Variant Earth 13 E Mail Game Archive Number 30

From:  Charlie Chicanery <charlie_chicanery@yahoo.com> 
Date:  Thu Jan 16, 2003  3:58 am
Subject:  RE: [v13] The Other Shoe Drops

> That's when Charlie cuts loose, and starts bashing folks with his transient 
> steel staff. 

"Get some! Get some!!"

> Naturally, he goes for the portly fellow, and does a whole lot of impressive 
> missing (nice rolls there). 

Crap.

> It does scare the guy, though.

Aha!

> "Egads!"

> (snip assorted acts of violence)

Well, i guess i'll go ahead and raid some of his doohickeys as they fly about the floor - those that Gunslinger doesn't scoop up like candied.... candies,
i guess. Anything nearby is good for me, i guess. i was closer, ya know. After i grapple with my gun-toting side kick for high tech toys from the FUTURE, i'll go ahead and continue on with the pummelling of Chrono Corpses. Well, they're not corpses yet, but they're from the future. They should see that COMING. i will flail about with the staff until i crisp several folks with my tachyon discharges. "EAT HOT TACHYONS, YOU SAD SACKS!" 

Hopefully the following rolls are just a wee bit nicer:

87, 55, 08 (or not), 19, 92 - in that order.

From:  Firebomb <firebomb@technohol.com> 
Date:  Fri Jan 17, 2003  7:24 am
Subject:  RE: [v13] The Other Shoe Drops

(typing with a broken finger is.... challenging)

You manage to knock the portly Chrono Corps commander for a loop, Gunslinger, since the man is quite fearful of you, what with him having been disarmed by your erstwhile partner in your multi-planar travels.  Of course, Charlie manages to snag a few toys.

You don't quite get your hands on all the man's kooky temporal gear.

Before you can fight it out, though, the vigilantes before you seem to rally, and it looks like they're out for blood.  You dive into the hole your temporal variant created after you made him so darn heavy, and Moebius does indeed follow.  "Of course, chief.

"I'm not gonna let you die before you give me what you owe me."

The two of you find that Gunslinger 013 has fallen through about six stories before the aggregate rubble slowed him enough to prevent further gratuitous property damage.  He managed to get up despite your tinkering with gravity, though, and kicked a door in.

The female screams within indicate that the apartment beyond was, in fact, currently occupied.  "Ah, shut up, I just need to hide in here for a few more seconds..."  You can hear the familiar beeping of a watch-mounted time travel device...

Upstairs, you face lots of these Chrono Corps goons, Charlie.  Which is odd, since you've only used your time staff once - and they seem to think you're some sort of bigwig time-traveling troublemaker.  "Get him!" and "Blast him!" is a big part of their vocabulary.

You manage to smack around a couple of the goons, though, sending two flying as you bash them with your tachyon-charged staff.  Curiously, about a second after you hit each one, they pull a fade out, as though their time-gear was incompatible with your energies.

Though it almost looks like a weird video game effect.

Your female counterpart sees this, and quits using her bizarre energy staff in order to test this effect out.  She also manages to vanish a few of this small legion of would-be time line managers.  "Hah!  Didn't see that coming, did'ja?  Hm?!"

They aren't deterred, however, and return the favor by blasting at you with their green lightning ray gun things.  Your 'duplicate' manages to only get hit once, while you take two shots (one shoulder and one thigh) for Incredible (40) Energy damage.

Meanwhile again, down the hall, the door opens up for you and Slow Jim, Geoffrey.  The man who answers is tall and thin, with long, gray hair (even if he's got short-cut bangs).  He's wearing jeans and a T-shirt, and doesn't seem to match the decor within.

Most of the furniture is wooden... you see no electronics at all.  Or appliances, for that matter.  The man looks somewhat nervous, and has a definite cold sweat going on.  "Hey there... what can I do for you?"  You see him eyeing the conflict down the hall.

But he looked nervous even before he noticed all that ruckus...

??

From:  Firebomb <firebomb@technohol.com> 
Date:  Fri Jan 17, 2003  8:01 am
Subject:  RE: [v13] Mix-Up Under the South Pole

(argh)

The otherplanar architect looks at you and smiles, Jinx.  "Of course, we can.  I can just shift the portal's endpoint so that the ice falls into it - though it's going to wind up in here.  If you wish to save those people below, that may be our only option.

"Though things might get a little banged up in here...!"

Meanwhile, you do a swan dive after Och in your glider, Ari, but by the time you get somewhat close, the diminutive hero has also vanished - though in a different, somewhat familiar fashion.  This leaves you all alone up there in the sky above New York City.

Though now you're much closer to the buildings proper, and you can even see Och's Penthouse.  The odd thing is that there are two cars on top of the building currently, one of which is a neon orange Prowler - and it's floating ten feet above the building itself...

Meanwhile again, on the streets below, you whisk Och away from his sudden lack of vertical motion and land him on one of the many crowds of onlookers surrounding you, Masque.  They all make assorted pain-based noises, but it looks like Och at least is all right.

"Ah, solid ground.  I'd kiss it, but then... I know where it's been."

Looking around, Och sees you in a jiffy, since you DO tend to stand out in a crowd, Masque.  Before he can say anything, though, you're upon him, and help him up after some dialogue that, had you not just saved his life, might've gotten you kicked in an uncomfortable place.

But he relents as you pummel him with questions.  "I don't know who's on the glider, I don't know where the others are, I assume the ice thing is Stone Cold's doing, and yes, I have a spatula in my apartment.  Come, let us have some beer and pancakes.

"I need a drink after all this..."

Elsewhere, you're taking in the area around you, Rebound, and note that there seems to be no appliances or electronic devices in here whatsoever.  Just wooden cabinets, chairs, benches, tables, and the like.  Nothing 'high tech' in the slightest.

It has a classy, expensive look to it.

Your opponents, while not so sophisticated, have something of a group motif going on.  They all have mostly black leather making up their costume, though there are some exceptions.  They're all wearing a badge that looks like an eye (or a brain, depending on the angle).

Their boss, the guy with the Masonic head, he's complemented his leather pants and spandex vest with a wide white cape, making him look awfully villainous, indeed.  His outfit is complemented with leather gloves and clasps and metal studs all over.

A second one is wearing a black spandex bodysuit with boots that seem to shimmer as though they were a living, breathing hologram.  She's got bright red hair, is a bit freckled, and seems to be concentrating on something, for she's squinting mightily.

A third seems to be the exception to the motif.  He's wearing blue jeans, a white T-shirt, and only has the eye badge thing as a belt buckle.  He's smirking a lot, though he seems to have some recent burn marks scattered across his arms and face.

A fourth is wearing a uniform rather similar to the guy with the brick head, but he's missing the cape.  He looks rather young, maybe just fifteen, and is doing something with these little gemstones he's got in his hands.  Like he's watching something.

A fifth is wearing a cape, but no spandex - just leather pants and a white T-shirt.  The curious thing is that he's got a belt on with these little... balls on it.  They look like they could be grenades, but they're red on top and white on the bottom.

The sixth seems to be... naked.  You think, anyway, for it's hard to tell from the glow he's giving off.  He's on fire, though you feel no heat from the energy he's giving off, and he's not even putting crispy footprints in the carpet!

Finally, the last fellow is also nigh-nude, save for bikini briefs with the team emblem covering his ... bits.  He looks quite dangerous, for the man appears to be about six hundred pounds of pure, unadulterated muscle.  He's so cut that he needs a Band-Aid (R).

"In regards to your questions, fools, I am none other than the man Stone Cold left for dead - after phasing my head into a brick wall.  I want vengeance for having been transformed into a pale caricature of a Dick Tracy villain.  I am the Seven Dimensional Man!

"And I've come to kill you all.  Sure, my beef is with your rocky friend, though you and all his friends are guilty by association.  Even her, though you never tried to rescue her.  I kidnapped the silly woman WEEKS ago, and nobody even looked for her.

"Some friends...!"

With that, the Seven Dimensional Man snaps his fingers, and suddenly an eighth person becomes visible - it's Tammy, your telekinetic friend, who hasn't been seen since you all left her in the hospital while chasing down poor, unlamented Elys.

(remember her?)

"Ha ha ha ha ha," says the Seven Dimensional Man.  "You didn't play along, but I'll go ahead and annihilate you anyway..."

!

From:  EmarZero@aol.com 
Date:  Fri Jan 17, 2003  10:05 am
Subject:  Re: [v13] Mix-Up Under the South Pole

> They look like they could be grenades, but they're red on top and white on the 
> bottom

OOC: Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!

From:  EmarZero@aol.com 
Date:  Fri Jan 17, 2003  10:06 am
Subject:  Re: [v13] Mix-Up Under the South Pole

> (snip description of roof status)

Ari will try to close in on Och's building, and land on the roof if she can.  If she can't... uh... she'll try to land SOMEWHERE and walk to Och's building.  Yeesh.

From:  "William Lockwood" <albedo1@cox.net> 
Date:  Fri Jan 17, 2003  8:16 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] Mix-Up Under the South Pole

Jinx nods at the spider's words, "Do it."
 
With that, she'd dive for cover, looking for a location fairly parallel to the plane of the portal so she'll be less likely to get hit with ice shards as they pass through the portal into their base.

From:  charlie s clay jr <cclayjr2@juno.com> 
Date:  Fri Jan 17, 2003  10:29 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] Mix-Up Under the South Pole

Stone Cold looks in total shock. He remembers Tammy being missing but she went back to school and was supposed to call. But he didn't think she had been gone for that long and they hadn't had a chance to slow down long enough for him to call for her to check. But if she felt that no one was concerned... then she was gonna be pissed.

"Damn. Can no body stay DEAD. Shoot if I was that damned ugly I would stay dead, just because!!" Stone Cold said as he finally figured out who it was and he still wanted him dead for almost stranding him in time, but this time he was gonna make sure he stayed that way.

From:  "Mister Christopher" <cwacers@technohol.com> 
Date:  Mon Jan 20, 2003  6:03 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] The Other Shoe Drops

> Firing a force blast off, he misses just as Gunslinger 013 slips through the 
> door.

"Fuck all!"

> (snip activation of Gunslinger 013's time-travel watch)
 
Running through the doorway, he yells over his shoulder;
"Moebius, is there anything you can do to block him from leaving this time zone?? Otherwise...track him!"
Hoping she heard him, he follows the beeping and fires a force blast at Gunslinger 013 and hollers at the woman,
"Get Down!"
(init. 5, to hit 68, damage 45, dodge 24.....i didnt factor in the Luck because i figgered that it would cancel out in this case...if not just switch the numbers foo')

From:  "Mister Christopher" <cwacers@technohol.com> 
Date:  Mon Jan 20, 2003  6:12 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] Mix-Up Under the South Pole
 
> (snip Och speak)

Masque grins happily although he seems a bit puzzled but then again he always is. 
He follows Och and recounts his adventures with Magus and how much he really likes goats milk.
 
"....Yeah...goats milk is really good and there was this Were-Kangaroo and then this Part time Human and and and........ummmm... " 
He stops and looks up in the air for a moment. His conscious seems to be overriding his stomach and that's quite a feat.
"Errmmmmm... shouldn't we be worried about the others? I mean...they DID disappear and that looks alot like Ari up there... on a hang glider! I want a hang glider! "

From:  "Lohse, Doug" <DLohse@banknorth.com> 
Date:  Tue Jan 21, 2003  7:56 am
Subject:  RE: [v13] The Other Shoe Drops

> (snip description of penthouse, older gent)

Geoffrey smiles warmly and produces this venerable gem, "Good morning sir,
I was wondering if I could borrow a cup of sugar?" 

As the gentleman invariably stands confused, Geoffrey will telekinetically
constrict the poor fellow's carotid artery, sending him beddie-bye quickly
and with the lest fuss and muss. He will also try to telekinetically catch
the fellow before he hits the floor loudly.

Having disposed of the first obstacle, he will proceed into the apartment
and begin his search for the missing girl.

(Rolls: Init: 6, TK1: 95, TK2: 83, Anything Else: 100!!!!, 12, 64, 72)

From:  "Lohse, Doug" <DLohse@banknorth.com> 
Date:  Tue Jan 21, 2003  9:28 am
Subject:  RE: [v13] Mix-Up Under the South Pole

> (snip oodles of Seven Dimensional Man speak)

"Ahh, screw it! I might as well lie down and die." 

Rebound falls face-first to the ground in front of old 7-D, spreading his arms out to the sides hoping the force of his impact will break the floorboards and send them all tumbling down.

(Init: 7, Hit: 44 - How can you miss the floor anyway, Dam: 92, Et cetera:
99, 83, 14, 24)

From:  Charlie Chicanery <charlie_chicanery@yahoo.com> 
Date:  Wed Jan 22, 2003  3:04 am
Subject:  RE: [v13] The Other Shoe Drops

> (typing with a broken finger is.... challenging)

(and just what were you doing with that finger...?) 

> You don't quite get your hands on all the man's kooky temporal gear.

Sweet. i can't wait to see how much more trouble i can get into with additional time-manipulating technology. Ooh... my heart is aflutter and my fingers atwitter at the prospect. Mmm... paradoxes galore.

> (snip more Chrono Corps chicanery)

"Hey now, that's not how we play the game... you're supposed to run away or something after we slice and dice your pals. Isn't it in the villain handbook?"

> (snip Chrono Corps member fade-outs)

"Behold my mighty disintegration powers! Hoo-aaa!"

> (snip Chrono Corps violence)

"Shit fuck!"

Well... now that they've decided to singe me up some, i figure its' high time that i, Charlie Chicanery, show these third rate Time Cop (C) wannabes just what's what. i presume lots of them are left, so i am going to take to the air, and hope that a moving target (though not fast, since i am in a cluttered-ass apartment) will be harder for these fellows to train their green death ray thingers on me that way. Whilst doing so, i am going to start out with the long distance whupass, and do some tachyon blasts to and fro, hoping to remove some more of the thuggish clutter. Hope it works.

Some handy die rolls thanks to the technoholic die roller:

93 for extra attacks, 71 to hit once, 32 for damage once, 58 to hit twice, and 44 for damage twice, and 70, 89, 32, and 02 (grr) for anything else.

From:  Firebomb <firebomb@technohol.com> 
Date:  Wed Jan 22, 2003  5:52 am
Subject:  Re: [v13] The Other Shoe Drops

(wow... Charlie answered in a timely fashion!)

You drop the fellow who answered the door before you even as he tries to articulate a sugar-based reply to your question, Geoffrey, and do indeed gently lay him down on the wooden floor within.  With that, you and Slow Jim indeed step into the penthouse.

You hear voices soon enough, and they sound like unto an argument of some sort.  One loud, smug sounding voice, one angry, vindictive voice, and one female voice - who's quite peeved, from her tone.  You make your way through the foyer to the voices, when you hear another voice.

You're apparently close enough to make out the words to this one.  "Drat," says an unknown female.  "Something happened to our dummy.  I think Seor Barnett may've broken free of my mindlock again.  I better make sure he doesn't get away..."

The owner of said voice then comes around the corner, and seems quite annoyed that you are present.  "Real cash moneys, eh?"  The lady is wearing a black spandex bodysuit with boots that seem to shimmer as though they were a living, breathing hologram.  

She's got bright red hair, is a bit freckled, and could be considered attractive, really.  Except, of course, that she seems to be in cahoots with whatever nefarious doings are occurring here.   And, apparently, she was reading your mind at the door...!

Just one door down, you leap into the air and hover about while flinging tachyon blasts all over the place, Charlie.  You manage to hit with your first one, sending yet another Chrono Corps crony away to... wherever it is that he came from.  But you miss the second.

The blast is quite impressive as it punches a hole in the wall, and exposes the New York City skyline without.  You find yourself thinking that it's a good thing you just sold this place, even as you see the old timesmith you sold it to waving his fists at you.

"Stop it," he says.  "Stop it now!"

Not that you can, really, for while you and your matter-duplicated female friend are shoving faster than light particles at these would-be time cops, they're blasting right back at you with their green lightning projectors... and doing about as much property damage.

Luckily for you, they all manage to miss this time, causing you no further damage for the time being - even if the female 'you' took a shot in the back, and wound up on the floor ... surrounded by three of the teeming masses of goons before you...

Elsewhere again, you burst into the apartment where your temporal variant is hiding out, Gunslinger, and Moebius follows right behind you.  "Block him from time traveling?  I can do that."  She then whips out her Uzis again and fires at the man point blank.

She doesn't seem to hit what she was aiming for, that being his time travel watch, but she perforates both of his arms pretty good, disabling his ability to use the escape mechanism.  Before he can even curse in regards to this, you tag him dead on with a force blast.

He says "Eep!" as the air is evacuated from his lungs, and he hits the ground... but doesn't get up this time - much less pull a fancy maneuver to fall through the floor.  Of course, it is sagging a bit, from what you can hear, due to his impressive weight.

Seems your gravity effect is still active.

?

From:  Firebomb <firebomb@technohol.com> 
Date:  Wed Jan 22, 2003  6:20 am
Subject:  Re: [v13] Mix-Up Under the South Pole

(I s'pose I should stop playing Animal Crossing and write... hmm)

You are slowly getting the hang of this glider, Ari, and do manage to safely descend enough to land on Och's building.  Of course, it takes a few passes to get it right, since there seem to be two cars floating over the building proper.

One of which looks like it crashed into something invisible.  

Since you see Harry the Space Pilot milling about and mumbling really loudly, you're guessing somebody with a flying Prowler managed to run into his stealthy ship there.  But either way, you do manage to land even as that ice column falls past the place.

It is roaring towards the street when your spidery 'friend' gets the portal room in gear, and shifts the end point of the gateway between here and there, Jinx.  You simply maneuver to the back of the portal and watch as a veritable mountain of ice flies through the other side.

At terminal velocity.

It rumbles through the place and smashes itself on the floor in the process, but doesn't do any serious damage, what with this chamber of Elys' making being so darn cavernous to begin with.  Looks like you managed to save a whole lot of New Yorkers.

Shortly after the ice settles down, Arbuckle Van Gubenator, Master Architect of Places of Power for People With Money to Burn, comes back out of the subterranean portal chamber, bearing a small disc.  He puts it on the ground and pushes a button on the thing.

It then generates a hologram of a man in clothing that really ought to have been retired a decade or two ago - a man wearing a large disco ball on his head.  It's Disco Head!  His hologram waves at you and says "This is what we in the villain business call a DEATH TRAP.

"Hope you enjoyed!"  It then turns itself off.

Meanwhile, on the streets that have been so recently saved from yet another icy calamity (keeping in mind the one that so recently brought Ken back to earth from the trackless depths of space), Och seems to reel at your storytelling... power, Masque.

When you ask him about the others, he just shrugs.  "Well, we could get all worked up about the others, but I have a sinking feeling that, since somebody messed with the gateway that leads to my penthouse, we're going to find some answers as soon as we get up there.

"I gather we'll find some, if not all of the others, up there - along with some unruly thug that I'm sure one of you has managed to make irrationally angry over the years, and feels that my residence will be the perfect venue for their rematch.

"Or something to that effect.  It just seems to be the way things happen around you people.  Oh, and since that glider landed on the roof, I believe that you can likely ask the flier of the thing for that one, if you want.  Personally... I'd avoid flying if I were you..."

As you get ready to enter the building proper, Masque, you start to hear police sirens approaching this area, at which point two cars in front of the building start talking to each other.  "That's it, Crosswise - time to beat feet... the Man is on his way."

That was the yellow-orange sports car.  The blue, somewhat transparent one, then whines.  "Aww, but I wanted to study this weird space-time distortion some more, Rev.  Something's causing it to shift around this whole building... I've never seen anything like it.

"But fine..."

The two cars then start their engines, and start working their way into traffic... which is moving along quite slowly, thank you very much...

Elsewhere, you're starting to feel a little less... stunned, Stone Cold, when one of the villains in the room, the redhead, turns around and walks out.  Before you can do anything, though, Rebound decides to leap (or rather, fall) into action.

He makes a big boom, which of course tears the flooring apart, and causes you and the Seven Dimensional Man to fall into the apartment below, much to the delight of the people who were so recently... enjoying some private time in their bedroom there.

Rebound himself, naturally, bounces into the air thanks to that maneuver, and winds up in the chandelier on the rather tall ceiling here.  The other villainous types scatter, while Tammy there is still tied up in her chair, and screaming.

"Rebound!  One of these jerks is blocking my psi powers - but I don't know which one!"

???

From:  "Lohse, Doug" <DLohse@banknorth.com> 
Date:  Wed Jan 22, 2003  7:59 am
Subject:  RE: [v13] The Other Shoe Drops

> (snip results of assault on Seor Barnett)

Geoffrey whispers to Jim as they enter, "Ensure you are prepared for any hostilities, Jim. We are delving deeply into the nest of our foe."

> (snip unknown telepathic lady-speak)

With a quick sidelong glance of warning towards Jim, Geoffrey addresses the woman before him.

"From your demeanor, I surmise that you are not the girl I am looking for, are you? Unfortunate. Such beauty should not be put to such a poor test of character."

Without further hesitation, Geoffrey uses his psychokinesis to, well, um, give her a "hot flash" by setting her spandex costume off, following up with a telekinetic coup de grace if necessary.

(Rolls: Init: 11, Psychokinesis: 64, Telekinesis: 74, anything else: 03
(yikes!), 64, 62, 19)

From:  "Lohse, Doug" <DLohse@banknorth.com> 
Date:  Wed Jan 22, 2003  8:09 am
Subject:  RE: [v13] Mix-Up Under the South Pole

> (snip Tammy speak) 

"Right! I'm on it!"

Rebound takes a quick look to make sure that Stone Cold is back on his feet, and swings back up through the hole in the ceiling, attacking the first villainous type he sees with a well-aimed punch to the jaw.

(Rolls: Init: 3, Swing?:28, Punch (If he even makes it that far...): 96,
Dam: 81, Anything else: 68, 64, 80, 01)

From:  EmarZero@aol.com 
Date:  Wed Jan 22, 2003  11:27 am
Subject:  Re: [v13] Mix-Up Under the South Pole

> at which point two cars in front of the building start talking to each other.  
> "That's it, Crosswise - time to beat feet... the Man is on his way."

OOC: GLEEEEEEE!

From:  EmarZero@aol.com 
Date:  Wed Jan 22, 2003  11:29 am
Subject:  Re: [v13] Mix-Up Under the South Pole

> (snip Harry the Space Pilot speak)

"Eek!"  Ari rushes towards the roof entrance.  "Hi, Harry!  Bye, Harry!  Watch my hang-glider, wouldja?"

Once inside, she will hustle on down to Och's apartment to see just what the dilly here is, yo.

From:  "William Lockwood" <albedo1@cox.net> 
Date:  Wed Jan 22, 2003  6:02 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] Mix-Up Under the South Pole

Jinx nods at the mess the ice column leaves behind, "Right, we'll need to get that cleaned up sometime."
 
Turning to observe Disco Head's hologram, Jinx lets her eyes narrow, "You are now officially on my List. Twice."
 
Taking a moment to settle her anger, she'd turn to Arbuckle, "Thanks for locating that little trinket. Any way you can help us find the loser who was shown in the hologram?"

From:  charlie s clay jr <cclayjr2@juno.com> 
Date:  Thu Jan 23, 2003  11:22 am
Subject:  Re: [v13] Mix-Up Under the South Pole

"Ok then stupid.....let's dance." Stone cold says as he runs at 7-D Man and at the last minute stretches towards him at the last minute to punch him in the throat. While icing the floor to keep him from getting too far. (Rolls: 79, 66, 84, 91, 29)

From:  "Mister Christopher" <cwacers@technohol.com> 
Date:  Fri Jan 24, 2003  12:26 am
Subject:  Re: [v133] Mix-Up Under the South Pole

> (snip Och speak)

Masque stops to consider this.......
"Ummm....Fine by me..just as long as nobody pinches me. I hate that."
He pinches himself just to make sure.
"OWWW!...Yeah..i really hate being pinched."

> (snip talking car speak)
 
Masques' eyes narrow as he hears this. Seeing that there doesn't seem to be anyone in the vehicle that just spoke, he moves closer and peeks in the windows.

> (snip more talking car speak)

He jumps back a bit as the another voice issues forth...
"Eep!"
He panics.
"Help Help.....there's people trapped in these cars!!!!!"
He runs back and forth to each car.....yelling at each one.
"Don't worry...help is on the way...we'll get you out."

> (snip talking cars starting to leave)
 
"Hey...wait ...wait wait wait......wait wait wait wait.!!!...."
Yells Masque as he flags down the police.

From:  "Mister Christopher" <cwacers@technohol.com> 
Date:  Fri Jan 24, 2003  12:43 am
Subject:  Re: [v13] The Other Shoe Drops
 
> (snip Moebius assaulting the other, eviler Gunslinger)

Gunslinger almost "erms". 

> (snip Gunslinger assaulting the other, eviler Gunslinger)
 
"That's right Mother fucker......"
Stepping around the 'sagging' zone, he manages to calm down a bit.
"Okay then.....Moebius...yer light.....get that watch off of him. I don't dare step near him right now...We don't need any more property damage."
He smirks as he says that.
If she can't, he will simply wait with guns drawn and aimed right at his counterpart. Once the effect wears off, he will simply pilfer and confiscate but not before he binds Gunslinger 013 and bandages up the arms so they stop bleeding. He then calls for the time cops that started this whole venture in the first place.
"I know you guys are watching.......so...here he is...and gimme me my pardon!"

From:  Charlie Chicanery <charlie_chicanery@yahoo.com> 
Date:  Fri Jan 24, 2003  3:20 am
Subject:  Re: [v13] The Other Shoe Drops

> (snip combat results)

"Crap-tastic!"

> (snip gratuitous property damage)

> "Stop it," he says. "Stop it now!"

"Sorry 'bout that..."

> (snip more property damage)

"i didn't do that!"

> (snip more combat results)

Hm... i guess i'll just do much the same thing as i did last time around... though i can't help but wonder - just how teeming are these masses? i mean, is it a dozen teeming goons or a million? i just wasn't sure, after all...

But anyway, here's some rolls: 09, 87, 33, 38, 72.

From:  Firebomb <firebomb@technohol.com> 
Date:  Fri Jan 24, 2003  4:42 am
Subject:  Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

(arg.... too much typing on broken finger...)

"Warrgh!"

That's what the redheaded telepath says as you catch her costume on fire, Geoffrey.  She tries pulling the thing off, though as hot as your flames burn, the thing is pretty much gone by the time she makes any progress in that regard, leaving her somewhat burned.

In more ways than one.  "Poor test of character?!  You've got room to talk, pal - we're here trying to catch a would-be murderer - and YOU set ME on fire?  Pah - if you think burning my clothes will be enough to stop me, let me show you why I'm called Brainrave!"

Responding to your fiery assault before you can finish her off with your T-K one-two punch, the apparent Brainrave thrusts her hands into the air before you, and suddenly you feel a stabbing pain between your eyes - and suffer Incredible (40) Karmic (mental) damage.

Before she can do anything else to you, however, Slow Jim runs up to her and gives her a hearty body check, allowing you the second you need to collect yourself and pound her good with your telekinesis - sending her flying down the hallway you currently occupy.

You imagine that people know you're here, now - though it's suddenly gotten lots noisier in the room where the other occupants of this place are hiding out...

(ooc:  incidentally, I seem to have misplaced Geoffrey's stats in one of several hard drive incidents - could I have you send him to me again?)

Speaking of which, as you go to select a target of your rage, you see that redhead - suddenly bereft of her clothing - go flying in the hallway outside this room, Rebound.  This narrows your choice of enemies some, but picking quickly, you punch the muscle-head in the jaw.

Quite hard, actually, but he only moves a wee bit, despite the explosive side effect the hit caused.  It's not that he's heavily armored, since your hand didn't get hurt by the hit, of course, but this fellow seems really, really... THICK.  In more ways than one.

"Hur hur hur," he says.  He then raises both of his hands into the air, and brings them down on your shoulders; the ripply fellow was aiming for your head, but you moved at least enough to avoid that.  In addition to being strong, you note he's deceptively fast, as well.

The problem is that the hit caused you to explode yet again, and you were bounced right into another of these fellows, the one in the jeans and T-shirt.  "Hey watch it, buddy," he says as you bounce right into his back, and you both tumble through the nearest wall.

Into yet another domicile, one full of combative goons in black and white costumes, who're firing on some flying folks...!!

Just one story down from all this, as the various villains try to recover from the sudden bedlam inflicted upon their supposedly carefully laid plans, you try to punch the Seven Dimensional Man in the neck, Stone Cold, but he ducks down so that you hit his face, instead.

And it hurts a whole lot.

"Hah hah hah hah hah!  It looks like this new face you gave me has its advantages after all, you buffoon!"  You manage to suffer Good (10) Blunt damage from that hit, though you did at least cause the guy to slide backwards a bit, and after gloating, he falls.

Tripped over some recently shed clothing on the floor you had iced up.  Speaking of which, the current occupants of this apartment take this opportunity to totally freak out.  "Aaaaaaa!" and "Eeeeeek!" issues forth from the bed containing those two nekkid folks.

A few floors deeper than this battle is concerned, you stand before your defeated temporal counterpart, Gunslinger.  After telling Moebius to remove his watch, you suddenly realize that you weren't specific enough -and watch as she pulls her sword out.

She doesn't cut the man's hand off, luckily, but stabs his wrist in such a fashion that the band on the watch snaps, and she snatches it up faster than some of your former comrades have 'confiscated' things in the past.  She even says "Yoink!" in a satisfied fashion, too.

You then bind up the unfortunate fellow and keep him from dying from excessive blood loss - unlikely, with his inherent luck powers, but still - and pilfer everything Moebius hasn't already.  You take his sidearms, the keys to his Prowler, and the other telephone.

You know, the counterpart to the one that hairy fellow upstairs had.

After bellowing at the Temporal Management people, Lieutenant Syde indeed appears out of nowhere, and blinks at you in amazement.  "Wow... that was fast.  Almost too fast, really.  You didn't even have to track him down in time.  How'd you manage that?!"

Indeed...

Even further downward than this particular conflict, you start freaking out at the talking cars on the street, Masque.  This causes the both of them to react somewhat nervously towards you.  The blue one is the first to speak up, and says "Hey, cut it out!

"There's nobody in here, trust me... we're just, er, special effects."

The yellowish-orange car then expands on this.  "Yes, fleshling, we are merely, er, props in the newest Knight Rider television movie special.  I am playing Kit 3, you see, whilst my fellow, uh, prop, is none other than the villainous X Mobile.  See, he's got an 'x' on his hood..."

"Yeah, that's the ticket..."

Och just slaps his head in disdain.

Meanwhile, on top of this hub of super-human mayhem, Harry just grumbles at you while apparently applying invisible paint to the air before him.  "Robble robble... sure, whatever... mutter mutter..."  You zip down the stairs to the top floor, only to find... chaos.

There's all kinds of fellows in spiffy black and white uniforms teeming on this floor; there's about twelve on the premises, though most of them are in the penthouse across the hall from Och's; you see this because the hall on that side is chock full of holes.

Some of which most likely came from the green lightning thingies that the similarly dressed fellows are shooting at some flying, staff-wielding people that are shooting back at them.  And, some of the holes seem to have made their way into Och's place.

You can only imagine how unhappy this is going to make him, since he almost popped when that android fellow carved his name on the hallway outside his penthouse.  Regarding Och's place, you notice that the door is ajar, and you don't remember anybody being in there...

Just a few feet away, you continue to blast away at the Chrono Corps goons that have invaded what was so recently your apartment, Charlie.  You do indeed tag another one, causing him to vanish video-game style.  Your female half does as well.

Before they can strike back at you, though, one of them starts bellowing something about Temporal Management being active in the building as well, causing them to all look at little wrist indicator thingies on their wrists.  They then leap into the hole in the floor.

Apparently this 'Temporal Management' is hanging out with Gunslinger.

Meanwhile again, MUCH farther away, you watch as the shattered ice starts to settle in the cavern that is to eventually hold your group's headquarters, Jinx.  After you ask Arbuckle about finding Disco Head, he shakes his head in the negative.

"No, I lack special powers of that sort.  While I do have mystic abilities, they are more related to building things and places of power, such as the crystalline matrix that generates the spatial rift between here and... wherever you aim the thing.

"I can, however, shift the portal back to where it originally came from, or anywhere else you'd like it to go, Jinx.  But as far as extrasensory powers, I am afraid that I am sorely lacking in that regard..."

!

From:  "Lohse, Doug" <DLohse@banknorth.com> 
Date:  Fri Jan 24, 2003  8:27 am
Subject:  RE: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

> (snip combat results, Brainrave speak)

"That is merely a distraction. The true assault is about to ...."

> (snip Brainrave attacks)

Geoffrey grimaces in pain as his brain reels from her attack. His smug smile rapidly returns as his underling jumps into the fray.

> (snip further combat results)

Geoffrey mocks the poor woman, showing no further outward sign of the mental strain of her attack. He laughs as she hurtles down the hallway, "Brainrave? How quaint. Nicknames." With a continued derisive smile, "That, little woman, was the true assault. Had you half the mental capacity of the rest of society, you would have been better prepared. "

> (snip foreboding)

"Well, well, well, it seems I have kicked over the proverbial anthill here.  Perhaps someone else from this rogue faction will present more than a passing distraction."

With that, Geoffrey calmly takes a moment to telekinetically press his suit before proceeding down the hallway.

From:  "Lohse, Doug" <DLohse@banknorth.com> 
Date:  Fri Jan 24, 2003  8:34 am
Subject:  RE: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

> (snip redheaded combat results)

"Damn, the Redhead's out. I like redheads. Guess I'll have to pick someone else... how about you..."

> (snip assault on big muscle-head)

"Well, THAT's never happened before..."

> (snip further combat results)

"Oh, shut up, whiner." 

> (snip wall breaking)

Rebound looks at his hand as if to say "You'd better work this time", and levels a punch at the guy he went a-tumbling with, hoping for a better result.

(Rolls: Init: 6, Hit: 82, Dam:75, Anything Else: 16, 69, 08)

From:  "Mister Christopher" <cwacers@technohol.com> 
Date:  Fri Jan 24, 2003  11:28 am
Subject:  Re: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

> (snip Moebius menacing g13)
 
"Ummm...Moebius?"

> (snip Moebius pilfering g13)
 
"Oh."

> (snip Lieutenant Syde speak)
 
Gunslinger just shrugs.
"Luck."
 
He stows the gear and takes the holsters from Gunslinger 013 and puts them on and ..well..holsters the sidearms.
 
"I think it has to do with what Moebius said when we first got here. This place is some sort of nexus of something... Multidimensional monsters and whatnot. All in a days work really. ...oh and by the way...a bunch of nutjobs in black tights are up there claiming to be Time Cops or something. You know anything about that?"
He gives Syde a disappointed look.
"I thought you guys were gonna stay outta this?"

From:  "Mister Christopher" <cwacers@technohol.com> 
Date:  Fri Jan 24, 2003  11:41 am
Subject:  Re: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory
 
"Yeah, that's the ticket..."
Masque, being a simple man nods... but not without a look of disgust though.
"Ahhh... technology seems to be getting sneakier and sneakier these days. Why... when I was a kid....hey wait a minute....Knight Rider never dealt with space-time distortions...."
He spells up his magic sensing spell and scans the area.
 
Either way he seems happy with the answer he got from the...props and he goes back to the building.
 
Och just slaps his head in disdain.
"Alrighty then...let's get some pancakes."

From:  EmarZero@aol.com 
Date:  Fri Jan 24, 2003  12:16 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

> (snip sit-rep)

Ari makes a break for Och's apartment, dodging any lasers or what have you, and scoots inside, where she will attempt to figure out A: what's going on, and B: if any of Och's stuff, or her stuff, for that matter, has been damaged.  If so, she will be mightily sore.  

(OOC: Say, this bunch really oughta invest in some, you know, cel phones or walkie talkies or somesuch.)

From:  "William Lockwood" <albedo1@cox.net> 
Date:  Fri Jan 24, 2003  6:15 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

Jinx nods to Arbuckle, "Right. Please just put the portal back to where it was before it got shifted to the New York City skyline."

From:  Charlie Chicanery <charlie_chicanery@yahoo.com> 
Date:  Wed Jan 29, 2003  1:17 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

> (snip some combat results)

"Yeah! Yeah!! Get some! GET SOME!!"

(sounded good, anyway)

> (snip Chrono Corps going into the floor)

Heh. Heh heh heh heh heh.

i will take this opportunity to casually mosey on over to said hole in the floor, and proceed to shoot them all like unto the proverbial fish in the barrel. i assume this is a very deep hole, since that other Gunslinger fellow fell down several stories? i mean, i wouldn't know that until i looked of course but assuming that they're all heading down that narrow passageway, i'll tag 'em all (or as many as i can) with one heck of a wide tachyon blast... and hopefully vanish the lot of 'em for giggles.

Tee hee. 

(there's one giggle... lots to go.)

My rolls:
initiative - 8
assorted chicanery - 99 (hu-zAAh), 83, 19, 54, 21, 33

From:  Firebomb <firebomb@technohol.com> 
Date:  Fri Jan 31, 2003  5:56 am
Subject:  RE: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

(no Stone Cold... - we didn't lose you, I hope...)

You whip out the spellcasting shenanigans, Masque, and you see that the place is indeed awash in mystic energies.  Makes you wonder why you've never actually looked before.  The trick, though, is that the energies stop quite abruptly several feet outside the building.

It's like a barrier hems them in, halfway between the building containing Och's penthouse apartment and every other surrounding structure, in a neat rectangle.  The really weird thing is that the barrier almost looks like a dimensional rift...

Anyway, once you get done doing your thing, you and Och head into the building proper, and hit the elevator.  Oh, sure, it's a blasted demonic technology thingus, but it does beat taking the stairs.  Och just sighs as he hits the 'top floor' button.  "Ah, home sweet home..."

Speaking of Och's home sweet home, you enter the edifice and find the place has seen better days, Ari.  Energy blasts from without have punched through most of the walls, and have exposed bits of skyline outside.  Plenty of furniture has holes in it, too.

Inspecting the place a little more thoroughly, you find that someone has VERY recently used the main bathroom, for it is just brimming with hair, as though somebody had shaved half of theirs off.  At least, that's the effect you imagine from it and all the shaving cream.

You also find, on top of the sink, a small disc - with a button on top.  Before you can do anything else, though, the hall closet starts trembling madly - or at least the contents within do.  After a flash of light issues forth from the door cracks, it opens.

And Jinx comes out of the closet (cha ching).

It took Arbuckle some doing, Jinx, but he managed to get the portal pointed back where it was supposed to go all along.  As Ari did so recently, though, you see that something has gone awry here, what with all the energy burns, wrecked furniture, and whatnot.

Slightly elsewhere, you move up to the hole in the floor and find that it does indeed go down several stories, Charlie, and the Chrono Corps fellows are trying to navigate around rubble and various annoyed tenants  - allowing you a wide attack of opportunity.

You blast at all of them with your tachyon-charged staff of transient steel, and vanish all of them.  You see the end result of this as various bodies vanish before your eyes, Gunslinger, right before they hit the floor after a fall from above.

Looks like the Chrono Corps were coming your way...

In response to you, Lieutenant Syde shrugs, Gunslinger.  "You're right - I said I'd stay out of this, and I did."  She says this as she collects Gunslinger 013.  "The people you're describing might be from another time control agency - there's plenty out there."

"It looks like the Chrono Corps - or it looked, rather.  Temporal Management has nothing to do with those reprobates... they're all gung-ho about fixing things, and rush in before thinking - or planning - things out.  They cause as many problems as they fix.

"Leaving more reputable time managers like, say, Temporal Management, to clean up their messes.  Silly kids."

Upstairs again, you punch the man who you were so unceremoniously knocked into, Rebound, and he does indeed go flying - he's apparently not quite so durable as the first person you pummeled.  Of course, you send him flying into the flying fellow with the glowing staff.

This causes him to grouse a lot.  "Whiner... feh, I'll show you.  I'll show you all - nobody is so indignant to Deion!"  After that boast, the man suddenly realizes that he's toe to toe with you, Mr. Chicanery.  And, since you just so recently killed him...

"You!"

Having gotten rid of that 'Deion' guy, though, you go looking for even more trouble, Rebound.  Well, not really - it does come after you, though.  "Hey jerky - you can't go throwing us around like that!  We're Mindwatch operatives, and we're on a MISSION!"

This over-enthusiastic fellow is the guy juggling the gemstones, but he doesn't make a move to attack you... not yet.  It's as though he's actually waiting for you to SAY something.  Kids these days, actually trying to be reasonable... feh.

A few feet lower than this, the Seven Dimensional Man continues to mock you, Stone Cold.  "What?  No pithy replies, no flippant remarks?  Have you outgrown your silly heroic persona and shown your true, murderous colors?  Or did I just break your hand??  Ha ha ha!"

He assumes a Dramatic Action Pose and waves his right fist at you.  "Good!  I hope you're suffering, for I want to savor this... if you'd have just dropped it after defeating me, I'd have let this go - recognized my failure and moved on.

"I'm a mercenary after all - not some deranged villain bent on world conquest or some such."  Not that he's helping to convince you otherwise, of course.  "But trying to kill me with that phasing stunt... oh yes.  I'm so going to make you pay for that..."

Other than a stinging fist, you're no longer stunned or such, by the by.

You see all this as you enter the room, Geoffrey - both the ranting of the brick-headed fellow one floor down (thanks to a handy hole there) and the fight going on with the cloaked fellow that seems to have the explosive hands.

You see that Tammy girl in the room, tied up in a chair, as well as the various other Mindwatch operatives in this apparent Posse Pillory.  A few of them seem occupied, but the rest appear to have just collected themselves after an apparent explosion.

Lots of 'apparent' here... having not seen what went down, you're just trying to deduce things.  However, you don't have to think too hard about the fellow who's just ran up to you.  He's on fire, after all.  "Hey!  Who the heck are you, and what're you doing here?!"

Just then, back in the hallway, the elevator door opens up.  Och and Masque issue forth from the spacious contraption, leaving Masque relieved - and Och fuming.  "What... on EARTH... is going on here?"  You could swear you can see steam coming out of his ears...!

(I think that covered everybody)

From:  "Lohse, Doug" <DLohse@banknorth.com> 
Date:  Fri Jan 31, 2003  7:52 am
Subject:  RE: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

> (snip results of attack on Deion)

"Ah...results again!" Rebound kisses his fist and takes a step to finish off what he started.

> (snip Deion speak)

Realizing that this "Deion" suddenly has a new (and apparently unfriendly) dance partner, Rebound shouts "He's all your stick-boy!" And promptly runs into the newest foe.

> (snip unknown psychoturge speak)

Casually walking up to the gem-juggler, Rebound responds, "A Mindwatch mission?!?!? Well, why didn't you say so in the first place? If I had known you were Mindwatch, we could have avoided all of this nastiness and chaos." 

While speaking, Rebound casually strolls closer to the gem-juggler, and punctuates the word "chaos" with a swift kick to the groin.

(Assuming this works...)

"I heard you were a gullible bunch...guess I heard right."

(Rolls: Init: 8, Hit: 59, Dam: 100!!!, Anything Else: 01 (just call me extreme), 57, 51)

From:  "Lohse, Doug" <DLohse@banknorth.com> 
Date:  Fri Jan 31, 2003  8:25 am
Subject:  RE: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

> (snip description of Rebound's fight)

Geoffrey notes the brick-headed ranting and immediately dismisses the gibbering idiot. He takes a bit more note of the one with explosive hands and makes sure his force field is in full effect.

> (snip unknown fiery guy speak)

Addressing the flaming individual: "My name is Geoffrey Mcallister.  Remember it. I have come to collect the young woman in the chair. Kindly step aside and allow me to continue in my appointed task. I will not ask a second time."

Meanwhile, Geoffrey will telekinetically break the ropes holding Tammy as he moves her (and the chair) across the room towards himself. He will also activate his Psi-web to hold the group in place.

(assuming he gets Tammy freed and over to him)

"Ms. Tammy, Yogi Samuelsen has requested your presence. You should not be
playing games with these amateurs while leaving him waiting for so long."

(Rolls: FF: 99, TK: 40, PW:83, Anything Else: 71, 61, 01)

From:  EmarZero@aol.com 
Date:  Fri Jan 31, 2003  11:04 am
Subject:  Re: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

> (snip description of Och's defiled domicile)

"Oh, man.  Och is gonna be seriously pee-ohd.  What the hell HAPPENED here?"

> (snip description of Och's defiled restroom)

"NASTY."  Ari's a pretty levelheaded gal, she's used to the brick faced dudes, underground cities, and transforming robot cars you face in this line of work, but a sink full of back hair just gives her the screaming dry heaves.  She stumbles out into the hall...

> (snip Jinx's coming out of the closet; no, not like THAT, ding dong)

Ari makes a move to defend herself, then she realizes who it is.  "Oh.  Hey, Jinx.  The bathroom is totally skeeved.  Don't go in there.  Also, somebody shot the shit out of Och's apartment.  I think we're gonna have to hurt people real soon-like."

She pauses, and looks around, then back towards the bathroom.

"Say, d'you know if Och has one of those Swiffer mops around?  I don't have one in my bag."

From:  "William Lockwood" <albedo1@cox.net> 
Date:  Fri Jan 31, 2003  6:30 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

Raising a blonde brow, Jinx grimaces a bit, shaking her head at the sight of Och's trashed apartment.
 
> (snip Ari speak)
 
Shaking her head at Ari, Jinx responds, "No clue about the mop. But you're definitely right about the hurting people part. Or particularly, one person. Some 70's reject going by the name Disco Head or some crap like that. He's the one that moved the portal, and I bet he's the one who wrecked this place, too."

From:  EmarZero@aol.com 
Date:  Fri Jan 31, 2003  11:22 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

> (snip Jinx speak)

"Disco... Head?"

She pauses.

"Kind of a burly Tom Jones-lookin' dude?  Bad fashion sense?  'Cause if so, I'm bringing his ass back here and making him clean up the bathr..."

She pauses again.

"Hey.  There was some kind of gimcrack sitting on the sink.  I bet it's a clue or something.  They usually are.  We should go look."

February 2003

From:  "Mister Christopher" <cwacers@technohol.com> 
Date:  Sun Feb 2, 2003  12:40 am
Subject:  Re: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

> (snip first part of rift description)
 
"!"

> (snip second part of rift description)

He nudges Och.
"You might want to consider moving. This place isn't exactly in the standard map methinks."
He explains what he is seeing and then tries to figure out if this is truly a dimensional rift. 
(attempting a magic 'power' stunt if you will, he tries to see if he can work his dimensional door backwards to maybe shut the rift...
roll--54)

> (snip Och blowing a gasket)

"Hi everybo......"
Masque looks a bit shocked.
"Oh?!..there certainly is a lot of noise in here"
He fires up his shield and magic scythe.

From:  "Mister Christopher" <cwacers@technohol.com> 
Date:  Sun Feb 2, 2003  12:58 am
Subject:  Re: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

> (snip vanishing Chrono Corps goons)
 
"Ummm."
Says Gunslinger as he re-holsters his guns.
"Yeah!  And don't come back."


> (snip Lieutenant Syde speak, attempted seizing of Gunslinger 013)

"Not so fast."
He grabs Gunslinger 013's arm.
"I want something in writing from you saying that I am not a suspect anymore. I haven't made it this far without being careful ya know."
Assuming she does give him some sort of proof of his freedom, he takes the trench coat, boots and belt from Gunslinger 013. Checking the boots to see if they are flight boots, testing the belt to see if it is a Force Field belt and simply putting on the coat... because he needed one. He hands his double over.

> (snip Syde speak regarding Chrono Corps)
 
"Right. Well I can't say that I will miss you. I won't. I do believe that there is a drink calling our names out there somewhere."
He looks at Moebius.
"You know how to drive yet?"  He says as he tosses the keys to the Prowler to her.
Although Gunslinger is still going to Check the car out and see if there is anything he can use in his vehicle of course. Namely a Trans-dimensional warp thingee. He wouldn't be a Bad Ass Bounty Hunting Time Traveling Dimensional Crossing Mother Fucker otherwise. 
"So Moebius... what say we go get a well deserved drink?"

From:  "William Lockwood" <albedo1@cox.net> 
Date:  Sun Feb 2, 2003  1:29 am
Subject:  Re: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

> "Disco... Head?"

> (snip Ari Disco Head speak)
 
"Probably him. But I think he'll have trouble cleaning the bathroom with broken hands," Jinx would respond, frowning a bit.

> (snip Ari 'gimcrack' speak)
 
With that, Jinx would head to the bathroom to check out this...gimcrack.

From:  "cclayjr <cclayjr2@juno.com>" <cclayjr2@juno.com> 
Date:  Mon Feb 10, 2003  6:26 pm
Subject:  Re: Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

OCC: Sorry all I got caught taking a test and lost my place in all of this. But I am here in full affect. Well... somewhere anyway... Oh yeah Down there. Nooo WAAAAY down.

"I am still hoping that this is a dream and I wake up and you are a good looking woman from my past, instead of this butt-wipe staring me in the face." He says as he blast disco head with ice shards. 
(Init: 7, 5, 8 Rolls: 84, 71, 54, 35, 91)

From:  Charlie Chicanery <charlie_chicanery@yahoo.com> 
Date:  Thu Feb 13, 2003  4:22 am
Subject:  RE: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

> (snip description of Chrono Corps activity)

but of course...

> (snip exit of Chrono Corps, Rebound's actions)

i will take this opportunity to chastise Rebound. Not that i know who the hell he is, but regardless.

"Hey, watch it, chump! You don't see me throwing no army of time traveling assholes at YOU!"

> (snip Deion grousing)

> "You!"

"Me! Didn't i just kill you a week ago? Ah, yes, that would explain all the Darth Maul burns across your sad sack body. Hey female-me! This is the fuck that tried to kill me after the boss tried to kill me! Not to mention Wendel Whats-his-face. i say you should give Wendel a call and show him just how immortal we all really are...!"

Not that i'm immortal or anything, but i figure that may put this stooge at a loss for words for a few minutes. While he's likely mulling this over, i'm going to take the opportunity to give him a full-on tachyon bath, word?

Cinnamon rolls: 87, 22, 19, 69 (heh heh heh), and 43.

From:  Firebomb <firebomb@technohol.com> 
Date:  Thu Feb 13, 2003  5:10 am
Subject:  Re: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

(let the mayhem resume)

Back on the street, Masque, you work with your magic detection in order to attempt to see just what it is that you're looking at, and you find that... this is an oddity you didn't know existed.  It's a sort of multi-directional, multi-dimensional access wherein each face of the building has a space that leads to another... elsewhere on the earth.

The area between the building and the barrier seems to be a 'fade' point, where one moving from the building towards the barrier could walk elsewhere instead of to, say, the next building.  You can barely perceive it, but you can sense further junctions like this connecting to each other, like a sort of... hyper-city?

Apparently somebody's been playing fast and loose with the laws of physics here...

When you explain this to Och, he hmms.  "Hmm.  I suppose that would explain why I always felt at home here; being that I am from another plane and all, maybe the weird energies here were more comforting or something.  Though I don't like the idea of living in some sort of portal junction... I tried that once, and didn't like it."

Meanwhile, back to the present...

Deion reacts to your mouth even more vehemently than he did your mere presence.  Egad, you fool, can you not just shut the Hell up?  Why, I -" before he finishes windbagging, you whip out the tachyons and indeed give the man a face full of faster than light particles, which doesn't sit too well with him.

"Grr.  Well, if you're so immortal... survive THIS!"  Deion then thrusts at your chest with his fingers spread wide, and... does bad, bad things to you.  You feel his hands punch right through your ribs (thanks to several ungodly high rolls 'he' made), and before you know it, he yanks out your own beating heart!

This causes you to (naturally) fall to the ground, and you've suddenly got that disconcerting, disconnected feeling... (swing me a private e mail or two there Chuck).

As he starts cackling with glee, you can see your female counterpart totally wig out at this.  "Mo Fucker!"  She then flies at Deion and impresses upon him something of a rerun of what you did to him with your own, former double-ended light staff, Charlie, and though everything's kind of fuzzy, you see him fall apart in teeny tiny bits...

A few feet away, you wind up and punch that poor gem-juggling sucker in the gonads before he knows what hit him, Rebound, and cause him to raise several inches up off the floor when your fist detonates with a soft 'whump' sound.  The kid's eyes bulge out as though his testes were behind them - and from the hit you gave him, that could be the case.

Needless to say, he drops his little collection of gems, which sort of pull a fade as they tumble on to the floor right before he, himself does.  "Aughck," he squeaks.  The youthful antagonist isn't yet unconscious, but you get the impression that he ain't going anywhere anytime soon.  

Of course, he's not about to shut up, either.  "Now why'd... why'd you go and do that?"

Just a few more feet away, you find yourself staring down this burning man, Geoffrey, and note that he doesn't seem intent on letting you have your way.  "Hur.  Honestly, meng, I'm thinking you can keep the broad - she's served her purpose.  But I don't think you're showing Xacatecas Jos the proper respect.

"You say please when you ask Xacatecas something, meng."  With that, Jos erupts in a massive gout of flames, and directs most of it towards yourself.  Now, while you seem to be protected from the heat and flames he's issuing forth, the carpet and roof in this curiously decorated domicile are not, and they immediately catch fire.

"Ooh, we gots a live one here!  Had I known that I was fighting a fellow psikinetic, I'd have used something a bit more... penetrating...!"  Suddenly, Xacatecas Jos undergoes something of a transformation, and his fire changes into blinding white light.  "Let's see how well you can stand up to a little laser light..."

While Xacatecas is showing off his many talents, Tammy looks at you imploringly, Geoffrey.  "Hey, like I just told my favorite bouncing bundle of surly indifference, it's not like I have a choice, pal.  One of these jerks is canceling out my psi powers.  Find the superpsi here and I'll take care of the rest.

"And how do you know the Yogi?"

Several floors down, you loot your temporal counterpart, Gunslinger, and get a sigh from Lieutenant Syde.  "Yes, of course, here you go.  You act like we don't know which of you is which, Gunslinger.  But don't you worry, here's the pardon you're looking for.  Don't spend all that goodwill in one place, eh?"

After you throw Moebius the keys to 'your' Prowler, you get another sigh from Syde, and she pulls a fade herself.  Your ersatz partner cackles with glee as she grasps the key ring with both hands, and you get the impression that this was a bad, bad idear.  Of course, it's not your insurance premiums at stake, so ah well.

"Yes, yes, yes.  Let's go get us some drinks, Gunslinger.  We'll have to steal a couple bucks to pay for 'em, unless you were smart enough to grab the 'eviler' you's wallet while you were pilfering all of his stuff.  Did you manage to find anything cool?"  You did, in fact, in the  form of his flight boots!

With them, you and Moebius can then fly upstairs without you having to hitch a ride from her, and when you do, you see that the shape of the mayhem has changed - not to mention the shape of Charlie Chicanery.  For instance, it looks like he's turned somewhat inside out.  Of course, Moebius didn't notice this.  She noticed the dwarf.

Just a few feet away, you watch Och undergo something of a transformation, Masque.  His eyes get all veiny and look like they're about to burst out of his head.  He's looking at the girl with the double-ended light staff, the bits of guy below her, and the holes in the hallway leading to his place.

Not to mention all the people fighting in the penthouse right next to the elevator.  "ARRRRGGGH," says Och.  He then whips out his golden axe, and holds it over his head in both hands.  As you prepare your magic spells, the dwarf swivels without actually moving any part of his body, and begins to tromp towards the current battle zone.

Of course, when Moebius says  "Hey.  Hey!  Hey OCH!" he stops.  You can almost see spots popping in front of his face as he loses the manic urge to chop anybody and everybody present into teeny tiny pieces.  He looks around with a confused look for a few seconds, and then smiles.  "Moebius?  Egad, woman, what are you doing here?"

These two are apparently old friends... (uh oh)

Luckily, nobody seems to be trying to rip YOUR heart out just yet, Masque.  However, you do spy something weird here (as opposed to everything else, at least).  Crumpled up in the doorway leading to what sounds like a big fight, you see a skinny, older man... one you haven't seen since you fought those vampires with Silhouette.

You know, that guy from Agency 13 who was investigating Och...?

Alternately, just a few feet below, you pelt the Seven Dimensional Man (not Disco Head... hehe) with sharpened chunks of ice, and sort of staple him to the wall, Stone Cold.  Several of your bits have punctured his arms and legs, and are holding him in place - at least, until he phases himself out of that particular mess.

"Ooh, still have some fight in you, eh, murderer?!  Well then, let's do some contrast.  While you've got ice... I've got fire.  Or, rather, a pin-prick portal leading to the surface of the sun...!"  Snapping his fingers, the Seven Dimensional Man then indeed causes an impossibly small hole in space to open up between the two of you.

You manage to duck in time, and your inherent resistance to heat keeps you from being burned by the radiant warmth given off by the laser-like beam of solar matter that just pulsed between your foe and yourself; your surroundings aren't so lucky, though, and you see a hole about a foot wide melt open in the surfaces that the beam hits.

Just seeing that, not to mention the small battery of fires that his attack just started, makes you happy that you ducked in time...!

Back upstairs, and just a few seconds backwards in time, you proceed into Och's defiled restroom and investigate the 'gimcrack', Ari, Jinx.  Looking at it, you can see it matches the one that Arbuckle van blah blah blah found in the portal room at Elys' former base.  Assuming that you press the shiny button on the thing...

The device projects a small holographic image of the aforementioned Disco Head above itself, though he's not wearing a shirt in this image.  The hologram then speaks.  "Hello!  If you've managed to survive the nose-less bounty hunter that I have sicced upon you all, I just want to apologize for leaving your water closet in such a state.

"I've been on ice for the last twenty six or so years, after all, and I needed to freshen up a bit.  However, things went crazy right afterward, and I felt it was a good idea to make myself scarce.  However again, if you're looking for a good time, you can find me imminently in Washington D.C., where I'll be meeting up with some old friends of mine.

"They've been out of circulation for a very, very long time, and I intend to, shall we say, REAWAKEN their social lives.  If you do decide to come to the little party I'm having at the government's expense, make sure you bring that foxy Jinx lady with you, why don't you.  After all, she's just... groovy..."

You can almost imagine Disco Head's eyebrows waggling under that disco ball on his, er, head, as he says that.

The hologram then stops talking to you at this point, and fades away right as an intense, laser-like beam of orange... burning liquid blasts its way through Och's floor and melts most of his electronics and furniture in the front room; good thing the two of you were in the bathroom, or else you might've been crisped.

As the place catches fire, you see through the much larger holes in Och's walls that Masque and Och are here, not to mention a whole lot of other people... and a weird guy in a trench coat with... no nose!

(cha ching)

From:  "Lohse, Doug" <DLohse@banknorth.com> 
Date:  Thu Feb 13, 2003  6:52 am
Subject:  RE: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

(REBOUND)

> (snip unknown psychoturge's whining) 

"WHY?!?!?! Do you have to freakin' even ask?!?! You and your fellow losers snatched me out of the air while I was rescuing a friend. He might be dead now because of you! And you goddamned expect me to be nice?"

(Swift kick to the ribs)

"I'm tired of every one of you assholes who think you can just screw with me and get away with it."

(picks him up by the collar) 

"Play-time is over!" 

(full leg, back, and arm-torquing toss of the sad boy at 7-D man) 

(Rebound is reduced to incoherent growling as he looks for someone else to hit... hard)

(Rolls: Init: 6, Kick: 79, 27, grab/toss: 31, 92, anything else: 14, 19, 46)

From:  EmarZero@aol.com 
Date:  Thu Feb 13, 2003  9:15 am
Subject:  Re: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

> (snip description of hallway, and its occupants)

Ari looks through her bags for a fire extinguisher.  "C'mon, c'mon!  I got half a million things that go boom and no fire extinguishers?  What gives?!"

From:  "Lohse, Doug" <DLohse@banknorth.com> 
Date:  Thu Feb 13, 2003  11:54 am
Subject:  RE: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

(GEOFFREY)

> (snip Xacatecas talk) 

"I assure you, there is no fellowship between us, and if you continue this course of interference, you will warrant my full attention. You do not want that."

> (snip Tammy talk)

Geoffrey will actively begin Power Dampening this Xacatecas Jose while scanning the area to try and spot the superpsi that Tammy seems so concerned about. If he does spot this individual, he will lash out at him/her with a full-out assault of Telekinesis and Psychokenesis to at least break his/her concentration.

> "And how do you know the Yogi?"

Geoffrey smiles...

"Oh, we have an arrangement. He helps me refine my skills and I keep him in gilded robes..." 

(Rolls: Init: 7, FF: 67, Power Dampening: 97!, TK: 41, PK: 51, anything
else: 99, 38, 79)

From:  "William Lockwood" <albedo1@cox.net> 
Date:  Thu Feb 13, 2003  5:34 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

Jinx just glares at the hologram of Disco Head as he mentions her, "Definitely on my list."
 
Jinx waits a good 15 seconds before peeking out to see what's through the hole in the wall, keeping a low profile so as not to draw too much attention.
 
Turning to Ari, "Watch my back and try to keep this section of the place from going up in flames, I'll try to provide Och and Masque some support."
 
Taking up as defensive of a position as she can, Jinx will try to approach the dwarf, "Och, any idea who the hostiles are and who we don't shoot just out of principle?"

From:  EmarZero@aol.com 
Date:  Fri Feb 14, 2003  12:00 am
Subject:  Re: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

> (snip Jinx speak)

"You wanna go find this goon and show him how we've come a long way, baby?  A little bit of post-feminist asskicken?"  Ari grins.

From:  "William Lockwood" <albedo1@cox.net> 
Date:  Fri Feb 14, 2003  8:16 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

> (snip Ari speak)

Jinx nods to Ari as she starts her progress toward Och, "Right. Once we're done here will do some hunting."

From:  EmarZero@aol.com 
Date:  Sat Feb 15, 2003  2:33 am
Subject:  Re: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

> (snip Jinx speak)

"Okay.  I don't think that guy's up to any good."  She pauses.  "I think he might be headed to Detroit sooner or later.  He was talking about Fords when I ran into him."

From:  "Mister Christopher" <cwacers@technohol.com> 
Date:  Sun Feb 16, 2003  2:40 am
Subject:  Re: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

> (snip Moebius' reaction to the new car)
 
"Right...just don't ferget lady, there are some things I need to check out on the vehicle hmm."

> (snip Moebius speak)
 
"I did."
He clicks his boots together and rockets on up the hole in the floor.

> (snip result of seeing dead Charlie Chicanery, and Och)
 
"Well Moebius, looks like we lost our sidekick....Moebius?...Moebius.....Why are you stopping?"
Gunslinger comes to a halt and stops next to her.

> (snip Och speak)
 
"Is that a Dwarf? Like a real live Dwarf? It must be, he sure looks surly enough to be one."
Gunslinger looks at the two for a second and then realization dawns.
"You must be from the same place as she is. Crazy little donut of a world right?"
 
He non-chalantally nudges Charlie with his foot as he says this.
"Hey man...you Okay?"

From:  "Mister Christopher" <cwacers@technohol.com> 
Date:  Sun Feb 16, 2003  2:43 am
Subject:  Re: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

O.O.C.   forgot the most important thing....
 
Gunslinger's eyes narrow as he sees the magician.
"Oh dear Gods...not HIM."

From:  Charlie Chicanery <charlie_chicanery@y...> 
Date:  Sun Feb 16, 2003  3:10 am
Subject:  Re: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

--- Mister Christopher wrote:

> He non-chalantally nudges Charlie with his foot as
> he says this.
> "Hey man...you Okay?"

"Christ, you fucking moron, do i look okay to you?"

Oh wait, that's right, i'm dead.

i guess that means i can't punch you in the nuts, either. Or does your alien anatomy not include those, either? Whee.

Just for that, i am going to HAUNT your ass.

From:  "cclayjr <cclayjr2@juno.com>" <cclayjr2@juno.com> 
Date:  Fri Feb 21, 2003  5:50 pm
Subject:  Re: Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

Stone Cold is fed up, not only his his dreaded enemy still alive.  
But he is trying to kill off his friends again.

"I can't be a murderer you @$$wipe if yo' punk@$$ won't stay 
dead!!"   He enlongates under the beam and fires a barrage of ice 
daggers at 7-D man.  "(Rolls 84, 91, 55, 03....dang that sucks).

From:  "Mister Christopher" <cwacers@technohol.com> 
Date:  Sat Feb 22, 2003  3:04 am
Subject:  someone dropped a shoe factory

> (snip Och going wacky)
 
"Ummm..Och?" 
Masque steps non-chalantly to the side. 
"Och..?" 
He steps a bit further to the side. 
"Me...good....Others...bad." 

> (snip Och saying "ARRRGH")
 
Instinctively, Masque converts to duck and cover mode. 
"Eep!" 

> (snip Och and Moebius speak)

"Alright then...umm...yeah."
He stands up and grins.
"So Och...who's your...your...your..."
He stops and stares at the new lady.
"mmmmmmm...pretty."
Absent-mindedly he smooths his robes down and runs his hand over his hair...scalp rather.
"Hienkmnm mmmphhhhmubmek."
He tries again.
Urkeem aghhhhem"
And one more time.
"H-h-h-hi there."
He smiles.
"I used to collect rocks and I had one that was very neat. I was all speckled like and it had red and black and stuff in it like you do."
He stops, frowns and recollects his thoughts after he sees her stare.
"No no no..that's not what I meant...You don't look like a rock at all. It's just that I had a rock that looked very much like you...Oh dear. I did it again didn't I?"
He shuffles his feet a bit.
"Do you like easter eggs? Easter eggs are all speckly. Sometimes you get just the right amount of red and...ummmm..nevermind. I can do magic tricks. I can pull a rabbit out of your hat. If you had one, a hat that is. Not a rabbit. But that's okay if you have a rabbit. They are soft and not very mean..unless you pull their ears too hard. They bite. It's like a small pinch and I really hate pinching. It hurts. Pinching that is, not pulling rabbits out of a hat unless of course they bite you and that feels like a pinch and I hate that."
Blushing slightly, he mumbles something to the effect of:
"I'm repeating myself again aren't I. Gonna have to stop doing that."
He straightens up.
"You want some pancakes?"
He shuffles his feet a bit more.
 
Speaking very quietly......
"Did you know your friend has no nose?"

> (snip notice of old-man-in-doorway)

As if everything else just stopped, he runs over to the old man.
"Hey..hey hey hey?"
Realizing that he is out cold, he takes his Masque off and places it on the old man to allow the healing magicks to take effect on the guy. Only enough to get him awake and coherent which shouldn't take but a few seconds anyhow. Barring anything BAD happening. 
If the guy awakes, Masque will put the masque back on and ask the guy what happened here. 
He will put the masque back in any case if it doesn't look like anything is going to happen.

From:  "Mister Christopher" <cwacers@technohol.com> 
Date:  Sat Feb 22, 2003  3:06 am
Subject:  Re: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

Masque beams.
"Jinx!!!"
He waves.
"Don't shoot me. We are going to have pancakes."

From:  "William Lockwood" <albedo1@cox.net> 
Date:  Sat Feb 22, 2003  11:10 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

Jinx nods at Masque before turning back to Och, "Hey there. Pancakes later. Right now we have more pressing issues than breakfast foods."

From:  Firebomb <firebomb@technohol.com> 
Date:  Mon Feb 24, 2003  5:08 am
Subject:  RE: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

(think I covered it all anew)

Over where all the mayhem is still taking place, in what used to be an elegantly, if oddly, decorated penthouse diagonally positioned relative to Och's place, you're looking around for the fellow that might be doing the jamming on Tammy's powers... and succeed, Geoffrey.

You lash out with your psikinetic powers, striking the fellow with the really wild, anime-style hair, and knock him to the ground.  With that, Tammy starts to float up into the air, stretching various sore and lethargic muscles all the while.

"Ahh, now that's what I'm talking about..."  Tammy then begins to menace the apparent superpsi immediately.  "You jerk!  You've kept me helpless for weeks, and I'm about to pay you back for that..."  The fellow just scoffs at that.

"Feh."

He then pulls one of those red and white balls off his belt, and throws it her way.  It opens up clamshell-style, and gives off a bolt of energy, which quickly resolves itself into some sort of ... bizarre, red, humanoid bug-creature... with BIG pincers instead of hands.

(ooc:  quick reference image:
http://anzwers.org/free/pokemonelite/pokedex212.html )

"Scizor, do deal with the young lady, will you?"

To which Tammy says "Eep."  Since it's bigger than her.  And apparently made of red metal.  And it looks really angry, too... so angry that it up and back-hands her with that big, nasty pincer.  It looked like she was maintaining a force field, but to no avail.

The creature socks her upside the head with a painful sounding 'clang' noise, and she drops like a sack of particularly heavy potatoes.  The monster then stands over her, pincers flailing in the air, and it screams "SCIZOR!  SCI-ZOR!!"

The creature's master laughs at this.  "Ah, so simply done.  Now, to the other annoyance at hand..."  The guy with the bad hair then looks at you, Geoffrey, and grins...!  Of course, you already have your hands full with Xacatecas Jos.

The psikinetic indeed fires away with his (continuous) laser beam, and you see the thing impressively arc around your own protection, outlining your force field in a beautiful, multi-hued display as the beam loses its coherence in the face of your mental might.

Though the power dampening sure as heck helped.

One floor below, the Seven Dimensional Man retorts to you as you prepare to attack him, Stone Cold.  " 'Boo hoo hoo, he won't stay dead.'  You know, just because I don't DIE doesn't make you actively trying to kill me any less reprehensible.  Did you think of that?!"

That's when you skewer him with icy shards a second time.

Right after that, you see another of these Mindwatch people fall from the penthouse above, smacking dead on into the Seven Dimensional Man.  "Ouch, now that really hurt.  But still..."  It looks like he's trying to concentrate on something, but he can't quite manage it.

Being nailed to the wall anew.

He seems to lose his focus for a second or so, looks at a point somewhere behind you, and then looks down at the unconscious fellow before him.  "Ah, Pete, Pete, Pete.  It looks like you're all going to get vanished, and here it's my fault.

"I only wanted some payback, after all..."

The man then looks back up at you, Stone Cold, and grimaces.  "I suppose this is it then, the part where you kill me.  Again.  You beat me here, but that's probably just not good enough for you.  Fine, go ahead and get it over with, if that'll make you feel better."

That's when you hear a voice behind you say, "Yes, please do."

You also hear the sound of scribbling behind you, as if someone were taking notes.  Looking back, you see somebody in the room that wasn't here when you entered.  He's an older gent, with bone white hair, and a white, well-groomed, full beard.

He's wearing a long sleeved, collared shirt that's rather impeccably red, a pair of blue jeans, black leather boots, a black leather belt, a blue belt buckle with a silver star in the center, and a similar emblem pinned onto the left breast of his shirt.

It has curvy angles on it, though, which seem to denote, in an abstract sense, some sort of bird. 

After you take in his appearance, he then waves you on with his unoccupied hand (the other holding a pencil, of course).  "Go on, don't let me stop you.  I want to see just how you deal with your enemies.  One of those objective study things, hmm."

You don't know why, but this makes you VERY nervous.

Back upstairs, you see the results of your throw and feel very satisfied, Rebound.  That's not enough to make you feel like not hurting people still, mind you, so you continue to look around the room, and find that most of this so-called 'Posse Pillory' isn't up.

Running through your mental inventory real quick you see that a) the naked redhead is out cold, b) the gullible kid you threw is out cold, c) that obnoxious Deion guy is in pieces, and d) the Seven Dimensional Man is hanging by a thread, as it were.  That leaves three of 'em.

One of them seems to have what can only be described as 'pocket monsters' on hand, since he knocked Tammy out with just one of the things.  He seems to be ganging up on a rather well-dressed fellow with some laser-firing hothead there.

Finally, you see the impossibly muscular person that hit you before just standing there amidst all the chaos.  Though he seemed more than happy to strike you in response to your attack before, he's just standing there all alone, saying "Hur hur hur hur hur..."

Real bright, that one.

Out in the hall, the female Charlie Chicanery, the one hardly wearing any clothes, picks up her matter-duplicated counterpart and flies at reckless speeds past all of you gabbing away in the hall, stopping at the final penthouse on this floor.

You know, the one you guys haven't totaled just yet.

She starts banging on the door, screaming at the occupant.  "Wendell!  WENDELL!!  Wake up, Wendell Wherever, I need to use your immortality machine NOW!"  Eventually, a sleepy-looking fellow opens up the door, having apparently slept through ALL this chaos.

"Huh... that's just swell.  What happened to him?  And what's going on here?!"  They all then filter into this apparent 'Wendell Wherever's residence.  Of course, they leave the door open, since they're in a rather large hurry...

Once again, just a few feet away from all this, most of the rest of you are simply hanging out and having a rather confusing series of conversations.  

In response to you, Gunslinger, Och grumpily sighs.

"Yes, I am a dwarf.  And you have no nose."

Before you ramble at her, Masque, Moebius answers your greeting.

"Hello, there."

After you ramble at her, Masque, Moebius sighs at Och and Gunslinger.

"You guys know this... person?"

Finally, after you ask your question, Masque, Moebius answers "Yeah.  Och covered that one, though."

After you approach him, Jinx, Och shrugs.

"Well, Moebius here is an old friend of mine.  I don't know the guy with the guns, but he's with her, apparently.  The guy with no chest cavity, and his female friend, are annoying, overly loud neighbors of mine, who seem to have started most of this mess.

"It sounds like the rest of the mayhem is going on in that penthouse there..."

At this point, you wander over to the doorway of said penthouse, and wake up the unconscious, older fellow on the floor Masque.  As soon as you apply your namesake to his face, he wakes up and groans.  "Uggh... now that's a headache.  Stupid psis and their..."

Looking up at all of you as you look down at him, he stops grumbling.  Though you get the impression his heart really was in the grumbling part.  That's when you do, indeed, mentally confirm that this is Seor Barnett.  Well, Masque does, at any rate.

As does Och.

"You!  You're that guy who's been investigating me.  The weird one, who hears the voices.  I can't BELIEVE you're still spying on me!  Just for that..."  Och then pulls a P.D.A. out of his pocket, and menaces Barnett with it.  "Boogaboogabooga!"

This naturally causes the natural technopsi to cringe in horror.

"Now then," says Och, "just what are YOU doing here, Moebius?  I've been stuck in this world for years, but I assume you're not quite so careless..."  

To this, Moebius shrugs.  "Long story.  This bozo here wrecked my house."  She's pointing at Gunslinger all the while.  "And since he's a time traveler just like me, I had to get him out of Sigil before a certain bladed someone got rid of the both of us.

"So, we stole a portal index from the Fraternity of Order and, here we are."

Naturally, just after Moebius says this, a bunch of additional folks suddenly materialize out of nowhere.  They're an odd bunch, of course, wearing what looks like bits and pieces of medieval armor, most of which is red.  Some of them are a bit different, though.

A few are wearing robes, some have pointy little wizard hats on, but all of them seem... edgy.  And possessed of way too many spikes in their attire.  As these jerks filter in around you all, one of them emerges as their leader, and starts babbling.

"Hear ye, hear ye!  Alyssa Treacle, alias Fiendslayer Jane, alias Moebius, you are hereby notified of summary Judgement against your person on behalf of the Mercykillers, for the theft and destruction of Fraternity of Order property, and about fifty other crimes.

"Surrender your stolen goods and give yourself up now, or I and my Harmonium associates will deal with you... harshly."

This causes Moebius' eyes to flare as though on fire.  "You said my NAME!  You assholes!  Besides, I don't even have the book anymore..."  You thought for a second that she was going to finger you, Gunslinger.  (no, not that way)  "But, if it's a FIGHT you want...!"

This is about the point where Och cocks his head over towards you, Jinx, and seems to grin(?).  It LOOKS like a grin, anyhow.  "By the way, to clarify my answer your question, we should shoot ALL of these people on principle.  Whether or not they get hostile, I'd say..."

You note that Och seems angrier than usual, Jinx - but then, you can see WHY.

!

From:  cclayjr2@juno.com 
Date:  Mon Feb 24, 2003  5:44 pm
Subject:  Re:RE: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

"Oh I am going to kill you, but what I want will be far more painful." As he
slams him against the wall and encases him and the other in ice hoping to
freeze him in stasis forever, after all they are in an ice cave. (Rolls: 99
(oooooohhyyyyeah), 54, 75, 31, 83)

From:  EmarZero@aol.com 
Date:  Mon Feb 24, 2003  11:35 am
Subject:  Re: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

firebomb@technohol.com writes:

> "By the way, to clarify my answer your question, we should shoot ALL of 
> these people on principle.  Whether or not they get hostile, I'd say..."

Ari beams.  "YEAAAAAAH!"   Pivoting on her heels, she drops to one knee, and reaches into her backpack for a suitable weapon.   Preferably that nifty Lego gun, since using the Defenestrator on the top floor of a structurally weakened building MIGHT be a bad idea...

"You picked the wrong-ass apartment complex to stumble into, suck-a-duck!"

From:  Firebomb <firebomb@technohol.com> 
Date:  Mon Feb 24, 2003  11:44 am
Subject:  Re:RE: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

> (snip Stone Cold's post)

(ooc:  well, actually, you're all in Och's apartment building, which has taken oodles and oodles of punishment already - but still.  In case you'd just lost track, you c'n reconsider that course of action if you like, before everybody else posts and such...)

- me's

From:  "Mister Christopher" <cwacers@technohol.com> 
Date:  Mon Feb 24, 2003  12:02 pm
Subject:  peanut gallery

Dingus!

From:  "Mister Christopher" <cwacers@technohol.com> 
Date:  Mon Feb 24, 2003  12:04 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] peanut gallery

Let me rephrase that... Stone Cold..you Dingus!

From:  "Mister Christopher" <cwacers@technohol.com> 
Date:  Mon Feb 24, 2003  12:39 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

> In response to you, Gunslinger, Och grumpily sighs.

> "Yes, I am a dwarf.  And you have no nose."
 
Gunslinger nods and smiles.
"Fair enough."

> After you ramble at her, Masque, Moebius sighs at Och and Gunslinger.

> "You guys know this... person?"
 
"He is like a bad penny. He keeps turning up. Most Earth's I have been too, he has been there. Not 'him' persay but his dimensional others. Try sleeping in the same building as him....erghhhh."

> (snip description of Moebius' history, and apparent insult towards Guns)
 
"Bozo?! "
Gunslinger actually looks affronted by this.

> (snip statement of intent towards arresting Moebius)

> "And here I thought people wanted ME dead....."

> (snip Moebius slipping a cog)
 
"...wait a minute...your name is Alyssa?....How cute."
He pulls his guns (not in Moebius' direction though).

> (snip Och going postal)

Gunslinger catches this.
"Good enough for me."
He opens fire with his force blasts aiming for the wizardy looking guys.
"Hey ladies....Come get some!"
(((init=5, extra attacks=74((not sure how many i get so i'll just roll a few)), to hit 43,92,96: damage 63,83,60)
no particular one target, just want to tag however many of them I can get)))

From:  cclayjr2@juno.com 
Date:  Mon Feb 24, 2003  7:39 pm
Subject:  Re:Re:RE: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

Stone Cold is too mad for words but sees the man taking notes and realizes he
wants him dead, but the idea of suffering comes to mind. 

"Oh I am going to kill you, but what I want will be far more painful." As he
slams him against the wall and encases him and the other in ice hoping to
freeze him in stasis forever, after all they are in an ice cave. (Rolls: 99
(oooooohhyyyyeah), 54, 75, 31, 83)

OCC: Nope I still wanna put him on ice, I just won't be pinning him to the
wall that is all. ;-)

From:  "Lohse, Doug" <DLohse@banknorth.com> 
Date:  Mon Feb 24, 2003  4:38 pm
Subject:  RE: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

> (snip Nonce speak)

Geoffrey focuses his attention on the belt of interesting red and white
balls, telekinetically removing it and sailing it across the room,
traveling in an arc that takes it primarily along the ceiling and finally
in a descending path from behind himself, intersecting Jose's beam
immediately in front of Jose and attempting to force open all of the spheres
as they impact the beam, adding his own Psychokinetic blast to the mix.

"If you won't behave, I'm going to have to take your toys away, you
uncultured, petulant child."

> (snip Xacatecas Jos combat results)

Geoffrey smiles as the beam scintillates around him harmlessly, his eyes
never leaving the superpsi as he performs his little stunt with the "red and
white balls".

Rolls: Init: 12, TK: 88, FF: 52, PK: 72, Anything else: 90, 75, 79, 67

From:  "Lohse, Doug" <DLohse@banknorth.com> 
Date:  Mon Feb 24, 2003  4:48 pm
Subject:  RE: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

> (snip situation at hand)

Seeing what just happened to Tammy and knowing that she was the only "good
guy" in the area, Rebound's next target is all too clear. He charges at
full speed towards the guy whose "pocket monster" took out Tammy, tackling
him full in the chest and trying to drive him through the far wall with a
forearm slammed into his throat.

"Hey asshole! That was my friend you just goddamned hurt. Now, I'm going to
show you the meaning of hurt! And class starts now!"

Rolls: Init: 9, Charge/Hit: 86, Dam: 57, Forearm: 53, anything else: 28, 50,
45, 80

From:  "William Lockwood" <albedo1@cox.net> 
Date:  Mon Feb 24, 2003  5:54 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

Jinx does her best to take in as much of the conversation, all the while keeping an eye/ear out for anything suspicious or unexpected.
 
The sudden appearance of the goons in red meets this qualification so she does her best to take a defensive position and take aim at the nearest hostile with a ranged weapon. If none of the enemies have ranged weapons, she'd take aim at the biggest fugger in the group seeing as she is a foolish modern person who does not understand the workings of magic users and such.
This is about the point where Och cocks his head over towards you, Jinx, and seems to grin(?).  It LOOKS like a grin, anyhow.  "By the way, to clarify my answer your question, we should shoot ALL of these people on principle.  Whether or not they get hostile, I'd say..."

> (snip Och speak)

Nodding slightly at Och's words, Jinx will focus her aim to disarm the individuals rather than fully perforate them. They did present themselves as law enforcers, after all.
 
OOC: 5 + Modifier for Initiative, 74 to Hit, 78 Damage, 84 Dodge, 56, 59, 60 for miscellaneous rolls.

From:  "Mister Christopher" <cwacers@technohol.com> 
Date:  Tue Feb 25, 2003  11:34 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory
 
After you ramble at her, Masque, Moebius sighs at Och and Gunslinger.

> (snip answer to Masque's nose query)

"Oh." 

> (snip revelation of Seor Barnett's presence)
 
"Heyyyyyy..I remember you. You're that guy....the guy with the mental issues."

> (snip Och taunting Barnett with tech)
 
"Yeah..voices...you hear things in ...technological thingees.....ptoooey I say. They got nothing to say that we don't already know. Like 2 and 2 is 5 and that the value of the human soul is really only a few cents."

> This naturally causes the natural technopsi to cringe in horror.

Just as it does Masque for a second. He rallies though.
"That self help class is really teaching me to control my fear of technology. Technophobes Anonymous is really a life saver. I think I am getting the hang of doorbells now."

> (snip description of wizardly Harmonium folk)

Masque naturally assumes that wizardy hats means friends of course.
"Oooooo....you guys are all pointy. Doesn't that get in the way of your spellcasting?"
He says as he walks up to one and touches a spike.
"owww."
"We are going to have pancakes. You guys want some?"

> (snip Moebius going cuckoo)
 
Masque frowns.
"Guess that means no pancakes huh?"
Then he smiles.
"More for me then....wooooo."

> (snip Och speak)

As all hell breaks loose Masque dives for cover through the door the old man was next too. He was in the middle of that ragtag group of fiends... and there seem to be more gun toting folk aiming in that direction than he cared for. Once at the door, he calls forth a few Horses right in the midst of the red people to really create confusion in their ranks than to hurt them but if a trampling happens..then so be it.
"Hey Barnett....I see red people."
Masque giggles.

From:  Charlie Chicanery <charlie_chicanery@yahoo.com> 
Date:  Wed Feb 26, 2003  4:48 am
Subject:  Re: Someone put their kids to work in a shoe factory

i'd post something, but Charlie's heart's just not in it. wooo

From:  Firebomb <firebomb@technohol.com> 
Date:  Wed Feb 26, 2003  5:52 am
Subject:  Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

(hm... so BE it...)

In the penthouse cattywampus to Och's, the one with the raging super human battle that nobody seems to be noticing, you nab this bad-haired fellow's belt off his waist with your telekinesis, Geoffrey, and prepare to put it in harm's way, when things go wrong.

Right when the belt is about to enter Xacatecas Jos's laser beam, it vanishes with a weak little 'poit' sound, coincidentally doing so right as the man who owned it snapped his fingers.  "Tsk, tsk, tsk.  You know, speaking of childish, that was downright immature.

"If we're going to play such pedantic games, why not go all out?"

That's when your trousers vanish with a similar sound.  Poit.

It looked like the fellow was about to do something else, but he was suddenly distracted by events playing themselves out immediately beneath the three of you.  The man watches with horror as Stone Cold buries both the Seven Dimensional Man and 'Pete' under a massive block of ice.

"Murderer!  I can understand you taking out Seven, but not the kid... he actually thought we were here on a real Mindwatch mission!  Just for that I, Nonce, will - hurghrachk!"  A sudden body check to the throat pretty much stopped that flat.

Your explosive force does, indeed, knock Nonce through the wall, Rebound - at which point you, too, see the small army of folks in spiky, red-themed outfits.  Of course, you don't have much time to do anything about it, for Nonce isn't out yet.  "Fool."

"This was just a simple payback errand before your homicidal friend tried to kill naive little Pete there.  Now I'm going to have to actually get serious with the Mindwatch schtick."  The man then vanishes, only to reappear over Stone Cold's ice block.

You see the guy show up right over your head, Stone Cold, just as the fellow in the red shirt and blue jeans comes up to check out your handiwork.  "Hmm, yes.  Now that's unfortunate.  I was hoping you fellows weren't just another gang of super-morons..."

He then sighs, and pulls a stamp out of a pocket.  After lining it with red ink, he uses it on the paper he'd been writing on.  Looking at the thing, you see that the stamp says "HIGHLY DANGEROUS" on it.  It's also got some photos of you and the others attached with paper clips.

Before you can react to this apparent judgment, though, the psi guy floating over your head starts to glow an impossibly bright golden hue, and energy flows forth from him in every direction.  You don't feel anything, to be sure, but that doesn't hold for all present.

As the wave of golden energy permeates the penthouse(s) where this battle is taking place, you can see the stuff settle in on all the Mindwatch folks here - both those in the Seven Dimensional Man's Posse Pillory and within Tammy as well.

Despite the massive pounding they've all taken, these psis rise as one (even Deion!), only to hear Nonce screaming at the top of his lungs.  "Wake up, you lot!  We're now really, truly on the Mindwatch clock!  I declare a quorum!"  The psis present all tense at this.

Doesn't sound like a good thing...!

(of course, the big muscle-head is just laughing to himself still... 'hur hur hur hur hur...')

Just a little bit elsewhere, you dive for cover in the apartment with some other battle going on, Masque, while all Hell breaks loose outside.  You see Jinx and that Gunslinger fellow open fire, the first targeting spears and bows, while the latter took down both wizards.

Moebius wasn't so specific, and just spread her arms wide, firing with both her Uzis while spinning around in a circle.  Ari added to this mayhem as well, peppering goon after goon from behind with her lego gun.  That's when you start giggling.

Why?  Because, amidst all this chaos, you unleashed your herd of magically inclined steeds, and pretty much trampled all the opposition here.

Well, at least that which wasn't already downed.

In seemingly the quickest rout you guys have experienced, the remaining medieval type folks all flee, vanishing from this earthly plane as quickly as they had arrived, all save for their leader - who can't seem to move, as he's got a lego wedged into the back of his knee.

And Och's axe in his shoulder.

And Moebius is now standing over him, scoffing.

"Listen here, Justicar, I could give a rat's ASS about your city's justice.  I did what I did to save Sigil, and quite frankly, I haven't exactly been treated fairly by the city to begin with.  So, let's just call it even, or else."

Eyes wide with fear, the headhunter for the bizarre Sigilian sect known as the Mercykillers then vanishes, though it looked as though he was shocked by this as much as she was.  "Hmph.  Those guys usually stalk you to the death.  What a pussywillow."

(now, only Masque has a chance of hearing the below, but still)

Down the hall, across from where Masque is cowering, the female version of Charlie Chicanery indeed gets Wendell Wherever to boot up his so-called Immortality Machine.  "Okay now, in order to get this to work, I will need a LIVING tissue sample from Charlie.

"And, since he's dead, that means I'll need yours."

To which the female Charlie says "No problem."

"Fine," says Wendell.  "However, I'll need to store his consciousness somewhere while I grow him a new body, and since I don't have the ability to do that with this gear, you're going to have to do it.  And fast, for he won't last more than another minute or so..."

This causes the female Charlie lots of discomfort, what with her already having a consciousness in her head - namely, hers.  "Okay, so what happens to mine?"  

Wendell shrugs at this, since he doesn't seem to know.  "I don't know.  Either you'll go dormant or the two of you will just share the same body.  One way to find out..."  The strange scientist then applies suction cups to both Charlie's heads.

And a metal cable between the two, which he then plugs into the Machine. "Ready?"

To this, the female Charlie sighs.  "Fine."

Wendell Wherever then throws an oversized, melodramatic switch, and suddenly the Charlie-corpse and the Charlie-female are bathed in unknown, electric-like energies.  This goes on for a few seconds, at which point she stands up.

Looking at her, Wendell asks "Are you okay?"

?!

From:  EmarZero@aol.com 
Date:  Wed Feb 26, 2003  1:07 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

> (snip combat results)

Ari shouts gleefully.  "Woot!  That's what you get for fucking with my friend's apartment, assholes!"  She then looks around.  "Hey, where's Rebound and Stone Cold?"

She then looks around for more people to beat up.  If she finds some, she drags whoever's nearby (probably Jinx and Masque at this point) to help her.  "C'mon!  We got faces to smoosh!"

From:  "Lohse, Doug" <DLohse@banknorth.com> 
Date:  Wed Feb 26, 2003  1:38 pm
Subject:  RE: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

(REBOUND)

> (snip pre-hit Nonce-speak)

"You'll do nothing, bozo!"

> (snip post-hit Nonce-speak)

Frustrated, Rebound snarls, "I just hate it when they won't stand still and
take their punishment."

Finally noticing the group across the way, Rebound brightens up. "Och!
you're still alive! Thank God. I thought you had bought the farm when
these bozos yanked me out of thin air in mid-rescue."

> (snip healing effect)

"Oh, what the hell is this now?" Rebound gets ready for whatever this quorum thing is going to bring his way...

From:  "Lohse, Doug" <DLohse@banknorth.com> 
Date:  Wed Feb 26, 2003  4:13 pm
Subject:  RE: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

(GEOFFREY)

> (snip trouser theft)

"Now, that will cost you. I will not be trifled with..."

> (snip assault on Nonce)

"You will what? I'm sorry, I can not seem to discern what you were saying.
Regardless, I'm sure it was some inconsequential drivel."

> (snip Nonce's return from said assault)

"Hmm, it would seem that the psychopath didn't finish you off after all.
All the better, so I have the opportunity to instruct you in the proper
forms of address of your superiors..." 

> (snip Nonce speak)

"Gone? Most inconvenient, but then again, I do have someone to collect."

Geoffrey takes a few steps towards Tammy before... 

> (snip healing effect)

"Ms. Tammy, perhaps now would be a good time for you to depart for the
Yogi's..."

Geoffrey suddenly comes to the realization that, One, he has absolutely no
idea what is going on and, two, he's not wearing any pants. For the first
time in quite a while, he stands stunned and speechless, unable to decide on
a course of action.

( OCC: did Slow Jim flee the scene, or is he just hanging around in the
background through all this?) 

From:  "William Lockwood" <albedo1@cox.net> 
Date:  Wed Feb 26, 2003  5:35 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

Jinx slowly stands after the dust settles.
 
"Well, that went entirely too easily."
 
Taking note that this area is fairly well-secured, she'd head off with Ari to further investigate the site.
 
From:  charlie s clay jr <cclayjr2@juno.com> 
Date:  Wed Feb 26, 2003  5:45 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

> (snip Nonce speak)

"Oh stop get over yourself. They are not dead just frozen. If I were
trying to kill them I would have cracked the block of ice. They will be
like that till I thaw them out. If the kid was with the madman maybe he
deserved it. He tried to kill me I was just returning the favor." Stone
Cold said feeling no remorse for what he had done. As he didn't kill the
man this time. He was simply just tired of his existance. And this man
judging him didn't help. 'I am not the bad guy!!!!' He thought.

From:  Charlie Chicanery <charlie_chicanery@yahoo.com> 
Date:  Thu Feb 27, 2003  4:04 am
Subject:  Re: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

> Looking at her, Wendell asks "Are you okay?"

Neat... i've got boobs.

i've wanted to grope these since the whole matter duplicator incident created this female version of me (or since it made me and whacked her genes, or whatever). So i will.

Grope grope grope.

tee hee hee

Oh, oh yeah. "Yeah, i'm all good. i've got boobs!"

Grope grope grope.

tee hee hee

From:  "Mister Christopher" <cwacers@technohol.com> 
Date:  Fri Feb 28, 2003  8:11 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

> (snip Moebius taunting fleeing Cagers)

Gunslinger shrugs.
"These guys gonna keep coming after that book? Because that will be quite irritating."
 
He turns towards the direction of the fighting sounds down the hall in the other penthouse,
"That's not our fight but if yer gonna stick around, I suppose I can help...it looks like these guys can use all the help they can get considering the condition of this place. But I still want a drink...soon."

From:  "Mister Christopher" <cwacers@technohol.com> 
Date:  Fri Feb 28, 2003  8:16 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

Gunslinger pivots towards Masque,
"And you...get rid of those fucking horses."

From:  "Mister Christopher" <cwacers@technohol.com> 
Date:  Fri Feb 28, 2003  8:17 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory
 
Masque eeps and vanishes the Horses.

From:  "Mister Christopher" <cwacers@technohol.com> 
Date:  Fri Feb 28, 2003  8:29 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

Masque stands after his beration by the Gun toting noseless maniac.
"They weren't hurting nobody...well they weren't hurting us...Harumpphhh."
 
He steps back into the hall. 
"I think we need to go down there. Seems stone cold killed someone again. We can't be having that. I am away for who knows how long and what have you guys become.....a bunch of vigilantes I say...sheesh."
 
He turns....only to be accosted by Ari...
"Oh...yes..let us go ..smoosh some face as you say. C'mon Jinx...last one there's a rotten egg!"

March 2003

From:  Firebomb <firebomb@technohol.com> 
Date:  Wed Mar 5, 2003  7:00 am
Subject:  Re: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

Moebius looks at you and nods, Gunslinger.  "Yeah, I need one of them there drinks rather soon, too.  But are you about to tell me you're above some random violence?  I say we see if anything happens, hurt some more people, and then get some drinks.

"Besides, I have some anger to work out here.  Those jerks from Sigil caved a bit too quick for my taste..."

Regardless of what YOU do, though, it seems that Masque has located Stone Cold, and that Rebound has located Och.  Since everybody was more or less looking for everybody else, it would appear that a group reunion of sorts is in order.  For those in the group, at least.

However.  As all the other super humans begin to finally mill towards you, Geoffrey, you attempt to get Tammy out of here, but she declines.  "No, I'm sorry - I can't go now.  Since Nonce there called for a group hearing, I have to stay.

"I'm in Mindwatch, too, you know... even if these jerks kidnapped me to get at Stone Cold there."

Speaking of Stone Cold, you watch as Nonce shouts all quasi-legal in regards to your person.  "Fellow 'Watchers, I present to you a threat to our Mission:  one angry mutant with an apparent thirst for blood - one who has killed two of our number.

"Or rather, would have, had I not used the healing powers I'd been hanging onto to rejuvenate both of our wounded companions while they were buried under that mass of ice."  As if on cue, the floor where that multi-ton block of ice rests groans in protest.

A second later, both the Seven Dimensional Man and this 'Pete' fellow walk through the ice as though it weren't there, looking like all of their considerable injuries were nothing but a dream.  Seeing you, Stone Cold, the 7-D Man looks fit to burst.

"Aha!  Time for me to take you out once and for -"  the Seven Dimensional Man never gets to finish his sentence, for he is teleported against his will (ironic, eh?) before Nonce, who kicks him in a particularly unpleasant place.

"Oh, do shut up.  You got all of us in this mess with you juvenile revenge kick, and now you're going to let it go.  Now.  When the 'Watch leaders learn that you dragged your personal vendettas in to 'work', you're going to be in enough trouble as it is."

"Especially since you almost got Pete here killed - the one person amongst us who actually thought we were on a real Mindwatch op.  Well, him and AceTone, I suppose."  Looking at the big muscle-head, Nonce sighs.  "Could SOMEbody snap her out of her adrenaline rush?"

The nekkid Brainrave snaps her fingers, at which point the ridiculously huge muscle 'man' shrinks into a much smaller, yet considerably more female girl, of seeming Asian descent, who's perhaps about twenty five years old.  She looks quite confused.

"Eh?  Did I overdo the muscles again?  Where ARE we?!"

"Now, as I was saying, 'Stone Cold', you tried to kill one of our number for no reason other than apparent surliness - that being Pete, not the Seven Dimensional Man.  As far as we're all concerned, had he been killed in this mess, we wouldn't have cared less."

Seeing the Seven Dimensional Man's look, Nonce adds "Really."

"But, since Pete had done literally nothing to you, we leave your fate in his hands.  What do you say to that?"

Now, by this time, the rest of you have made your way to this area, though you don't necessarily know exactly what's going on.  Not that any of this sounds good.  At any rate, there's a few things that some of you see offhand:

Jinx:  You see by their uniforms that the super humans assembled on the top floor are members of Mindwatch... though none of them are the folks you've met before - and one or two seem to be missing their clothes...

Rebound:  the fellow in the red shirt, you can't quite place it, but he seems awfully... familair.  In that sort of deja vu way, like you've seen him before, perhaps several times, but don't know where...

Masque:  most of these guys seem like nothing special to you, but the kid there, 'Pete', he seems to be positively radiating eldritch energy.  You don't know why, but he seems to be leaking...

Oh, and just in case...

Charlie Chicanery:  Yes, you have boobs.

?

(sorry for the lack of action, per se, but things seemed at a sort of, er, turning point, I guess - maybe more mayhem, maybe not, I dunno)

From:  "Lohse, Doug" <DLohse@banknorth.com> 
Date:  Wed Mar 5, 2003  10:34 am
Subject:  RE: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

> (snip Tammy speak) 

"I don't care if you are a member of this asinine organization. Or, that
this dolt called some manner of meeting. Just make it brief. I am losing
patience with this errand."

(Snip "legal" case)

Geoffrey simply listens to the case as it is presented, waiting until the
end to add his own remarks....

"That's rather interesting. Now, if you are addressing crimes here, you
should answer for the kidnapping of Tammy here. One of your 'own' I might
add. How do you answer for your own crime?"

From:  "Lohse, Doug" <DLohse@banknorth.com> 
Date:  Wed Mar 5, 2003  11:22 am
Subject:  RE: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

> (snip Nonce speak)

Rebound retorts with nary a thought..."Make that TWO angry mutants, you putz!"

> (snip more Nonce speak, and the resurrection)

Seeing the 7-D man back in action, Rebound prepares to leap into action,
only to be beaten to the punch by Nonce...

> (snip internal Mindwatch squabbling, ultimatum)

"I say this...Both me and Stoney here were minding our own business trying
to save the life of a friend and companion, when we got snatched here. We
got all kinds of right to be pissed off at you all. So, stick your quorum
where the sun don't shine and get out of here before you REALLY get hurt."

> (snip description of the man in red)

Rebound takes a real close look at the man in red, trying to remember where
he knows him from and whether the fellow is a threat to his identity.

From:  EmarZero@aol.com 
Date:  Wed Mar 5, 2003  12:53 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

Ari skids to a stop, and in her best Rudy Ray Moore impression (which is pretty awful, really) shouts "WHAT THE SHIT IS THIS?"

If anyone makes any fast moves, she immediately opens fire on the little asian girl.  "No hulking out for you, Ultra Peanut!"

From:  cclayjr2@juno.com 
Date:  Wed Mar 5, 2003  9:30 pm
Subject:  Re:RE: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

"I say your fulla $#@%!! I am tired of you him all ah ya'll trying to pin
stupid $#@% on me! Your boy joined the wrong cause, if I ment to have him dead
I would have broken the ice blocks instead of burying him in it. He was just
on ice he could have thawed in a century or two. I didn't kill him and if that
is killing I would hate to see your idea of maiming or anything really violent.
I am not taking his crap pointing to 7-D or yours!! Yeah I am angry mutant,
hell there are a lot of angry people in the world but last I checked you aren't
hallin them in only me. Now if stupid over there had simply left me alone and
not tried to abandon me in the future he would still look normal. Still ugly
but normal." 

He looked at Pete. "So what you gonna do?!?"

From:  "William Lockwood" <albedo1@cox.net> 
Date:  Wed Mar 5, 2003  5:41 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

Jinx stands at the ready watching all of this transpire, keeping an ear and eye out for any trouble.
 
~Great. Psis. Yeah, and I don't care if you can hear me, either,~ she thought to herself as soon as she recognized them as belonging to Mindwatch.
 
Moving forward, Jinx pipes up, "OK, folks. We need to maintain a level head. If this goes poorly, we're going to need to find a more secure location to duke it out, right? Please try and remember that we are in a civilian apartment building and that we've caused a great deal of structural damage to the site."

From:  "Mister Christopher" <cwacers@technohol.com> 
Date:  Wed Mar 5, 2003  10:16 pm
Subject:  Fw: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

> (snip talk)

Masque umms.
"Ummmmm?...."

From:  "Mister Christopher" <cwacers@technohol.com> 
Date:  Wed Mar 5, 2003  10:16 pm
Subject:  Fw: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

> (snip more talk)

Masque Umms again....
"Ummmmm...guys?"

From:  "Mister Christopher" <cwacers@technohol.com> 
Date:  Wed Mar 5, 2003  10:16 pm
Subject:  Fw: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

> (snip even more talk)

Masque umms yet once more..
"Ummmmm...GUYS!"

From:  "Mister Christopher" <cwacers@technohol.com> 
Date:  Wed Mar 5, 2003  10:30 pm
Subject:  peanut gallery

Don't mind the multiple messages....i was having mail issues and got caught up in the moment.....oop.

From:  "Mister Christopher" <cwacers@technohol.com> 
Date:  Wed Mar 5, 2003  10:06 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

> (snip Jinx speak) 
 
And yet one last time..
"Ummmmmmm...GUYS!...She's right. This kid is gonna pop. He is so full of magical energy he is leaking..and how!. We gotta get out of here....."
He turns to Stone Cold.
 
> (snip Stone Cold speak)

"And as for you...shut up!."
His hands whip into action and he throws a band around stone colds mouth and he does the same to the kid.
"All I wanted was some flippin' pancakes and maybe a nice cold glass of milk. Is that so bad? I don't need you ruining it."
 
He points at everyone in general.
 
He opens a portal into the desert...pick one... and motions for the two to step through.
"Just..Just...just GO! and get it over with both of you..the bands will come off when you step through."
 
He turns to the 7d guy...
"You look like a puppy with its tail between its legs.....you can go to if you want..."
 
He notices the looks he is getting from the 'mindwatch' group.
"You guys can bugger off...this ain't your show....You started this all. I don't care if you are from the 7th layer of hell. You ain't scaring me. You should be ashamed of yourselves. Kidnapping one of your own just to appease a vendetta. If you were my kids, I would groiund everyone of you for three...no...FOUR weeks. My friend Stone Cold and your little magic chernobyl here are going to the desert beat each other up. Although my bets might be on the kid here because he isn't exactly stable..but then again..neither is Stone Cold. But at least Stoney knows how to use his stuff...I think.."
 
His normal flighty speech patterns seem to disappear when he says...
"AND if you so much as think about interfering, I will loose the two rabid Gunfighters over here on you. They are itching for a real fight. Not to mention Och here.....yeah..the angry looking dwarf."
He indicates the speckled lady and the guy with no nose.
"Quite frankly...they scare me...even the pretty lady."
 
..Masque seems to be shaking and proceeds to mumble.
"Just pancakes...simple little pancakes...maybe with strawberries and whipped cream. Some bacon....milk....cheese......."
He trails off and sits down with his head in his hands.

From:  "Mister Christopher" <cacers@cox.net> 
Date:  Wed Mar 5, 2003  10:39 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

> (snip Moebius speak)
 
Gunlinger smiles....
"'Nuff said."
He cocks his guns..
 
When they arrive he listens to the ..trial as it were and merely comes to a conclusion.
"Seems you guys weren't playing fair. I think that....."
He stops as he is interrupted by the crazy mage.
His mouth opens and closes a few times.
"Okay then...who put him in charge?"
 
He turns to the floating group.
"He's got a point...be afraid..be very afraid. We ain't had our drinks yet and we are getting anxious."
He smile a not so nice smile.

From:  EmarZero@aol.com 
Date:  Thu Mar 6, 2003  1:20 am
Subject:  Re: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

> (snip gunslinger speak)

Ari just shrugs.  "Look.  Between YOU guys and those OTHER guys and that Tom Jones guy and the other thing, you've trashed my friend's apartment pretty damn well.
I'm a pretty reasonable girl, but you know?  Och let me crash on his couch for like, a month and a half.  Sister's got to represent when some asshats come in and trash the joint.  So.  Howzabout you all get your asses back to the Psychic Friends Network post-haste, afore we re-arrange your auras, huh?"

Note that she's still gonna KO the asian chick if anything goes down.  

Under her breath, she mumbles.  "dionne warwick motherfuckers.  howcome they shut down miss cleo but not these guys?"

From:  Firebomb <firebomb@technohol.com> 
Date:  Thu Mar 6, 2003  5:40 am
Subject:  Re: Unsubscription by v13 member

Out of Character, and just for reference, I must say...

You're a dork.

> At 04:14 AM 3/6/2003 +0000, you wrote:
> Hello,

> This is an automated email message to let you know that
> seamus_the_sea_slug <cacers@cox.net> joined your v13 group.

At 06:16 AM 3/6/2003 +0000, you wrote:

> Hello,

> This is an automated email message to let you know that
> seamus_the_sea_slug <cacers@cox.net> unsubscribed from your v13 group.

From:  Charlie Chicanery <charlie_chicanery@yahoo.com> 
Date:  Thu Mar 6, 2003  5:52 am
Subject:  Re: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

Incidentally, i don't think anybody's paying attention
to me here, so i'll go ahead and leave the place of my
apparent rebirth (at the expense of the broad that's
been loafing in my penthouse for the last couple of
months), and go show off my new... boobs. Of course,
i suppose getting women might be a bit tricky now,
what with me lacking the appropriate member, but then,
one never knows in New York City.

Looking at the apparent meltdown in logic in the
penthouse across the hall from Wendell's (oh yeah. 
"Thank you, Wendell!"), i will go see what's what. 
Assuming i find Gunslinger amongst the mix, i will
show him my new anatomical features.

"Hey, Gunslinger! Look at my thingies!"

(grope grope grope)

From:  "Jay Myers" <jaydmyers@att.net> 
Date:  Thu Mar 6, 2003  6:29 am
Subject:  RE: [v13] Re: Unsubscription by v13 member

You're going to have to do a lot better than that to insult him. The dude
calls *himself* seamus_the_sea_slug for Christ's sake! I can only imagine
what prospective dates call him.

From:  charlie s clay jr <cclayjr2@juno.com> 
Date:  Thu Mar 6, 2003  4:36 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

"Hmmmmph Ihm whupm thumm phanncakesss!" Said the muffled Stone Cold as
he was pushed through the portal. He had nothing against the kid, he
just chose to be on the wrong side of his ice shards is all.

From:  "William Lockwood" <albedo1@cox.net> 
Date:  Thu Mar 6, 2003  6:08 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] Re: Unsubscription by v13 member

They call him...Mr. Christopher.
 
Well, right before they ask their moms if they can stay out past 8 PM.
 
Burn!

From:  "Mister Christopher" <cwacers@technohol.com> 
Date:  Sat Mar 8, 2003  1:51 am
Subject:  Re: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

> (snip previous Masque ramble)
 
Masque head pops up as if he were going to say..."Whooua..?"
He ..scurries over to the leaking kid an pokes him.
"Hmmmm.."
 
He moves his head quickly to one side and an audible snap is heard.
"OWWWW!!!.....Guess my magic sensing was already off....urgghhhhh"
 
He puts his goggles of wonder on and off a few times...
"That's soooo weird....like ground up hamburger....Anybody else seeing this?"

From:  "Mister Christopher" <cwacers@technohol.com> 
Date:  Sun Mar 9, 2003  2:10 pm
Subject:  Peanut gallery

Don't just sit there. Pop Secret, Honey Butter.

From:  Firebomb <firebomb@technohol.com> 
Date:  Mon Mar 10, 2003  1:27 am
Subject:  RE: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

(that SHOULD be everybody)

After you address her, Geoffrey, Tammy gives you a Look.  You're not sure if it was your tone, but you get the impression that she's not very amused.  Regardless, she declines to answer you at this time, for everybody else seems to be talking all at once.

In response to Geoffrey, Rebound and Stone Cold, Nonce just scoffs.  "I already told you, this whole ridiculous plot was the Seven Dimensional Man's 'brain' child.  Since it didn't pan out, and things went rather awry, we'll be dealing with him forthwith.

"I can start repeating myself here, but as I said, we could give a damn whether or not you took him out in response for this whole stupidity.  What I'm angry about, and most of the rest of us here are angry about, is how your friend decided to deal with Pete there."

"You want me to re-repeat it for you, or you got it this time?"  Then he looks at you, Ari.  "Boo.  Hoo.  Hoo.  Like all of this stuff is worth the life of a Mindwatch operative."  You can see where his priorities lie, and make no mistake.

Specifically in response to Stone Cold, though, the older man in the red shirt shakes his head.  "But you specifically said 'Oh I am going to kill you, but what I want will be far more painful.'  I have it on tape..."  He then pulls out a micro-cassette deck.

"I can play that back here..."

As far as this guy is concerned, you can't quite place him, Rebound.  He's got that quality of nagging familiarity, like you should know who he is, but can't exactly remember his name, similar to that quiet guy in the back of the classroom that was so easily forgettable.

In response to your unhappy thoughts, Jinx, you note that the redheaded (and nekkid) lady amongst the Mindwatch troublemakers waggles her eyebrows at you.  You guess that you were, in fact, being listened in on.  Not that she does anything.

You find that you like her less than the OTHER redheaded Mindwatch lady you met a while back.

As far as what people think about your suggestion, well, that's up to everybody else.  Och here doesn't really do anything, but you get the idea that not killing people is taking all his concentration.  Slow Jim seems to like it though.

"Hey, Jinx!  Long time no see!  You think we should book too?"

(ooc:  yeah Dough, he didn't vanish or anything, but just sort of stepped back momentarily when all the fire and big bug monsters started flying all around the room.  He's not all too useful out of the water, after all, and naturally dislikes fire...!)

This is about when Masque goes off on a tirade.

Before any of you can really say anything, he's maneuvered both Stone Cold and this Pete fellow through some mysterious portal of his to some undisclosed, but particularly sandy and dry location (good job on giving the guy with ice powers a boost, there).

Immediately afterwards, you make your threat, Gunslinger, but it's hard to look all menacing when this mystery, almost nekkid female counterpart of Charlie Chicanery comes up to you and starts brandishing her breasts in your general direction.

And promptly punches herself in the face.  "Stop that," she says.  "We're not here just for your pervy amusement, you dick."

This causes Moebius to say "Er."

In response to your invitation, Masque, the Seven Dimensional Man prepares to follow Stone Cold and Pete through your interdimensional portal when he's stopped by the apparent AceTone.  "Hey there, buddy - you just hold your horses.

"You haven't told me just how I got here yet.  As I recall, I told you if you drag me somewhere while I was too pumped up to know better, and mix me up in one of your dim-witted hack jobs, I'd hurt you..."  The lady tenses somewhat, but doesn't quite grow muscle-y yet.

Well, more muscle-y, at any rate.  She's quite fit even at her 'normal' size.

Elsewhere, somewhere much drier in fact, Pete looks at you and shrugs, Stone Cold.  "Well, I think your smelly, hairy wizard friend thinks we're supposed to fight or something.  Just tell me one thing, though:  did you actually mean to kill me alongside that moron?

"Or was that just an accident?  Honestly..."

?

From:  charlie s clay jr <cclayjr2@juno.com> 
Date:  Mon Mar 10, 2003  6:02 am
Subject:  Re: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

Stone Cold looks at the boy that looks no younger than he is. "What?!?" 
He thought for sure that Pete would instantly commence to try to pound on
him. "My enemies have the strangest knack for not staying dead. I had
no intention of killing you, I had no idea that I had killed you. I ment
to put brick head on ice for maybe a 100 years or so. That would keep
him out of my hair so I could have a decently, have fun without looking
over my shoulder, married maybe a few kids and be dead before his brain
even had a chance to unthaw. You just got in the way and since you were
attacking me, you go frozen as well. So in essence you were in the wrong
place at the wrong time and I had not intention of killing you if I did."
Stone Cold confesses with no fluctuations in his tone or his voice so if
Pete was using that to detect a lie. I wouldn't be there either.

"So do we dance or do I get a chance to eat some breakfast with teeth?" 
He looked at him.

From:  "Lohse, Doug" <DLohse@banknorth.com> 
Date:  Mon Mar 10, 2003  9:15 am
Subject:  RE: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

> (snip Nonce speak)

Geoffrey appears bored with the whole "justice" process. He takes out his
cell-phone and calls his tailor to order a new suit to be delivered to this
address immediately...."And make sure the shoes match. I will NOT have a
repeat of the Johnson affair."

He barely takes notice of the departure of the two "combatants".

From:  "Lohse, Doug" <DLohse@banknorth.com> 
Date:  Mon Mar 10, 2003  9:31 am
Subject:  RE: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

> (snip Nonce speak)

"Well, get on with it already! I'm tired of every freak-show out there
casually coming along to screw with me. Before I got snatched here, I never
met any of you, but you have to go out of your way to bring me here. No
invitation. No postcard. No hello there. No welcome to the neighborhood,
here's a nice fresh apple pie. No, just death threats from the 'Garden
State Brickfacing and Stucco' spokesmodel over there. Well, I'm tired, so
get on with it."

> (snip thoughts about the guy in the red shirt)

Rebound sorts through his
memories...School...Military...Agency...Famil...No, not family. Never think
of them again. They don't exist, never did. He concentrates fiercely on
the man's face...Was he on TV? Movies? What is is? Perhaps it is his
mannerisms. Cosmetic surgery perhaps? Forget the face, listen to the
voice, the speech patterns, the body language...yes, the body language.
Rebound's mind scrambles as he tries to find a match.

From:  EmarZero@aol.com 
Date:  Mon Mar 10, 2003  1:40 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

> (snip AceTone speak)

Ari just watches all this craziness go down. "Yeah!  Kick his ass, sister!"

From:  "William Lockwood" <albedo1@cox.net> 
Date:  Mon Mar 10, 2003  8:34 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

Jinx just shrugs at Masque's tirade, shooting a look of death at the telepathic redhead and thinking all sorts of evil things at her.
 
Turning to Jim, "Oh hey there, Jim. Long time no see. Taking off is definitely an option once all this crap is done with."

From:  "Mister Christopher" <cwacers@technohol.com> 
Date:  Tue Mar 11, 2003  12:14 am
Subject:  Re: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

Masque just shrugs his shoulders and wonders how this all came to be.
 
He merely awaits whatever happens to happen. All the while....giving people the eye....checking to see if anyone or thing is leaking magic, without his magic sensing on.

From:  "Mister Christopher" <cwacers@technohol.com> 
Date:  Tue Mar 11, 2003  1:39 am
Subject:  Re: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

> (snip Charlie's inner conflict)

> This causes Moebius to say "Er."
 
Which causes Gunslinger to say "Er" in turn.
 
He steps away from the She-Charlie.
"I don't know who invited you or how many personalities you have but step the fuck off woman. We don't need another sidekick. We just got rid of the last one and it wasn't even us that did it."
 
He thinks for a second and then grins,
"We were saved the trouble."
 
He shuffles a bit, not quite sure how to deal with a pseudo-neutral situation such as this.
 
"Moebius....what the fuck is going on here? I have no idea who these people are and why we are here now. Yeah..we were gonna be kicking some serious butt....but there seems to be a Mexican stand off going on now."

From:  Charlie Chicanery <charlie_chicanery@yahoo.com> 
Date:  Tue Mar 11, 2003  6:23 am
Subject:  Re: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

> (snip mockery of i)

That's funny, i don't remember wanting to punch myself in the face or anything. "Ow," i guess i'll offer, and perhaps fall backwards in one of those amusingly stunned ways - probably involving about three staggering steps in reverse beforehand. Perhaps a handy roll of the eyes. And definitely with some stars floating around my head, if i can manage that.

Not sure if i can do stars though.

> He steps away from the She-Charlie.
> "I don't know who invited you or how many
> personalities you have but step the fuck off woman.
> We don't need another sidekick. We just got rid of
> the last one and it wasn't even us that did it."

> He thinks for a second and then grins,
> "We were saved the trouble."

"Bu-shit! It's me, you dumb clown - it's Charlie!  You know, journeyed long and hard through hell and high water to get time-tinkerer-proof bracelet things and such? Savaged by your uncouth and unshaven leather queen female counterpart? i'm just borrowing my 'other' me's body while my good friend Wendell whips me up a new one. He's got himself immortality in a bottle. Or at least a really big machine there.  He's the guy that lives in the, uh, un-wrecked penthouse here. And he got killed by my old bosses, the jerks that DEION -"

i guess at this point i'll make sure i note that Deion is standing amongst those jerks. i'll even make an amusingly cute face of exasperation.

Before i blast him with BOTH transient steel staves, PBR style. Thas point blank range for you young ones there (and i ain't talkin' about no Vivian here)

"Ah wauldn't DREAHM of nawt answerin' such ah CHAHMIN' invuhtashun..."

i'm normal.

From:  Firebomb <firebomb@technohol.com> 
Date:  Tue Mar 11, 2003  7:46 am
Subject:  Re: [v13] Someone Dropped a Shoe Factory

Under withering commentary from most all of you, not to mention becoming increasingly annoyed at both this situation and even his own compatriots, Nonce starts to come unglued a bit.  "Oh, for God's sake, will SOMEbody jog AceTone's memory, so she'll shut UP?"

Seeing him about to pop in this incredibly smoky pressure cooker, Brainrave indeed does so, sticking her tongue out at you while she does so, Jinx.  The rather fit young lady goes wide-eyed for a few seconds, and then scowls.  "We've been here three WEEKS?"

Suddenly, as Ari prompts her to do so, AceTone executes several lighting quick motions that end with the Seven Dimensional Man laying on the ground, both of his legs broken.  "Augh!  You Bit-"  She takes that opportunity to break his jaw, and he goes all limp-like.

"S'ok.  Mindwatch has great healers, you know.  Nonce!  Heal him up so's I can break him again..."

The man with way more powers than he ought to know what to do with sighs at this, and shakes his head.  "Naah, let him suffer for awhile.  I'm sure nobody here has a problem with that."  However, after hearing you make your phone call, Geoffrey, Nonce does do something.

Snapping his fingers, he re-materializes his belt, and sucks his giant steel bug-monster thing back into the little red ball from where it issued forth.  And, after you hang up your phone, he deigns to bring back your pants.

"There you go, buddy.  Don't get your panties all in a bunch, hm?"

While people slowly began to get more and more irritable on both sides of the fence here, you spent an odd moment of introspection, Rebound.  Looking at the guy down there with the tape deck and the notepad that's got photos paper-clipped onto it, you think very very hard.

You want to say that this fellow was with you on a NSA romp into Belize one time, out to neutralize some jokers who were whipping up some strange new biochemical weapon.  But he also looks like a fireman that you met in Calgary once, after an op against Quebecois separatists.

Though again, he looks a lot like a janitor that you remember seeing in passing in the Chrysler building a short while ago, on that little call center floor that was apparently run by those Cobra goons.  Not that he was wearing these clothes on those occasions.

Hmmmmm...

As you see Masque giving everybody the hairy eyeball, Jinx, Slow Jim responds to you.  "Yeah, long time indeed.  I tried going to Atlantis to make a new home for myself, but the me that was there already turned out to be a royal asshole.  Though my pal Geoffrey there saved my bacon.

"A couple times."

Suddenly, an apparent tension breaker occurs, as twin blasts from the female Charlie Chicanery's transient steel staves strike the floor, causing her to almost fall through - but not before she kicked in her own flight powers.

"Er, sorry about that... I seem to've slipped."

To which she mutters in addition "Besides, I already killed him once..."

Anybody that was looking at her mere seconds before (which was possible, since she's virtually nekkid) may've noticed that she was actually working very hard to shoot at somebody amongst the Mindwatch rabble, though she must've changed her mind at the last second.

Looking back at you, Gunslinger, she then tries to elaborate.  "Yeah, uh, Gunslinger, it's really your apparent 'side kick'.  He's stuck here in my head, see, until my pal Wendell can clone him a new body or something.  So I guess you're not rid of him just yet.

"And neither am I.  Feh."

Moebius, on the other hand, is ignoring you, Charlie.  "Hey Och, give me you cellular telephone number, 'cause I think me and Gunslinger here are going to clear out.  I hear the familiar sounds of sirens moving this way, and we're both illegally parked, see..."

The dwarf indeed does so, and she promises to get in touch with him soon.  "Be seeing you, old man.  So Gunslinger, I say we get that drink, since it looks like these chumps aren't doing any more fighting, the pussies.  Never fails, that.  I hate heroes.

"Hey Geoffrey!  We're bugging out to get some fresh air and alcohol - you want to come with?"

Elsewhere, in a much drier place, you continue your 'showdown' with Pete, Stone Cold.  "Huh.  Well, I wasn't attacking you so much as being thrown in your general vicinity by your pal with the goofy mask, buddy, but I guess I can see that being confusing.

"So I guess I believe you... but just be more careful in the future, ok?  After all, not all of us in Mindwatch are jerks.  And no, I'd rather not dance, 'cause I'm not all that good at it.  I seem to spend all day trying to get control of these dumb powers of mine as it is..."

As an afterthought he adds "Mmm... pancakes..."

Unless you pound him or something, he then walks back through Masque's (presumably) still-open portal.  Shortly after you yourself step through, he looks up to Nonce and says "Can we go now?  It is way past breakfast time.  Or dinner time, or whatever.

"Mmm... IHOP..."

!?
