X-Champions Issues

Issue #29 - Mission Mongolia

Laughton, following up on the story of the Mongolian flower granting great mental protection, enlists the aid of Suzanne Palmer, getting some quiet time with her alone.  He explains to her he doesn't trust the power of the Necronomicon in Sihn's hands, and speculates it may as easily be some sort of alien instrument of power as opposed to an ancient artifact.  Suzanne isn't so sure, believing it is what it purports to be, but grants it could be any number of things.  As the two talk, the subject turns to Suzanne's personality shifts as Laughton makes a passing comment intended to draw out discussion.  She explains the whole situation, including that as of just recently she's down to just one extra personality, her normal "other".

A short time later Suzanne hooks back up with Laughton, as he's making preparations for the trip.  She's asked Willow to join along.  Laughton is still skeptical of Willow but says little, expecting Suzanne knows best on occult matters.  

Suzanne then brings up putting Jonas' brain back into his body.  Laughton is resistant, saying in part, "But he hasn't tapped his full potential yet!"  He tries to push it off, favoring making a decision after they return from Mongolia.  Suzanne presses on, saying "it's cruel to the dog's brain, being in Jonas' body."  She also points out that if Sihn goes crazy from the Necronomicon, they might not get a chance to get Jonas back into his own body.  Laughton, perhaps the world's most brilliant being, replies, "I can take a whack at it if necessary," and Suzanne cringes at his use of "whack" in relation to brain surgery.  The matter dies for the moment, but it is clear that Suzanne intends to see it through no matter what.  She's already made legal provisions to get the Jonas Hell body moved to a better institution.

Mongolia is hard to get into as currently the government monitors and restricts travel.  Laughton calls his WEB contact Frank Beard and hopes to get some government assistance in moving into Mongolia.  However, recent events in Oklahoma have the government unwilling to do anything above board for anyone in the Justice Squad.  Beard explains personally he feels fine with how things went, as do some others, but overall there's a feeling the Justice Squad is a loose cannon group that needs to be distanced if not punished.  Laughton tries to spin that "sending" him to Mongolia would be like punishment and Beard isn't buying it.  He does offer up a covert spy operation, posing as a cashmere purchasing effort, that Laughton could crash into via Beijing if he can get himself there.  But it would "cost" Laughton a favor.

Laughton mulls it over.  He knows Spectrum can fly them into Mongolia but they may be spotted.  As he and she discuss, he resolves to find out which Americans have visas and are headed into Mongolia soon.  They need to get there before the winter sets in and kills the delicate flower - in fact it's already getting cold enough that the flower is threatened.  As it turns out [dumb luck on a roll], there are two women and one man traveling together from Atlanta's GIT, Dr. Bob Andrews, Dr. Emily Wong, and Susan Perot as part of a dinosaur expedition.  Laughton uses his connections and skills to make a few calls, getting their visas pushed up so that "they" can travel sooner.  Then, rather than simply forging their visas and moving on as them, he crafts a consolation prize of sorts.  He spends a few days intensely studying information on South Dakota's dinosaur treasure troves and makes some educated deductions.  Then he creates a geology report showing a concentration of bones in that area, as if it were created by an oil company.  With a bit of guile he sends the information through a graduate student's account at a South Dakota university onto Andrews at GIT, making it look like a leak and implying that Andrews will get the jump on one of his academic rivals if he makes it out there quickly.  So Andrews and company part soon on a hasty visit to South Dakota, hoping to do get something started before switching gears to Mongolia.  They do make some findings over the next month, although nothing as dramatic as Laughton purported.  And Andrews does attempt to make the Mongolian flight later, to find out his visa records are all messed up, fueling an investigation later in the year by the authorities...

In the meantime, Laughton's rearrangement of the Mongolian trip to happen much more quickly has provoked correspondence he's had to intercept with local authorities making their own preparations.  They are unsure the guides will be ready but Laughton/Andrews simply replies "We've got really detailed maps this time" and not to worry.  He studies up quickly on Mongolian, learning to say basic phrases.

Willow prepares herself, cramming all she can on Mongolian arcane lore.  It's all rumors, nothing solid, but Willow dutifully takes it all in and gets together a briefcase-full of books for the trip.  She has to miss a little school to go, and Suzanne advises she find a way to make a paper out of it to offset any issues.  

Just before leaving, Laughton gets a contact name from Beard just in case things go wrong, then they're off.  After an uneventful flight, they land in Ulaanbaatar and are greeted by Mongolia's major native metahuman, a state-sanctioned warrior-behemoth known popularly as Khan Warrior.  Apparently the state hero is greeting all at the airport as a symbol of security.  Laughton (as Dr. Bob Andrews) asks Khan for an autograph, and they speak briefly.  Willow locks eyes with a dour-looking Chinese woman watching from the distance and becomes afraid, feeling great supernatural power.  She bumps Suzanne and wants to go.  They make a hasty exit, and Khan Warrior wishes them good luck.  Laughton hands the hero a Camel.

As they get outside, Suzanne asks Willow what was going on.  Willow can only explain a "really weird vibe, an overwhelming sense of power" and explains her hair really was about to stand on end she thought.  The cab, an old Russian military jeep, is apparently ready for them, with a sign "Andrews".  The cabbie wonders where their gear is, noting how little they brought (most of it books and Willow's print-outs).  Laughton explains it away, and they hastily get into the jeep, which at least is covered and stands up against the cutting cold wind signaling the transition from summer to fall.

As the cab takes them to their hotel, Laughton catches sight of a figure, possibly the same as the woman from the airport, leaping, almost flying, from one rooftop to another as if following them.  He asks the driver to stop someplace that has magazines and the like.  The driver is confused and soon thinks Laughton wants Western-style "dirty" magazines because of the roundabout and sudden way it is explained, and starts to explain, "I know somebody, another part of town."  Laughton becomes confused and then realizes the issue.  Quickly he explains he wants to buy Mongolian trinkets and some regular grocery store food.  The driver stops at a nearby grocery store.  Laughton hops out of the car into a crowd, asking the driver to drive around the block while he shops.  Suzanne establishes a mind-link with Laughton and Willow and the driver is off.  Suzanne speaks audibly with Willow about dinosaurs, hoping to keep the cabbie convinced of their cover.  Laughton looks all around but cannot see the woman anymore.  He does shop a little, buying some curdled milks and cheeses for Sammy.

They get to the hotel, a little paranoid.  Laughton asks Suzanne if they should be "cautious or really cautious."  She responds that they do not need six rooms, and perhaps they should just share one of their rooms for safety.  Laughton makes those (and more) arrangements.  They check the books with the concierge and leave nothing of importance in the room.

Before the cab driver leaves he makes arrangements to pick them up the next day for their trip.  He mentions his cousin has the plane arrangements handled "as planned" to the Gobi.  

The three make their way to check out some local cuisine.  Laughton doesn't intend to actually eat anything, having brought his own food (baloney) and water from the base for safety.   They come across the city's only McDonald's and stop in just to see it.  There's mutton burgers, yoghurt, the quarter pounder is instead a royale, vodka, and a vodka milk shake.  Suzanne just has to find out what a McDonald's vodka in Mongolia would be like so orders one.  Meanwhile, in mock defiance, Laughton takes out his baloney sandwich and eats.  Suzanne takes one sip and declares "oh my God!".  Onlookers laugh - apparently the vodka is only really drunk by kids and is horrid.  Laughton keenly notes that Suzanne is not carrying her flask and has had no other drinks recently.

They go back to the hotel, which has a highly rated restaurant of its own.  On their way Laughton sees they're being followed, but the figure doing so disappears, probably going invisible.  At the restaurant they take a table near the back exit.  They note sitting next to them is a muscular but not unattractive Russian woman.  She's got a bottle of good Russian vodka which she drinks fairly rapidly, showing no signs of drunkenness though.

The trio orders dinner.  As Suzanne orders some whiskey Laughton offers up some vodka milk shake he bought at McDonald's when no one was looking.  They order family style, and Laughton surreptitiously eats his baloney and water.  As they talk, Willow noting Laughton's habits and finding out his drink at O'Malley's is still the same one he ordered over a year prior, a bottle of vodka shows up compliments of the next table.  The woman takes the opportunity of recognition to join them, sitting casually with them and asking them how they got to "this hellhole".  In moments they realize she's famed Russian super, fallen from favor with the decline of Communism, Red Amazon.  She lets on that she knows that "Dr. Bob Andrews" is Laughton, who is Rodin, and that "Dr. Emily Wong" is Spectrum.  It turns out she's spent considerable time in exile carefully studying other supers.  So she quickly discounts their dinosaur story even though Laughton jokingly cites the Land of Lost DVD coming out.  

As they talk, Red Amazon pays special attention to Willow, the "little ninotchka", playing with her hair and listening attentively when Willow speaks.  But she also reveals that China Left is probably the Chinese woman they saw at the airport and lets on that a Russian super named Kamtcha, a Siberian shaman and "liar", is also in town.  Ulaanbaatar has become a hotbed of activity between Russia and China as Domovitch has plans to sway Mongolia to come back to Russia's side.  Red Amazon was never impressed with Mongolia, referring to it and characteristics of it routinely as "shit", but is now even less interested as it is overrun with other supers and she's considering leaving.  Chatting further, Red Amazon presses them (but apparently specifically Willow) to join her at a club, a sort of local rave.  Suzanne explains they have to wake up early and Red Amazon exclaims, "Ah, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, eh?" showing her grasp of English.  Suzanne explains, "No tail, that's just the American media," potentially confusing Red but she gets it and laughs.  Enjoying her conversation with peers, she offers, "Perhaps one day we will be fortunate enough to meet on the field of battle!"  She's one of the world's mightiest supers with immeasurable strength, dwarfing even that of the Troll's.  Laughton responds "Yes that would be fortunate..." and under his breath, "...or not."

Willow suddenly goes white; the Chinese lady is nearby and her presence is overpowering Willow.  From the mental link Suzanne knows what it is and they decide to take Red Amazon up on her offer, just to move on.  Red Amazon orders a bottle "to go"  and insists on changing first.  Willow has no dancing clothes and Suzanne and she spend some time fashioning something from their wardrobes and the hotel curtains.  Laughton leaves some false clues around the room, including a cryptograph about searching for a secret cache of super-rich petroleum deposits in a different area than where they are really going.  He then drops it into the septic tank, getting a sadistic pleasure out of where Kamtcha or China Left will have to find it.  Before leaving Laughton ensures he puts on a deeper disguise.  He helps Suzanne look like an Eastern European woman, Eurotrash-looking, giving Willow a similar makeover as well.

They meet in the lobby, Red Amazon looking at the newly-disguised Willow and remarking, "Well I see my little one still has her red hair at least!"  They quickly make their way to the club, Suzanne and Willow dancing as Red Amazon and Laughton sit in a table in the corner.  Laughton does not sit for long as he makes his way to skulk about looking for China Left.  Whenever Willow is back at the table Red Amazon plies her with drinks and gets her to talk.  Loquacious with drink, Willow brags a bit about her magic skills, while Red Amazon becomes more open with her already-obvious interest.  Suzanne moves in between the two, fearing Red Amazon will take advantage, and Red Amazon hisses in her ear, "What, you jealous?"

Meanwhile Laughton does find China Left and follows her, evading notice.  Despite her nearing the others, Willow's supernatural sense does not go off this time, likely due to the alcohol.  Laughton, via mind-link with Suzanne, warns them of China Left's approach.    China Left after a bit notes Laughton, who notes her appearance and says, "Pretty thick coat inside club."  No doubt she is armed with her nunchukas and other weapons.  Alerted Red Amazon stands and shouts over the music, "Do not fuck with my friends, I turn you to shit!"

Hoping to defuse the situation, Spectrum reaches out to China Left and gingerly asks mentally to speak with her.  China Left consents.  Spectrum notes no special mental adeptness but considerable resistance should she attempt pressing beyond a conversational mode.  The mentalist hero explains they are just looking for dinosaurs and have little interest in Mongolia.  China Left immediately asks in good but broken English, "What books for?  Books at hotel."  She has apparently searched their luggage in care of the concierge.  Spectrum mentions they are searching for the flower, but only as an addition to their dinosaur hunt.  This seems to ease China Left, but she is wary of their Russian companion.  Suzanne motions towards Willow by way of explanation and adds, "She invited herself along."  China Left responds, "She that way, she have problem, she sick in head."

China Left is insistent as to their identities.  Spectrum admits her identity, and simply passes Willow off as a "ward", not wanting her too involved.  China Left is disdainful, saying "This is how you treat orphans, make mutant orphans do things, like Professor X and institution."  She has a lot of misgivings and misunderstandings of American society and culture.  Laughton introduces himself as Dr. Sihn.  China Left immediately looks interested and says, "I am sorry about your mother."  Laughton/Sihn replies, "Her death was avenged."  China Left says, "I hope it was fair fight" with concern.  "Dr. Sihn" shrugs, "Kinda."

China Left then surprises them by saying, "Your family worry about you.  I friend of family.  We not think we see you.  You should visit family.  I know you mutant.  We treat mutant good in China.  You come and see family, your uncle want you back.  Come back and live where you should live."

Laughton responds that he is doing well with his own sort of family.  China Left is unimpressed, and starts criticizing Sihn-tek which she apparently has heard of.  She complains that capitalism firms "take money from other" and leave little money for the masses.  She insists that he simply visit an embassy and explain who he is and that he wishes to see China Left.  To placate her Laughton gives her a fake e-mail address.  China Left, satisfied for the moment, leaves the club, a place she's clearly uncomfortable in.

Willow slumps, passing out from too many drinks.  Red Amazon holds her up but Suzanne quickly and forcefully grabs Willow away.  The Russian super decides to stay at the club as the others take their leave.  Laughton hands her a card with a 976 number and a .tv address.  She says they should call her "Elena", her real name, although she's also apparently finally showing some sign of intoxication.  Nevertheless, as they leave, Laughton says, "See you Red."  Elena wishes well to the barely-conscious Willow, saying to Suzanne, "She gonna be powerful one day.  I visit you in Detroit and see you, Justice Squad, and her one day."

They get back just after midnight; Willow pours into bed with Suzanne's help and Laughton turns to stone for the evening.  At 4:45 AM the unwelcome wake-up call comes as room service delivers the coffee per Laughton's arrangement.  Nauseated and in pain, Willow asks Suzanne, "Was that me or was Red Amazon totally, uh, flirting with me?"  Suzanne assures her it was not just her perception.  Willow pauses to consider, she's not usually the attention of lusty forwardness, male or female.  She speaks with Suzanne a bit, mentioning though not in so many words she feels often like she's in Buffy's shadow.  Suzanne explains that in fact in the looks department she can "kick Buffy's ass" to Willow's amusement.  She pledges to help her get a makeover, though Willow says she's "not much" on makeover "stuff".  Laughton adds to the conversation that with his makeup skills he could help, that he could even make her look Elvis-y.  With that Willow says, "I've got too much of a headache for this conversation" and Suzanne intones "Wouldn't matter how much you had to drink when it starts going this way."

The expedition crew shows up and they make their way to the airport.  The taxi driver's cousin has arranged their passage on one of the bi-weekly flights to the Gobi National Park, from where they can strike out on their own.  A burly Russian tourist (among the few other Russian and some Chinese tourists) is obviously Kamtchak and Laughton speaks with Suzanne mentally as to whether he should say "hello".  Suzanne remembers to ask him about the clues he left.  Laughton is sure from the arrangement of items and China Left's discussion (and what she didn't know) that Kamtchak is the one who found the toilet clue and is following it.

As the propeller plane reaches its cruising altitude, Suzanne asks if there's drink service.  Willow groans.

Upon landing Kamtchak takes off quickly into the direction Laughton intended.  Suzanne and Willow visit the gift shop to get postcards.  The excavation crew patiently waits.  Shortly they all head out and only a few hours later are where they need to be, setting up a yert at base camp.  Laughton offers up a baloney sandwich to the crew but they are disgusted.

The trio from America take their leave, saying they want to just take a walk and get the lay of the land before the real work begins.  Out of eyesight Spectrum flies up and reconnoiters the area.  The only flowers they can find look frostbitten, and there's no signs of an "underground oasis" that Chiang mentioned in his instructions.  Laughton asks somewhat rhetorically, "How do we find an underground oasis?"  Spectrum replies, "Dig."  Laughton turns and says, "You're the digger.  That's why I brought you."  Suddenly he gets a terrible migraine.

They start looking for suspicious rocky outcroppings.  Spectrum does use her mighty telekinetic powers to lift large rocks here and there, and eventually they do find one that has a sizable hole - from which a warm wind blows!  They cautiously enter.  They near a phosphorescent area deep underground with what looks, from a distance, like an oasis.  They get nearer and see an old man in robes, standing among a wondrous garden of flowers by an underground pond, all tropical in temperature.  Willow feels a mental "pinch" but that is all as Spectrum feels nothing.  For a moment Laughton turns rock.  Spectrum tries to reach out telepathically but nothing happens.  She tries to convey their peaceful intention.

Then Willow speaks out, "Haf neglo aera!"  There is a little sparkling now in front of the man, a sort of welcome light.  The man speaks out in Mongolian and welcomes them.  It takes a bit for he and Laughton to communicate, but eventually Laughton understands that Willow has made the Mongolian sign of the vampire slayer, invoking her relationship with Buffy.  The man apparently understands this and welcomes them.  Between Spectrum's mental images and Laughton's basic Mongolian, they explain that they may have need to fight powerful sources of ill will.  As they talk it turns out the old man last went to the surface in 1993 and is old enough to have known Roy Chapman Andrews, the real-life basis of Indian Jones, who is something of a hero in Mongolia.  The old man is glad to give up one of the flowers as he speaks with them, though he asks a pledge for them to return a great favor in kind someday.  Of course they agree.  The man presents a plant, and then cuts each person and shares blood with them as a part of their pact.  With the pact, none can use the flower against each other, either.

Then as they speak Laughton continues his charade as Dr. Sihn and introduces himself as such.  The old man gasps and says (in Mongolian) "They are in Mongolia now???"   He becomes wary of Laughton/Sihn but Laughton explains he does not know the family at all and has been estranged.  

Then Laughton asks about the other flowers, what powers they have.  The man discusses it a bit but tells Laughton he does not need to know all.  Laughton retorts that in fact he does.  As they discuss, the man revealing that one of the red flowers gives mighty strength, Laughton half-jokes that the man could make a lot of money with these.  Fed up with Laughton's inquisition on the flowers and not seeing his comment as a joke, the man suddenly makes a gesture and says, "Flower no longer works for you!  Now just these two!"  Laughton quickly back-pedals and explains it was just a joke.  Uncertainly the man responds, "Now I have my joke.  Maybe I was joking, too.  You will find out when you try to use it."

They head back.  They test the flower a bit but given the pact it's hard to say.  Spectrum gets the impression the flower will still work for Laughton but it is not entirely clear.  Back at the camp it's dark, and Laughton eats one of his omnipresent baloney sandwiches as the rest enjoy mutton, cheese, and yoghurt.  It's cold but not terribly so.  They prepare for the next day to "get to work".

And the next day they do indeed work.  After a bit of digging and then some of Spectrum's mind control along with Rodin shape-shifting a large mammal bone into an interesting dinosaur-bone shape, they have a unique dinosaur find, much faster than anyone dreamed possible.  This gives Suzanne, Hamlet, and Willow the ability to declare the expedition a success and make the next day's flight out.

Back at the hotel, China Left drops by and visits them as they fill out postcards in the room.  Upon their return word got out about the dinosaur find, and China Left is stunned that they really looked for dinosaur remains.  Spectrum simply says, "Super-heroes need hobbies, too."  China Left turns to "Dr. Sihn" and says, "I tell uncle I see you.  He say he really want see you.  I told him you little sick in head [a reference to Sihn's capitalist venture and Americanism] but hope you come see family."

The trip winds down.  Suzanne sends off a postcard to Nightshade, and Laughton gets a t-shirt for Sammy that references Italy, as they intend not to say anything direct to Sihn about the trip, at least not yet.  Willow, aware of the ruse, gets a few special herbs and some earrings but swears she won't say anything undue and of course Buffy and Giles and Zander can be trusted.

[Game Mechanics - Points Awarded...

Winning against a marginally inferior opponent for succeeding in getting the flower - 1.875 RP Rodin, Spectrum, .125 XP Rodin, Spectrum 

Drawing against a roughly equal opponent for doing so without causing any major incidents - but bringing up Sihn and establishing a thread that may unravel - 3.75 RP Rodin, Spectrum, .25 XP Rodin, Spectrum

Half of act of great heroism/publicity for the run-ins with supers abroad and such - 11.25 RP Rodin, Spectrum

Contact - Red Amazon - 2 XP for both Rodin and Spectrum just for this purpose

3 hours 2.25 RP Rodin, Spectrum, .75 XP Rodin, Spectrum

Totals:

Rodin 19.125 RP, 3.125 XP
Spectrum 19.125 RP, 3.125 XP

Totals to Date:

Dice 188.5 RPs, 14.95 XPs
Neumann 344.5 RPs, 49.05 XPs
Rodin 1244.875 RPs, 121.325 XPs
Sammy the Slime 1189.75 RPs, 126.0625 XPs
Spectrum 1111.625 RPs, 113.625 XPs
Steely Danelle 86 RPs, 10.75 XPs
Troll 1233 RPs, 124.75 XPs]