp