1/3/14: STEAMPOWERED SMASH!

Participants: Bane, Mantis, Loup, Zephyr, Scotsman, Green Lantern, Ironic

While relaxing after their Hawaiian adventure, the team hears reports of the destruction of many small Silicon VAlley technology companies. As they began investigating they were called to Microsoft Headquarters in Redmond, WA, to aid in the evacuation of the building. When they arrived they found the building and its inhabitants under attack from a 60' mechanical spider - an apparently steam driven mechanical spider. The team managed to put the clanking critter almost out of commission while Mantis simultaneously shut off the engin'e fuel supply. The malevolent mechanical monstrosity was then knocked to the ground by a tremendous current of air from Zephyr and subsequently exploded. During the fracas, only Bane was injured as the archaic arachnoid apparently had one thing on it's gears: the destruction of the technology giant! Kudos went out to Ironic for taking public safety in hand and Scottsman for persuing an odd looking dirigible floating nearby. The team then retired to allow safety and rescue workers finish up with the survivors.

Award: 5hp.

12/16/13: HULKAMANIA

Live game: Participants: Mantis, Bane, Jurgen, Loup, Green Lantern, Zephyr, Scotsman

The team discovered the rest of the secrets from the "Marshall" project, and had to again fight a hulked-out soldier, when one of their prisoners managed to activate his suit's emergency power generator a second time. It was dicey for a moment, but the team managed to hold the creature at bay until Scotsman could get in a swing with his mystic sword, which put the soldier down relatively quickly.

Otherwise, there was lots of discussion and laughter at the table.

AWARD: 5hp

12/7/13: IT AIN'T EASY BEING GREEN

Participants: Bane, Mantis, Loup, Zephyr, Scotsman, Green Lantern, Jurgen.

Continuing from the Hawaiian/Missing Alaskans/Bane theft of GL ring saga, the team dragged Bane back to the jungle island for questioning after GL and Vanessa went off to OA to repair his ring (details chronicled in Green Lantern Special Edition number 2). Mantis took off to scan the island again for dangers, while Loup, Zephyr, Scotsman held and interrogated Bane as to her mental condition.

Meanwhile, Jurgen (who was vacationing on Oahu) had seen the flash from the lantern ring explosion, and switched on his AF communicator, only to discover that his teammates were the source of the explosion. While the other beachgoers ran for cover from an anticipated tsunami, Jurgen stole a speedboat and took off (naked) towards ground zero and his teammates.

At this point, Bane was telling her teammates (?) that she no longer wanted to steal from them, and instead now suddenly wanted to kill Joker and NOMAD. Although they were having trouble believing her story, the argument was quickly put on the back burner when two hovercraft jetted out of the jungle and started spitting machine gun fire at the team. Bane hit the deck, while Zephyr disabled the hovercraft, and Loup and Scotsman sprang into action and quickly dispatched the soldiers driving and firing the weapons. Green Lantern, Jurgen, and Mantis arrived on the scene just as the battle was ending.

After what seemed like an eternity of discussions, bringing people up to speed, questoins, bickering and recriminations, Mantis reminded everyone why they were here, and pushed/dragged everyone back into action, after which the team headed back towards the metal doors they had found earlier. When they arrived, Zephyr and GL pried/blew the doors off the hinges, and the team entered the strange complex.

Once inside, the team found some lockers with the strange body armor inside, and Jurgen finally covered his nudity with one. He found with the suit he was able to open the locked doors inside the complex. The group went further in, and found a briefing room, and a hallway of barracks, from which the soldiers were apparently escaping through a hatch in the ceiling at the other end. Mantis quickly zipped in, along with Zephyr, and was able to drag/throw the last soldier back down the hatch. However, when he hit the floor, his armor shattered and he began to grow much larger and turn green. Suddenly, the team was facing a hulk-like creature in close quarters.

Loup, Jurgen, and GL combined to take him out with overbearing team attacks, but not before he was able to smash Zephyr into a wall, injuring her seriously. When he finally succumbed, the team pressed onward, and eventually found a cell bloc, in which Mister Mystico (injured), ChiP, Masker (of Alaska 7 fame), and Nudge (also of A7) were being held, all in various states of injury.

Tune in next time, to see what other secrets the so-called "Marshall" complex holds for AlertForce...


Award: 7hp

11/29/13: DO I SMELL A WET, GREEN DOG

Participants: Mantis, Loup, Bane, Zephyr, Green Lantern, Scotsman (and we got everyone on SKYPE all at once!)

When we last left our intrepid band of heroes, GL had summoned his ring back from Bane, but in the process created a massive explosion over the Pacific near Hawaii. This left him unconscious (again), Bane unconscious and underwater, Mantis shaken but still following Bane, Zephyr and Scotsman struggling to land their aircraft in a neighboring island 30 miles distant, and Loup alone with an unattended Green Lantern ring... The rest is history.

Loup grabbed the ring, and took off after Bane, but without her massive will power, he started crashing into things (a-la the Greatest American Hero). Bane awoke underwater to find she still had the ring, but no oxygen, and when she surfaced a very stern looking Mantis was air-standing above her. Zephyr and Scotsman soon arrived, as Bane tried to fly away but was held in place by Zephyr's air cocoon.

GL soon awoke and AGAIN summoned his ring back, this time dragging Loup back violently, after which Loup quickly thought better of his "borrowing" of the ring, and gave it back to GL.

The team then converged on Bane's position, just as another green blast appeared in the sky above them and a very angry Vanessa Jordan came streaking down from the sky towards Bane.

Mantis interposed himself, preventing the green bludgeoning, while Green Lantern appeared, dropped Loup in the drink, and started heading for Bane. At this point Scotsman took the escalating tension in hand, and dispatched Bane into inconsciousness with the merest touch from his mystical blade.

Green Lantern reclaimed his ring (which had somehow become two rings), Vanessa took him off to OA to repair the damage to the ring, and the rest of the team vowed to head back to the island to continue the search for the missing Mister Mystico -- just as soon as they figure out how to deal with Bane.

Award: 5hp

10/26/13: Green Bane?

Participants: Bane, Mantis, Green Lantern, Loup Garou

Prelude: Bane got a call from Miranda Zero asking her to check out something big, and concerning, happening with the military in Alaska. Loup had a premonition that Mister Mystico had been attacked at the Flat Rock School in Anchorage.

Loup summoned the team to go with him to Alaska and check out the situation. Bane flew there directly from Detroit, while Mantis just ran there. GL picked up Loup and flew him there.

Mantis checked out the school first, and found it closed, boarded up, and scrubbed (with a type of cleanser used by the military). He then checked out Phillips AFB, and found it was completely deserted as well. He did find a crate in a ditch along the road nearby, with a shipping tag to the "Marshall Complex, Hawaii."

Loup, Bane and GL also checked out the school, and found no additional clues. The four then regrouped, jumped in a green bubble courtesy of GL, and headed to Hawaii. Once there, Mantis used a CIA connection to find the direct coordinates of something called the Marshall project, which was on one of the mostly uninhabited islands. The team went to investigate.

Mantis scanned the island with super speed, and found a large metallic door into the side of a mountain in one of the gorges between two mountains. While Mantis checked out the rest of the island, GL, Loup and Bane checked out the door. While they were inspecting it, they were attacked by five invisible beings.

The beings were using magic blasts, and also efficient teamwork. They soon had GL on the ground, unconscious, having been riddled with magic energy (for which he has no defense). Loup knocked one of them flying toward the ocean with a well placed kick, guided by super hearing, but the other four wised up and flew up about 15 feet above the ground, and quickly had Loup on the ground as well, after another barrage of magic bolts. Bane was struggling to hit the invisible creatures, and Mantis soon arrived, only to find himself on the receiving end of magic bolts that put him quickly to the turf.

While she was the only one conscoud (Loup and Mantis quickly regenerating back up from oblivion), Bane made as if to help Green Lantern, and snatched his power ring. While Loup and Mantis got up off the canvas, and quickly dispatched the attackers (thanks to a Mantis-created whirlwind smashing them into the surrounding trees), Bane shot a green energy blast and took to the sky, shouting:

"The JOKER and NOMAD thank you!!"

and flying off into the distance. Mantis took off after her. Gren Lantern stirred and sat up, cursing Bane and vowing revenge...


TO BE CONTINUED...

AWARD: 6hp

9/21/13: Nuke of the North

GM: Chad
Participants: Loup, Scotsman, Kahuna, Green Lantern

New character Kahuna was on a world tour, taking a sled dog ride in the arctic, and minding his own business, when a nuclear explosion rocked his tour group, killing several.

Meanwhile, at AlertForce Mansion, Loup and Scotsman had tracked a missile from the pacific north to the artic, and were alerted by HAL that the missile was going to strike the spot where, years before, SLITHER had been laid in an ice sheet to imprison him forever. Not having instantaneous travel powers, the two were unable to intercept or stop the blast. They did take Scotsman's mystical horse and head there to witness the aftermath.

When they arrived (at the new artic lake) they indeed saw slither there, thrashing about as if injured. He regained his senses and took a swipe at them. A short battle resulted. Loup leapt down and punched Slither, inflicting no damage. The new character Kahuna, searching for help for his tour group, saw the scene and used his massive stomp power to send a shock wave and knock Slither down. Then Scotsman swooped in and put Slither to sleep by slashing his psyche with the mystic sword. The battle was over.

Loup and Scotsman briefly talked to Kahuna, and at that moment Green Lantern arrived.

AWARD: 5hp

7/17/13: MONKEY MADNESS

PARTICIPANTS: ZEPHYR

Zephyr responded to a disturbance at the LA zoo, in which a priestess of a bizarre monkey cult was freeing primates. When she came on the scene, she saw the priestess commanding five silverback gorillas and ten chimpanzees and baboons to release all the primates at the zoo, creating chaos.

Using her air control from above, Zephyr scattered the smaller primates, and sent the gorillas (who were unable to leap up to her height to attack her) running for cover as well. Although they put up a valiant struggle, they had no weapons to attack Zephyr in the sky, and eventually the Priestess surrendered rather than see her gorillas harmed.

Instead of turning her over to the PTA, Zephyr assisted the Priestess to escape, and took her to AlertForce mansion, along with her primates, to sort out better methods of animal protection. Zephyr used her AlertForce communicator to learn that the Monkey Cult Priestess was only trying to release the primates because her religious beliefs indicate that imprisoning primates is a crime against nature. She intended no harm to humans.

Zephyr intends to help the priestess track down and rescue all the primates that were released (at least to see them to safety and prevent them harming anyone).

AWARD: 4hp

7/16/13: FIRE IN THE SKY

Participants: Loup Garou

Loup responded to a structure fire at a high rise in downtown LA (see report on main campaign archive page). When he arrived, he got a news chopper to get him to where he could jump on the roof. He saw POLECAT parachuting from the roof, and was again forced to try to save people rather than pursuing the villain.

Loup successfully evacuated 100 people from the upper floors of the building (above the fire) to the roof, and coordinated evacuation of 70 by chopper before conditions got too bad for choppers to reach the roof. Just as death seemed imminent for some or all of the victims (Loup was contemplating trying to leap off the roof with all 30 people), two unknown supers appeared, clad in blue uniforms with a triangle and an atom logo on them, and calmly created a blue energy field that doused the fire in the entire building. They had a strange conversation about some kind of contest, then disappeared.

The reporters quickly dubbed them "Triangle Man" and "Particle man."

AWARD: 6hp

7/6/13: Tracker don't play that

PLAYERS: IRONIC

(GM note: This is a bit of a time loop -- this event took place on the same night in AlertForce time as Ironic's last adventure.)

Ironic had found the correct building and decided to wait for Tracker Jack to show up. A few hours later (shortly after midnight), Ironic heard footsteps in the hallway leading to the room he was waiting in. The door opened and Jack walked in.

So that's when the battle started, right? Nope. That is when the conversation started.

Ironic's side of the argument: Jack. You don't have to be a criminal to have fun. You can have just as much fun fighting villains as you have ripping off rich people.

Jack's side of the argument: That may sound like fun to you, but to me, that is boring. I like what I do. And besides.... I'm nuts.

Both sides stood solidly behind his basic philosophy and eventually talks broke down. Ironic offered his hand so the two could shake and then move to the appropriate corner and wait for the bell. Tracker passed on the handshake ("Hey, if I shake your hand, that means you tagged me and I would be it. Only way for that to happen is for you to get to me and touch me. I am not gonna stand still and LET you touch me.") and let Ironic walk out.

Ironic found a public telephone and called AF but no one was home to pickup the phone and Hal could not contact anyone. Ironic then called Mike Samuels to get the LAPD to the address he was near to pick up Tracker Jack. He let Samuels know that Jack was probably already gone, but there would at least be stuff for the forensics people to work with. The police were there 5 minutes later with a SWAT team to make sure it was safe in there. They stormed the front door and there were a lot of "Hoo" and "Hah" and "Clear" sounds coming from inside the building. 2 minutes later, the team walked out and directed the forensic people to take over. Ironic went inside and saw that nothing was left in the storage building. NOTHING was left. What they did find suggested that the whole room structure was actually a stage design and Jack was actually able to strip and move the whole thing in less than 10 minutes.

Points awarded: Ironic 3.

7/5/13: I know he's around here somewhere....

PARTICIPANT: Ironic

Trapper Jack has been busy over the past few weeks. Homes all over LA have been broken into and a great deal of money has been stolen. Ironic was using the time to find some sort of pattern to give him direction but no pattern was found. The only thing that was common about the break-ins was the fact that the people were well off. No one was hurt during these robberies, though on two occasions, the elderly women whose homes were broken into came home. The women were not hurt, but they were frightened. Both were tied up and... oddly enough... served tea. They told the police that "the young man was a little goofy, but so polite."

Ironic was keeping up on these cases by talking to Mike Samuelson (a friend of Loup's in the LAPD), but the lack of a pattern made Ironic look elsewhere for information. He realised that the neuro-psychologist he is working with now had also spent some time working at Arkham. He went to the UCLA facility and found Dr. Charles Marshal. Marshal remembered the individual that Ironic was referring to, but was not involved in the case. His memory of the case only comes from discussions he had with a fellow Harvard graduate, Dr. Kenneth Pryce, who was one of the psychiatrists working with Jack. Marshal picked up the phone and gave Pryce a call and handed the phone to Ironic. Ironic learned in this conversation that Jack was an extreme case in ADHD. Even on 4 times the average prescription of Ritalin, Jack was hard to keep up with. There were also some feelings of abandonment related to parents who were very wealthy and spent very little time with the child. His nanny was his surrogate mother. Pryce could not go into many details, but when asked about housing, he sent Ironic two photographs on file -- the room that Jack spent his childhood in, and the room in the asylum. The room structures were different, but the decorations were the same, down to the curtains in the windows and the bed.

Ironic thought that that was something to work with. He was able to get a floor plan of the original apartment and Marshal suggested that, if he wants to figure out who Jack would need to hire to get the apartment designed, he should talk to Geoffry Evans in the Architecture Department of UCLA. Evans' secretary was a little intimidated when a large, grey skinned man walked into the office. When asked where Evans' office was, she stared blankly and pointed to the door behind her. When asked where Evans was, she pointed to the same door. Ironic went through the door and the gentleman behind the desk looked up from the papers he was reading only to drop his jaw. Ironic calmed the man down and got him to talk about what architects in the area he thinks would be the best to hire to work on a specific design (showing Evans the schematics of the NY apartment). Evans said he could think of maybe 10 buildings in the area which could be used to deal with this architectural design and 4 architects working in LA which could pull it off.

Ironic checked out the 10 buildings and found that 4 had recently had changes. He then looked up the 4 architects. One was in the hospital (skying accident), two were out of the country on other projects so the last name on the list was the one he had to talk to. In that conversation he found out that this architect had been hired 2 weeks earlier to go blindfolded to a specific construction sight and work with material supplied by the person who hired him and with a crew of builders who had also agreed, for an increased fee, to come in blindfolded. The architect was payed 1.2 million for his work and the rooms he worked on looked a great deal like the rooms in the schematics Ironic showed him. But only a few of the rooms -- the 6 rooms in the lower left corner of the design. These rooms were a kitchen, bathroom, pantry, playing room, and bedrooms for the nanny and Jack.

Ironic now had 4 buildings to choose from. Having nothing to direct him to any building directly, Ironic simply started at the top of the list and went from there. Each of the first three buildings had area, but could not be used. There were businesses present in each building which would present the possibility of too many new people showing up and the possibility for each to go through the wrong door in the building. The last building on the list had Trapper Jack written all over it... figuratively speaking. Ironic looked at his watch and thought, 10 pm. He is out on the move at this time. But he is going to be back in the next 2 hours. I have to take the time to figure out the best strategy to deal with this guy. And MAYBE call in some backup.

Points awarded: Ironic 4.

7/1/13: BAKED ALASKA

PARTICIPANTS: SCOTSMAN, ZEPHYR, GREEN LANTERN, BANE, LOUP GAROU

Zephyr was ordered to Alaska to deal with the Alaska8 once and for all. General Crabass informed her that the military had found where the renegade mutants were holed up, and expected an attack on Phillips AFB immminently. Zephyr was ordered to take AlertForce to Alaska by military chopper and intercept Alaska8 before they attacked.

When the team approached the hideout, the chopper quickly swung in the other direction. The Pilot reported that the base was already under attack.

Shortly thereafter, AlertForce arrived at the base during a full scale attack. The base was in ruin, and Alaska8 (now all sporting some kind of new green uniforms) was in full combat with 15 military men in similar outfits, but with helmets obscuring their eyes and covering their ears.

AlertForce entered the fray, and the three-way battle raged for some time, with the Military attacking Alaska8, Alaska8 attacking both the military and AlertForce, and eventually the military attacking AlertForce as well.

During the battle, while Bane fought Stinger, Stinger yelled asking why AlertForce was attacking. Stinger claimed the soldiers had been enslaved and Alaska8 was rescuing them. Indeed, when one of the soldiers' helmets was knocked off, the soldier looked as if he did not know where he was or what was happening. AlertForce quickly changed its tactics and began trying to knock the helmets off the soldiers, with some success.

When the dust cleared and the battle finally ended, all the soldiers had been released from the helmets, AlertForce had captured one member of Alaska8 (Masker), the remaining 7 had escaped, and General Crabass arrived with a team of army rangers and took over the base. He told Zephyr that the military program under way there, whatever it was, was unauthorized and he was going to look into it. He ordered Zephyr to take AlertForce back to LA immediately. Reluctantly, the team boarded the chopper and headed home (but not before Zephyr got Loup to steal two of the helmets, and Green Lantern got Masker out of the battle and zoomed her to Bane's island, far from rescue by her teammates.

AWARD: 10hp

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

5/31/13: DAVY JONES' LOCKER

PARTICIPANTS: ZEPHYR

Zephyr first attempted to use HAL to find the service record of Jamie Cooper, Private First Class -- the mutant whom Alaska 7 had broken out of the brig at Phillips AFB in Alaska. Having no luck with HAL, she then telephoned General Crabass' aide to ask him to retrieve it for her. Strangely, he was unable to do so. He promised to bring the matter to the attention of the General and have him get back to her on it.

Zephyr, frustrated and angry, took a flight/patrol over LA to clear her head. After an uneventful flight, while on her way back to AlertForce Mansion, she spotted a vessel in trouble on the horizon about 2 miles at sea near the mansion.

She swooped in and saw a 100 foot long pleasure yacht on fire, with several people in the water and several others still on deck. As she approached and lifted the distressed people out of the water and back onto the deck, a redheaded woman wearing a green body suit burst from the door to the hold, and angrily ordered the people back off the boat. Zephyr challenged her, and a battle ensued. The woman could apparently control water, and used blasts of water from the sea to sweep all five of the people into the ocean. Zephyr, fighting water with air, used a blast of air to sweep the woman herself into the sea and fish out all five of the others from the water.

Placing them on the deck again, Zephyr told them to tie themselves to the boat to avoid getting swept away, and plunged through the hold door to try to put out the fires below to stop the ship sinking. While she tried to push through the smoke and flame to the source of the fire, she was surprised to feel the ship tip onto its side and then over completely, as the water-witch capsized the vessel using her control of water.

Zephyr quickly pushed back out the hold door, and grabbed as many of the victims she could get her hands or air control around, dragging them back to the surface. She managed to get three to safety, and dumped them in a lifeboat that had managed to stay on the surface nearby. Frantically searching for the other two, Zephyr realized that the water-witch was pulling or pushing them down to the briny deep. Surrounding herself with a protective cocoon of air, Zephyr plunged into the ocean, struggling to move around underwater with air control, descending after the victims.

Pushing her powers to their utmost, Zephyr was finally able to overtake their descent into the depths at about 200 feet beneath the surface. She quickly pulled them into her air cocoon, and started back for the surface. Much to her chagrin, she found that she was now being pushed down by the water witch. Fighting with all her mental control, Zephyr fought her way back to the surface, and quickly pulled both herself and all five victims up out of the water, and away from the water witch's control.

Cursing that Zephyr had made an enemy, the water witch, or naiad, swam away in defeat. Zephyr quickly spotted a coast guard cutter she had summoned, and dropped onto the deck with her victims, two of which were unconscous and nonresponsive. Medical attention by the coast guard officers eventually brought both of them around.

Zephyr interviewed the victims, and learned that the owner of the yacht, while demonstrating deep sea fishing, had accidentally hooked a dolphin. Without knowing what it was, they had hauled it to the boat, and injured the creature before they could cut it loose. Shortly therafter, the redheaded woman had appeared and started trashing the boat.

The coast guard officers told Zephyr that there had been other reports by fisherman of strange sightings of a strange mermaid like woman in the area recently, cutting fishing lines and destroying nets, but this was the first time they had heard of a direct attack on people.

AWARD: 6hp

5/30/13: CATS AND DOGS

PARTICIPANTS: LOUP GAROU, BANE (kibbitzing)

Loup Garou got a call from Jackson Green, his employer at HHI, who directed him to go to New York and meet with a Mr. Van Nostrand, president of the Jaguar Motor Company, who had hired HHI to protect a vault in their corporate HQ against theft of some important data for 48 hours, while the company awaited a patent award.

Loup asked Mr. Van Nostrand to let him wait in the vault during the time, but Van Nostrand refused. Loup went to the basement where the vault was located, and took up a position just outside the vault. He disconnected all lighting on the basement level, to give himself the advantage over any intruder.

Approximately 27 hours into the 48 hour period, at about midnight on a saturday night, Loup saw the camera system switch off, and heard the stairwell door open, followed by almost silent footsteps crossing the entry hall floor. These were followed shortly by the elevator doors opening, the sound of running feet, then the sound of combat. Loup sprang out to the antechamber, and saw the TOAD fighting CATWOMAN. After two quick rounds, CATWOMAN threw TOAD into the elevator, apparently unconscious. She then attacked Loup, who promptly knocked her for a loop, into the elevator herself. As Loup did so, he heard a rumbling behind him, from the direction of the vault. He turned to check it out, but out of the corner of his eye, spotted Toad preparing to knife Catwoman to death. Reluctantly, Loup spared another round to jump into the elevator and dispatch Toad before he could kill Catwoman. Catwoman then leapt back to her feet, shot a grappling hook up the elevator shaft, and pulled herself away from Loup, as he turned and ran for the vault.

When he reached the vault, he saw its doors knocked slightly off their housing, and plant roots coming through cracks in the floor and the vault door. Surmising that someone was digging in from outside, Loup turned and left the building, using his tracking sense to try to find the other end of the rabbit hole, so to speak.

As he passed the guard station in the lobby, he saw two guards just standing there, looking nervous. He told them to call the cops as he passed by. As he turned his back on the guard station, Harlee Quinn sprang up and tried to use a mechanical boxing glove gun to smash Loup's head, but missed. With a cry of "HELP!!! MAD DOG!!!" she then sprang over the guard station, and dodged around Loup and out the front door. Staying on mission, Loup ignored her and made for the scent he had picked up of the other end of the vault tunnell, which led him to central park.

He found the hole at the base of a tree, and clogged with thick plant roots. The person who went through the hole had to have been very thin, and had to have had some way of clearing the roots and pulling them in behind him or herself. Loup surmised it might have been Poison Ivy. He went into feral form, and again attempted to track the scent, and again picked it up inside the building. Reasoning that his feral form would cause chaos among the guards and police who were coming onto the scene, Loup waited until he could regain human form, and re-entered the building. He went to the basement with one of the officers, and found that neither Toad, Catwoman, Harlee or Ivy was still there. He did pick up the scent of the person whom he believed was Poison Ivy, leaving the vault and heading back into the building and up the stairwell, where it appeared to mingle with the scent of Catwoman. Ivy's scent disappeared down another crack in the stairwell, clogged with plant roots, while Catwoman's went up the stairwell, all the way to the roof.

Loup stood at the edge of the rooftop, noting that Catwoman's scent disappeared into the night air, and cursed Van Nostrand for not letting him wait in the vault...

AWARD: 5hp

5/28/13: FLAMES ON THE PACIFIC

LIVE GAME - MEMORIAL DAY

PARTICIPANTS: LOUP GAROU, MANTIS, FIGULUS, DRYAD, SNOW ANGEL, ZEPHYR, SCOTSMAN, GAS GUZZLER (NOW PLAYED BY SAM Z.)

On this momentous day, everyone seemed to arrive back at AlertForce Mansion at around the same time (Mantis from assignment in DC, Zephyr and Loup from Alaska, Figulus and Dryad arriving on government assignment to assist with repair of the three androids, and Guzzler returning after having dispatched all of his evil clones off to jail with extreme prejudice). The reunion was short-lived, however, as moments after everyone began exchanging pleasantries, a sudden tremor and a plume of steam rising from the pacific just offshore of AlertForce Mansion ruined the moment.

Running to the western side of the mansion to see what was happening, the group was shocked to see a great rift forming on the beach below the Manse, from which red-hot liquid Magma was beginning to issue, bubbling out onto the beach and into the ocean. At the same time, the all-too-familiar forms of humanoid flame spirits began to spring forth and take to the air, heading straight for Zephyr.

Zephyr took flight herself, trying to draw the flames away from the mansion. Figulus and Dryad (who were still in Figulus' flying car) headed over AlertForce Mansion for a better view, while Guzzler and Loup leapt into the air to attack some of the spirits.

Meanwhile, at a nearby hospital, Snow Angel, fresh from having helped Number 10 back to health, walked into the parking lot and saw from a distance the plume of steam and the rising flames, and sprang into the air to help.

An intense battle ensued, which saw Zephyr and Snow Angel snuffing out a number of the fire spirits with air pressure and ice, respectively, Guzzler and Loup unsuccessfully attacking fire spirits by leaping at them, Figulus and Dryad stalling their car on the roof of AlertForce Mansion, and the Scotsman summoning his ancestral form and magic steed, and climbing skyward to attack.

At this time, a giant fire spirit climbed up from the depths of the magma, and towered above the fray, some 80 feet tall. In his hand he held immobile a demon, and with a wave of his hand, a palpable wall of fear struck AlertForce (and friends) with a heavy stroke. Many were at least momentarily stunned, some openly fled, while others (who shall remain nameless but who smell like gasoline) stood immobile and quivering at the sight of the massive flame spirit.

After shrugging off the effects of the fear wall, the Scotsman approached and took a swing at the giant with his magic sword. This caused fear in the spirit, who summoned all of his fire minions to his aid. They had been chasing Zephyr around the sky, but immediately hurtled back towards their leader, under threat from a sword-wielding Scotsman.

The battle raged for several rounds more, in which Mantis freed the demon being held by the giant fire spirit, who was in fact former Alertforce member Speed Demon, who had apparently been magically imprisoned by the Fire Spirit leader, and forced to bring the spirits to find Zephyr. The battle also saw Snow Angel effectively taking out several more fire spirits, Zephyr attacking both the spirits and the leader, the Scotsman dealing grievous magical damage to the beast with his mystic sword, and Figulus and Loup Garou teaming up with a well place laser blast to complement two devastating martial attacks, that combined to overwhelm the massive creature's defenses, and snuffed his flame forever.

When their leader dissipated, all of the other spirits shortly lost their flame, and turned to ash, blowing in the winds and the surf of the pacific.

As the dust slowly settled over the mansion, the beach and the ocean, all that remained of the battle was a black stone scar on the beach, where the bubble of magma had broken the ground's surface just at the edge of the beach.

After the battle, many of the teammates learned for the first time that during the fight, Mister Mystico and Dr. Fate had arrived, and had for the entire time exherted magical force, pressing the magma back down, thereby preventing the thousands of other fire spirits from emerging. They were thanked profusely for this effort.

Teamwork and strength in the face of a fearsome foe allowed AlertForce and its allies to win the day.

AWARD: 12hp.

5/23/13: GREEN LANTERN SAVES THE WORLD

PARTICIPANTS: GREEN LANTERN

Green Lantern decided to save the world from the impending meteor strike. He traveled to the White House to offer his services. He was picked up by some military types in a blue SWAT like van and taken to a government facility where the meteor was being monitored. A General Crabass introduced himself as being the Supers Liaison for the Military, and briefed Green Lantern on plans to fire missiles with nuclear weapons at the meteor.

Green Lantern volunteered to carry the nukes to the meteor and place them precisely himself. Crabass took him up on the offer, and before GL knew it, he was standing in a nameless military airfield being suited up with a NASA space suit and handed two cylindrical, clock-activated nuclear weapons.

He used his hyperflight, together with a small handheld computer/monitor supplied by NASA and the military, and some direction from Crabass and his men at ground control, and eventually found his way the 4 million miles across empty space to where the meteor was hurtling towards Earth.

Using his green lantern ring as a giant drill bit, he tunnelled down a mile into the meteor's surface, then flew down the hole, placed one of the nukes, and set the timer for 15 minutes.

15 minutes later, from a safe vantage point in space some 2000 miles away, Green Lantern watched a brilliant flash of light appear, then disappear, as the meteor, and the threat to earth, shattered into billions of much smaller pieces.

Green Lantern returned to Earth, returned the remaining nuke and his other equipment, accepted the curt thanks of Crabass and his team, and flew away, content in the knowledge that he is now among those superheroes who have saved the Earth from impending doom.

Award: 4hp

5/22/13: CAPTAIN TREMONT GOES INTO ACTION, LOUP GETS SNEEZED ON

PARTICIPANTS, ZEPHYR, LOUP GAROU

While Gale Tremont took her chopper to Phillis AFB to investigate the breakout of Jamie Cooper from military custody, Loup again tried to follow the Alaska 7.

While trying to follow at a discreet distance, Loup was confronted and attacked by Alaska 7. He took out Stinger and Quartz, before being overtaken by Masker's CONTROL power and Sledge's snot/glue attack. He was immobilized physically, mentally, and had his senses blocked for some time. When his senses finally cleared, Alaska 7 was long gone. He took some time to physically break free for the remaining crystallized mucous wall that held him fast. Cursing the stupidity of Alaska 7 in refusing to talk to him, Loup returned to the house he had purchased for them, and took a five hour shower.

Meanwhile, Gale Tremont landed at Phillips AFB and met with Captian Jones. She reviewed their file on the breakout of PVT Jamie Cooper from military custody. The file contained photos and video of Alaska 7 breaking Cooper out of a cell. She also reviewed Cooper's arrest record, which indicated he had gone AWOL and been apprehended 48 hours later in a bar, but not before an altercation with the MP's in which he assaulted one with a beer bottle and seriously wound the officer. Cooper was charged with being AWOL, with resisting arrest, with assault, and with attempted murder, and was awaiting court martial when he was removed from custody. The videotape showed the mutant called Stinger rushing to embrace Cooper when Alaska 7 released him.

On her flight out of the base, Tremont noticed some kind of inner secure compound within the AFB. She did an unauthorized flyby, and saw barracks, other large buildings, a large parade area with some kind of poles with tethers on them, and four guard towers with mounted machine guns, and some kind of microwave emitters on the roofs. She flew back to her landing spot, and met with Loup Garou at his purchased home (where he was still in the shower, attempting to wash off Sledge's nasal mucous.

AWARD 4hp.

5/21/13: 7 ON THE RUN

PARTICIPANTS: LOUP GAROU, ZEPHYR

Loup, following up on Zephyr's request for assistance with Alaska 7, travelled to Alaska, purchased a house for Alaska 7, stocked it with food, then headed out to the old abandoned Air Force base to try to talk some sense into the teenagers. He rendezvoud with Zephyr at the gate (although five minutes earlier Zephyr, who was hovering over the base on surveillance, saw a flash of light from within the hangar) and the two of them investigated the hangar building.

After cautiously going to the door, they found the hangar empty. Loup used analytical smell/tracking scent to find a trail, and found that Alaska 7 had been there, but were now 1/8 mile away. This started a leapfrog sequence of Loup finding a trail, then reaching the location, only to find the scent had leapt another 1/8 mile away. On the third go-round, Loup was suddenly blinded by an unknown attacker. Zephyr (again hovering above) saw nothing, save Loup going suddenly still.

Loup, however, remembered the sensory block attack of Stinger, and began talking aloud... "I'm not here to capture you! I just want to talk! I want to help you!"

Zephyr tried to help Loup, and in the end summoned Mister Mystico, who appeared in spirit form, and was able to reach Loup's spirit. In a few moments, Loup's senses began to clear, and Mystico reported that Alaska 7 (his former students) had a member with precognition, and another with warp powers, so they are extremely difficult to get the jump on if they don't want to be found. The three discussed strategies, before Mystico had to return to his corporeal form, and departed.

Shortly thereafter, Loup heard a voice from nearby which he recognized as Debbie Reed, known as Stinger. She said Alaska 7 did not want to talk to him, or want his help. Loup argued with her about them needing help. In the end, she told Loup if he wanted to help he should check out what was going on back at the military base from which they broke "Jamie" out of the klink. Loup again protested, offering the house he had purchased, and giving her the address, stressing that he only wanted to talk to them, and that they needed guidance, but she left without taking him up on his offer.

Award 3hp

5/18/13: SECURITY BREACHES

PARTICIPANTS: SCOTSMAN, LOUP (KIBBITZING)

Scotsman returned to his office in his normal life, and found that the treasurer of the business he is in LA to evaluate had gone missing. He investigated and found clues in his office suggesting that the man (Wally McGee) had been receiving large payments from an unknown source, and appears to have been giving out the secrets of the company's security systems. The Company, Westron, Inc., makes and installs high-end security systems for industrial, governmental, and research facilities, so a breach in the company's internal information security could be devastating to the company. Also in the man's office, Dougal found a strange business card embossed with the letters "SBS" and a phone number. Dougal called the number and heard someone answer "Mr. Sinister's office" then hung up.

On returning to his own office, Dougal then saw a memo regarding a claim by one of Westron's clients -- a Diamond exchange -- asserting that Westron's security system had failed, allowing the POLECAT to steal 30 million dollars worth of diamonds several nights ago.

Dougal then called Loup to ask about the POLECAT, and Loup gave him what little detail he had. Dougal then went to McGee's house, and saw three unmarked, government sedans parked outside. He snuck in the back door, and overheard several government agents collecting evidence in the house, and indicating that McGee had been taken into custody, and that within 24 hours, Westron was going to be raided by the government and likely closed down. Dougal was able to create a diversion, slip upstairs behind the agents, and snatch one of their notebooks in which they had been recording all the clues and theories. Dougal then managed to slip out a window and make a clean getaway, in order to sort through the information and decide what to do with this disastrous turn of events.

AWARD: 4hp, Loup 1

5/16/13: NEW GREEN LANTERNS ASSEMBLE!

PARTICIPANTS: GREEN LANTERN, LOUP (KIBBITZER)

Green Lantern Stephen Stone was summoned to OA by Vanessa Jordan. He travelled there using his power ring (in two attempts) and found a gathering of approximately 30 Green Lanterns from across the Universe. These were the remnants of the old Green Lantern corps, gathering to formulate plans to ressurrect the order and move forward.

Vanessa introduced him to the group as "the Green Lantern of Earth." She told them he was ready to assume full membership in the Corps, and he was greeted and inducted into the new Green Lantern Corps as a full member.

He then listened to reports from all the other members, including G'nort, who had been tasked to locate and research the ancient texts in the Guardians' old libraries. G'nort indicated that he had found the old texts, and learned that there were even more ancient lores than those which had allowed the Guardians to create the Green power battery. G'nort indicated that there were other facets and resonations of the power cosmic, which could allow power conduits or rings of many colors, including blue, red, or yellow. He cited Sinestro's yellow ring as one example, and told of his fears that Sinestro now possessing both a yellow and a green ring might give him insight into the power cosmic and allow him to find the secret of the other colors before the Lanterns do. He suggested that the green battery be moved deep into Oa to protect it from assault.

There was discussion and debate, and G'nort's suggestion of moving the power battery was rejected. It was decided that Vanessa should be tasked with finding Sinestro and forming a plan to capture him and disarm him of his rings, while G'nort continues to research the ancient lores. Other Lanterns were given responsibility to take shifts helping protect Oa from attack.

With that, the meeting was adjourned and Stephen Stone, the new Green Lantern of Earth, returned to his home sector and planet.

Award: 5hp

5/15/13: THE ALASKA MISSION

PARTICIPANTS: ZEPHYR, LOUP

Zephyr talked to the Global Frequency scientists who were working on Red Tornado, and asked them to also work on Phoenix. They told her they had Red Tornado partially working, and that she could talk to him if she wanted to. She asked him if he knew where Phoenix or the Vision were, and he responded that he lost all communications at the point where TRIAD was deactivated on Number 10's airship, and has no knowledge after that until he was awakened here. He asked if his sensory inputs could be repaired. Zephyr asked the scientists to work on that.

Zephyr then got a call from General Crabass, who ordered her to report to a nearby military base for a briefing. When she met with him, he gave her an assignment for AlertForce to go to Alaska and apprehend a group of renegade supers who had attacked an Alaska military prison and broken a military prisoner out. He gave her dossiers on the group of mutants (who she identified as Alaska 7) and the prisoner, who is named Jamison Cooper. Cooper was in the military, until he went crazy on guard duty one evening, and flew away under his own power, and went AWOL. He was caught the next day at a local bar, by the Military policy, but not before he smashed a beer bottle over one of their heads, seriously injuring him. Crabass informed her that his intelligence indicated that the renegade supers were holding up in an abandoned airbase about 150 miles north of Anchorage. He ordered her to capture the renegade supers, as well as the man broken out of the stockade. Supers, mutants, or whatever, Crabass indicated that they cannot be allowed to attack the military and get away with it.

Zephyr took her chopper to Alaska, and landed it about 50 miles from the coordinates of the abandoned base, and flew there on wind power. When she got there, she heard a motorcycle heading towards the base. She flew in the treeline and spotted the cycle, which was carrying a man and a woman, both apparently teenagers. The woman had blond hair. She followed the motorcycle until it reached the old hangar building. She peeked inside and saw five teenagers inside, ravenously opening and eating groceries that the people on the motorcycle had brought.

She left the facility and made a quick report to Loup as she returned to her chopper. She asked any available AlertForce members to join her in Alaska to complete the mission.

AWARD 3hp.

5/14/13: ONE MAN'S SEARCH FOR BANE

PARTICIPANTS: LOUP GAROU, IRONIC (NPC), ZEPHYR (KIBBITZER), SCOTSMAN (KIBBITZER)

Loup received the following game data via email:
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Loup, when last seen, you were with Bane and Ironic, exploring that cave complex in Sweden to search for Triad. Here is what occurs next:

As you finish off the Construct you, Ironic and Bane were battling, you hear a sudden deep cracking sound from somewhere deep within the cave. It is followed by a rumble and you suddenly feel sick to your stomach as you realize the floor is vibrating and beginning to tilt. You look quickly to Ironic, who is pusing his force field out around himself and bracing for the worst. You then look to Bane, who has a look of sheer terror in her eyes. Tiles from the ceiling begin popping out of their placements and you can hear the deep rumble of rock cracking below and above you.

You grab Bane and bound back up the hallway, desperate to get to the entrance before the entire complex falls in and the three of you are buried under ten million tons of rock. Above the rumbling beneath your feet you hear the clank, clank, clank of Ironic following you.

Suddenly you feel an intense pain at the base of your skull. Is it a rock smashing down on you or the entire mountainside slamming you into the earth? You cannot tell, but you black out quickly, your vision tunnelling and all sight and sound leaving you for a moment...

Your eyelids flutter. You are in total blackness. You smell your own sweat, and feel your hand -- it is skin, not fur. You quickly go into wolf form and let your ultravision kick in. You see you are in a tiny triangular chamber, about 5 feet by 3 feet, lying flat on your back. Crouching above you is Ironic, and you hear his breathing is heavy and labored. As your eyes adjust to your wolf form, you see (and feel) a slight blue glow that you recognize as Ironic's force field all around you. You can see he is at his breaking point, as if he is holding back the entire mountain from crushing the two of you. As you struggle into a crouching position, your head still throbbing, Ironic gives out. He collapses down to all fours and his blue force field flutters and dies.

You brace to be crushed, but nothing happens. You reach up and tentatively touch the rock face above you. It hasn't moved. It looks as if this flat rock surface above you wedged against some other stone surfaces, creating this small fissure you are in, as the mountain crumbled around you. You are safe, for the moment, unless the mountain shifts again. You hear Ironic moan a bit, and ask

"Are we still alive?"

You just look at him. You know he cannot see you in the pitch blackness which surrounds you.

His voice penetrates the still air.

"I managed to get you into my force field as things smashed down. But Bane... Loup, I couldn't get to her in time. I only had an instant after you took that boulder in the head. Only an instant. I couldn't move fast enough. I couldn't get you both into my range. I... I couldn't... She..."

He stops, seeming to struggle with emotion at the thought of Bane somewhere under the mountainside, nearby, but for all practical purposes unreachable.

"I think with my force field up the rocks fell around us, creating this little space. But Bane..." Again, he falters, and falls silent.

You know the implications of what he is saying. You know that outside the protective field, Bane was likely smashed flat under hundreds of feet and millions of pounds of stone. Hoping beyond hope, you take a deep breath, searching for her familiar scent.

Nothing.

Struggling to make sense of things, you turn to Ironic.

"How far back up toward the entrance did we get before the rock came down on us?" You ask.

"I don't know. 500 feet? 600? I couldn't tell. That would still leave more rock above us than we can ever move. I have no idea how we are going to get out of here."
-----------------------------------------------------

When Loup and Ironic regained their senses, Loup began digging towards the surface, with Ironic using his force field power to strengthen the walls so Loup didn't cause another cave-in. After several grueling hours of clawing at the rocky earth, Loup and Ironic re-emerged into the Swedish sunlight. Because of the remoteness of the mountainside hideout of UMI, no one was there to witness the cave-in or mount a rescue attempt.

Loup immediately went about excavating the mountainside in order to find Bane. Ironic, seemingly overcome by his affliction and the exhertion of the day, told Loup he thought Bane might not have made it, as he sat down on the grass to rest. Loup spent several days digging out larger and larger portions of the mountain in increasingly frantic attempts to find his lost colleague. Despite his strength, his will, and his sense of smell, he was able to find no trace of Bane, scent or otherwise. Ironic's condition deteriorated, but Loup was driven, and refused to give up the search.

When Ironic appeared to be on the verge of collapse, Loup consented to leave the scene, and chartered a plane to return to Los Angeles. Ironic left him at the airport, and Loup immediately bought another plane ticket to South Carolina, home of the Anderson Institute of Advanced Study in Action, home of the most sophisticated team of cave-in and catastrophic structure collapse rescuers in the world. They have equipment and a team trained to find people in cave ins and building collapses. It took all his persuasive powers, and a promise of large amounts of cash, but Loup convinced them to bring their team to Sweden and try to find Bane.

Three days later (now five days since the cave in) the Anderson team reported that their efforts had been fruitless (other than finding parts of an android in the rubble). They handed him a bag containing what appeared to be the remains of the Phoenix android, along with their condolences that they had found no trace of his friend. Loup reluctantly returned to LA in a state of shock.

On his return to the mansion, he handed the bag of Phoenix parts to Joe, and said "fix it." Zephyr and the Scotsman confronted Loup for an explanation as to where everyone was, and he told them the story. All agreed they refused to believe Bane was dead. At that moment, the phone rang, and a Doctor Marshall from UCLA asked if someone could come down and tell him what had happened to Rex Razor, his patient who had appeared and collapsed into a catatonic state. He was carrying a journal indicating that AlertForce might know what he had been through. Loup Garou went to speak to Dr. Marshall.

On his way out of the hospital, Loup saw a police car speed by, chasing a van. As he gave chase, he saw the police car pass through a green cloud of smoke, then crash into a parked car. Loup went and helped the officer, by calling for help, and found that the gas cloud was noxious, and had poisoned the officer. He went after the van, and eventually caught it on the highway. He pulled open the door and jumped in the passenger side.

As he did, he saw a muscular man in a black outfit, with white goggles and a white stripe down his back from head to toe. As Loup menaced, the man cried "Hey baby! You don't want to tangle with the POLECAT!" He pointed at Loup and squirted him in the face point blank with another green cloud of noxious gas and liquid, then leapt out of the car onto a passing pickup truck.

Loup recovered his wits, grabbed the wheel, and pulled the van to the side of the highway. He jumped out and gave chase to the pickup with POLECAT on top. POLECAT was pointing into the cab, indicating that if Loup approached, he would squirt the innocents. Loup stayed back a bit, but when the pickup started pulling off an exit ramp, POLECAT squirted them anyway, and leapt onto yet another car.

Loup ran up to the car, and saw two passengers dying from the noxious fumes. His choice was to follow the villain or get the innocents to medical help. He chose the latter. In the process, two innocents were saved, but the POLECAT made a getaway.

Hero points - 4

5/9/13: TURNING JAPANESE

PARTICIPANTS: BANE, LOUP GAROU, IRONIC

Please refer to Ironic's blog for a description of this adventure. It is -generally- accurate, if stilted to his point of view.

Ironic's journal for 5/9/13