X-Champions Issues
Issue #15 - The Bogeyman Returns
It's mid-morning at the Justice Squad headquarters and Gere-luce wants some donuts. There are no detectives around to run the errand and Velda's needed at reception, so Laughton agrees to run the mundane chore. As he steps out of the building, he feels a bit odd and notices a familiar face - Bud Girl's. She approaches him and asks him how he's doing and mentions she could really use some help in getting her shopping bags home. They're waiting in a nearby cab. Laughton agrees, suddenly believing strongly that he should help out the helpless beauty. On the cab ride she mentions she's been paroled as she's reformed now. She also mentions she's been approached by Bogeyman to join his gang and she knows they're coming for the Justice Squad to wreak vengeance. As Laughton helps her up with her bags she prattles on and hopes to see him again soon. She mentions how everyone's so nice since she's been out, that the cabbie gave her a ride for free. Of course as the cab driver takes Hamlet back to the neighborhood, to the bakery three blocks from the Blue Moon, he falls out from Bud Girl's spell and wants his money. Laughton begrudgingly pays out the money.
In the bakery he scans the crowd as is his wont. It's the regulars, office workers and addicted shoppers, almost all faces he knows. A tall blonde Scandinavian man is unfamiliar but hardly of any interest beyond that.
What he doesn't know is that the blonde man is another mutant, one who just recently has discovered or manifested his powers. Olaf Ericsson has strange and powerful new abilities, not something he's entirely comfortable with. He's taken the day off from work at the gym and is spending a little reflection time.
Laughton leaves the pondering Ericsson to deliver the donuts and as he gets near the Blue Moon sees a van swerve into the middle of the street, disrupting traffic and causing a minor accident as another van barely hits it. Out piles Bogeyman, Mocker, Bender, and a hammer-headed villain known appropriately as Hammerhead. Bogeyman grabs a bystander attempting to cross the street and holds him hostage, jumping to the top of the van. He demands that the Justice Squad show themselves before he counts to 30, or he starts killing people. Others, those who haven't had the presence of mind to run first, are told not to move and dozens of innocents remain in the area. Bender steps forward and grabs a car and throws it through the glass (but reinforced) front wall of the Blue Moon. Inside Velda hits the floor.
The Justice Squad bursts into action. The Troll and Sammy rush to the foyer and peek out, readying themselves, while Spectrum and Gere-luce take the elevator to the roof. Gere-luce has been working on a heating unit and knows it can be used as a handy weapon. The Troll has grabbed his drugs and shoots himself with a drug that boosts his mental defenses, hoping to keep the Bogeyman/Mocker combo at bay.
Since the bakery's only three blocks away, Ericsson sees cars speeding away, people still running, and decides to go see what's going on. He figures it's better to be safe than sorry and goes into the rest room and shrinks down to ten inches tall, then flies to the scene of the crime. He arrives to see, as does Hamlet, a strange pumpkin-shaped and colored, though translucent, force wall circle a whole area around Bogeyman and his men.
As Bogeyman counts to 26 everyone begins springing into action. Spectrum and Gere-luce come out of the elevator and are surprised to see the strange villain Paper (whose other forms are Rock and Scissors). Spectrum readies her force field and Gere-luce readies his weapon but she and he are nabbed as the massive sheet of paper encompasses them and holds them tight. Down below Hamlet, who's been on the cell phone with the Troll, changes into a strange rubber-like ball that the Troll then grabs and uses to ram through the pumpkin wall and then into Hammerhead. Despite a fairly heavy blow Hammerhead is barely fazed. Sprite, as Olaf thinks of himself when shrunken, creates a blast of light energy that punches a small hole through the wall as well, but the distracted villains hardly note or can see the tiny new foe. Sammy follows through the large hole Troll/Rodin punched and strikes Mocker from a distance with his spray of acid, causing pain to the annoying loudmouth just as he hollers at Troll, "Oooh, need a special weapon, huh, not man enough to take us on with your fists huh?" and thereby causing the Troll to feel his very willpower slip away. Bogeyman attempts to strike the Troll with a mental attack yet somehow misses, his powers gone awry somehow. The heroes are surprised to see eight more villains, all identical, popping up out of thin air next to the Bogeyman's van. Hammerhead makes a strike at Troll but misses.
Sammy then grabs the rubber Rodin from Troll and uses it to strike Mocker, stunning him, just as he executes his last mocking drain of Troll's willpower, fortunately still allowing Troll enough free will to fight with vigor. Sprite hits Bogeyman hard with his energy ray, stunning him also. Two floors above on the roof, unknown to all, Paper changes into Scissors and executes a deadly cutting strike on her two foes. Gere-luce, fortunately armored, drops out cold while Spectrum is stunned.
Bogeyman starts to shake himself off as the Troll strikes him and then he's out cold. Spectrum starts to come to, holding on against Scissors as Scissors changes to Rock and smacks Spectrum. The eight new villains are all duplicates of a villain called Mover Shaker; a couple of the Mover Shakers exert their powers and grab the Troll, holding rigid somehow between dimensions, and then two more grab him and teleport him over 150 feet into the air and drop him, Bogeyman's pumpkin force wall now faded as Bogeyman has dropped. As he falls, the Troll notices Spectrum on the ropes against the Rock. A few Mover Shakers try to hit Sammy but all miss while another misses against the tiny Sprite.
Observing the groggy but conscious Mocker, Sammy beats him down for the count with the rubber Rodin. Hammerhead takes a strike at Sammy, missing.
The Troll struggles to free himself but cannot and hits the ground, feeling pain and flesh flying, while Bender grabs a truck and tosses it at Sammy. Sammy throws Rodin in front of him and the big ball causes the truck to bounce up and over several yards, striking one of the Mover Shakers. Sprite blasts his ray, spreading it out, and knocks one Mover Shaker out while stunning another. Rock hits Spectrum yet again, but Spectrum stubbornly holds on. Most of the remaining Mover Shakers grab and toss Troll once again, while a couple fail to grab Sprite.
Sprite continues to make quick work of the Mover Shakers and Sammy leaps up, the strange Rodin form clinging onto him, and saves the Troll from another plummet to Earth. However, Sammy's move doesn't work out quite as planned. As he gingerly sets down with Troll perfectly intact, Bender reaches out and large claw-like appendages grab all three of them and start to bend. Rodin is unaffected but Troll is stunned and dazed while Sammy barely holds on.
Sprite strikes Bender and a nearby Mover Shaker, knocking one of the last three Mover Shakers out while causing Bender to start sputtering - the two remaining Mover Shakers start to flee and the Troll is freed from their grasp. Hammerhead leaps to the top of the van and grabs the shaken former hostage, visibly mentally breaking down, and threatens his life unless the "woman" (Spectrum) shows up. The heroes can hear Hammerhead's speech visibly slurring - it seems he's drunk. Rock replies back, hollering down from the ceiling that he's got her up there. Then he strikes Spectrum yet again. Spectrum meanwhile struggles to remain conscious against Rock's continued onslaught.
Sammy strikes Bender, and then the Troll, now freed from the Mover Shakers, takes the opportunity to dose himself with a healing drug.
Sprite concentrates on Hammerhead and hits the strange mutant hard, then Sammy, the Troll, and once again Sprite strike Hammerhead, knocking him out finally as he misses once again in his last attempted strike. The two Mover Shakers disappear down the street. Spectrum is barely standing as the Rock strikes yet again; she groggily overhears the Rock talking to himself, apparently arguing with Paper and Scissors because he's stayed in this form for so long! The Troll alerts everyone to having seen Spectrum struggling on the roof. Rodin changes and begins a leap to the roof and changes into a form as yet not used in combat. His new form is an amorphous blob of mercurial metal, that is very bouncy, and reflective to energy; when hit by something it explodes with that kind of radiation. It's a dangerous and unstable form but quite effective so long as it doesn't bounce into his teammates. But with Spectrum known to be on the roof against this strange other villain, Rodin decides there's little room for increased damage. So he sets himself in motion towards Rock and changes into the mercurial ball of metal energy. And misses completely [rolled an 18]! He bounds over the roof and bounces out of a nearby alley and over a couple blocks, breaking brick and concrete as he does...
Sammy leaps to the roof as well but doesn't seem quite where Rock is until he's there and lands nearby. Sprite heads off to find the Mover Shakers but they seem to have disappeared.
The Troll follows Sammy and lands right next to Spectrum and the Rock as he remembers from being tossed into the air where they've been seen. He pumps Spectrum with a drug to revitalize her but just then Rock changes to Scissors and snaps an incredibly long pair of blades across Spectrum and the Troll. Spectrum passes out from the force of the blow, though she's tough enough with her force field not to get cut, while the Troll is actually cut in half for a brief half a second and then his parts land back together and fuse! He's still raring to go, not too much worse for wear.
Sammy turns to Scissors and changes his arm into the form of a big rock and lands a blow onto Scissors - and as we all know "rock beats scissors". Scissors cracks and falls to the ground, being particularly vulnerable to this attack.
Meanwhile, Rodin, having smashed into and bounced out of a hardware store, bounces into and around a soft bed and futon store. He changes to Hamlet after a slow bouncing up and down on a mattress. Quickly he's surrounded by the curious and then approached by an irate hardware merchant. Apparently a lot of damage was caused in the hardware store just across the street. Laughton, attempting to get going, responds, "I'm in a battle and have to go!" He offers up for him to simply bill the Blue Moon but the man is outraged and wants him arrested. However, a few others do respect the Justice Squad and know Laughton has a role in it; they argue with the man and the ensuing debate allows Laughton to slip away.
Back at the scene the Justice Squad busily secures the villains, Troll gathering samples. Sprite assists as well, getting to meet them all. Laughton shows back up about the same time as the police. He hands the tiny Sprite his card, which the little hero can hardly hold the width of. Sprite mentions he's looking for the well-known Dr. Sihn, someone he's heard as helped mutants. Laughton responds he should make an appointment with Velda inside. Just then the ever-irascible Detective Berger begins grilling the team. Sprite rests on Troll's shoulder, staying back a bit once he catches a whiff of the Troll's breath, and attracts Berger's attention. Berger calls in on the mutant's identity to find he's properly registered himself recently, and warns him to stay away from the "bad influence" of the Justice Squad.
Sprite isn't sure what to make of the team - Laughton jokes about having duct tape that just fits him and the Troll asks if he wants to donate a teaspoon of blood for any needed transfusions - though as Sprite points out to him a teaspoon's about all he's got! But he has heard some good things about the Justice Squad and they appeared to fight and capture some pretty bad guys. Besides, more importantly, he'd like the help of someone he can trust in finding out about his condition and what's happened to him. He flies into the Blue Moon (with its new wide opening thanks to Bender) and approaches the stunningly beautiful Velda and says, "Hey, honey, how about 10" of diminutive lovin'!" She is a bit put off and tells him she has a boyfriend. Undaunted, Sprite hopes for the best later and gets on with business, asking her to arrange an appointment with Sihn, which she dutifully does.
Outside the Troll is startled as federal agents, now on the scene, approach him and, after nervously verifying his identity, surround him and, still nervously, command him to come with them. Apparently all members and graduates of the New School are being arrested and Professor Xavier is accused of some sort of conspiracy. Laughton protests he'd certainly know if this were the case and the Troll simply refuses to believe such a thing. Still, as he's told Aela has also been imprisoned he relents and does not resist arrest. Spectrum eagerly leaves the developing crowd and federal agents to change back into her Palmer self and rushes to begin making calls to get the Troll out of this. Laughton calls on his cell and attempts to get some deep government contacts to let Troll out, but is told that this is from the top, or at least near enough the top. So his hands are tied for the moment but he's told they'll work on it.
But before this situation is apparent Sprite has already left, flying off into the sky. After a few blocks he spots a strange black-clad hooded character following him. He starts to speed up and finally the figure speaks, asking him politely to slow down, that he simply wants to discuss something in a nearby alley. Sprite doesn't like the sound of that and insists on a roof-top. The figure agrees and says in that case they have to keep it short. It turns out the follower is Magneto. Magneto introduces himself and begins to smoothly work his charm on Sprite. When it comes up Sprite has recently started to manifest, rather than having been a mutant since birth, Magneto, after a revealing double-take, makes a strained point of stating that he holds no grudge unlike others against those who mutate later in life. Sprite isn't sure what to make of this man; he's soft-spoken but charismatic, a contrast to the media image of him as a wild terrorist. And he hears from Magneto that the Justice Squad is a good group of people. While he's not sure Magneto's praise is a good thing, he does realize that every mutant sort of person he's come across has had something good to say about the new Detroit super-team.
Meanwhile the Troll is brought to a federal temporary holding facility in Detroit for mutants such as he. He's grilled for some time. Then the agents leave the room and the lights go out. A creature enters the room and attacks him, hurting him badly, then it rushes off. He hears hollering and screaming and agents rush back into the room. They calmly (too calmly) apologize and indicate how unsafe things are in the facility as they're having power problems. They also tell him if he just tells them what he knows he can walk out the door and be safe. The Troll remains silent, waiting for legal counsel. He's escorted to his room and after healing up is brought back to the interrogation room. The power again "goes out" and the monster reappears with the agents gone. This time the attack is more brutal as the Troll's arms and legs are ripped off. The agents reappear and shoot the monster with some sort of anesthetic and it drops. The Troll is embittered and enraged but holds his rage in check, asking for his extremities to be put next to him. They escort him and his parts to a medic who agrees with the Troll that the best thing is to just let him heal.
Back at the Blue Moon Magneto attempts to see the Justice Squad but finds them all out in the wake of the Troll's arrest.
Finally Palmer and Laughton are allowed to see the Troll. The Troll explains what's happened to him and Palmer attempts to get something out of the feds, who maintain everything is classified. Suddenly their tune is changed in one respect - the Troll is unconditionally released and cleared. Palmer mentally takes her first steps in a suit against the agents. Upon his release Sihn is relieved to find out that although Aela was arrested and released just as suddenly as he, she was not brutalized or harmed in any way.
Upon leaving prison, Sihn tries to reach Professor Xavier and any of the other old friends. None can be found. All that's known is that they were arrested and disappeared. He begins digging, hoping to get a lead.
A few days later, on the 12th of March, Magneto appears at the Blue Moon and tells Velda to summon the group. She anxiously calls Laughton who finds everyone and they make their way to the conference room. And just as they gather there, Sprite shows up for his appointment with Dr. Sihn. Velda, a bit confused by all this, simply assumes it's linked and tells him "they're all waiting in the conference room". Sprite finds "they're all" a bit odd but flies on into the room which is open a crack. Laughton immediately spots the figure and asks why he's there, of course, to which Sprite boldly replies, "I have an appointment with Dr. Sihn here!" Magneto waves off any confusion and says he's unconcerned and has nothing to hide from this group, including Sprite.
Magneto goes on to say that he hopes he's not found to be rude, but he's returning something they gave him - Dr. Normal. Normal will arrive in a package. He tells them they may return to sender, but that he hopes they'll keep him. Due to recent events Magneto needs to pare down his possessions and move lightly. He tells the Justice Squad that Dr. Normal has been quite brain-washed and is now a very good servant. The former mad scientist physically has his memories but due to the brainwashing doesn't recall his past. The Squad agrees to keep him as a favor.
They ask Magneto about events in Origin. Magneto is a bit down as he relates the story, essentially confirming the big points of the media coverage but of course with an anti-government spin. He mentions his surprise at the betrayal by many mutants, not just The Captain. Someone mentions that The Captain is no longer associated in any way with them and all affirm the point vehemently. Magneto responds he's glad - that otherwise his other course of action for the day would be to "destroy you all." He smiles only the slightest bit and the room falls silent as all wonder if he was kidding. Laughton picks up the conversation by asking Magneto about his fight with The Captain, how it actually went. Magneto is short on details and defensively indicates that he did not lose, that he instead disengaged to help his cohorts who had fallen and needed help getting out. Laughton smiles and says in his peculiarly smart-ass way, "Oh, sure, I see, of course." Magneto loses his characteristic cool a bit as he insists, "Yes, yes that IS how it happened." Laughton responds, "Yes, I know" in an unconvincing manner, causing Magneto to insist one more time before regaining his composure.
After Magneto leaves, Sprite wonders aloud about his connection with the Justice Squad. They explain it's simply through Magneto's proselytizing and no deeper. Laughton then exclaims to the group that he's sick of Magneto coming in and snapping his fingers to summon everyone, and the group resolves that next time Laughton should simply tell Magneto he'll need to make an appointment.
Sihn begins studying Sprite and they discuss Sprite's past. Eliot calls in Suzanne to use her mind-reading powers, explaining the process to Sprite. Suzanne also speaks with Sprite about how this would work. Sprite is hesitant but puts himself in their place and consents - the lawyer is famous for her work with mutants and considered very honorable. So he believes her promise not to reveal from his mind anything outside what's directly relevant. Laughton's keen powers of observation also note that Sprite isn't lying. The group relaxes a little and Sihn goes about his business. He's particularly intrigued in Sprite because Sprite is at that point, not uncommon for his age group (early 20s), where mutants/mutates first begin to manifest powers. In particular this is a period of flux where powers and abilities appear to rapidly grow until they reach a plateau, after which point they only develop to the extent that they're used and to the extent that they have potential. Sihn is also interested to find that Sprite apparently has a dangerous instability - he can literally explode when hurt. In a kitchen accident, Sprite reveals, he cut himself and next thing he knew woke up and found somehow he'd exploded and the kitchen was damaged.
In the days following, Palmer, fresh from negotiating a good settlement in the case of the porn actress, follows up on some more points with Magneto, seeking him out. She hopes to find some evidence to support the developing class action suit by survivors and relatives against the government. He has little solid except for a couple communications just prior to the strike from the government indicating that they were nearing a positive break-through. At least Magneto's account adds to Palmer's knowledge as she reconstructs the events. Considering constitutional history, she's thinking there's some good room here for the victims to have their grievances redressed.
Laughton is contacted by Mayor Berry. They meet in a secluded part of a park, where Rodin sits in stony silence and Berry holds a Laughton-provided anti-electronics/anti-listening device. Berry relates that it's important for Laughton to stay completely away from city hall for a while - lest information get back to certain interested parties who now have cut a deal with the mayor. It's apparent as the conversation goes that he's referring to Kingpin. Berry spends considerable time defending his position and decision, pointing out that Detroit has a good record of mutant relations and he's managed the city well. He seems positive all will work out in due time. Laughton at least appreciates the warning of the Kingpin's tentacles reaching city government now.
Sihn finally confronts his mother about her gambling problem. She's resentful of course at first, and redirects the blame on him, calling him a bad son for accusing her of such a thing. But eventually she breaks down and begins crying; she appreciates his heart-felt concern. She even finally says, "I love you" to Eliot. He returns the sentiment, mentally marveling - this is the first time she's ever said that to him. He also receives news, directly, outside of Palmer his legal counsel, that the government is willing to give him some sort of special relationship, a sort of deep level of trust/contact, in return for dropping any abuse charges. Eliot's happy - things are looking up. Both his mother and the federal government doesn't look so bad anymore.
A couple days later he receives a call very early at home, at 5 AM. Caller ID shows it's from his mother's house. A male voice says, "You better get over here," and hangs up. He rushes over. The door is open and his heart chills as he runs up the stairs to her bedroom. He finds her brutally slain. A nearby note says, "Stop now", and on the other side, "Of course you won't. Next is your wife. PS - how's the pregnancy coming?" For the first time since early childhood, Sihn collapses in tears. Then uncontrollably his body changes into the Troll as he screams in agony...
[Game Mechanics - Points Awarded...
Thoroughly defeating a marginally superior opponent for the big battle with Bogeyman (I know, someone mentioned that it wouldn't count because Mover Shaker got away, but no innocents were killed and he's the least of the worries of the bunch, so there you go) - +26.25 RPs for Rodin, Sammy, Troll, +1.75 XPs for Rodin, Sammy, Spectrum, Troll; +35 RPs for Spectrum, Sprite, +3.5 XPs for Spectrum, Sprite
4 hrs Session Play - +3 RPs for Rodin, Sammy, Troll, +1 XP for Rodin, Sammy, Troll; +4 RPs for Spectrum, Sprite, +2 XPs for Spectrum, Sprite
Totals:
Rodin +29.25 RPs, +2.75 XPs
Sammy the Slime +29.25 RPs, +2.75 XPs
Spectrum +39 RPs, +5.5 XPs
Sprite +39 RPs, +5.5 XPs
Troll +29.25 RPs, +2.75 XPs
Totals to Date:
Rodin 664.375 RPs, 59.75 XPs
Sammy the Slime 634.375 RPs, 58.0375 XPs
Spectrum 400.375 RPs, 40.175 XPs
Sprite 39 RPs, 5.5 XPs
Troll 647.875 RPs, 65.725 XPs]