X-Champions Issues
Issue #12 - Exhaustion
Suzanne cannot be reached but The Captain appears as Hamlet Laughton, Eliot Sihn as the Troll, and Sammy are about to go to the Tocci's exclusive strip club known as the Gentleman's Tennis Club to visit the scene of the strange massacre of Tocci gang members. The Captain flies in with a small safe he inherited from his recently departed uncle and tags along, a bit dubious about helping the Toccis but convinced that the villainous mutants described are endangering innocents as well. And he's more than a little surprised when the Troll's left hand pops off and becomes animated - he meets Lefty. He asks if other parts of the Troll are sentient and Lefty indicated he's checked but "not yet anyway", drawing quite an unpleasant look from the Troll. To the side, Hamlet whispers conspiratorially to The Captain (AKA Marty Davis) that he's sure that Fisk is behind the Medusa and Shooter. Although everyone else knows that, Laughton isn't quite sure he should discuss it openly.
They arrive at the club about 10:30, the Troll securing Lefty back onto his arm, and enter. They're a particularly awkward bunch, the Troll never having visited such a place and not too keen on the idea, while Sammy simply openly gawks, and The Captain squirms. They note that the dancers outnumber the clients some 9 to 7. The Tocci agent who visited Laughton earlier greets them and shows several chunks of fragile stone that used to be Tocci gangsters. It appears the Shooter and Medusa carted away parts of each person. The mob lieutenant refers them to "Vito" who is hanging out in the lap dance area, segmented by a thin curtain.
When they see Vito, an obese tough guy, he looks bad. Three strippers are attempting to cheer him up with an intimate dance but he shoos them away to discuss "business" with the Justice Squad. It's apparent his joints are difficult to move and he's partially turned to stone himself. The gangster confides quietly, attempting to avoid the "walls" that "have ears", that he was getting himself a drink behind the bar at about 6:30 and cowardly dove when he saw Medusa and Shooter enter. He recognized Shooter and Medusa further frightened him as he felt her strange stoning power encompass him. He stayed behind the bar and heard his comrades shout only briefly as he guessed they turned fully to stone. Then he listened to the hideous smashing sound as Shooter's bullets hit them. He also heard other smashing sounds, along the lines of clubbing. He briefly peered out to see the pair of villains cart off two dancers' intact stoned bodies and a barrel of assorted parts of the mobsters. His body clearly infected by Medusa's strange powers, Sihn draws a long syringe and, somewhat against the cowardly Vito's will as The Captain holds him down, draws a sample - partly to help him but primarily out of intellectual curiosity.
Vito also mentions that one dancer was in the room at the time and escaped also. They visit her in the dressing room; she's a drug-addled wreck. They quiz her on her state and she finally admits she was doing coke before it all started and has since done Quaaludes to calm down. The Captain warns her that caffeine and depressants don't mix. She is coherent enough to describe what happened, though, and says she was looking down as she was "working the pole" when she heard the sudden shouting and gunfire. She ran into the dressing room without seeing Medusa but after things quieted down she finally came out. The sight of smashed stone pieces that must have been men she knew, as well as the disappearance of fellow workers, sent her into a frenzied state.
They go see Jackie Tocci and ask to see the security video. It shows the dancers immediately turn to stone and shortly after all of the men standing but one, who takes a couple extra seconds to turn to stone. They see Medusa, a stereotypical goth girl except for her hideous face and strange serpent-filled or serpent-like hair, muttering something and distractedly wielding an axe to help Shooter smash up the mobsters. The dancers are carted out on a gurney as Vito saw while Shooter and Medusa are careful to take some of each gangster, throw the parts into a bucket, and cart it out. In all they took about 10 minutes. At one point on the tape they see Medusa sit down at a table and sip one of her victims' mixed drinks, then stare at her arm as she cuts it and watches the blood drip. Sihn and Laughton dash out of the backroom office and inspect the area but find only a chipped floor. Returning the video tape reveals Shooter cleaning up and scolding her.
The Troll looks around the neighborhood and sees a golf course across the street, a health club on one side, and a small nice restaurant on the other. A couple of the restaurant staff do remember seeing an old white Dodge Econoline van out front; it was old, ugly, and out of place for this upper class area. One of the staffers actually remembered the year ('92) and some of the license plate ("AL" and a "7")! No one saw the inhabitants of the van though they did see about the time it appeared and then saw that it was gone, confirming its arrival and departure matched the video of Shooter and Medusa.
Sammy is able to smell a distinctive odor where the van was of motor oil and they attempt to follow its trail. It goes cold after a while on the highway, headed into Detroit's downtown - not only because of the other cars but also because of the snow which has been falling all night.
Medusa's abilities raise many questions for Sihn, who infers a possible kinship between Rodin/Laughton and her. Even The Captain begins to ask questions, curious at the similarities, but Laughton simply ignores their questions/comments and starts talking about leads and what the Kingpin might be up to.
They then turn their attention to going back to the office to find out more about the license plate, Laughton using his computer connections and skills to get into the local vehicle files. It belongs to one Samantha Washington, and they get to her address about midnight. She turns out to be an elderly African-American lady living in a bad part of town. Of course she recognizes the Justice Squad. Laughton indicates that they're on important business and asks her about the van. Eager to help, she explains it's her son John's van. Then Laughton indicates it's very important they find John, that he may be in some trouble, and they need to find him. Worried, she explains that he hangs out with other friends and they're good people but odd. They talk about strange adventures that they couldn't possible have had and call each other by names other than their own. As asked, she also indicates he's a part-time security guard at the Detroit Fine Arts museum. Laughton asks if they may search his room. She immediately lets the heroes in and allows them to poke around. They're surprised t find that John is a fanatic about mutant heroes. His room is plastered with pictures of mutant vigilantes, many of them autographed, particularly all those of the local Detroit heroes, including such luminaries as the Flaming Carrot alongside long forgotten heroes of years past. A small plaque encasing the reclusive Dr. Magnus' autograph adorns a special place on one wall. A small corner of a wall has photos of the Justice Squad - and The Captain quickly begins autographing those. He also whips out a glossy picture of himself and autographs it "To Danny". They also see role-playing game books, including True Mutant Crime, named after a popular pulp-like magazine which John also collects. Books by mutants, particularly the several written by Magneto, take up a small bookcase; they're mostly later editions and paperbacks but are a fairly complete collection. John is a major fan-boy geek! Well, given his mother's age, he's unlikely to be a boy anymore...
Before leaving the house, Laughton, having perused records on the Washingtons during his research, lets the elderly woman know she overpaid $314 on her taxes for the previous year. As the Justice Squad leave, Sihn and Laughton discuss helping people find overpayments on their taxes - putting their intellectual minds to an honorable task indeed - for a fee.
From his room they determine his schedule and go on to the apartment of a friend of his, which turns out to be in a better, more working-class neighborhood. They can hear some slightly loud music coming from the room as they approach. A guy answers the door, and after they ask for John he starts to stare as he realizes who this group of strange people are - the Justice Squad. He calls John from the door, his voice shaking. John comes to the door and is extremely excited. He doesn't get nervous - he's met many famous mutants before - but he does eagerly shake their hands and of course wonders why they're there. Laughton asks about John's van and John indicates it was stolen earlier in the day. They tell him it was used to commit a crime and as he didn't report it, he can be brought in as aiding, though they themselves are sure he's innocent. John admits he didn't have insurance and given that he didn't think the van worked at all anyway anymore he didn't want to report it, but he now will. Curious, the heros inquire John's age of him - he's 37. After answering more questions about his job at the museum and if he's seen any strange goth girls or other unusual people there, he asks for all their autographs - The Captain whips off another one "To Danny", but since John sees it he's able to get The Captain to correct it. He's also non-plussed by the Troll. Meanwhile the gaming group gathers around, a few guys and one girl, and all seem fairly interested. One other of the group also gets autographs, offering up a 20 sided die and an unusual pen for The Captain to autograph it with. To show off and leave something truly unusual, The Captain crushes it into dust and hands it back. However, the game player is disturbed - this was his lucky die! To make up for it, Laughton turns another 20 sided die to stone and gives it back to the man. He's quite pleased by that - but unfortunately doesn't realize that later that evening, as soon as Laughton uses his stoning power again, the die will turn back to normal! Finally the Justice Squad is again off - after Sammy remembers to tell John to "Eat your fruits and vegetables! Stay in school!" John is left a little puzzled.
They decide this time to go to an all night internet cafe, not such a common thing in cities and definitely not at 1 in the morning. There are two in Detroit. They choose one and Laughton goes in disguise with Sammy as a female friend. He deftly breaks into Detroit's confidential camera surveillance, knowing that if caught he can do hard time. But he's sure he leaves no trace as he finds the white van via several stops. It's sighted going to and from the area in Gros Pointe of the strip club, as well as more importantly prior to that a mob-run casino near the river and after that going into a residential neighborhood.
The heroes first decide to check out the residential area. Fairly quickly they find the van itself, left unattended and unlocked, seemingly abandoned. They look for clues and Sammy smells the scent of a clove cigarette, similar to that of the strange gentleman they met much earlier that day. He also picks up a faint scent of a woman's perfume, something distinctive, but nothing they can follow in the snowy bitter cold night. They also don't have much luck trying to find the trail of the large gurney.
Laughton and the Troll go to the nearby 7-11 which, as they'd hoped, has a camera which points out towards the van. Meanwhile The Captain and Sammy check out the area garbage cans.
Laughton remembers to call back Samantha Washington, giving her the address of the van. He off-handedly mentions John and she responds, "Oh, so he's okay..." but is interrupted by Laughton hanging up. No point in staying on the line and being traced, he thinks.
The Troll and Laughton demand to see the security video but the Indian clerk resists, indicating it is confidential. They discuss it a bit with him, indicating it's a major case, life-and-death and all that, then decide to just ignore him and walk into what must be the back office and look on their own. No sooner do they get the tape rewound to the right place than they hear the police coming in the store! As two policemen enter the room and ask them to leave, they play dumb and try to delay the cops, all the while looking at the screen and hoping to see something meaningful. The cops get suspicious and scared and call for back-up. Laughton encourages them to read them their rights, playing for time, as they are arrested. And he goes on to ask the cops several time on fine points of their rights and bits he "didn't hear" or "didn't get". Once the Troll and Laughton see what must be the Shooter's image get out of the van, open the trunk (only the left side of the van is visible), and then with what must be Medusa go down the street with the gurney several blocks and take a left, they relent and walk outside with the police.
Sammy and The Captain have found a clove cigarette, one they're sure is the strange man's as Sammy remembers it, and have collected the evidence just as they see the ruckus with the police now outside the 7-11. A second squad car has arrived and Laughton and the Troll are trying to talk their way out of being arrested, explaining that the mayor will be unhappy if they can't complete their confidential life-or-death mission. But as to the details of what they're after, Laughton simply says, "I can't tell you that." At first the police fully intend to take the mutants in but begin arguing as to which one will be stuck taking the scary and brutal Troll in. The police are uncertain as Laughton uses all his powers of legal knowledge and persuasion to insist there's no need to go further as they've left the store and now are needed urgently. And Sammy, seeing this, changes into a stunningly beautiful woman and comes over to fetch her "uncle" Hamlet, hoping to distract the police. But they've already decided to let the famous vigilantes off and have called in a report. One of the policemen hits on Sammy but the Justice Squad rushes off quickly - as Laughton calls "her" Syd and The Captain (still in disguise) hollows over to "Maria".
While they're able to continue on the trail, it unfortunately grows cold as they look down the street they saw the villains turn on. It looks like they've cleaned up their tracks. As they examine the snowy street, the police pull up and warn them about loitering. Laughton begins interrogating the police, though, subtly turning the tables, and asking them what they remember about the van. They indicate they'd seen it but hadn't learned anything more than the heroes already knew. They do confirm, however, when they first saw it in the neighborhood and it helps the Squad with the timetable. Laughton is sure to note their badge numbers and names and speak well of their efforts. Otherwise unimpressed by the police but having reached a dead end, the Squad decides to check out the casino that Medusa and the Shooter were so interested in. All the while, bemused, Laughton watches the police clumsily trail them.
On the way to the casino, at one point, Laughton pulls up and motions the distant but all-too-obvious to his super-trained eye police to catch up. He asks them if they'll go ahead with their lights flashing since he'd appreciate it - and he indicates their destination. Sheepedly they go off - but shortly Laughton smiles as he sees an unmarked car try to follow them.
This time the Justice Squad, with a famished Captain and Sammy, pulls into a 24 hour burger joint. Sammy spots a dumpster with a fresh dump of old food in it. He excuses himself from the car, indicating he thinks the dumpster "may have clues", though his excuse is transparent. The heroes place a large order, in part for themselves and in part for the following detectives. The Troll asks for his uncooked but across the two-way intercom he's simply told it's against restaurant policy. He still throws them by asking for it sans bun and vegetables, and a manager has to be consulted. They do figure out they can fulfill this request. When the car pulls up to the next window, a manager, dubious that this is some kind of prank, goes up and discovers the Justice Squad members. He gets nervous and says very little, rushing off to ensure their meal is done quickly and no trouble happens. A poor squeaky-voiced teenager is pushed out to deal with the heroes, and in his nervous voice mentions he was asked to see if they're "happy". The Troll mentions he'd be happier if he could just get the raw burgers he wanted but the teenager tremulously responds it's not possible. They get their food, the teenager asks again if they're happy, and they're off, Sammy quickly rejoining them, several pounds heavier. He attracts a bit of attention by the workers in the burger joint as he, having posed as a big dog in the dumpster, leaps into the hastily opened window, suddenly winnowing to tiny proportions. Then Laughton motions as he sees the unmarked car again. Resigned, the driver pulls up and Hamlet offers some food. Amused, the detective takes a bag he's offered and quiets his concerned younger partner.
They reach the casino and spread out. Laughton disguises himself and goes in first. The Captain, thinking himself disguised but then finding he gets help from Laughton to truly disguise himself, goes in as a floral delivery person with Sammy as a large bouquet. He goes up to the bar to mention he can't remember which woman he's looking for but he needs to deliver some flowers. Finally the Troll enters; his stash of drugs and electronics equipment sets off the alarm. The security guard present notes just who this is and respectfully asks him to wait while another guard watches and he goes to speak to a manager. Laughton is near the pit boss who smiles and indicates that it's just fine to let the Troll in with all his gear - word spreads quickly in the Tocci organization.
Sihn begins playing video poker but within moments the busy after-hours casino is met with unwelcome guests. Medusa and the Shooter (much more heavily armed and armored than previously, apparently having come into increased funding) enter, screams erupting as those who see the strange hideous woman begin turning to stone. Laughton sees them first and feels the pull of Medusa's power though he has some resistance; he calls The Captain on his cell. Sammy and The Captain cannot see Medusa and Shooter from their angle but start to approach given what's happening, Sammy changing into a human-sized mole while The Captain grabs a tray, hoping that if he can only see her reflection in it he'll be okay. The Troll leaps across the floor, tackling Medusa and stunning her but finding out in the process that not only can he feel her slowly turning him to stone but also she has some unnatural power that surrounds her. The serpents of her hair are actually quite alive and entangle him, savagely biting him and stunning him. Laughton notes that viewing through his camera affords no protection and realizing that it's impossible to avoid her if she's nearby and seen. He hollers, "Pig-pile on Medusa!" Shooter recognizes his voice and steps forward, "You!" and shoots but badly misses. Sammy leaps right next to Medusa after making a blind leap.
Shooter fires again and still misses. Then Laughton steps forward, turning to Rodin as this time Shooter fires instead a blinding flare that this time goes off directly in front of Laughton/Rodin's face. So Rodin is not only a statue, but a blind one for a change. Then Shooter moves forward and leaps up onto one of the slot machines to get a vantage point from which he begins firing on members of the Tocci gang over by some pool tables.
Medusa comes to but has little opportunity as The Captain rushes her. She does get in a few words though - ""
Just as he flies at her with the tray in hand and makes contact, he turns to stone from the sight of her. Sammy leaps forward and grabs Laughton, pogoing then directly into Medusa, putting her out for good but also turning to stone as he necessarily views her in hitting her. A few yards away Shooter finishes up all but one of the Tocci mobsters and realizing the loud crashing sounds by Medusa are not good, begins back to see what he can do. The Troll is laying completely unconscious on the floor, only loosely entangled by Medusa's serpents as they now seem less active but have inflicted massive stun on the Troll prior to Medusa's fall. Rodin turns back to human form and "stones" Sammy, changing him from Medusa-type stone to Rodin-type stone. As Shooter arrives on the scene, Laughton steps aside to reveal Medusa. Shooter inescapably glances the hideous woman just as he shoots at Laughton, this time nailing him. Laughton is wounded badly, for the first time since he's worked with the Justice Squad, and goes flying back just as he turns to stone. He also has the distinction of in one second beating out the Troll, as unconscious as he'd ever been, in terms of levels of unconsciousness (Laughton went from full STUN to -75!). In his Rodin form he looks like a badly held together statue, fragile, as he tumbles into the nearest elevator, smashing and half-sinking into it. Sammy pounces next to Shooter and is about to pound him as he sees him turn to stone from having been unable to avoid seeing Medusa.
Lefty, formerly in shock but having slipped from the Troll unseen, helps revive the Troll by pulling out his drugs. Sammy also helps and soon the Troll is back up and pulls Lefty back onto his arm. As the Troll is finishing up redeveloping his syringe-delivered healing potion into a salve so that Rodin can be healed, he suddenly sees the strange clove-smoking man reappear, walking out of the nearest elevator, this time garbed in some sort of daunting battle armor. Sammy, just nearby, attempts to intercept the man as he calmly indicates he'd hoped more of them would be down from the battle and "No matter, I'm still here to kill you all." Desperately Troll takes a chance on using the salve as is and his great skill pays off as Rodin's stone clearly begins to heal quickly. And both the Troll and Sammy feel themselves slowing down as the strange man declares, "How's it feel to be normal?"
But the desperation grows even grimmer as the man presses a button on a device he's using and the surrounding large area goes immediately well below freezing. Both Sammy and the Troll lose some powers in this sort of frigidity and now they're slow as well. The battle seems to now be like a slow motion sequence.
His healing boosted, Rodin comes to and does something none have ever seen - he changes to a gas that engulfs the strange man, cracking some of his equipment and causing him pain. Sammy moves a long distance away, getting out of the cold, and hits the man with his acidic excretion. They see the man fiddling with his gadgets and suddenly he begins to take off. The room begins to warm up but just before it does the cloud form of Rodin had just frozen and changes back into his Laughton guise right next to The Captain, and changes The Captain into Rodin-type stone.
The strange man begins taking off, apparently somehow rearranging his gadgetry to allow him to fly. He can be seen moving up the elevator shaft and the heroes can hear him smashing literally through the metal of the elevator on his way out. The Captain is turned from Rodin-type stone into normal by Laughton as Laughton gets a shot in on the strange man, almost turning him to stone. Sammy gives chase, just missing the man as he leaps out after him. The Captain, having been out of it, is confused but on instructions, takes off after the man with both Laughton and the Troll hanging on. The Troll boosts The Captain's speed with one of his miracle drugs, hoping to enable him to catch up, and boosts Laughton's dexterity with another shot, hoping he can turn the man to stone.
It's tense as The Captain pushes himself hard, sweating and straining to catch up with the clearly faster villain. Then Rodin, concentrating, aims and unleashes his power on what is likely his last chance to nab the unknown assailant. The Justice Squad, exhausted and having been nearly defeated twice in a row, is relieved to see the clove-smoking man change to stone and plummet straight through a nearby building!
Realizing the strange man can now be dealt with safely later, they return to the casino. As The Captain flies them down back through the open holes in an elevator, they spot a small card left behind by the assailant saying simply, "Dr. Normal, Specializing in Killing Mutants."
Laughton, after pulling the Medusa-stoned Shooter's gun and accidentally (?) a couple of his fingers off with it, under cover of his electronic white noise, interrogates the sole Tocci mobster present who survived the Shooter's massacre. Despite the fact the man, Valentine Hart, does not trigger any of Laughton's lie-detecting keen senses, the paranoid conspiracy theorist is sure Hart is a Fisk mole. The frightened mobster, who claims he survived because he ducked while the others were exposed, fiercely defends his innocence. Laughton, coolly saying he doesn't care but he just wants him to know what he believes, gives him a message to carry to Fisk - "Come and get it, baby."
Shortly the police arrive en masse. The ever-obnoxious and ever-acidic Detective Berger is on the scene, challenging the mutant heroes and claiming they're in league with Tocci. He also finds out that some people saw Dr. Normal and he inquires after what happened. The heroes simply answer that he got away, though Laughton does make special note of the "vital" assistance of the cops who earlier spoke with them after the 7-11 incident, Bender and Schiotto. The Captain, most of this time, is distracted by the showgirls on his mighty arms! The heroes tease the annoying bigot. Whether intentional or not, Sammy joins in, indicating "I like burgers!" The Captain, displeased with Berger's accusations, chimes in, "Actually the detective here prefers donuts." The Troll retorts to Berger's belligerent inquisition, "How many people tried to kill you in the last month?", to which Laughton quickly adds, "Not enough!"
After leaving they quickly find and collect Dr. Normal, bringing him back to the Sihn's lab, where they secure him, change him back to normal while quite sedated, and severely beat him (ostensibly to assure he's out cold and no threat while finishing up the securing process). They also take several photos of Dr. Normal in various ridiculous poses. Meanwhile, Laughton takes a few moments to find he can indeed re-stone and de-stone the Shooter's gun and fingers, putting the fingers into a jar as a trophy - which he'll ever-more maintain is simply for safe-keeping. And then they, except for the Troll who doesn't need rest, quickly go off to their respective beds as they're completely exhausted. For Laughton it's a short trip - he crashes in the cot he keeps in his office. As the Troll's up as always, he waits for the city to wake up and contacts Terwilliger and gives him an update.
Over the weekend they don't debate too long about what to do - they decide to give the vicious mutant killer over to Magneto! They reason that he's not wanted by the regular police yet he's clearly an assassin. Laughton goes to Father Fitzgerald, the designated contact, and mentions he has a very special early Christmas present for Magneto. He also finds out that the priest is a bit unusual - he asks Laughton to confess and when Laughton politely declines, he suddenly feels overwhelmed. His conspiracy-fearing mind resists any meaningful confessions but he does admit to coveting Velda, being jealous of the Troll's intelligence, and other trivial day-to-day venial sins.
The following Monday the team receives $400,000 from Eduardo Tocci, in cold hard cash of course, intended to be split four ways. The Captain gives his to Goodwill, making for a great Christmas present.
In a couple days they also visit Medusa in jail, conscious that they still need to find the missing dancers who, given they were intact, might be salvageable. She's encased in a black box that allows only her silhouette to be visible. She's shaking and demonstrating signs of drug withdrawal. However, Medusa talks to the heroes readily, taking the opportunity to lament her fate. As they ask about the strippers, she waxes, "They are stone, safe, calm. O to be in that pure state. They are safe." Laughton uses his ability to relate to this to get her to tell them more. Eventually they find out where Shooter and Medusa apparently share an apartment and left the girls. She also asks Laughton for drugs, which a guard overhears and comes over angrily indicating it's not to be brought up again. Laughton and Sihn continue to speak with her. Sihn wonders how she could live as a baby in her state and she takes the opportunity to talk about her past. "I once looked as others do, though in school they were so cruel to me, calling me ugly, the children hurting me constantly for the slightest difference of my poor appearance. As time went on I meant to remedy this, and I saw Dr. Thirteen. O I did not know that I would envy my sorry state of that time, but now I do as he has cursed me with this appearance. O Lucifer I am scalded and chastened!" They ask how she got mixed up with Shooter, she responds, "We were two ships that passed in the night, blindly colliding. I was at a vampiric club, holding with those who would tolerate me. I was tasting blood there and someone offered me a job; foolishly I took it." Given this Laughton wonders if she knows Damien, the vampire using him to get to Buffy. It turns out they're good friends! She explains, "Many times I allowed him to taste of the blood of my neck, the sweet man. We were close, yes, and I went to his place many nights, sympathizing with him for the sorry sexual state that is a vampire's." Before she'll give his address she demands a "chemical" satisfaction and Laughton agrees he can get her drugs. Even as she gives his address she laments, "I'm doomed to suffer for the false promises of men." But Laughton indicates he swears to it. As he manipulates the ego-confused woman, she develops a feeling of kinship to him and says she would rather refer to each other by name, "revealing" that her name is Andrea d'Ennui. True to his word, Hamlet uses his police department contacts to get her on a methadone program despite her lack of actual heroin addiction and returns to visit her.
Given this information the Justice Squad is able to save the strippers. They also get the pieces of stone from the mob and find out that they can save the lives of those who had been turned to stone and broken apart, by basically reattaching the part and Rodin turning them to his type of stone and back to normal.
In the intervening days, Maddy Hayes contacts Hamlet Laughton and seems to be interested in selling the agency outright to him and Davis. Laughton considers the offer but isn't quite ready to bite.
Upon researching Dr. Normal, Sihn finds out that he's actually a Stark Industries scientist named Melvin Smith, a rather mediocre research engineer. He recalls having met him once briefly at a conference but otherwise never saw or thought of him again.
They also receive a visit from Magneto, who is delighted to find his Christmas present to be Dr. Normal. As Sammy questions him about what he intends to do he calmly assures the team that Dr. Normal will never bother anyone again. Sammy takes this at face value but Laughton just says it's best if no further questions are asked. The Captain has studiously avoided being around for Magneto's arrival but Magneto wants to see him and waits around until he returns. They go to The Captain's office, which Lefty and Sammy have left rather disheveled in The Captain's absence and still isn't quite in order (though they've left it bereft of any food crumbs). Magneto consults privately with The Captain, attempting to find chinks in his kinship with normal humans. He talks about how the mutants must protect the humans and asks him to consider how bad things would be without the mutants. The Captain is unfazed by Magneto generally, particularly since he's never really seen himself as a mutant to begin with. However, he is listening to Magneto's viewpoint (at least as Magneto's professed it), and expresses interest in visiting the new mutant city developing in the Arizona desert.
On his return visit, with just him alone visiting her, she thanks him and begins to fixate on the handsome detective. She asks him to return, for she is so lonely and he seems to understand her. So, as per her request, he returns a week later during the holidays. She's elated to see him but parts of her remain as dark and depressed as ever. She bemoans, "O you must come in just two days and visit. I'm so lonely. If you don't appear - I don't know what I'll do. I will do myself in, I will find a way." At other times, she goes on in a near-ecstatic state saying, "O imagine us both as pure, pure stone, forever lovers in a cast immobile pose! We could turn each other to stone forever - it would be such a pure love!" Laughton is unusually lost for words, and struggles back with, "Well, I could turn you to stone, then turn myself to stone, that way we could share it at will," thinking that so long as he could be the one to start the process he could stop after just getting her done! He hopes she'll be in jail for a long time and preferably someplace that allows him to get away without visiting.
Also in the days after the early AM battles with Medusa, Shooter, and Dr. Normal, Bob "Buick" Rogers discusses media relations with the team. He wants The Captain to be the "face man" of the group, Hamlet to play it cooler, and Sammy to be in essence the "poster child", playing up the 4 year old angle. He respectfully talks to his friend the Troll about using his "scariness" as his angle and staying out of the cameras. He's particularly interested in building up the group's reputation as the developing mutant city in the desert is walling itself and the government and media are spinning anti-mutant sentiment.
The team seems to be on top of the world as they keep busy around Christmas and New Year's - and Detroit seems quieter. But waiting in the wings dangerous forces have noticed the Justice Squad and prepare to strike...
[Game Mechanics - Points Awarded...
Winning against a marginally inferior opponent for following up on all the investigative threads and gathering a few extra pieces of information/contacts (Fan Boy, finding out Dr. Normal was ahead of them) - +1.875 RPs for The Captain, Rodin, Sammy, Troll, +.125 XPs for The Captain, Rodin, Sammy, Troll
Drawing against an inferior opponent for getting the 7-11 clerk to call the police while getting to the tapes - +0 RPs, +0 XPs
Winning against an inferior opponent for getting away from the police and toying with them - +.375 RPs for The Captain, Rodin, Sammy, Troll, +.025 XPs for The Captain, Rodin, Sammy, Troll
Winning against a marginally superior opponent for defeating Medusa and Shooter - +13.125 RPs for The Captain, Rodin, Sammy, Troll, +.875 XPs for The Captain, Rodin, Sammy, Troll
Thoroughly defeating a marginally superior opponent for capturing Dr. Normal - +26.25 RPs for The Captain, Rodin, Sammy, Troll, +1.75 XPs for The Captain, Rodin, Sammy, Troll
Getting $400,000/indebtedness from the Toccis - +22.5 RPs for The Captain, Rodin, Sammy, Troll, +.75 XPs for The Captain, Rodin, Sammy, Troll
6 hrs Session Play - +4.5 RPs for The Captain, Rodin, Sammy, Troll, +1.5 XPs for The Captain, Rodin, Sammy, Troll
Totals:
The Captain +68.625 RPs, +5.025 XPs
Rodin +68.625 RPs, +5.025 XPs
Sammy the Slime +68.625 RPs, +5.025 XPs
Troll +68.625 RPs, +5.025 XPs
Totals to Date:
The Captain 323.625 RPs, 28.2 XPs
Rodin 490.5 RPs, 39.825 XPs
Sammy the Slime 483 RPs, 38.6125 XPs
Spectrum 239.25 RPs, 17 XPs
Troll 496.5 RPs, 44.8 XPs]