Lazydm's Story Hour, Issue 5

[Helios-Re]

Awesome Storyhour, Lazy!

I love the player's assorted banter.

"I name thee...!"

[Lazydm]

I'm pleased with the way Wraith is developing as a character. Right now the player describes him as mix of Batman and Shadowcat who banters like Spiderman. It's a bit difficult for me to get my head around that at times, but I think he's pulling it off quite well so far.

[Phantom Archer]

I gotta say I'm glad you started posting again. This thread was off my radar and I hadn't read it yet....this is good stuff.

[Lazydm]

Welcome aboard Helios-Re and Phantom Archer! Always glad to have more readers!


Panic in the Park

"Everyone stay low and get out of the park as fast as you can!" Wraith yells as he sprints to Electron's side. The new super-powers are motionless as they attempt to process what has just happened. Quickly the three police officers take charge, moving people out of the grassy area and towards cover.

Reaching Electron, Wraith sees his partner is losing blood fast. His practiced eye notes that while the gunshot wound looks serious there's a good chance Electron might pull through if he gets help in time. His surroundings shift and Wraith is now kneeling over Electron in a hospital lobby. He stands and approaches the nurse behind the admission desk.

"I need an identity room prepared right now!"

Identity rooms are provided in nearly every hospital in the country. Mandated by SIPA (the Secret Identity Protection Act) these rooms ensure that any super-hero can be admitted without fear of having their secret identity discovered by the public.

Several Minutes Later...

Wraith returns to Kenson Park alone. Materializing next to the guard with the sign-up sheet he takes the contact data and stows the information safely in his utility belt. Looking around, he notices that the mood in the park has grown somber. Despite no other sign that an attack is imminent, the crowd has thinned out somewhat. Already the crime scene is being cordoned off and the large police presence in the park helps keep the remaining onlookers at bay.

With the forensics investigators on the way the crime scene needs to be kept as pristine as possible. Although he is phased Wraith knows that even the appearance of an unlicensed person inside the crime scene would provide a shrewd defense lawyer with enough ammunition to get the case thrown out of court. Settling for interviewing witnesses and examining raw footage from the media while the investigators do their work, Wraith is able to gather a little information on the shooting, but nothing that provides any definitive answers.

As evidence is bagged and tagged and photo after photo is taken Wraith's patience begins to wear thin. Sunlight fades from Kenson Park as the investigation continues. Soon the department's halogen lamps will be lit to provide better illumination.

Finally the bullet is recovered, or at least fragments of the projectile are located. As methodical as the forensics team is, Wraith is equal to the task. Picturing a still frame of the stricken Electron in his mind he visualizes a line from the point where the bullet buried itself in the ground through the mental image of his friend and into the distance. Far off are a pair of high rise apartments, but to narrow down the exact location will require more data.

Wraith takes 20 on his Investigate skill. At first he is unable to determine where the shot came from other than a very vague direction. The discovery of the bullet provides another factor: elevation. Taking his time Wraith now knows roughly where the shot came from.

Based on the distance the apartments are from the point of impact, Wraith has a hunch that the shooter was high up, possibly on the roof or some of the topmost apartments. After scheduling a clandestine meeting with one of the police detectives later on to discuss evidence analysis, Wraith teleports to the top of the first apartment building and begins his search.

Wraith spends a hero point for some inspiration and gets a more accurate idea where the bullet came from.

Starting with the edge nearest the park Wraith begins a careful sweep of the area. Remaining phased so as not disturb a single thing he continues his search. The minutes tick by and nothing is found except tar, gravel and ventilation hoods. Patiently Wraith continues his surveillance while twilight falls. Suddenly something on the rooftop of the adjacent building catches his eye.

A figure crouches near the roof's edge, intently watching the scene in the park. At its side Wraith can see the dark glint of metal.

Wraith begins an extended Search that will take around an hour to complete. Fortunately he also successfully succeeds on a Notice check vs the subject's Stealth skill. Looks like the search won't take an hour to complete after all!

Round One...Fight!

Silently Wraith materializes behind the darkly-clad figure, his fist cocked and already in motion. To his surprise the stranger surges upward, batting aside the blow as she spins about to face him. Two clicks echo in Wraith's ears as the metal object in her hand expands into a small compound bow. With a fluidity that can only come with years of practice the masked woman brings the weapon to bear, an arrow already nocked and drawn. Grimly she releases the string and the arrow passes harmlessly through Wraith's chest.

"Coming back to admire your handiwork?" she growls before stepping backwards off the ledge and tumbling into the night below.

There is no surprise round. Wraith's opponent has also succeeded in making a Notice check vs. Wraith's Stealth skill. Initiative is rolled...Wraith's result is a 22, his opponent gets a 31! Wraith's opponent delays until after Wraith acts, lowering her initiative count to 21. Wraith teleports and attacks. He rolls an 11 and misses. His opponent attacks and rolls a 1. She uses a free action to switch array powers and uses a swingline to put a little distance between herself and Wraith.

Round Two

Wraith leans over the edge of the roof in time to see a black cable zip around the side of the building. Glancing over his shoulder he sees his opponent perched on an adjacent corner, having swung up and around to try a surprise attack. Again Wraith materializes next to her, throwing a bewildering array of kicks and jabs designed to wear down her defenses.

Fending off his strikes with equally skilled precision the woman takes advantage of a momentary opening to fit an arrow and let it fly straight at Wraith's head. Wraith acts on pure instinct, raising his hand to cover his eyes as the strobe arrow explodes against his gloved palm. Again the woman is on the move, lightly clearing an exposed outcropping of ductwork as she races across the rooftop.

Wraith teleports to his opponent's location and attacks. He rolls an 11 and misses. His opponent switches array powers and attacks with a Dazzle arrow. She rolls a 12 and hits. Wraith rolls a 6 on his Reflex save and avoids being blinded. His opponent takes 10 (thanks to her Skill Mastery feat) on her Acrobatics check to move at full speed over the uneven roof.

Round Three

Racing across the graveled roof, the woman swerves to avoid a kinetically amplified punch from Wraith as he appears in her path. Anticipating her dodge, Wraith reverses his momentum and follows up with an expert kick that connects solidly with her solar plexus. His opponent drops to the ground.

"Go ahead..." Bowshot gasps as she glares up at him. "Kill me like you did your partner. You'll never get away with it!"

Wraith teleports again and rolls a 16 on his attack, successfully striking his opponent. Bowshot, as I'm sure you've figured out who it is by now, rolls a 3 vs DC 21 and fails by more than 10. She is Staggered, Stunned and Bruised. Wraith also starts a grapple thanks to his Improved Grab feat. His grapple check result is a 27 versus Bowshot's result of 28. Failure.

A Friendly Chat

"Great. Another insane woman. Just what the world needs. Why should I believe you didn't shoot my partner?" Wraith retorts.

Bowshot pushes herself back to her feet and stares at Wraith for a moment.

"Do you even know what time it is?" she asks loudly and then continues without letting Wraith respond. "It's almost eight-thirty. Electron was shot nearly two hours ago. With a bullet. From a gun. From this rooftop nearly a mile away. Guess what? Occam called. He said if you're not using his razor he'd like it back."

In a flash Wraith is staring at an arrow aimed directly between his eyes. Beyond is the face of a very angry woman.

"And if memory serves, you were the one who attacked me during my investigation."

"And you're a crazy wench with a ranged combat expertise and strange projectiles. That hardly makes you a candidate to be shaved off by Occam's Razor. Now put the bow away and talk. You can't escape me and you can't hurt me." Wraith retorts as his body turns translucent.

"No, what that makes me is a specialist who was called in by Baltimore PD to investigate the shooting of a local super-hero," snaps Bowshot as she turns away and collapses her weapon. "Don't be so sure I can't hit you like that. You've already made one false assumption today. It's easy to make another," she says as she returns to the ledge where Wraith first saw her.

Bowshot takes out a penlight and shines it on a series of scratches on the ledge's stonework.

"This is where the sniper had set up. These scratches here, here and here were made by a clamp mount. This particular pattern is made by only one model of clamp. The Extant Mark III series. It was designed to fit one, and only one, brand of sniper rifle."

"The Manticore 5000," says Wraith.

"Extremely rare, extremely expensive. Those suckers are modular and highly customizable. There's also banned in the United States so it had to be smuggled in. The sniper picked this location for the best view of the park. With the sun behind him in the west the roof access would have kept him in shadow and nearly invisible to anyone looking directly at him.

"Once Electron was shot, the sniper broke down the equipment, probably taking thirty seconds tops, and proceeded to the west side of the building. I found some fibers around the base of a large pipe and similar fibers stuck to the western ledge. The police will need to analyze those to precisely identify them, but my guess is the sniper rapelled down the west side of the apartment building and either had a vehicle waiting or escaped on foot."

The investigation grinds on...

After apologizing to Bowshot for the case of mistaken identity Wraith gives her his number if she finds anything else and then returns to the hospital. After wading through the bureaucratic process so prevalent in today's modern hospitals, one of the nurses on duty finally tells him Electron is still in surgery. Beyond that the hospital cannot release any other information. Not even to another super-hero.

Wraith continues his investigation. Teleporting back to the apartment building he notices Bowshot is no longer there but a couple forensics investigators have arrived and are cordoning off the roof access. Faced with being forced to wait once again while others do their work, Wraith is distracted by a beeping from his utility belt. It's time to meet with Detective Graves.


Inside Steven Graves' sedan

Wraith appears silently in the center of the car's back seat and waits for Detective Graves to glance in the rearview mirror. This time officer doesn't swear up a storm although Wraith notices with some amusement that he continues to jump every time.

"Man, I wish you'd make a little more noise when you do that," Graves complains. "I'm gonna develop a condition. You want to kill me? Cause you're killing me here."

"What have you got?" Wraith asks.

"Not much." Graves passes a PDA back to Wraith. "Photos of the crime scene, closeups of the bullet fragments. Really weird too."

Wraith thumbs through the files until he reaches the fragment photos while Graves continues to talk.

"It's got all this circuitry running through it, not just on the surface but in layers and stuff criss-crossing everywhere. And there's more metal that you'd expect to find. Like the casing went along for the ride."

Wraith looks up from his study of the photos. Immediately his thoughts go to his evidence cabinet. Drawer 6-J. Only one item resides in that drawer. A small robotic spider, now broken and useless.

"I'm going to need the full analysis when it's ready. And I want a sample of those fragments."

"No problem. They're saying it'll be ready tomorrow. I can get you a piece in a few days. I figured you'd want to run your own tests on it. I've never seen anything like it before."

Wraith hands the PDA back up to Graves.

"I have." says Wraith. And then he is gone.



Later that night...

Electron opens his eyes. His entire body hurts, like it has been shredded and stitched back together with razor wire. Every breath he takes feels raw and hollow. He starts to raise his hand to his chest but then thinks better of it when his nerves scream in protest.

As his vision clears, Electron sees he is lying in the bed of a comfortably lit but windowless hospital room. There is a lounge chair flanking an oversized steel door to his right. A small white plastic table stands next to the chair. Across from the foot of the bed is a mural of a bandaged and angry Hulk smashing through a brick wall. Beneath reads the message: 'When exiting this room please use the door. Walls are hard to replace.'

The other wall on his left is lined with an array of diagnostic equipment, cabinets, sinks and more. There is a second bed between him and the wall of equipment. No, not a bed. An operating table.

The sound of the door opening draws Electron's attention away from the table. Glancing over, he sees an old man with brilliant white hair dressed in a lab coat enter. He's carrying a clipboard which he looks at for a few more seconds before speaking.

"Good evening, Electron," he says. "My name is Doctor Jonas Harding. I will be your physician during your stay at Mercy."

"What happened?" Electron manages to croak out.

"You were shot. There were some additional complications but suffice it to say you are once again back in the land of the living."

"I...died?"

"Technically yes. But not from the gunshot. I should tell you that trying to defibrillate a person with your unique abilities was an exercise in frustration. We finally cracked your chest open and massaged your heart by hand to bring you back. So try not to laugh, cough or sneeze over the next several days because it's likely to hurt. A lot."

"What did I die from?"

"Well, that's where I say I have some good news and I have some bad news. And seeing as how you're in no shape to play games I'll give you the good news first. The bullet that struck you was a clean entry and exit. No major organs were damaged. Whoever fired on you did a lousy job of trying to kill you.

"The bad news is, we discovered your body has been subject to extreme damage quite recently."

Doctor Harding flips a switch on the left wall and places several X-Ray photos on the illuminated strip that lights up.

"Your skeletal structure has thousands of stress fractures. In addition your connective tissue has deteriorated severely. Tendons, ligaments, muscles all show micro-tearing in multiple locations. Some tears are newer than others and it appears as though whatever has done this did it over an extended period of time. Tissue analysis indicates that the damage goes right down to the molecular level. If I had to guess, I'd say your body is literally falling apart."

"How long do I have to live doc?" Electron asks once the news has sunk in.

Doctor Harding glances at his chart.

"Hard to say. For the time being the degeneration seems to be halted. And based on the similar scar tissue you've built up it looks like your body is capable of healing itself from this trauma. But each time you are exposed to whatever is causing this the likelihood of recovering is called more and more into question."

"I've been feeling fine. How come I had no symptoms of this condition?"

"Are you sure? No muscle aches, no joint pain? Considering your line of work it may have masqueraded as the regular bumps and bruises. But the most recent damage looks like it occurred fairly recently. I'd say no more than a few hours ago."

"Have you ever seen it before? Any idea what could have caused it?"

"Actually," says Doctor Harding, "I have seen this kind of damage done before. But this was back in the seventies. A villain calling himself Doctor Destructor had designed a weapon that would accelerate the molecules of anything he would point it at. He caused a lot of damage until Redshift Ray stopped him outside of Los Angeles. I treated some of his victims, the ones who weren't disintegrated outright, and they displayed almost identical symptoms.

"In your case, I would be stumped since Destructor is still behind bars. Except I did catch your press conference earlier this evening and I have a theory. You and Wraith were both translucent for the entire length of the interview. I think that extended exposure to his power may be what's causing this."

Monday morning

After a fitful night's sleep, the sound of the opening door wakes Electron from his slumber. It's Doctor Harding again, still carrying his clipboard. He pauses to consult his notes while Electron waits impatiently.

"Well?" Electron finally asks.

"Hmmm? Oh, sorry. Yes, you're stable enough for release. We ran a battery of tests every two hours last night to monitor any changes in your vitals but you slept through it all. There's been no more deterioration from what we've seen. In fact you're healing faster than normal so I'm comfortable in turning you loose.

"I do recommend you take the next week or two off to let your body recuperate. Doctor's orders. Normally I'd say take two months off, but with as many years in this business as I've got you learn that super-heroes never take that kind of advice to heart. Take it easy. If you have a regular job and you have to work, you should be fine as long as it's not too stressful.

"Your gunshot wound is healing nicely although it's still fresh enough to require you take extra care of it. If you have to fly try not to go too fast or maneuver too sharply. Don't overextend yourself reaching for things. If your stitches pop from being overactive you can come back in to get them redone."

Doctor Harding continues to advise Electron for a few minutes and then walks him through the checkout procedure. Once all the paperwork is signed and completed, Electron is discharged.

Electron's house

Setting down in the small thicket near his home Electron enters the secret tunnel leading to his house. Soon he emerges from the basement door after changing back into his civilian clothes. The house is quiet. Charles' stomach growls loudly.

"My thoughts exactly" he says to himself as he heads into the kitchen. Charles fixes himself an omelet and has nearly finished it when he sees Stacy's note on the kitchen counter.

It reads:

C-

The kids are at Ed and Goldie's. If you can pick them up when you get home I would appreciate it. Otherwise I'll get them after work. Take the checkbook.

Your electrician's organization called yesterday. They want to know if you can help out with restoring power to the city. I told them you would call either Michael or David.

Give me a call at the office before you do anything else. I know you can take care of yourself but I barely slept last night after watching the news. I love you.

S-

PS The mortgage payment is due next week and there's not enough in the bank to cover it.


Thanks to Wraith's dialogue and actions Bowshot now views him as an egotistical misogynistic hothead. And since she also works with Baltimore PD, that will carry some ramifications. At least Wraith apologized for everything (not that it clears the slate mind you!). So far she's one of my favorite NPCs, smart, skilled and just as capable at getting the job done as her fellow heroes. We'll see more cameo appearances in the future.

[Jongluer]

Heh, I too like Bowshot, very cool hero. The interaction in this was great.
Can't wait to see more.

[Lazydm]

Charles' cell rings and he puts down the note to fish the phone out of his pocket. Glancing at the display he sees the caller is Wraith.

"Go," he says by way of greeting.

"Where are you?" Wraith asks.

"In my kitchen eating break-" Charles stops as Wraith appears next to him.

"Sorry, mate, I've let you down," Wraith says as he hangs up his phone. "I should have kept you phased. Your shooter is still at large. He was a pro, though. High-tech and expensive. You can probably guess who tops my list for who he was working for. I should have more leads from the police today. I WILL find the shooter.

"How you feeling? I saw you go all sparkly there for an instant when you got hit."

Charles brings Wraith up to speed on what he learned at the hospital, including learning about Doctor Destructor to ask about his molecular accelerator.

"After I deal with my civilian responsibilities I'm going to see Doc Destructor," he concludes.

Wraith thinks for a moment. "Hmm. Well, that might be worthwhile. But I have a theory. You may not like it. You say Destructor's weapon worked by accelerating molecules, which is how my power works. I teleport by accelerating to beyond the speed of light and then slow back down. What if your condition is due to long-term exposure to my powers?"

"Possible, but I don't remain phased with you all that often. I still want to pursue all the avenues. I still wanna see Doc Destructor."

After exchanging a few more pleasantries Wraith vanishes as quickly as he arrived and Charles begins to get ready for work. He calls Stacy to let her know he's okay. Finally he gets in his van and drives to the office to get his appointment list. Another day of work begins.

Halfway through the day Charles gets a call from Michael Leeves, the head of Dundalk's local electrician's guild. Michael again invites Charles to volunteer his time to helping restore the downtown power grid.

"It's a mess out here man!" yells Michael over the sound of heavy machinery in the background. "We got four transformer substations offline not to mention an entire underground conduit that needs be restrung and not enough bodies to go around. Whaddya say?"

Kenson Park

Returning to the scene of the crime, Wraith continues his investigation of both the park and the apartment roof. The hours roll by as he methodically covers every square inch of both sites. As the day rolls into early afternoon Wraith bags anything out of the ordinary he finds that the previous forensics team left behind. Pulling a miniature handheld vacuum from his belt Wraith meticulously collects the dirt and grit from the stairs leading to the roof and stores it for later analysis. Finally, sweating under his costume, he deems his work at the site complete.

Wraith takes 20 on an extended search. The combined area of this size would normally take 20 minutes to complete a search, but to guarantee he misses nothing it takes twenty times that length of time, or nearly seven hours. In addition Wraith makes several Investigate checks to collect evidence that is usable by his crime lab. He takes 10 each time and is successful each time. Each check takes a full minute, the cumulative time taken is negligible compared to the Search check

Wraith's Lair

The lights in Wraith's sanctum flicker on. Buried beneath his dojo the lair is completely cut off from the outside world save for power, heating and ventilation ducts too small for a human to crawl through. Not even Electron can enter without Wraith's assistance.

But now the caped hero is alone. Peeling off his mask, his gaze sweeps over the room. Forensic equipment takes up the majority of the space. Mass spectrometer, backlit tables, evidence lockers, even a miniature electron microscope courtesy of Artisan's technological wizardry. Wraith once mentioned he wanted a fully functional crime lab to the living statue and the result was beyond anything he could have expected.

Still, even the most cutting edge equipment takes time to use. And the amount of evidence Wraith has collected, small though it may be, will have him burning the midnight oil. Placing the bags on the table in front of him, Wraith begins to sort the evidence.

Hours later Wraith's utility belt beeps. It beeps again. Focused on the slide in front of him, Wraith nearly misses the sound, but he finally pulls himself away from the microscope. A text message with an address and time are all that has been sent to his cell, but one glance at the sender's name tells Wraith all he needs to know. Detective Graves has his analysis ready.

Fifteen minutes later...

"Whoever this guy is, he's good," says Graves as he passes a CD back to Wraith. "No fingerprints, no hair, nothing to give a solid ID. They found several footprints on the rooftop but most of them belong to you and Bowshot. We keep a copy of your boot treads on file. Looks like you got into quite an arguement up there,"

When Wraith's only response is a stony silence Graves returns to the original subject of discussion.

"Anyway, forensics got a partial track near where he made his escape. Size six shoe. Little guy. Or at least he has little feet." Graves shrugs and continues. "They also found traces of clay in the stairwell and along the spot where the shooter had set up. There was also cigarrette ash in the stairwell."

"Balkanskaya Zvezda," says Wraith.

"What?"

"Balkanskaya Zvezda. It's a Russian brand. Balkan Star. There was more ash caught underneath some of the flashing at the roof's edge. I was able to identify it before you had called. What can you tell me about the clay?"

"It's consistent with several areas along the waterfront. South side mostly but I wouldn't rule out any of the other likely places. They're all listed on the disk."

"What else?" Wraith asks.

"Well, the fibers they found on the western side come from a military issue rappel line. You can get those in most any military surplus store. The shooter used a mechanical clip that detached the rope from its anchor once he was on the ground. From there he loaded his gear into a pickup truck parked at the curb and drove off. There was more clay at street level. Some of it had dropped from a height of around two feet, indicating a tailgate."

"Anything new on the bullet?"

"Other than having everyone stumped, no. They guys are saying that even with the way it's designed it shouldn't have been able to travel the distance that it did. But you're in luck. They're calling in an expert to take a look at the fragments in the next day or so. I know you didn't want to wait that long so I went to bat for you. I'm now officially authorized to give you this," says Detective Graves as he holds up a plastic vial. Inside is a tiny lump of metal.

Wraith rolls a 17 on his Investigate skill and is able to not only identify some of the evidence as cigarrette ash, he is also able to narrow it down to the exact brand. So far Wraith knows that the shooter is on the short side, has access to highly advanced weaponry, is an accomplished climber, has recently been to the waterfront, and smokes an imported brand of cigarrette.

Electron's house

Dragging himself through the door behind an advancing force of screaming kids Charles collapses on the sofa. It's been a long day. Four hours stuck inside manholes clearing out damaged power cables and stringing new lines has taken its toll, both physically and mentally. At least he remembered to pick the kids up from daycare.

Now I know what my tomb will look like. Charles thinks morbidly, trying to push the thought of manholes out of his mind. Damp, smelly, dark manholes. Ugh.

Charles' oldest son hits the answering machine button in the kitchen and Stacy's voice drifts through the house.

"Hey, it's me. I have to work late. Someone just screwed up the last three months worth of inventory and I get to be the one to clean it up. There's hamburger in the fridge. I'll try to be home by eight. See you soon!"

"Daaaad! I want hamburger!" Charles hears the sound of the refrigerator door being thrown open and a sound of breaking glass.

Please don't let that be the mayonnaise Charles thinks as he glances at the clock. Six fifteen.

Wraith's lair

After speaking with Detective Graves, Wraith returns to his underground base. Not wanting to delay contacting the new super-powers any longer he deposits the bullet fragment and CD on the nearest work table and retrieves the contact list from his utility belt. Scanning down the list he's not surprised to find only email addresses. One of the few bastions of pseudo-anonymity left in the world.

A few minutes later Wraith has a standard message typed up and ready to send. Starting with of a pair of cross streets and a time set for Tuesday evening he lets everyone know that he will teleport them to the actual location once they arrive. As the dial up modem chirps its status Wraith resolves to upgrade his connection speed. He glances at the clock in the lower corner of his screen. Six fifteen.

Not quite as much action this week, which is fine. It can't be all fights all the time, as much as I'd dearly love it to be Instead I bring you investigative derring-do, real life responsibilities, and timelines that sync up not just once but twice!

[Jongluer]

Very cool, I like seeing that side of Electron, I never thought the character had any kids.
I liked this section alot.

[Phantom Archer]

Again, great stuff.
I really like how you put in the game mechanics when the players make their rolls.

[Lazydm]

I wasn't sure if I should drop the rolls from the narration or not, but I decided to keep them in since I think they really help explain why things go the way they do at times. Not that I can't use fiat to steer them back to where I'd like to see the action play out, but it helps to add in that little bit of randomness.

I also liked showing another side to Electron this last time. I think since he's the typical blaster character the one place where he can really shine is combat but there should be more to a character than just that. And what better way to show another side of him than as a family man?

Poor Wraith, he has no family. Well except for his nutty cousin.

[Lazydm]

Wraith calls Charles on his cell phone and together they decide to issue a press statement to the media. With public speculation running rampant on Electron's condition they agree that the best strategy is to present a united front. While Electron is far from fully recovered just the act of him appearing on television should be enough to quell any rumors to the contrary.

However, before that plan is put into effect Electron must deal with an even more pressing issue: feeding the children. After making plans to meet up later Charles heads to the kitchen and a date with destiny.

Meanwhile Wraith returns to the bullet fragment. From what Electron's side of the conversation sounded like it's a good bet he'll have at least another hour or two to get some work done. A wave of weariness washes over him. He's been operating almost nonstop for more than twenty four hours. Even the quick catnaps he's taken are not enough to stifle his yawns. Still, focusing on analyzing the bullet is what will solve this crime. Sleep can come afterwards.

A couple hours later

The press release goes well. WBAL's news director was both surprised and elated to have both heroes arrive to give their statements. He was less than thrilled when they insisted on having the statement taped instead of airing it live, but when faced with the choice of tape or no statement at all he gave in quickly. As Electron is all too aware, live interviews have a habit of being interrupted after the broadcast signal is intercepted by Infinity's hired mercenaries. The less civilians placed in harms way, the better.

Minutes later on a nearby rooftop Wraith brings Electron up to speed on his investigation. The first battery of tests he had subjected the bullet fragment to raised more questions than provided answers. But one very telling fact had been discovered. Following a hunch, Wraith compared the circuit design in the bullet to another piece of similar circuitry he had on hand. That piece was pulled from a small robotic spider picked up during the previous Christmas. The two were an identical match. Whatever the depth of his involvement in the shooting may be, The Gamemaster definitely had something to contribute.


Electron tracks down Doctor Destructor

"Alcatraz," says the officer behind the counter.

"Pardon me?" Electron asks.

"He's in Alcatraz. See, right here," the officer responds swiveling her monitor around so Electron can have a look. "Ten consecutive life sentences in one of the most secure supermax facilities ever built. Well, rebuilt, but you know what I mean."

"Mmmm..." says Electron as he mentally calculates the flight time. Five hours from coast to coast. A ten hour round trip. And it's a good bet that visiting hours won't be during the middle of the night.

We could make it a family outing. Kids go to Disney Land, I visit a supervillain in Alcatraz. It'll be fun! he thinks. Now all I need is a bank to knock over to pay for it all. Yeah, right. Pushing the idle speculation out of his head Electron turns his attention back to the monitor screen.

"When are visiting hours? I'd like to have a word with the good doctor," he says.

Officer Williams taps her keyboard and the screen changes, listing the information Electron needs.

"Eleven to eleven-thirty a.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays only," she answers. "You think Destructor had something to do with yesterday?"

"Maybe, maybe not. But if something else happens because I didn't follow up on a hunch I'll only have myself to blame,"

"Well, whatever you find out I'm glad you're back with us," Williams says with a smile. "I guess it takes more than a bullet to slow you down,"

Believe me, it's an act at this point. I'm just about ready to collapse from exhaustion. Electron thinks. "So it would seem. Thanks for your help officer. And thank you for your support,"

Electron exits the police department into the night. It's cooled off a little and the fresh air helps get rid of some of the sluggishness he's feeling. Channeling his will into motion Electron takes off into the dark sky, his signature lightning trail fading away until nothing is left behind to mark his passing.


Wraith tracks down the Gamemaster

"I'm sorry sir, we can only allow access during visiting hours."

Wraith grinds his teeth silently. Although his mask hides his impatience the corrections officer in front of him can almost certainly feel it radiating off the hero. The prison officer quickly continues.

"It's for your protection as much as ours. Any contact between Mister Perkins and the outside world must be strictly monitored. The man is more dangerous than he appears. Last week we revoked his television privileges because he turned his tv into a photonic displacement projector."

"Holograms?"

"Sort of. He made the entire cell block appear three feet off. Guard broke his nose when he walked full tilt into a wall. The maniac howled with laughter even when we took his set away, saying it was completely worth it to see the look on the guard's face."

The corrections officer taps his screen a few times.

"I'm scheduling a block of time for tomorrow morning when our visitation specialists will be on duty. They'll be able to supervise the interview. Visits can start as early as nine o'clock so I'm putting you down for that time. Odd, you'll be the first visitor Perkins has had since he arrived. All other contact has been limited to one phone call and letters."


Tuesday Morning: Downtown Baltimore

Charles lowers himself down into yet another manhole. Even with the plastic yellow pipe blowing fresh air into the underground cell it still smells bad. At least today's work detail has him evaluating the lines rather than actually replacing them. Less time in the hole. He continues to climb down the iron rungs set firmly into the concrete when a sound from above makes him pause.

Quickly returning to the surface he sticks his head out of the manhole and peers around. He hears the sound again. Machine gun fire.

There's another van parked across the street from Charles. From his vantage point he can see the driver looking nervously toward the building beyond. It's the Deutsche Bank. Another glance at the driver's cap confirms Charles' suspicions. That's no cap, it's a ski mask.

Charles remembers the spare costume he has in a hidden compartment inside his van. The street is nearly deserted and the only pedestrians are too far away to see him if he moves quickly enough. With the city recovering from its recent disaster the last thing the public needs is another successful bank robbery. This is the perfect time for Electron to strike!

Electron rolls an 11 on his Notice check. His result is more than enough to hear the gunfire.


Mercy Ridge Federal Penitentiary

Wraith watches as Frank Perkins, aka The Gamemaster, is brought into the visitation room. Hands and feet clasped in irons he is escorted by two of the largest guards Wraith has ever seen. As he takes his seat the guard on his left secures the ankle restraints to the chair while the guard on his right removes the arm shackles. Once they finish, they exit the room and the two men are left to regard one another.

The Gamemaster, despite his prison attire, looks none the worse for wear. He's grown a goatee since last Wraith saw him. It gives him a more devilish appearance and, if his crimes are anything to go by, the look is entirely appropriate. Finally The Gamemaster breaks the silence.

"Well, this is an entirely expected visit. I knew you'd come sniffing around soon enough. Word is Electron got his message loud and clear, but I have to say I'm thrilled he survived. Surprised? You shouldn't be," he says while arching an eyebrow. "If anyone gets to kill the pair of you it should be me,"

Wraith shakes his head at the Gamemaster.

"How pathetic. So now you've stooped to taking credit for other people's plans? It wasn't even a very well executed plan, which makes it even more sad that you would desire to claim it.

"Simply put, there is no way you had anything to do with this. The perpetrator didn't wind up embarassing themselves for one, nor was anything outrageously overcomplicated, inadequately thought out, or silly-looking.

"Of course, if I had been arrested in a situation involving children and fairies, I'd be desperate to latch on to any possible way to change my reputation around the cell block too. I imagine things must be...hard...for you."

The Gamemaster frowns. "You are as limited in your capability to understand your place in the unfolding of events as you are in your ability to interact with others in any way that remotely resembles socially acceptable behavior," he says.

"You believe I had something to do with the shooting. That is why you are here attempting to bait me with your clumsy blustering. You want to force me to reveal the machinations of a plot that was set in motion long before you put on your pedestrian costume."

"In fact, exactly not," Wraith counters. "If your ego would allow you to hear other voices from outside your head, you would have heard me say that I believe you have nothing at all to do with this, nor do I believe you capable of planning anything which has any chance of success. The reason I am here is that I believe your technology has probably been stolen and used without your knowledge and I thought you might be up for some revenge against whomever was using your tech. But if you're going to insist upon this delusion that you had a hand in it, we are done here."

"Indeed, we are finished. Your belief in yourself shines like a blazing beacon of truth. How could I have ever been so wrong? Thank you Wraith, I now have the full measure of your intellectual prowess. And to think I overestimated you.

"Guards! Our interview is done!"

The door to the visiting room slides open.


Next week: Can Wraith unravel the mystery in time? Will Electron foil the bank robbery? Is this a linear adventure or is something more sinister afoot? Find out the answers to all or none of these questions in...This Electrician...This Electron!!!

[Jongluer]

Hahahaha, good week.
I love the Wraith and Gamemaster Interview.

[Lazydm]

Back in Wraith's Lair

Wraith pounds the worktable in frustration. The bullet fragment's structure is maddeningly complex. Arranged in layers like a metallic onion, the circuitry is laid out as a three dimensional construct. Without the entire bullet reassembled its true purpose may forever remain a mystery. Still...

Wraith carefully lifts the fragment and turns it over. There, along the outside are a pair of tiny holes, like pockmarks, or...

"Eyes," Wraith says. "The entire front of the bullet is a sensor array," He remembers the red dot hovering over Electron's chest a split second before the bullet struck. He reaches for his cell phone and dials the number for Detective Graves.

Wraith rolls a 17 on his DC 25 Investigation check and is able to analyze the purpose of the bullet.


Meanwhile, in the northern suburb of Rosedale

Margie Russo comes home for lunch every afternoon. Sure, the fast food chains are closer to her work but after watching 'Super Size Me' she's sworn off the burgers and fries for good. Her friends and family have also been witness to her anti-burger crusade as she proudly declares herself a born again eater of natural foods to anyone who cares to listen.

Today she's late, so a cup of ramen will have to suffice. She pops the foam container in the microwave, sets the time and leans against the wall of the kitchenette she shares with her roommate Vernetta. The apartment is darker than usual, she thinks. Usually Vernetta draws the shades open after Margie leaves for work, but not today.

Come to think of it, Vernetta's bedroom door is shut as well. She leaves it open during the day for better air circulation. Margie raps lightly on the door.

"'Netta, you in there hon?" she calls. No answer. In the background the microwave happily announces Margie's ramen is ready. As the last beep fades away Margie can hear a soft ruslting from behind the door. Cautiously she tries the doorknob. It turns easily in her hand and slowly Margie eases the door open.

There is no other sound in the apartment, so when the hinges creak the noise seems even louder. Margie's heart pounds against her chest, her throat tightens. Peering inside, Vernetta's room looks perfectly normal. A cool breeze brushes against Margie's face and the curtains next to the bed flutter briefly. Vernetta's bed hasn't been made but other than that there's nothing to worry about.

Margie crosses the room and closes the window. She takes another look around. All the blankets have been pushed into the small space between the bed and the wall. Or maybe Vernetta got up on the wrong side of the bed. I've fallen and I can't get up. Margie thinks to herself.

"'Netta? Vernetta? Are you under there? Come on, this isn't funny." Margie nudges the blanket with her shoe. Something's definitely under there. Margie's breathing very fast now as she leans over and grasps a handful of blanket.

"Vernetta, I'm going to count three. Then I'm going to pull back this blanket. Okay? Ready? One...two..." Margie pulls back the blanket as hard as she can. Margie never gets to three. She's too busy screaming.


Back to Wraith

"Wait, so Electron was shot with a smart bullet?" Detective Graves asks, leaning against the corner of a building.

"More like a miniature guided missile," Wraith answers from the darkened alleyway. "The shooter used a laser sight that guided the projectile precisely where it was supposed to go. It fits with the trajectory of the bullet as well as the distance it traveled. Its flight was in a straight line, not an arc. Had there been an arc the bullet would have impacted below the laser. I saw the spot myself. The bullet hit dead on."

"But Electron survived the shot. Come on, if this professional was really that good, wouldn't it have been killed him? Especially considering this smart bullet that was used," asks Graves.

"Maybe for most people. But Electron has a super-charged nervous system. There was a split second before the impact. That's all the time he would need to react," Wraith says.

"Unfortunately he wasn't able to get completely out of the way. Still, this explains a few of the inconsistencies we've seen in the lab. I'll pass your news along to the team and when the specialist gets here he'll be able to confirm your suspicions."

"Have you uncovered anything new?"

"Yeah, I cross-referenced the locations where you can find that clay with tobacco shops that sell that particular brand of cigarrete. Got a few hits. A few of our guys are heading out to check them out but you might want to take a look at them too before they get there. Definitely narrows down our search area," says Graves as be passes a piece of paper to Wraith.


Deutsche Bank: Downtown

"That's right folks, nobody moves, nobody gets hurt. We'll be on our way soon enough, right after we get access to the vault," declares the lone gunman in the center of the lobby. All around him are the terrified faces of people caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. Almost on cue a muffled explosion rocks the building. Dust and chips of plaster rain down from the ceiling high above.

"Ah, payday," the gunman smiles as he checks his watch.

"I wouldn't be so sure," says a voice from behind him. Confidently Electron steps through the front doors, lightning crackling from his fingertips. "Not while I'm here to stop you."

Initiative and Round 1

"Man, I knew one of you guys was going to show up," smirks the bank robber as he turns around to face Electron. "But I don't think you're in any position to stop anyone, Electron. Not when I've already stopped you. You can call me Ripcord!"

As the bank robber announces his name, Electron realizes he can no longer move. Glancing around he can see everyone in the lobby has been frozen in action. A line of bullets hangs in the air a few yards away from Ripcord, the bank guards still aiming their pistols harmlessly at nothing. Several bystanders are stuck in mid-stride. Nearby a stack of deposit slips hovers above the ground, the careless elbow that dislodged them likewise motionless.

"You know," Ripcord continues as he approaches Electron, "armed robbery has always been one of the more dangerous professions. Me and my friends always ran the risk of getting caught. But thanks to whatever happened to us a few days ago I think our luck's gonna change. Come to think of it, your luck's gonna change too." Ripcord raises his weapon and aims at Electron.

"Any last words, hero?"

Electron just smiles beneath his mask as a bolt of electricity arcs from his body, through the machine gun and into Ripcord. The robber takes an involuntary step backward, his limbs spasming and jerking as the lightning tears through him. But despite the suddenness of the attack Electron and the rest of the bank hostages still remain motionless.

Electron rolls a 9 for initiative, Ripcord rolls a 20. Electron is hit with an area effect Snare. He rolls a 3 on his Reflex save and is bound and helpless. Electron attacks, rolls an 18 and hits Ripcord. Toughness save DC is 20. Ripcord rolls a 13 and fails by more than five. He is stunned for one round and is Bruised. He rolls a 16 vs Concentration check DC 15 and sucessfully maintains his kinetic absorption field.


Pasadena

Miles south of Baltimore, Wraith examines the rundown apartment building from across the freeway. The clerk at Broadleaf Tobacco had no trouble remembering the short stubby man who constantly came in to purchase his Russian cigarrettes. He'd been coming in every week to buy a couple packs for almost two years. In fact, the clerk said, his apartment was right across the road. The man drove his pickup everywhere, even though he only lived a short walk away. Waste of gasoline, the clerk was happy to point out.

Sure enough, Wraith can see a muddy pickup parked in the lot space assigned to apartment 3A. There's a blue plastic tarp covering the bottom of the truck bed but from here it looks empty. A closer look confirms that the vehicle has recently been cleaned out. Forensics may get something off it later but Wraith follows his hunch and checks the apartment next.

Like the truck, the apartment appears to be abandoned. Half-empty and mostly-empty cartons of takeout food litter the counters and sink, adding to the overall stench of the place. Flies buzz about Wraith as he makes his way through the mess. Nearly every flat surface has at least one ashtray overflowing with cigarette butts and ashes. The blinds are closed giving an aura of gloominess to the rooms.

An old dinner table shoved in the corner of the living room catches his eye. On it is a laser printer next to a cable modem. The only thing missing from the setup is the computer. Glancing down Wraith notices a small wastebasket tucked away underneath the table. In the dim light it would have been nearly impossible to see.

Wraith rolls a 20 on his Notice check.

Pulling the wastebasket out into the open, Wraith's eyes widen behind his mask. Several airline ticket stubs have been wadded up and thrown away. As he looks over the receipts he sees that the tenant had booked multiple flights all leaving Baltimore yesterday afternoon. Whoever this person is they've most likely already left the city.

As Wraith starts to rise, a crumpled envelope at the bottom of the wastebasket catches his eye. The addressee is a private mailbox at a nearby Mail Boxes Etc. The return address is listed as Mercy Ridge Federal Penitentiary. With a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach Wraith realizes another piece of the puzzle has been put into place. The sender of the letter was The Gamemaster.

Wraith carefully removes the pages from the envelope and unfolds them. Scanning through the first page it appears the Gamemaster has begun a six page treatise on the history of paper production in the lower United States. Also, Wraith notes, for a man who claims to have the I.Q. of a supergenius his punctuation is atrocious.

Wraith rolls a 19 on his Investigate skill. If the letter is encoded it's too complex for him to break.

Knowing the chances of each seat purchased being filled by the same person is impossible Wraith tries to discover which flight the tenant actually boarded. He places several phone calls to Baltimore Washington International airport but receives the same answer from each airline. The information he seeks is restricted and cannot be given out over the phone.

Wraith rolls a 10 on his Gather Information check. He needs to beat a DC of 20 in order to find out which flight the suspect is on.


Baltimore Washington International Airport

Wraith decides to do some further investigation and, after a quick stop at his apartment to change into his civilian clothes and call a taxi, he heads to the airport. After tipping the driver and entering the terminal Dan is lost in a sea of controlled chaos. The dull roar of people passing by and half-heard snippets of conversation is a bit jarring after the last few days spent alone in his crime lab.

According to the wall map most of the airlines listed on the receipts are located fairly close to each other. It takes awhile to get used to the terminal layout but after that it's simple to find the service desk area. Choosing the desk with the shortest line, Dan waits for his turn.

The service representative looks up with a smile as Dan approaches. The pin on her lapel says 'Cathy'. "Welcome to Delta, how may I help you?" Cathy says.

"Hi, I'm trying to locate a friend of mine. His name is John Harrington. He had a ticket for outgoing flight 367 yesterday evening. The seat was 12C. Can you tell me if that ticket was actually used or not?"

"Sure thing," Cathy says. "Just a moment."

Dan waits for her to pull the information. Glancing behind him he sees the line has grown. The minutes tick by. Finally Cathy turns back to him.

"Sir? It looks like your friend did board that flight. Is there anything else I can help you with?"

"Nope, that's it. Thanks!" Dan answers as he leaves. One down, five to go. It takes awhile to get through all the lines, but at each desk he receives the same answer. Each flight's seat in question was filled by the ticket holder. Six passengers traveled to six different cities last night and Dan has no idea which one of them was the shooter.

Wraith rolls a 16 on his Gather Information check and the result is a success.

Electron's player didn't post as much this week, so Wraith's character gets to do a lot of investigating between Round 1 of Electron's combat and Round 2. Ah well, such is the stuff comic books are made of I'll sync up the timelines again later on.

Ripcord's one of those builds that was extremely expensive to put together. Basically he's a black hole for kinetic energy. Sucks it right out of you if you happen to stumble into his kinetic absorbtion field. Bullets, thrown objects, vehicles, whatever is rendered motionless. Good thing Electron uses electricity for his attacks, huh?

[Jongluer]

The investigation was really cool to read (as it nearly always is)
And it looks like some exciting combat will soon be coming up, I can't wait!

[Phantom Archer]

Great story once again...but what's up with the woman in the apartment?

[Lazydm]

That's a subplot I've started.