HF RPG 2.0

IC: Jimmy Abacus

^{Location: Enemy Base}

Jimmy reset the morality codes to an earlier version, finished some basic diagnostics, and removed his hand from the hero. "Looks like your code had been tampered with. I don't know why, but I've fixed the damage for now, although I recommend a full checkup once you're back at HQ. Now-" Jimmy turned to Bulk. "Let's check you out." And without another word, he placed his hand upon Bulk's core, starting diagnostic on him.

GM IC JIMMY ABACUS

Jimmy would find Bulk to be in a similar condition to Stringer, although his power drain was slightly worse. Running his augmented muscles wasn't easy on this whole thing. 

Bulk, unlike Stringer, had a number of holes and dents in his armor and was pretty badly beat up too. 

IC: Jimmy Abacus

^{Location: Enemy Base}

Jimmy finished up with fixing any harmful alterations to Bulk's code, finished his basic diagnostic processes, and removed his hand from his core. "You both are running dangerously low on energy right now. I recommend you both get back to HQ immediately."

GM NPC STRINGER AND BULK

"You didn't have to tell me that," Bulk grumbled. "C'mon, man, let's get out of here." Him and Stringer immediately began walking for the exit. 

OOC: Btw, the other turrets in that room are essentially and effectively sabotaged, Fishers. Just to remind you.

IC: Gadget Thompson/Control Room

"A trap? Makes sense. I guess we'll either have to dismantle the rocket manually, or rewrite the rocket's code."

On his comms, he spoke to Abacus.

"Are you done with Stringer and Bulk? I need a little help rewriting the rocket's code so the shut down code will work without need to launch it."

IC: Jimmy Abacus

^{Location. Enemy Base}

"Affirmative. I'm on my way." Jimmy made his way to Gadget, but on the way he'd sent Zib a message:

JimAbaF73: Zib, I recommend you make a full diagnostic of every system and program in Bulk and Stringer. It's possible I may have overlooked something in my scan.

OOC: Yes, I know. New villain profile for me: 

Name: Traferous Diafianous (Also known as Mene Vantal, "The Beast", Tom Dref, et. al.) 

Powers, Abilities, & Weapons: 

Nature of Form: 

Traferous' body is composed of mass modules throughout his form, a set of atomic creatures filled with energy that can transmute  any form of mass at the command of his will. His body exists half-way in and halfway out of a pocket dimension, which he can open and close at will. While it is possible for Traferous to retreat entirely to this pocket dimension to avoid death by an explosive or the like, it would cut him off from the galaxy permanently. Likewise, if Traferous took all of his mass out of the pocket dimension, he would likely lose access to it since he would be unable to find it again.

His mind is composed of an energy loop similar to the atomic creatures. This energy loop can move throughout his form at will. As such, he has the following powers: 

1. Shapeshifting: Traferous can assume the appearance of anything he knows at will, including increasing and decreasing his size. However, the pocket dimension is only so big, so him becoming a monster the size of a planet is clearly out of the question. 

2. Mass absorption/ transmutation: Traferous can transmute or rearrange portions of his form to become any form of mass he knows of, and leave it behind as itself, with no living creatures - it will literally be whatever form of mass he selects. This extends to other objects around him, but he must be in physical contact with the object in question, absorb it into his form, and then change its composition. 

He can also absorb other mass and energy into his form without harm, but again, his pocket dimension is only so big. Usually he relies on absorption to regain mass lost by attacks. 

In theory, Traf could reassemble himself from a bug-sized piece of matter back to life. However, his mental loop would be damaged if he got too small, so he would rather not risk it. 

Weapons: Traf's weapon of choice is kryptonium blasters, and lots of them. He loves explosions. He also normally carries a sword, for gentlemanly duels. 

Weaknesses (no metagaming these): Traferous' mind needs a bit of concentration to avoid swirling though his form randomly. Shortly after his transformation, his mind kept going from the pocket dimension and the real world without warning, a traumatic experience that he really tries not to think about.

He is famously terrible with computers and other electronic devices, preferring to leave the management of those to his assistants.

His shapeshifting powers are limited by what he knows how to shapeshift into, and otherwise has an intimate knowledge of. Traf had plenty of time to analyze the form of Mene Vantal. If he tries to copy a Hero that he does not know so closely, a detailed scan will reveal design differences that could rule him as a fake. 

Also, absorbing living beings into his form will not necessarily kill them unless he shifts their mind into another form of matter. For this reason, he almost never absorbs living beings into his form, and never absorbs computers, as he considers that too dangerous. 

And he does feel pain. 

Appearance: Whatever he feels like taking on. However, when he is not in some disguise he prefers a silver titan form that either carries four or five kryptonium blasters or wears a cape. 

Bio: Traferous Diafianous used to be an ordinary and highly successful businessman - in fact, as clean as a whistle - until a rogue Hero named Von Ness stopped by his place. Traferous was only too happy to help with the man's experiments regarding black holes, and even volunteered as Von Nebula's first test subject. The black orb staff was born from Traf's hand...only for the citizen to be transformed by the staff's energies into something...other. 

At first, the citizen was terrified, doing one experiment after another to try to change back. But eventually, he began to realize that it was not all bad, and that he could enjoy it. 

Surprisingly, he has no real beef with the Hero Factory - but he views them as laughably incompetent as the galaxy's protectors, and enjoys toying with them for fun. The galactic conspiracy, on the other hand, wants to arm every planet in the galaxy, and he views that as a threat to his amusement. Alas. 

Location: Tranquis VII

-------------------------------------------------------

Also, if you think he is OP, that was the intent behind the character. He could STILL be killed, but bringing him down will be REALLY HARD. Thwarting his plans and schemes, however, might be more in the form of feasibility. Please feel free to ask questions. 

GM IC TRAFEROUS (BOMB ROOM)

Traferous reabsorbed the kryptonium blasters into his form, immediately rearranging the atoms to repair the damage. Heroes. He then reached out toward the anti-quaza and quaza in front of him, breathing deeply as the energy and mass of them washed back into his form. It was wonderfully refreshing. 

He then ran into the second tunnel, reabsorbing the net and the two blasters on the floor, and the calcidium explosives and the wires. 

GM NPC ZIB

ZAlpha: Got it, Abacus. Will do.  

IC: Saracen Rune.

"So, um, is there anything I can do?" Saracen asked into the comms, "Or do I just get to stand around and wait for the nerds to save the day?" 

IC Kathrine:

"I could always use a bit of company, if things are wrapping up."

IC: Jimmy Abacus

^{Location: Enemy Base}

Jimmy walked up next to Gadget. "What's the situation?"

IC: Gadget Thompson/Control Room

"Can you hack the rocket and modify its coding to shut it down so that I can disassemble its important components safely? And when I go down, you might want to watch her."

I pointed to the quivering civilian on the ground.

"She might not do anything. But one can't be too careful."

IC: Jimmy Abacus

^{Location: Enemy Base}

"Shouldn't prove to be a problem." Jimmy said as he connected his hacking kit to the console. He then began focusing on infiltrating the rocket's programming.

GM IC TRAFEROUS

Saracen's answer might come in a terrifying and nasty roar. It was faint, still, and far away...

GM IC JIMMY ABACUS

Jimmy would find that there was no mechanism to stop the countdown to launch, although he would have access to the countdown mechanism itself. He could write a bridge from that to the emergency shutdown code, or he could gut the launch code itself, or he could make it so that the rocket would shut down upon launch or he could do something else...

IC: Saracen Rune.

*Sigh*

"I had to ask..."

IC: Jimmy Abacus

^{Location: Enemy Base}

Jimmy proceeded to completely wrecking the code, disabling its signal to the launch mechanisms and gutting it to a bunch of electronic debris that wouldn't be able to hurt anyone. He then proceeded to running the shut-down protocols, turning the rocket off to allow Gadget safe access to its mechanisms.

IC: Gadget Thompson/Control Room

I sensed the rocket becoming shut down, and I went down to scan it to examine it's construction knowing that it was inert enough to not start up when I would be working on it. 

GM IC GADGET

The rocket was composed of three sections. At the bottom of the rocket was a propulsion module that contained a lot of fuel and rocket boosters. At the tip of the rocket was an explosives launcher to cause the solar flares. In between was a detailed system of mirrors and propellers, obviously designed to aim the weapon and keep it from hitting the sun while it was operating. 

There was also a bunch of computers onboard to receive commands from Karter's computers and to calculate the aim precisely to avoid missing. .

OOC: Hang on... did you say Bulk and Stringer need to be EVACUATED? 

IC: Echo - Near extraction point

With the citizens and unwelcome media crew in tow, Echo made his way to the first shuttle. He didn't know the pilot in this one, so he just sent as many civilians on board as he could and then shouted "Full! You're clear for takeoff," up to the cockpit. Still trying hard not to think about the Xandros IX scandal, he sent the rest of the civilians aboard Drift's ship and gave a curt nod to the reporter and her camera-man. He'd been the media's punching bag for years and knowing his luck, this mission was somehow going to be another strike...

OOC: I forgot to mention it before, but Echo has been set up by the media on at least four separate occasions. The incident on Xandros IX still stings a bit (in case you can't tell).

IC: Eloise Thumper - In Rocket Room

Thumper had watched the other Hero race past her on her shameful walk to the door. She didn't know any of their names, but they hadn't had much time for introductions. She entered the room shortly after him and glanced around.

There was a rocket, that looked bad. And some computers. One of the evil scientists were sitting in the corner, probably terrified at the thought of being arrested or something. Some Heroes were working on the computer or eyeing the rocket. She didn't think she would be of much help here unless they needed her to punch the rocket. Which she could certainly do, she'd done it enough times before.

Her gaze wandered to a dead robot, his head mangled by what appeared to be a bullet. She wasn't too sure, though; her experience with what injuries looked like came mostly from personal experience, and it was rare for anything to do as much damage as what she saw on the robot. She approached the robot, looking for a sign of a weapon. Either the robot was dead before the Heroes got here, or the robot had a weapon and tried to attack.

She found no weapon. This confused her, but she deduced that one of the other Heroes must have picked it up for safekeeping. The Heroes behind her seemed to be getting into action, and one was at the rocket, doing some kind of tech thing. Thumper tapped them on the shoulder.

"Need me to punch the rocket?" Thumper asked. She added, to be helpful, "I've punched rockets before, don't worry. I even know what part is the nose-cone because I kicked one there once and was told that you shouldn't hit the explosive ones there."

OOC: Hang on... did you say Bulk and Stringer need to be EVACUATED? 

OOC: What is an RPG if you can't have a little fun?

GM NPC BULK AND STRINGER (APPROACHING EXTRACTION POINT)

The two Heroes managed the hike into an area near the Sunny Square where some dropships were parked. One took off. A bunch of civillians milled around, boarding other ships. "Why are they doing that?" Bulk wondered aloud. "This planet is safe now."

"Hey!" Stringer shouted, spotting Echo. Why did Hero Factory send him here on a civillian extraction? Is he insane? 

IC Jade:

Fueled up,the dropship descended to the planet, helping Echo evac civilians.

"Last burn! If you're plannin' on gettin' outta here, best get on now!"

IC: Echo - Extraction Point

Echo had just finished stashing Daxer's body in the small cargo hold when he was hailed from behind. His scowl darkened underneath his mask. More reporters? This was definitely another- oh... It was a pair of Heroes. Echo blinked once. He didn't even have to run a pattern-match analysis to know who these two were: Dunkan Bulk and Jimi Stringer, Alpha Heroes. They both looked pretty beat up.

"If you two are looking for a trip back to the Factory, this it." He nodded towards Bulk. "You don't look so good, sir. I'd recommend a visit to medical."

IC Wolfe:

He was already bolting after 'Vantal' before Zib had even finished speaking. But upon rounding a corner and finding not a soul in sight, he stopped and cursed under his breath. "Either we have a rogue Hero on our hands or some crook posing as a Hero," he growled into his comm, slightly out of breath. "Unless you want me to pursue, I'm heading back to the others."

Darn kids always running off where the explosions are...

IC Jet [Rocket Room]:

This darn kid simply followed the others through the door of evuls and gazed at the rocket in mild awe. And it seemed the techies were already halfway into disarming it, leaving him with little to do, he assumed. "Should we move these guys out of here...?" he asked his teammates, gesturing to the people who had been working on the rocket.

IC: Saracen Rune.

Recharging his rifle, he started off in the direction the mysterious roaring had come from...

GM IC GADGET

 

The rocket was composed of three sections. At the bottom of the rocket was a propulsion module that contained a lot of fuel and rocket boosters. At the tip of the rocket was an explosives launcher to cause the solar flares. In between was a detailed system of mirrors and propellers, obviously designed to aim the weapon and keep it from hitting the sun while it was operating. 

 

There was also a bunch of computers onboard to receive commands from Karter's computers and to calculate the aim precisely to avoid missing. .

OOC: Can I get like an example image or something so I have a visual idea of what I'm looking at, please?

OOC: Isn't possible.

IC: Eloise Thumper - In Rocket Room

The Hero she was talking to got up and started working on the back end of the rocket using a pretty cool hoverboard. Thumper blinked. "Oh, uh, okay..."

Maybe the Hero hadn't heard her. She called, louder, "Want me to punch the rocket? I'm pretty good at it!"

Experience had taught her to ask before punching any kind of nonsapient machinery, except in the case of a dire emergency.

GM IC TRAFEROUS

Wolfe would find himself staring face to face with a huge, enourmous beast. It was bright blue in color, carried twin kryptonium blasters on both shoulders, and walked on four enormous legs. Its jawline was surprisingly small, and it sported a silver blade protruding from its crackling red eyes. Its claws were large, and colored dusty brown. It roared and reared in an animalistic display of dominance, its head crashing into the ceiling and looking no worse for wear. 

That's because it wasn't. 

OOC:

it sported a silver blade protruding from its crackling red eyes.

Oh, and just thought of a few questions about the new villain: I assume there's a delay between absorbing a living being and transmuting their brain into something else to kill them (to get through the skull equivalent)? Also: by 'never absorbs computers', does that apply to robots or just computers in the layman's sense of the term, that is, a box thing that has a screen attached usually?

OOC:

 

it sported a silver blade protruding from its crackling red eyes.

 

 

Oh, and just thought of a few questions about the new villain: I assume there's a delay between absorbing a living being and transmuting their brain into something else to kill them (to get through the skull equivalent)? Also: by 'never absorbs computers', does that apply to robots or just computers in the layman's sense of the term, that is, a box thing that has a screen attached usually?

OOC: I meant between its eyes. Like a horn, only horizontal instead of vertical. (I was trying to avoid it being too much like a rhinosaurus.)

Yes, and layman's sense for computers. 

I did briefly toy with the idea that Traferous could have just absorbed Vantal, core and all, and then Vantal would still actually be 'alive' as an inert core inside Traferous' form. However, I really think Traferous would be more cautious than that, so he really is dead. (Also keeping that core alive requires energy, something that Traferous needs a lot of, changing his form and crossing dimensions and stuff. It would just be a waste in his view.)

I'll get to Gadget's diagram in a few minutes. 

OOC: Okay I'll try not to be too disappointed by the lack of knife eye attacks. And now I know that I should find a way to keep my melee-only wrestler character from attacking the monster directly without metagaming. Call me sentimental, but I'm rather attached to Thumper and would not like to have her die on her first mission. Although "absorbed into the monster she had performed a piledriver on" would be a pretty awesome way to go.

OOC: Didn't I just say that Traferous didn't absorb Heroes? I don't want people to be scared of fighting him - he's not going to "insta-absorb-kill" anyone. He's not like Ghidora's Mr. Crunchy, more like the Host character from Bionifight: Infinite. 

Trust me, if I have any god-modding characters or characters that are wandering off into interaction blue yonder for no reason, I have better ways of dealing with them than Traferous. 

OOC: Oh! Whoops. Must have missed that (I misread the part about Vantal). Sorry! If it's any consolation, I didn't figure it as being insta-kill, just that I had to be quick on the draw for Thumper to tear her way out of his innards in the traditional Xenomorph fashion.

I am also taking this as an invitation to piledrive to my heart's content.

IC: Saracen Rune.

"Someone want to tell me what the heck's going on?" He barked into the comms, breaking into a run as he headed in the direction that the roaring and crashing had come from. 

IC: Eloise Thumper - In Rocket General Area

There was a crash and a roar somewhere off in the distance, and so it seemed that Thumper's rocket-punching would have to wait. The other Hero seemed to be on top of things, anyway. She called up, "Never mind, I'll go sort that thing out instead. Thanks anyway."

She thudded in a lumbering jog after the Hero already running for the source of the noise. At least crashing and roaring typically meant something she could hit was close by.

For Gadget: 

IC: Leighla Artemis - Sunny Square (Extraction Point)

True to her word, Leighla directed her camera bot into a position where he would be more likely get better footage of the ships entering the upper atmosphere, making sure his attention didn't waver back towards the Hero or his two approaching comrades as he began to record. While she herself did take note of their arrival, she had every intention of keeping her word as doing otherwise would compromise her integrity.

IC: Riot - The Grand Tranq (Basement)

Stepping out into the darkened underbelly of the hotel, Riot continued his sweep, checking the nearby rooms for hostiles as he proceeded with his mission.

IC: Jimmy Abacus

^{Location: Enemy Base}

Jimmy disconnected from the console and trained his pistol on the civilian hiding in the corner. "Stay right there, and no one gets hurt."

For Gadget: 

 

OOC: Thanks. Now I know what Gadget is doing would be somewhat impossible. Unless the rocket is on it's side IC.

IC: Echo - Extraction Point

Echo began helping with closing the hatches on the dropships. He kept a tab on the camera-man and was relieved to see that the reporter had kept her word and directed him to point his recorder away from the Heroes. He would be in the news for sure, but he had been very careful not to give the reporter his name so he might get lucky and be mentioned anonymously. 

"You guys getting on or what?" He asked the Alpha Heroes.

IC: Splint

Splint was not in a good mood. The Hero he had just repaired got up and ran off without waiting for medical clearance. This usually wouldn't have warranted much concern - he'd dealt with plenty of hyper-determined types that thought they could just shrug off their injuries and finish the mission. But even they usually had the common sense not to try that after nearly having their neck detached. Combined with his cryptic statements about having "real business" to take care of, it seemed mildly suspicious, but not enough for him to get worked up over. However, it was definitely worth a complaint to whoever his immediate superiors were.

The disturbing thing, though, was that he had somehow managed to extract the nanites out of his body and leave them in a small, shiny pile on the floor. As far as Splint knew, only medics had the ability to recall healing nanites. There was no reason for ordinary Heroes to be able to do it - it would only result in the aforementioned hardcore types finding more ways to refuse treatment. So when Wolfe started chasing after Vantal, he followed.

Now he was facing a(nother) giant beast-thing. If it was hostile (which it probably was given the way it was roaring), it would require a lot more than two Heroes to subdue. Immediately, he activated his comms. "This is field medic Splint, requesting anyone available for backup in the tunnels!"  A set of coordinates followed.

~Unit#phntk#1