The Perfectibilists! Part Three: Paradise, Lost![IC]

[Prof Weird]

Lithos
HP : ?
Condition : too tall for this world ...

Once Eidolon signalled for the team to teleport back to base, Lithos placed the gold on the ground close to herself and changed back to her human state.

True, her stone form had a LOT of perks - being tough enough to ignore everything short of a tank's cannon, strong enough to toss a bus a few miles, and not needing to breathe or worry about poisons or disease were great !

Being eleven foot four when most buildings have ten foot high ceilings ? Not so much.

"Even I've seen enough science fiction programs to know what happens when body parts materialize inside material objects !" she noted to herself, "I might be tough enough to survive something like that, but I'd rather not take the chance !"

The transport was barely noticeable - one moment, she was in the vault; the next, back at headquarters.

Normally, she'd be worried about all those people milling about, but she remembered that 1) most of the crew there were Eidolon's men, and 2) the actors there would assume anything out of the ordinary they may have seen was just special effects of some sort.

And this WAS Freedom City !

"If you want to see something weird or unusual, just look out the window for a few minutes." she wryly noted, "Sooner or later, one of the local heroes or villains will meander by.

And there are some really 'interesting' folk out there ... "

[RedBstrd]

Eidolon
HP 1, Luck 2
Condition: Normal

Arriving back in the film studio, Eidolon quickly glances around to take inventory of the situation. He sweeps across the building like a force of nature. First, he politely requests that Lithos move the gold into the secret compartments, then he removes his armor, presents himself as the director, and starts barking orders in nearby rooms, poking his head through the doors just long enough to get people moving. "You, henchmen, great costuming, stay in character. I want you ready for an action shot." To the real actors, he commands: "You, get in character, we're rolling soon. Get those last minute makeup touch ups and be ready."

Having shooed the real actors - unaware hostages - into a small dressing and makeup room, he returns for a metaphorical huddle with the fellow villains. "Let's take a quick inventory and determine what changes we need to make to the plan, if any. We were successful and haven't lost anyone. The product needs to be moved. We have our film crew cover but if that option spoils or we don't want to put all of our eggs in one basket, I have three more trucks outside to move us and our equipment. That's a plan and a backup plan. However, three of us were seen by the enemy. We can anticipate some resistance. If anyone has convenient methods of travel that we should consider, let's discuss."

I'm not sure if Essence came into the building yet. If not, then Eidolon will check on her through his commlink.

His battle suit has the feature Quick Change, so it's like Tony Stark's briefcase suit. He can take it off and put it on with a quick verbal command or by pressing in a quick sequence on his electronics.

[dreamking89]

Cheshire Cat


"Where exactly are we going to take this gold?" The Cheshire Cat asks as he appears by the food table and takes a bite of a doughnut. "I've got a hideout we could store it, but it's probably a better idea to get it all out of Freedom City." A second Cheshire Cat appears next to Lithos, giving her a nudge, "And preferably take it somewhere the Vangard won't spot a billion dollar spending spree. Am I right or what?"

[Hound]

Jack
HP: 1, Luck 4

"Is this where the party is?" Jack asked with a smile as he appeared out of no where. The room's temperature dipped a few degrees, and one of the light bulbs closest to Jack suddenly went out, casting a shadow over him. "I must say, that was rather easy." Jack's expression turned cold and began to twist with anger. "I hate easy. Easy is boring."

Suddenly his smile returned, "But, I made a deal. A deal's a deal. What is next on the agenda?" Jack began humming an odd childish tune while waiting for a response.

[Nineofspades]

Willow
HP 4


Willow stood in the corner, eyes closed, arms crossed. She was deathly still, almost asleep. Except her expression wasn't one of peaceful rest, it was one of deep thought. A single step closer. But there was a threat to everything, one which she'd kept quiet about. The goal outweighed the risk. Except now, that the gold was theirs, anyone who could reveal them was a loose end which needed cutting.

Her eyes snapped open, her stern face looking out at the group. "There is a problem, our operation may be compromised." She paused a moment, to ensure everyone had time to process what she said, and so she'd have their undivided attention. "Last night, I was approached by an elderly gentleman. He spoke to me, and made clear that he knew not only my identity, but the nature of the crime we had planned to commit. He also was able to escape before I was able to stop him or find out more." Willow's words were surprisingly calm, speaking the facts directly. "The possibility exists that he may know more, and could reveal it to our enemies. He needs to be silenced, and we should prioritize this above relocating the gold. If I commune with The Green directly, I may be able to pinpoint this mans location. And then he can be dealt with."

[Kevin_MacTaggert]

Suddenly, the space doorway flies open, kicked by a booted foot! Into the room walks Vanguard, Freedom City's champions!


Synchronicity, fearless female warrioress!


Quantum, master of electro-magnetism!


Eye, superhuman mistress of the mind!


Maximus Atom, team leader & a mind-bending polymorph!


Outside the building, Metallic's huge robotic form strode past the doorway!

Essence walks in escorted by Eye & Atom, her arms pinned behind her,
perhaps by special restraints! Synchronicity yells & points at the villains,
" We have Essence & she told us everything! "

[Hound]

Jack
HP: 1, Luck 4

"Ahh! New play mates! It just got fun again!" A sadistic smile curled on Jack's lips as a look in his eye began to grow. He began to resemble a man, starved for days, now face to face with a steak meal with all the trimmings. Black smoke began to circle his body, and coalesce into his magic murder axe.

"Eenie meenie miney moe... catch a hero by the toe. If he hollers, slit his throat. Eenie meenie miney moe..."

[Nineofspades]

Willow
HP 4

"Stand down Jack...All of you actually" Willow commanded, stepping forward, facing the entire mass of super hero's. And Much like the huntsman, she to was smiling. But her's was not a mad smile born of insanity. It was a smile born of planning and assurance. Just as she'd said, the hero's would find them. Its what they do. And there is another thing hero's do. Save helpless citizens.

Overgrowth, targeting the largest Tree in Central Park that I can sense. Growth 15. Enough to push it up 3 size catagories, probably putting it in the neighborhood of 300ft, taller than most of the buildings surrounding the park.

Which is the trigger condition for my MIND CONTROL sleeper agents

Post in which I planted the Spores

Here is my mental command to all the sleepers. Get into your car, and drive around, killing and injuring as many people as you can. If you don't have a car, use whatever is on hand.

And Willow hasn't told anyone else about the sleepers, so Essence didn't know, meaning our hero's should be totally off guard.

I love it when a Plan comes together

"Through the city, right now, Pandemonium is spreading. Thousands will die in the next few minutes, probably more. Stay here, and you might stop us. Go, and you could save them, maybe all of them." You could hear the pride in her voice, the way she knew she'd already won.

[Hound]

Jack
HP: 1, Luck 4

Jack debated sticking his axe between Willow's shoulder blades. It would look nice there and she would look so good in red. But there was that pesky deal he made with Mr. E.

Jack... reluctantly... did not kill Willow for interrupting his fun, and waited.

[Prof Weird]

Lithos
HP : ?
Condition : Normal

Eidolon had asked her to put the stolen gold into the lair's secret compartments and so, taking a moment to sit down, she summoned her powers back again.

Since she could lift about 1600 tons, moving a 'mere' 70 tons of shrunken gold was simple and quick.

She agreed with Chesire's sensible idea of getting the gold somewhere to fence and SPEND IT fast (a habit she got into early in her criminal career - you do not want stolen merchandise just lying around), but before she could say anything, Willow announced there was a threat to the mission.

And then a whole squad of superheroes gatecrashed !

"Okay, so NOW what the freck is going on ?! Petra groused to herself, "Willow asked us to stand down ?! Great - she had a plan in motion this whole time and she didn't tell anyone about it !

I wonder what else she has in mind ?" she continued musing, keeping an eye on the supers and her plant controlling 'teammate', "Probably has plans on shanking all of us the moment we are of no further use to her.

Oh joy. THAT old routine again !"

[dreamking89]

Cheshire Cat
Condition:
HP: 3


"Oh, son of a...." Cheshire Cat is about to grab as much gold as he can carry and teleport to his home, but stops when Willow begins speaking. After which he gains a bit more confidence.

"Such a shame you can't stick around." the master thief says, appearing next to Willow, "Perhaps we will all meet again. Maybe over a few drinks?" He grins widely, winking at Synchronicity.

[RedBstrd]

Eidolon
HP 1, Luck 2
Condition: Normal

St. Cloud laughs loudly at the heroes. "Seriously gentlemen? This is your great strategy? Take your time as you figure out that you don't have the upper hand here. Aside from your inability to save the city if you stay, you've also forgotten our hostages: all 1600 tons of them. Release Essence and hand over..." Nodding to Cheshire, he continues, "...Synchronicity as our guest. Then you can leave to play hero elsewhere. If you fail to do so, we detonate the gold. It will burn just as the city is doing. The world economy will collapse. You'll be glorified meter maids by the end of the week." The villain shakes his head in disbelief at the heroes. "You'd be wise to take Willow's offer. Do that and we might be nice enough to invest some of our wealth back in Freedom City."

Not wanting only a single sword hanging over the heads of the hearoes, Eidolon then clicks on his commlink: "Kill an actor and keep killing one every five seconds until I tell you to stop." The villain catches himself and looks at the heroes. "Hold that for one moment, I think our guests might be smarter than they look..."

Eidolon doesn't expect them to stand down but he wants them scrambling to react to us rather than thinking clearly and coming up with a coordinated plan.

Since it's only a matter of time...Initiative: 1d20+14=31.

[Prof Weird]

Lithos
Condition : watchful

"I think it might be best to stay in my mutant form a bit longer ... !"
Lithos groused to herself as she kept a wary eye on the supers, ready to move in case someone tried something stupid.

And with that many 'heroes' in one spot, she realized it was only a matter of time.

[Hound]

Jack
HP: 1, Luck 4

Jack smiled with wicked glee as Eidolon threatened the heroes with massive massacre. He knew a fight was coming, he maybe even wanted a fight. But he knew how to psychologically mess with them. Make them angry, make them attack with all their power. Make them rush. Make them dumb.

Jack knew there was a reason why he like Eidolon, but it was always nice to be reminded why.

[Belial666]

Essence
HP: ???
Condition:

Let's not be hasty, people. Essence says with a small smile that gives everyone the creeps, bound though she may be. There's always an alternative to carnage among the civilians, is there not? Then, as the so-called heroes justifiably look at her with suspicion, her own shadow seems to elongate, the image of a left hand impossibly snaking around Essence's neck, fingers shaped into a claw. And with a quick, deft move, rips a deep gash into the pale-haired girl's neck!!!
Essence falls on her knees, gurgling sounds coming off her as she tries to breathe, black blood spilling upon the floor. As heroes, villains and bystanders stare in stupefaction, the blood stirs once... then explodes outwards, needle-thin spikes striking at the heroes and slashing at their throats. In the infinitesimal pause between Essence's throat being torn off and her knees hitting the floor, the same wound has been applied upon every hero present.
Essence stops trying to breathe. The missing flesh on her neck knits over, the wound vanishing even as her blood upon the floor boils away into black smoke. The same does not happen to the so-called heroes; their bodies simply disintegrate into nothingness.

The obvious alternative being carnage among both so-called heroes and civilians, of course. Essence laughs. It is good to see Willow at least had prepared a good fallback plan but holding it back was dangerous. All of Vanguard - plus Oracle - gathered at the airport as soon as I appeared. What you saw was what very nearly happened. Happily, the heroes should have two time-consuming tasks to occupy them now; finding their companion I disposed of and saving the city from the aforementioned chaos.