[IC] The New Mythos: Trials and Tribulations

[Arkrite]

Felix Ian Xavier - Mr. FIX I.T.
Status: Normal
HP: 1

"Nice," Felix says as Cheyenne steps out.

"Hey, could you yank that table out of the counter, there, please?" He asks hopefully, "There was some magic books that were there I'd like to steal. If, you know, they weren't turned to powder."

[catsi563]

Cheyenne
HP: 2; Condition: huntress

Chey shrugged and pulled one of the tables free with a grunt and laid it before felix for his use. "We got what we came for, Id say its time to vamoose."

[Arkrite]

Felix Ian Xavier - Mr. FIX I.T.
Status: Normal
HP: 1

"Strictly grab and go," He says with a smile, "Scout's honor!"

His robot arms hold up an actuator as if giving a boy scout oath, as Felix examines the wreckage to see if any of the books had survived.

[pathfinderq1]

Jenny Ember
HP: 1; LP: 1; Condition: Normal

Jenny had been leaning against the wall, her eyes continuing to to scan the area- though it was not even remotely clear just what, exactly, she was looking at... Now that they had finally found Claire, though, she seemed to focus on the here-and-now, and even managed a bit of a smile. "Yeah, I think we better see about getting out of here. Not sure if we can get out the way we came in, though. We seem to have riled up the natives..."

>OOC: I honestly can't rememeber. Did we have a plan for getting out?

[Arkrite]

Felix Ian Xavier - Mr. FIX I.T.
Status: Normal
HP: 1

"Back the way we came is probably the best route," Felix notes from where he's at, "They'll never see it coming!"

[Doctor Malsyn]

Cheyenne and Claire step out from the cell block without looking back, with Jenny following only half a breath later. Some of the people still left in the cells look after the escapee with some fleeting hope that they'd receive a similar treatment, but are forced to watch as a quick getaway is dashed onto the rocks. It's Mikjal who remains behind just long enough to tell them that help would be coming for them too, once he was free to contact the correct authorities. Somehow it doesn't quite stick with them as well as someone who might've actually sympathized with their plight, but they reluctantly do as told and sit tight. It wasn't as if they could do much else, at any rate.

In the wrecked medical wing with a little assistance from Cheyenne, Felix manages to uncover the remains of an old hardcover book. It'd have been a rather unremarkable book that wouldn't have been out of place in some dean's office as a set piece, if it wasn't for the small golden circular sigil near the top of it's front cover. It looked vaguely familiar to him, and indeed with the Amazonian woman right next to him he could clearly compare it to the marking around her naval. Briefly perusing through it, he comes across many pages and diagrams detailing differing markings and the ways they interacted with the human body, as well as how they're even meant to be properly applied. Something about the writing feels off to him, however. Almost like it was written with the intent to mislead rather then instruct. Still, perhaps there was something worthwhile between the lines.

[Arkrite]

Felix Ian Xavier - Mr. FIX I.T.
Status: Normal
HP: 1

"That's weird... Did somebody write this book to troll people?" Felix asks out loud as he glances at a couple pages.

One of his robot arms reaches down, tapping him on the shoulder.

"Hm?"

The arm pointed towards the others.

"Right. Right! Grab and go," He says, passing the book over to the hand, then taking back his staff from the other one, "Let's go!"

Staff raised, the crystal glowing he smiles wildly with a manic energy, "Good evening, Doctor."
And with that he races off after the others, one robot arm waving lazily as he left, a red and a blue drone trailing after.

[Doctor Malsyn]

"Yes... Good evening." The man mumbles as Felix exits out into the hallway, the rest of his team hot on his heals with nothing left for them within the labs. Outside in the hallway, the group of guards remain bound... Save for the supernatural guardswoman, who seems to have slipped out of her bindings while Eric was distracted. When looked at he gives a 'What can you do about it?' type of shrug. He mentions that aside from the earlier confrontation with the guardsman, it's been oddly quiet.

"Would've expected more opposition, considering we're known trespassers breaking into their secret labs. Something doesn't feel right." Eric mumbles, feline ears flicking downward in frustration.

[Arkrite]

Felix Ian Xavier - Mr. FIX I.T.
Status: Normal
HP: 1

"Oh, they're probably planning to kill us with their robot army when we try to leave," Felix says cheerfully.

[catsi563]

Cheyenne
HP: 2; Condition: huntress

"They can try." she said quietly before shouldering her burden and nodding towards the exit

[Doctor Malsyn]

The lack of armed resistance to your escape works to increase your weariness rather then abate it. Eric's ears are on a constant swivel, the were-beast finding himself growling at fleeting shadows at the very edge of his peripheral. He's absolutely certain that you're all being followed even when none of you are able to verify his claims even by the time you reach the stairwell leading up to the escape hatch.

Mikjal's face has been an utter mask of impassiveness from the moment you entered the hallways, hands never loosening their grip on his rifle. While he wasn't chasing phantoms like the other man, it's evident he was just on edge about your present situation. He's been silent during the rush back, with the first hint of a crack in his façade being a slight dip in the corner of his lips when you pass a female researcher collapsed on the stairs leading further down. After bending down to check her pulse and breathing, he notes that she just seems to be unconscious. Judging by the red spots and electrical burns on her lab-wear, possibly from one of those 'nimbus grenades' deployed earlier.

There's little time to ponder on the mystery further as Eric suddenly snarls, declaring to hear the sound of heavy boots downstairs. With his warning you're all quick to rush back up to the floor you originated on.

Unlike below where the alarm was clearly silent, the halls here are a flashing strobe of red with a calm feminine voice declaring a 'Facility wide alert - Containment breach in section One Thirty Nine Dash One Six - Evacuate immediately'. The words draw a puzzled expression from Claire, who notes that was definitely not what they referred to her section as. Up here and further along are more signs of combat in the form of downed security and other faculty. Yet still there's no indication of the other aggressor of this conflict.

As everyone passes along on their way to that hidden passage you used to previously other breaks in the wall reveal themselves. It seems that there were many routes to the outside on this level you were left unaware of. Even yours doesn't seem to have gone unused during the emergency situation, the walls having been pulled to the side with great force. Either by someone desperate, something dangerous, or perhaps even a combination of both. This excessive use of force holds true even to the heavy locking mechanism of the hatch, the entire thing having been ripped straight out of it's holdings. It seems to whimper in Felix's perception.

Perhaps to the group's surprise the HBJ has been left unaccosted by whatever left this way. With your means of transportation secured, everyone quickly tries to fit themselves inside a quickly cramped space what with the large 'Captain' and the recently rescued Claire. Jenny, the smallest of the group, is left for last while her teammates inside perform some very creative human Tetris. Finally, as her third eye takes in the atmosphere around her does she realize what was so wrong before. There had been a distinct pressure, a feeling of tension, like a mouse-trap just a whisker's drop away from snapping shut. Now there is only a profound sense of relief.

Once everyone was finally all tucked away into Felix's ridiculous(ly awesome) vehicle of choice, the crazed mage is off like a light as he navigates the darkening wilderness until eventually reaching a good point to turn onto the main road.

While he was performing his valiant mimicry of driving and everyone else was getting used to their cramped conditions, Cheyenne was left with the book picked up before from the labs. Perhaps out of curiosity, perhaps of boredom, or perhaps it was some nagging instinct she couldn't quite understand. Whatever the reason may've been, the bounty-hunter would find herself paging through the confounding book making little sense of the scribbling's inside. There were mysteries inside and surrounding it that held potential revelations to the tattoos she herself was left adorned with. Did the strange figure who carved them into her skin draw them from this book as well?

The lights of Mirum Urbem loom on the horizon, a city that seems wholly unaware of the events taking place just outside it's gates...


Romain Courtois

End of Chapter 3: Science and Superstition

[Doctor Malsyn]

"...crowds gathered for this year's historic Mirum Urbem science expo were left disappointed today when they learned Teran United has decided to withdraw due to unexpected difficulties in what was meant to be their centerpiece display. When questioned they've offered up no comments to appease their questioning techno-enthusiasts worries. ...We now go live at Mercury International where Airforce One has just touched down on the tarmac..." ~Annah Harkin, LMB-News

The next few days pass quietly for the members of the city's tentatively named "New Mythos", still only spoken aloud in the shadows, and where it's only mentioned on obscure chatboards online. Mikjal and the rescued Claire departed once they felt safe enough to do so within the city's limits, and you've yet to hear anything from them personally since. The only sign they had any involvement with you at all following that were the envelops that found their ways to each of your persons containing a sizable amount -in cash of all things- to live comfortably for the next few months. If you so chose too, at least.

Felix found himself with a little bit of work on his hands having to request Cheyene and the book's presence so that he could fix the strange tattoos inscribed on 'The Captain'. It was a venture that proved successful, the previously enraged man waking up in a daze the next day shortly before the techonmage followed up on his word and kicked him out to the curb. That should've been the last interaction they'd have had, if it wasn't for the musclebound man walking into the store several days later and slapping down an old 'Help wanted!' poster Felix actually forgot he put up months ago. Apparently Terran United wanted to blame part of the incident on him, and he quickly found himself out of work. Seeing as he already worked for one group of mad scientists, he'd at least want to work with the one that helped save his life.

Cheyenne, after lending her services to Felix would find herself rather entranced with the strange and oft inane writings within the scavenged journal. She didn't understand much of what it said, but what little she could gleam at least let her understand how magic flowed through her tattoos. Aside from trying to divine any mysteries from that, she'd have found herself perusing the bounty boards for any new marks, when she'd notice an odd request. Seems someone's currently searching for something they declare to be 'missing property'. Details were scant, but her instincts tell her that this had something to do with her team's actions the other night.

For Jenny's part, one could easily imagine the young girl finding herself overwhelmed once more with the amount of money that found it's way into her panhandle recently. What she ultimately choose to do with that money is only secondary, however, to some of the other recent mysteries in her life. While the events of the lab may've overshadowed things one shouldn't forgot the failed attempt from those thugs to kidnap her instead of just buying her services as a medium. Whatever they really wanted with her was a mystery, but it was one she felt might find itself resolved sooner then she'd like.

Another week passes for the city of Mirum Urberm, a convention come and gone wherein the most interesting event to take place being a brief ten minute visit from the elven president himself. A man who left after a largely ceremonial speech about "progress and innovation" not being hampered in the face of magic's rebirth. Whatever big revelations that were promised to shake up the future of humanity never came, nothing beyond an interesting presentation about the manned Mars mission taking place next year...

GM: You're free to post anything you'd like during the interlude, while I wait for new potentials and plan the next story arc.

[Arkrite]

The worst part wasn't how much harder fixing the tattoos was in his first quick opinion versus how long it actually took even with Cheyenne and the book helping.
It wasn't even how much time and effort he put into hiding their identities and releasing the captain without any means for him to track them down... only for the man to walk in a few days later with an old flier.
The worst part had to be that none of the defensive turrets had activated.

"You had one job," He muttered through his teeth as he struggled at the top of a ladder to re-solder the connections one one of the hidden cannons.

The cannon suddenly shot down into position, nearly knocking Felix off the ladder, before snapping back into its hiding place in the roof.

With a sigh he carefully replaced his tools and struggled down the ladder.

Had the captain been intending to start some shit Felix would have been in a bad place.

Instead? He wanted a job. He'd been fired. The company put all the blame for the failure of security on his head.

"I've worked for a mad scientist. Why not work for the mad scientist that saved my life?" He’d said.

"I am not a mad scientist," Felix muttered to himself.

He sighed. He still had to do repairs on his staff, the upgrades on his deflector shields on his jacket, make the "window" and "Motorcycle rack" upgrades to the Herkimer Battle Jitney, finish the spider-construction-bots, not to mention fixing his automated security system with techno-energy turrets-

"Holy crap, I am a mad scientist," Felix frowned, "When the hell did that happen?"

Felix grumbled.

His options were to send the guy who found his secret headquarters away in a huff, not a great plan, or finally admit the truth: He was in over his head.

He was working all day and all night. He was still researching and testing magical theory, reading any materials he could get his hands on, any magical knickknacks he could find, any videos or podcasts. Most of them were wrong, misguided, or flat out lies, but the occasional nugget of information opened entire worlds of possibilities. Possibilities which required time, research, testing and investigation. Plus a young woman who needed training in her own unique style of magic.

Meanwhile he was still trying to run a business. He needed to man the counter, answer the phones, take in the new requests, fix the devices, return the repaired devices to the customers, hunt new customers and jobs, as well as hunting down broken computers, cars, and electronics he could repair and resell for a profit. Not to mention the paperwork and accounting side.

And on top of that he needed to repair, rebuild, and upgrade pretty much everything he owned. His staff, his glasses, his jacket, the Herkimer Battle Jitney, even his building.

He wasn’t overwhelmed with work so much as drowning. And there wasn’t anything he could cut. Without the research he wouldn’t be able to fully embrace his potential, without the business he wouldn’t have the money to work on anything, and without the equipment he’d be unable to bring his potential to bear.

He had an uncomfortable feeling that stagnating at this time would be a dangerous thing.

He’d tried to make some headway; he’d built construction robots. They were delightful bug like industrial robots designed to construct, fix and repair. But even being autonomous they required oversight, and they weren’t ready to work with the public.

The truth was he needed employees. People who could work independently, and wouldn’t terrify the public at large.

“Hey, Felix, drop it, we’re waiting on you,” Came an annoyed voice from the back.

“Yeah, yeah, just finishing up,” Felix sighed.

The door behind him creaked open and an electronic tone played. Felix frowned, glanced at his watch, and turned to the door, “A little late-”

He came to a stop as he looked at the four people standing in his doorway. Their wardrobe looked like it had just been pulled out of a rap video, with a healthy dash of tryhard-chic. The stand out features weren't the clothes, it was the people themselves. One had the hooded head of a cobra, another had rainbow coloured scales instead of skin, another was full on naga with a snake tail instead of legs, and the last one looked like a pug version of a crocodile.

Felix blinked, surprised, then shrugged it off. Synchronized snake-men “Sorry guys, we’re closed for the night. You’ll have to come back tomo-”

“We’re not here to buy something,” The Pug Crocodile snapped.

Felix raised an eyebrow, and demanded, “Then where’s the pizza?”

That caught them off guard, and the ones in the back stopped flexing and preening long enough to give each other a confused look.

“Hey, dumbass, do we look like the pizza boys?” Pug Crocodile growled.

They looked like trouble. Wannabe gangbangers. A glance outside the window showed a pickup truck with a lift kit and some light bars. It also revealed another couple guys fitting into the bad rapper/reptile getup that the others had.

“Yes?” Felix deadpanned.

The Pug Crocodile scoffed, looked over at Cobra Head like ‘can you believe this shit?’ then stomped up to tower over the skinny one armed man giving him attitude.

“Look, you’re pretty stupid so let me lay this out for you. This?” He stretched out his arms, “This is Dragon’s territory.”

Felix raised a finger to ask a question but was cut off by an increasingly irate crocodile man.

“Our territory! Our street! And if you want protection from bad magic destroying your shitty little business you better pay up right now. Or should we bring the magic?” He asked with a smirk and a sneer.

Smart money said play it nice, pay up and come back armed for bear. He was scared, and he knew how this could end. Badly, in blood. But Felix was always scared, but at the moment he was also angry. Very angry. He'd put up with an entire lifetime of being pushed around growing up. Now? He wasn’t going to put up with being bullied in his own house.

Fortunately he heard the telltale clicking against the floor, and he couldn’t help but smile.

“Three things. One, you really shouldn’t have used the D word,” Felix said with a manic energy.

The crocodile man started to say something but was cut off as a copper coloured dragon the size of a large dog (or a small pony) leapt onto the counter, wings spread and fangs bared, “Where are the dragons?” it asked, “I was told there were dragons, but all I see are lizard things.”

Felix grinned a bit wider, “Secondly? I like magic.”

A twisted metal staff made of circuit boards, wires, and steel moved through the air wreathed with smoke to land in his hand. With a sharp movement the staff slammed against the ground. The truck outside suddenly lost all power and shut off. Behind it a giant APC flicked on all it’s lights and it’s engine roared to life like an angry bulldozer. Inside the lights dropped, with only the light over the Dragons remaining on. Felix stood in the shadows, his glasses glowing, and his white smile cutting through the darkness.

And inside and outside giant guns of all varieties appeared from behind wall panels, slowly glowing with an ominous light as they powered up.

“But your biggest mistake? This? This isn’t your territory. This isn’t your street,” His smile had grown just a little too wide, “This is My City.”

Behind him silhouettes of people could be seen. A muscular woman towered, her bulging arms crossed over her chest. Two burly men flanked her, one slowly shifting into a weretiger. A woman with a spider’s lower half watched from the ceiling. Another woman slowly appeared from the ground, as if she’d just sprung up from the ground, beside the figure of a young woman with trails of smoke rising from her body.

“And there’s only one Dragon in my city. So what you need to do right now is go. Give back all the money you stole. And you apologize,” The guns wined louder as the light started to grow to a blinding level, “And you pray I never see you again. Do you understand?”

The crocodile man stammered.

“Do. You. Understand?” Felix yelled.

At that they scattered running for the door.

With a roar Felix lifted his staff, slammed it down again and the lights in the block went out. And when they came back up three seconds later? The Herkimer Battle Jitney was gone, the turrets were gone, and all that was left was a quiet little repair shop.

With a smile he turned to the others, “Well, that was fun.”

Michael stepped out from behind a shelf where he’d stuck up on the would-be gang members, “We probably should have had them arrested.”

“Ah, it’s fine. For some reason their phones just downloaded backups of all their information and files to the local police department,” Felix shrugged, “Probably some kind of bug.”

Cheyenne snorted and headed into the back room, with the others slowly moving to follow her, “Movie is starting in five with or without you, Felix. Hustle.”

“Pizza’s here!” Copper cheered, jumping up and down on the counter.

“Hey, hey! No dragons on the counters,” Felix groused, attempting to chase off the dog turned dragon and getting licked in the face for his efforts, “Ahg, dragon slobber!”

Copper chuffed out some laughter and raced for the back room to join the others.

“Hey,” Jennifer called as she walked through the front door, hooking a thumb over her shoulder, “You traumatized the pizza guy.”

Behind the streetrat medium stood a man who appeared to be part turtle, a balding turtle, carrying two giant insulated delivery bags. The man's eyes looked around wildly, as his head snapped from side to side.

“Did you see that?” The delivery man asked in a shaky voice.

“See what?” Felix asked in the most earnest tone he could manage.

The delivery man stared at him with his mouth hanging open.

“Tip?” Felix asked, holding out twenty bucks with a big smile.

[catsi563]

Being a bounty hunter is about patience. Its long hours of sitting around waiting for tips to come in most of which are bogus, and made even worse then those tips involve things that used to be the domain of supermarket tabloids, Then followed by intense action as you rush from one place to another hoping that the one tip is good. Followed by the intensity of a chase through alleys, along roads and sometimes across rooftops.

Then you catch the target in this case a bloody wearboar which is one of the fiercest creatues in the world just 300 pounds of CRAZZY. And a fight ensures because the nutcase doesnt want to go back to jail or to the wizard he owes money to for services rendered,

So he fights and fights hard.

Thats where the blood and pain start. The impacts are brutal especially when youre trying to keep a pigman from gutting you like a fish with his tusks. Still it helps to be stronger and faster then most of your targets and armed with fists that can punch ghosts, werebeasts, and demons with equal ease and deliver a lot of pain,

The image of a six and half foot woman dragging a near seven foot unconcious boar and tossing him into the back of a police van where silver handcuffs waited to be put on will stick with most of the cops watching as will the same woman refusing more then a cursory glance from EMTs her wounds already healing rapidly. She couldnt stick around anyways she had to be some where after all.

toniight was movie night.

Cheyenne made her way home where she blasted herself in the shower relishing the hot water that was near scalding before getting out and drying off. A quick chamge of clothes into some basic black leathers and a comfy shirt and she was off making sure to stop by the bar she lived over to grab a case of ice cold been and secure it to her bike. She kept more at Felix's place but this group could go through a lot espeically when the pizza was on the menu.

She waved over her shoulder at the owner and secured the case before hopping on the harley and gunning it for Felix's, She arrived shortly after only one minor stop to correct some over priveleged moron who thought a ferrari gave him permission to park in a handicap spot. didnt look like much of a ferrari after she was through with it. hey dont judge she gave him an opportunity to move it not her fault he didnt take the hint

besides the old WW2 vet appreciated the gesture. Felix would probably give her hell for not bringing whats left of the car for spare parts though. Meh shed make it up to him later. hehe

a few minutes late and she was chilling in Felix's lab enjoying a brew and waiting on the pizza. when she smelled snake. she looked but Felix had things handled though she shugged and made her presence known in case Felix's well armed display didnt get the message through it did though so
she snorted and headed into the back room, with the others slowly moving to follow her, “Movie is starting in five with or without you, Felix. Hustle.”

He was right after all this was their city. and they looked out for their own

[Doctor Malsyn]

Kirokaze - "Isolated Incident"

The camera pans over a variety over a display of a table full of old medieval weaponry, each one having a small tag looped around whatever might pass for a handle. "...Last fall, an incident involving what some experts now believe to have been the legendary 'Excalibur' on display at the British Museum of Natural history. Following that, many places such as our own Moneta Museum put artifacts into storage for careful study. After months of careful analysis, these are just some of the artifacts that have been safely approved for public viewing." -Annah Harkin, LMB-News

At the very bottom of the screen in scrawling text, another mysterious murder passes by almost without notice. A homeless woman, single shot to the head. A silver bullet.

Another week, another murder. In the aftermath of Inheritance Day it wasn't only the emergence of your 'Tolkien Typicals' and more esoteric mythological creatures that shook society. There were darker things that went bump in the night now. Creatures that only took to the streets on moonlit nights, beings that stalked the shadows, things that a human couldn't consider to be anything but 'monstrous' in behavior. To be fair, these tales aren't entirely baseless, but in this modern era of personal freedom and individuality just being turned into something with sharp teeth didn't mean you were a bloothirsty pyschopath.

Some people take this belief even further then most. For the past several weeks a series of strange murders and disappearances have sat beneath the noses of the general public. In theory the police are still working as hard as they can, but little coverage about the investigations taking place has left a smidgen of doubt in certain sections of the population. Either the serial killer was a master at covering their tracks, or the investigation isn't being taken as seriously as it should. Either, people are starting to get nervous. What they need right now is someone who'll actually listen to their worries and catch the killer before things get even worse.

For that reason, several people are due to meet at a little out-of-the-way Greek joint on the far end of town. At the tail-end of May, rain once again graces the city and coats the city in a cool humid air. Cheyenne and Felix are already well acquainted with each other, but it's the the three others that bring a certain element of unpredictability. Perhaps in some point in your recent past you'd crossed paths with a catgirl skirting around in the night, sought out a strange street-doc in lieu of a hospital, or sought out a mysterious showgirl offering a certain spiritual edge when your usual teenage tag-along was absent.

However you'd come to know of each other prior, what brings you together now is a turtle-like teen who'd wear his ball-cap even when you're indoors. Not even a week after the incident with "The Dragons" at Felix's Fix-It shop, the same kid called the store's rarely used helpline which the man's newest hire picked up. Predictably it wasn't even tech problem he called about, but it was about his girlfriend. She's gone missing, and he's worried someone's targeted her status as another monster.

The kid himself is running late, having sent a text earlier that he still had one more delivery to make, leaving the group to get acquainted with one-another until then.

GM: I'd like it if you could connect your characters to each-other in some way, but you don't need to feel forced into it either. I'll kick-start the plot once people seem settled in.