NEW VINDICATORS #10: Checkmate (IC)

[McGuffin]

Ursa
[Otso Karell]
HP: 11

Otso cringed at the sight of Jack the Doormat, yet another in a long line of presentation's of how Jason's subconscious viewed his classmates. At least they hadn't had to fight any more of them after Sir Lex.

He hurried into the fortress at the front of the group, simultaneously wanting to get their mission done and over with as quick as possible while dreading having to face some twisted version of himself in these halls.

[Arthur Eld]

Jason Lamperouge/Prodigy

The thin boy laughed a little, a dry unprovoked sound like snapping a twig. It was all so surreal, so absurd-which he supposed was the point. "What's next? A rotund Finnish bear-boy with his head stuck in a honey jar?" He chuckled without derision...barely.

"Although I imagine the details of this place will fuzzy a bit once I am...whole again. Having been made aware of all this on a conscious level, it will cease to be purely subconscious, and likely switch into a new form. Like that labyrinth back there." Ever-shifting, it had been. Jason would have gotten through eventually, question asking doors, illusory walls, and pitfalls aside, but it had certainly been taxing. Murphy's speed had helped test his guesses about which way to go. Still, it had been enjoyable. The last time he had been challenged like that, intellectually, was when he had built his hologram generator.

"Anyway, if Danny is in the dungeons, there will doubtless be guards, or traps, or something. Eddy wouldn't leave him unprotected. Maybe we'll even this Princess Emily herself." He smiled broadly.

"Best to be on the lookout." While keeping his eyes peeled, so to speak, he wondered if he would be even able to remember all of this, or if his reconstituted mind would have blocks, of a sort, in place.

Honestly, he was just kind of sad he hadn't seen his mother yet. It had been so long, and he had hoped he might encounter her here, in this strangest of places.

Notice check 1d20+14=34
Watch, our next foe will announce themselves openly and without subterfuge.

[Arkrite]

Alex "Current" Murphy
.
HP: 7 CND: Normal

Lex just shakes his head.

To find out that Jason hadn't thought much of him, and possibly less of Kirstie didn't surprise him. He didn't really care about Jason thought of him, but seeing the guy's opion of Kirstie annoyied him. Martin looked pissed off since they ran into his alter-ego, and he'd decided to stay quiet since pissing off the french guy who could melt you was never a good idea.

It had taken a lot of will power not to laugh at the mention of Emily being an ice queen. And now Jack invisioned as a doormat. He felt sorry for Jason if he really thought Jack was as toothless a pushover as the rug had been.

Not as sorry as he felt for the rug though. He sighed, looking back. He'd wanted to move the thing to a less depressing spot, maybe hanging as a tapestry instead where it would at least avoid being stomped on. But, as he'd pointed out to Jason, he had no idea what effect his tampering with thing would have.

He felt like asking if Jason actually liked anybody. So far everything they'd come across had been pretty insulting. Of course with everybody seeming to be on edge already he suspecting adding to it wouldn't be good.

Last thing he wanted was to be stuck in here by himself trying to fix things.

"So all we have to do is bust this guy out, right?"

[Michuru81]

JASON'S MIND: THE KEEP (Everyone)
Making their way inside, the New Vindicators cautious peeked behind doors, looking for access to the dungeons. Finally, Jason turned a corner and spotted a door flanked by a pair of guards...

They wore breastplates, gauntlets and greaves in the style of the fullplate this world's Lex wore. No doubt, they were members of the same order as the knight, just not as highly ranked...

One of them had Tatjana's face; the other Vlad's...

Jason had seen them before they had seen him--but did that count for anything? As aspects of his mind, would they know everything he did, or did their failure to look his way mean they were automomous and lacked a rapport with him? If that was the case, perhaps the element of surprise could be used to end any sort of brawl transpired...

[Arthur Eld]

Jason Lamperouge/Prodigy

Jason backed away, against the corner of the wall. He whispered. "Guards up ahead. Tatjana and Vladislav guarding a door. They don't seem to have spotted me. If we split up and focus on them both, we can bring them down fast, before they try to get help or something."

He held onto his totem again-by now, his hand had more than a dozen little thorn punctures. The dead flowers, however, looked positively radiant with new life. "How about Jack and Lex deal with Tatjana and Martin and I will handle Vlad. Martin, I should be able to make him weaker, physically." He didn't like the thought of anybody harming Tatjana, really but he told himself that she wasn't really Tatjana. At least he wouldn't have to hurt her himself.

[Michuru81]

JASON'S MIND: THE KEEP (Catalyst, Current, Fluxx, Greystone, Prodigy, Ursa; NPCs: Pseudo Tatjana, Pseudo Vlad)
It was a solid plan, and everyone could agree that they needed to get past them. Acting on it, the group made their move...

Initiatives, then we'll begin the surprise round.

[Arthur Eld]

Initiative for Jay 1d20+6=14

[Arkrite]

Alex "Current" Murphy
.
HP: 7 CND: Normal

Lex appears distracted, half way between suggesting two other possibilites as everybody starts moving before sighing and moving himself.

OOC: Init: 1d20+14=16

[flynnarrel]

Fluxx

Fluxx nodded, slightly in thanks that he wasn't the one dealing with faux-Tatjana. Admittedly, his first thought was to have Lex be Sir Lex and talk them into distraction, but this works too.

init (1d20+7=21) delaying until after Jason

"Otso, I will try to bind ze man, if 'e is like our Vlad we cannot let 'im build momentum, come up be'ind and clobber 'im, yes?"

[McGuffin]

Ursa
[Otso Karell]
HP: 11

Otso nodded slowly to Martin as he waited for the others to act before making his move.

Initiative (1d20+1=9)

[flynnarrel]

Fluxx

"Ah, Right, Candy Vlad, my mistake. Per'aps we can just pound him, no?" Martin corrects.

[Tattooedman]

Greystone:
[Jack Rexroth]
HP: 11

After beating Jason's mind's take of Alex and ignoring the fae Kirstie that kept bouncing back and forth on what to do, Jack kept silent. They were basically walking around inside his step-brother's head, there was a good chance they could do some permanent damage to him if they weren't careful.

When the group made their way into the city Jack had to admit that the way it was built was nice to look at; everything was symmetrical and lined up in a way that was damn near perfectly aligned, probably some kind of long, involved math formula was invovled that Jack would never understand but Jason could in about two seconds. It made sense a city in his mind would be mathematically perfect. Then the group met Geppetto and Martinio.

Jack just didn't get the reference Jason's mind was making and decided the less he tried to question it the better. Then they traveled through the large maze, at least Alex had been useful there; scouting routes under Jason's direction. Jack was sure that their efforts made the trip much shorter than it should have been. Then they were at the keep and met the Jasonized version of himself.

Jack just stared for a moment. Definately not how he'd thought someone would think of him but after considering his past arguements with Alex the tattooed teen was forced to admit that a person could see him in such a way.

Besides this was supposed to be Jason's subconscious mind, he didn't have any real control over it did he? Hard to tell with his superbrain.

When they found a pair of guards, who just happened to look like Vlad and Tat, Jack figured they were on the right track. And Jason laid out his plan, at least it didn't involve Jack having to fight with someone who looked like his awol best friend but he did have to put up with Alex.

Jack mentally sighed and readied himself for the sign for everyone to make their move.

Initiative: (1d20+4=10).

Just going to use the same Shapeshift arrangement as before.

[Michuru81]

Initiative

Fluxx: 21
Current: 16
Prodigy: 14
Greystone: 10
Ursa: 9

As Martin is delaying until Jason makes a move, it's Lex's show.

[Arkrite]

Alex "Current" Murphy
.
HP: 7 CND: Normal

Lex pauses long enough to look at Jack and then point to his own ears. Jack would get it, or he wouldn't.

Then he zipped into the room at high speed, stopping by Tatjana's side and clasping a hand to her shoulder.

"Sorry," He says with a helpless shrug as he releases a blast of taser like energy from his hand.

OOC: Extra effort to gain two ranks on Paralyse. Move action to get to Tatjana and then Paralyse attack: 1d20+6=19
DC22 Will Save

[Arthur Eld]

Jason Lamperouge/Prodigy

Jason leaned back into the hall, keeping most of his body protected by the wall as he leveled his hand, covered in thorn marks, and spoke softly. "Ghenrtts Nadir."

The magic flowed through him, coalescing into a ribbon of dark energy that seemed to swim through the air and surround Vlad, coiling around him before sinking down into his form.

Attacking with Drain Strength, 1d20+5=6 That's the second 1 I've rolled today.
Re-rolling with a Hero Point 1d20+11=16 And that's the lowest result I could get with a re-roll. Still, should hit a flat-footed Vlad. After Sneak Attack and the Boost, its rank 10, so DC 20 Will.
Should leave me with 9 Hero Points.