Vanguard’s Inhuman! The ship. A cell.
Inhuman watched calmly as the world came to a bloody end. He recognized the newscasters. It was all happening. It was all real.
He said to the Owl: "The reason why he took us from the prison break and now you are showing me this points in only one possible direction, this is merely part one of a multi part plan. So that means the real question is...." Inhuman paused as his face adjusted itself to become more barracuda like "What does Primate want us to do?"
The Owl’s large eyes didn’t blink often enough. He said: “The Primate sees us as his kin, despite our more human attributes. He welcomes us to join in Earth’s new future.
“Wait outside,” he said to Ratman, Cockroach and the writhing human centipede.
The three left the cell with the laptop and shut the door, locking the Owl in with Inhuman. Outside in the hall, they were easily within earshot of a cry for help.
The Owl said softly, “You are earning our trust, Inhuman. And I bring an opportunity for you to earn more. Tell me about Vanguard and CHESS, especially their vulnerabilities.”
OOC: Replies?
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Inhuman:
Inhuman's mind raced... "Hmmm," he looked at the Owl "listen, give me a moment to incorporate this information so I can give you most relevant information to the current situation" "Yes, yes..." his lips pursed he began to slightly resemble a lionfish "well i wish I had been able to confer with our esteemed Primate before he set this plan of his in motion, And you do still want their weakness? Fine, the biggest weakness of the members of Vanguard and CHESS is that they are targets of the Black Bat." "Primate and yourself of course understand the implications but just in case I would be looking for anomalies around Big City and in the Asiatic countries, specifically with the classics you would expect...." "The other major concern I wish to share with you will have to wait until I am assured certain associates are on the far side of the ship...." Looks pointedly at the Door "there are some you can never be too far away from."
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GM:
The Owl scrutinized Inhuman carefully. "Very well," he said. He rose and left the cell, locking it behind him. Inhuman heard discussion in the hall. The Owl returned and sat down again.
"Ratman is gone. Please continue with your other major concern as well as additional vulnerabilities Vanguard possesses, as individuals and as a team."
The Owl grew quiet, making room for Inhuman's words.
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Inhuman:
Inhuman looks long and hard at the Owl, "I still need credit with Primate, tell you what, I'll release what I know so long as you get a link up with Primate, so he knows I gave you the information, I suppse that will have to do."
OOC: If the Owl Agrees and a link is set up I will give the following information: If he agrees to a link but only after some more information I will give him the sentences about Sentinel and Ratman as proof.
"Team?" inhumans face became a mask of indignation before he snorted his derision "They couldn't Bowl together. Now then individually we need to keep our numbers focused, Don't let them draw it into a one on one because that is what they are best at, if you can, assign one per target to keep them tied up in individual combats and then have the rest focus on another and pull them down individually while we act like a pack."
"Individually I have some real problems with them, Sentinel seems to be hearing things, frankly it seems to be as a result of his encounter with Dr. Swastika's machine. Which leads to why I don't trust Ratman he was exposed to the Destestible Doctors machines far longer, if he begins sneaking off or mentioning hearing voices... well he may be suffering from exposure to the machines" Inhuman wearily shook his head "sad really but when you are exposed to uncontrolled experimentation well sometimes side effects happen."
Inhuman tilted his head to the side as a new thought struck him. "Forester and Lightning strike are manifesting problems from the same encounter in different ways thenselves Forester can't seem to realise when he is in danger or how to use every arrow to his maximum benefit and Lightning Strike is worse than before with moods of dark depression, I wouldn't be surprised to find him hanging off of lightning rods brooding in the middle of the city, again things to be used against them."
"Then there is the rubberheaded idiot Slingshot, write him off like you do Crab man and just keep in mind he is strong and flexible but not that tough, if you can hammer him with a lot of little attacks to keep his attention
"Kairos is tough for a popinjay but his prettyness may be useable as a weakness against him perhaps by seeing if Jellyfish can attract his attention. Since he can't even go to a seafood house in costume and keep from flirting with the waitstaff."
Inhuman half quirked a smile of disgust that made him look more like a Kraken than ever before "Then that may be the path we want to go down with holding him off long enough to free up others." Symbiote and the harness well there is a pretty puzzle," Inhuman frowned in concentration "the best thing to do is to play keep away for five minutes untill his suit runs out of juice for that image and keep in mind whatever weaknesses his target has he has so we need to know our teams weakness so it can be countered" Inhuman lands a specualtive predatory gaze over the Owl "but like most technological triumphs strip off his gear and he is much less effective. Though I won't make the mistake of assuming him helpless without his toys."
"The only other person running around With Vanguard itself last I saw is Sam Drake of Chess though he may be there to get them under control or stop them if he has to. If you can with Sammy-boy drop the powered costumes and just go for 'we are normal people vs the freaks you are working with' he dislikes the costumed crusaders and that can be used against him. He doesn't even realise that at Berkley U running around all day in a wet suit with some paint on it was considered more normal than alot of the other tenured professors! But then we don't really need a gun toting maniac who acts like he never heard of fire control, do we?"
"Now then I have verbalised a lot of the information but some of what I have learned about them can only be really used by training so if you really expect them to pay us a visit then we should begin training, otherwise we will defeat ourselves by letting them fight their way not our way." Inhuman rather stiffly bows toward the compute link with Primate "With your permission Primate, that is what I recommend."
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GM:
The Owl listened to Inhuman’s information on Sentinel and Ratman. Then he agreed to granting Inhuman an audience with the Primate!
Inhuman was taken from his cell by the Owl, Slugg and the centipede monstrosity and escorted through the clean, high tech corridors of the craft. It was a marvel of advanced engineering. Inhuman got a closer look at the Owl, whose wing-cloak was no longer closed (see attached image).
Inhuman was brought before the Master of Beasts! The Primate was a powerful figure. The simple but sturdy chair that the massive mountain gorilla graced was transformed into a throne just through the silverback’s regal bearing and terrible dignity. Inhuman was hard pressed to resist his overwhelming intellect and charisma!
The room of their meeting was filled with machines, computers and technology beyond Inhuman’s ken. The Owl and the others quickly fell silent in the presence of their leader.
The Primate gave attention to the rest of Inhuman’s information. When Inhuman finished and bowed, the mighty simian spoke. “I believe your words, Inhuman.” He paused.
“The world is changing. And your unique physiology earns you a place by my side. You will be released and accepted by The Pack.”
Then the Primate’s dark, intelligent eyes looked directly at Inhuman. “But I warn you. Just as trust will be rewarded with trust, treachery will be rewarded with treachery. Betray me at your peril, friend.
Mercy is a decidedly human trait; it has no place in my Animal Kingdom.”
(OOC: Reply if any?)
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Inhuman:
A stray thought crossed his mind when he was warned away from treachery while he was locked with the Grim Gaze of the Great Ape: treachery was human and Inhuman was not. And the Law of the Sea recognized only strength not treachery.
Though somewhere buried deep in his breast Carl Greenlove bemoaned the loss of millions of humans or more, he knew that there was little to be done. Vengance was empty, Death was beyond his grasp and a problem of this magnitude was insurmountable.... unless one could turn the tiny wheel it all hinged upon. This however was a time for the Law of the Sea, not the Law of Man, and Inhuman was finding out rather quickly that for all his boasting the Primate was more human than the Massive Mountain Gorilla liked to admit.
But time for that had passed, Inhuman knowing his dismissal turned to the Owl and with a grand gesture said:
"Well, packmember, would you do me the favor of giving me a guided tour of the vessel? I also think that perhaps a few moments to clean myself off " Inhuman briefly plucked the front of his wetsuit letting out a stronger whiff of iodine "before we rejoin The Pack would not be taken amiss by the more sensory sensitives of our Pack before we begin real work with our fellows...."
OOC: can I use my Hydro sense to judge the weight of the Primate? In addition I will attempt to build a mental map of the vessel as well as noting the 'Don't go here" places and the general flow of water utilising my Hydrosense. Looking for resevoirs, general layout both by access as well as pipe flow, potentially hidden individuals, etc....
During the 'tour' I will carry on an intelligent conversation with the Owl primarily, though if others join or accompany us I will occasionally attempt to draw them in to the conversation and see how the interpersonal relationships work (ie how the Owl rates them in the pecking order, as well as how they feel about being a part of the conversation and their speaking abilities). I will be attempting to utilise my research skill to uncover their backgrounds and abilities, but discreetly much like a courteous host or guest making everyone feel at home by giving them opportuniies to shine in the conversation by giving them attention. If this seems to be having a negative impact on the Owl then I will gradually reduce the level of interaction until he is at least mollified enough to be undisturbed.
If I get the shower i'll not dry off the suit but instead use the water like breadcrumbs to help with the mental mapping.
Inhuman resisted the Lure of the Primate by the simple expedience of drawing about himself the innate nature and regality of the Architeuthis, reminding himself that the Whales thought themselves the rulers of the sea while they rivaled with the Kraken of the ocean depths for supreme power.
Vanguard Roll Call!
