Issue Nine: Cornered Prey/Ominous Realm
 

This is not where you ended last issue, but where you will be when this issue begins. Everyone gained an Endurance rank of Health back since the end of last issue. In most cases (sorry CM and Motya!), that was enough to completely heal you. The introduction should be up tonight.

Current Status:

Hero	Maximum Health	Current Damage	Current Health	Popularity	Current Total Karma
Agent X	67	0	67	2	233
Aloha 'Benni' Ricci	104	0	104	6	407
Blackbird	86	0	86	35	219
Centennial Man	120	10	110	20	330
EnergyStar	106	0	106	72	1675
Motya Cheykina	34	30	4	0	183
Jericho Tesla	116	0	116	11	345
Radical Warrior	140	0	140	36	1496

Avengers Team Karma Pool: 148
Tabletop/SHIELD Team Karma Pool: 2 (Thanks, Jericho!)

Power Stunts:*
Jericho Tesla has two uses of the Electrical Barrier Power Stunt.

Contacts:*
Jericho and PowerSurge gain SHIELD as a contact.

NPC Notes:
Blue Marvel (AKA Marvel Boy, AKA Crusader) Popularity 0, Karma -2
MinuteMan (AKA Captain) Popularity 75, Karma 1664

Older Online Game PC/Current Tabletop Only PC Notes:
Bubbles Popularity 4, Karma 410
Jim Popularity 2, Karma 321
Maelstrom Popularity 17, Karma 336
MANAC Popularity 10, Karma 52
MantaMan Popularity 15,Karma 1412
PowerSurge Popularity 28, Karma -8
Pulsar Popularity 5, Karma 584
Sue Gnomi Popularity 0, Karma 57

*NOTE:The Power Stunts and Contacts listed here are for player reference so you can upgrade your own notes/character sheets. Future updates to this chart will only include the Contacts and Power Stunts acquired since the last time this table was posted.

Before Blackbird and Agent X can even return to Avengers Tower, they spot the SHIELD helicarrier over their HQ from quite a distance away. A flying ship that size is hard to miss. EnergyStar has returned after a brief absence, apparently to get Jericho and Agent X to accompany her. Something about a 'special mission' for Nick Fury. Sounds like they plan to be gone for a while. The three heroes head up to the helicarrier and, in a much shorter time than Blackbird would have expected, the massive ship is on its way and nearly out of sight. Blackbird spends some time trying to piece together what just happened at the mall when he realizes the other team, the group that was investigating the warehouse, hasn't checked in yet. Weezi can tell Blackbird that they called in asking for some architectural information on the location, but that was hours ago and there hasn't been any word from them since. It doesn't seem like it should have taken this long to investigate a small warehouse...

Elsewhere...

"Hey...I think they're waking up!"

Benni, CM, Motya, and Radical Warrior wake up to find themselves laying on the ground...their hands bound in some kind of strange, full gloved manacles...and two men standing over them. One appears to be one of the guards they faced earlier, based on his uniform, the other, an agent of AIM...

A little later, and a little further west...

A group of colorfully garbed heroes stand gathered in a small conference room aboard the SHIELD helicarrier as Nick Fury handles the introductions...

"EnergyStar and Jericho Tesla from the Avengers...I know you already know Agent X and have heard of PowerSurge*...this is Sue Gnomi and MANAC..."

* Met some of the team members back in NYC a few issues back. -ed

The Flying Tigers had definitely looked like they were there to fight, what with the quick decision to get into a scrap and nary a word exchanged beforehand...and Mr. Fisk had known they were going to be there...and one of his trucks was robbed of, apparently, saffron at the exact same time.

Yet the boys, upon being questioned, said they had not come there looking for trouble. And, them being boys, Blackbird was inclined to believe them. Mr. Fisk had a little explaining to do - if he was healthy enough to do so.

After some thought, he decides to let his local support team in on the fun - which means another phone call for ice cream. He'd better hit the gym later on...all this ice cream might put a bulge in his spandex!

That completed, he leaves the rest of the conundrum for the smarter members of the team...and, speaking of, where were they?

He tries their commcards (presuming Weezi doesn't tell him she's already tried). "Blackbird here. How's the search going?"

The group from the warehouse becomes a little more alert when their comcards start chirping in unison. Since their hands are bound, however, they have no way of retrieving the cards from where they keep them.

The heroes realize now they are in some sort of prison cell, along with the guard and AIM agent who appear to be stuck in here with them.

Benni shakes her head, trying to get the get fully awake as she looks at the guards. She glares at the guards as she stands up and studies the manacles around her hands

Centennial Man tries shaking the grogginess from him, squinting and stretching his eyelids open. As he focuses on his manacles and notices that the team are in the same predicament, he moans lightly. "Oh man," he says out loud. "Does this mean we lost the fight? That sucks."

The young hero squirms along the floor and tries to sit up. He looks at his captors. "Okay, where's Taskmaster?" he asks the familiar armed guard. He then looks over at the AIM agent. "And what's with the bee keeper here? And what's with the shackles? Dudes, I've gotta take a leak!"

Rad shrugs and looks at his hands "Oh bother....I forgot the safety word and she didn't let me out of the cuffs again." Maybe Rad is still a bit groggy with his memory and how he got here.

The four heroes quickly realize the guard and AIM agent seem to be stuck in the prison cell with you for some reason...although they do not have manacles on like you do.

Now that you are a little more coherent, you realize Rad has manacles slightly different than the rest of yours...

Benni deduces that her, Motya, and CM are wearing inhibitor bands, while Rad is probably outfitted with nullifier bands. With your abilities reduced so significantly, it is unlikely that you will be able to break these bonds. Benni theorizes, however, that if you work together and combine your efforts, even your reduced-strengths might be enough to free at least one of your number...

As Motya explains her theory, commcards somewhere in Benni and Rad's outfits begin to chirp. Apparently, they have an incoming call.

Somewhere, Blackbird anxiously awaits an answer.

"Can we track these things?" he asks Weezi, in an aside. "Oh, wait. We found Energystar's commcard that way. Where are they currently?"

"I...I do not even have a feeble ability at this moment," Motya said apologetically and coolly. "Perhaps, if I might try..." She tried to think what what she remembered from her attempt to get on the police force to make an attempt to slip her hands out of the manacles.