Re: Stories of the Betterverse
Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2020 5:55 pm
Operation Inundation III: London, Part 4
Museum of London...
As Griffin was about to land, he saw eight SHADOW troopers and a giant in SHADOW uniform enter the Museum.
Griffin had been to the Museum before and he's seen the Stone being kept there, while its cupola in Cannon Street was being repaired. He knows that he hasn't got much time before they find and smash it.
That's when Griffin quickly extended his wings all the way forward and then snapped them backwards to move in a high-speed burst towards the Archaeology in Action exhibit, which left SHADOW confused for a second. A second that Griffin used to fly across the balcony and towards the Stone.
The second woman said in a Brooklyn accent "Are you gonna help us kill these bastards or somethin'?!"
Griffin recognised the two women. The first was a girl known all over London as Cheddar. She once magically transformed herself into a mouse but she botched her attempt to transform back, permanently leaving herself part-mouse. She's known for teaching magically-gifted children in London how to use magic to help the human race and Griffin has seen her at the museum enough times to believe that she lives in the nearby Barbican Estate. The other woman was a New York mage known as Ms. Magus, who Griffin has seen having a chat with Cheddar at the Time in a Bottle on occasion. Ms. Magus is known to fight to the death when innocents are in danger and a third Operation Inundation would be more than enough to set her off!
Griffin drew Justice, saying "Yeah, I am! The big one's mine!"
Ms. Magus said "Who the hell taught you how to fight like that, Griffin?! Killing five guys with one swing of a sword, that's a hell of a trick!"
Still high off the adrenaline, Griffin replied "Archangel Michael, that's who! He taught me everything I know about fighting and tactics! Argh!"
Cheddar asked "What's wrong, Griffin?"
Griffin asked "If either of you know a healing spell, I could do with it right now! I took a fireball and a blaster to the chest at St. Paul's on top of the blast I just took! Ask Britannia if you don't believe me!"
Cheddar said "Here, let me help with that. Just stay still."
Ms. Magus went "This'll cure ya, Griff!"
Griffin went "How in the Lady's name did you survive that blow?! That was a bloody heart-shot, I felt it!"
The giant roared "HAIL SHADOW! OUR SHADE WILL COVER THE EARTH!" He then turned to face Griffin and went "STARTING WITH YOU!"
Griffin then concealed his wings and then roared "KILL HIM! KILL HIM NOW OR WE'RE ALL DEAD!"
The giant lashed out at Ms. Magus, hitting her in the chest and knocking the air out of her.
... but Griffin got in the way of the almost killer blow, shouting "I'm the one you want! KILL ME IF YOU CAN!"
Ms, Magus saw Griffin's eyes turn completely white for a split-second! She asked "Are you alright, Griffin?! I just saw your eyes go completely white, I thought you were having a seizure!"
Griffin replied "I'm fine, Ms. Magus. I just had a revelation from my Lady. What we just saw there was not your fault, Cheddar! I've heard this one story about SHADOW that we can now confirm, called the Umbral Protocol. It's a remote-control implant that gives a trooper a massive neurotoxin dose when activated. If it looks like they're about to betray SHADOW, all their superior really needs to do is flip the killswitch and their enemies will still be in the dark. Looks like it works very well with magic, given what Overshadow had in mind for it."
"No, Cheddar. You didn't. That blood is on Overshadow's hands, not yours! And given how fanatical SHADOW troopers get, I don't think they'd care about the implant even if they knew about it. Even if you did kill them, what you did before that was in self-defence. No one in their right mind's going to throw you in jail for this, you have my word."
"Are you certain?"
"Absolutely. You did nothing wrong here, Cheddar."
Ms. Magus went "Are you sure about that, Griffin?"
Griffin told her "I'm absolutely certain, Ms. Magus. I was taught by someone who knows what right and wrong are really like. Now, let's see if anyone's still here..."
Museum of London...
As Griffin was about to land, he saw eight SHADOW troopers and a giant in SHADOW uniform enter the Museum.
Griffin had been to the Museum before and he's seen the Stone being kept there, while its cupola in Cannon Street was being repaired. He knows that he hasn't got much time before they find and smash it.
Griffin had some familiarity with the Museum's layout which SHADOW certainly lacked. Such as the balcony that SHADOW would have to walk along to reach the Stone quickly. If he got there first, he could fly to the Stone before SHADOW could run there.Please use this map (PDF format) to track everyone's position: Museum of London Map
Griffin has just made it to the entrance. SHADOW are currently moving towards New Acquisitions and the London Stone itself is at the War, Plague and Fire exhibit.
That's when Griffin quickly extended his wings all the way forward and then snapped them backwards to move in a high-speed burst towards the Archaeology in Action exhibit, which left SHADOW confused for a second. A second that Griffin used to fly across the balcony and towards the Stone.
As Griffin arrived at the Stone, he heard a young woman yell "That's Griffin, Cass! He's safe, he's on our side!"Griffin spends a HP to stunt his wings into High-Speed Flit: Teleport 2, Accurate, allowing him to bypass SHADOW altogether.
The second woman said in a Brooklyn accent "Are you gonna help us kill these bastards or somethin'?!"
Griffin recognised the two women. The first was a girl known all over London as Cheddar. She once magically transformed herself into a mouse but she botched her attempt to transform back, permanently leaving herself part-mouse. She's known for teaching magically-gifted children in London how to use magic to help the human race and Griffin has seen her at the museum enough times to believe that she lives in the nearby Barbican Estate. The other woman was a New York mage known as Ms. Magus, who Griffin has seen having a chat with Cheddar at the Time in a Bottle on occasion. Ms. Magus is known to fight to the death when innocents are in danger and a third Operation Inundation would be more than enough to set her off!
Griffin drew Justice, saying "Yeah, I am! The big one's mine!"
Griffin then charged the giant, shouting "LET THERE BE LIGHT!" and planting his blade squarely in the giant's chest! While the giant fell, Ms. Magus blasted the head off of one of the SHADOW troopers.Roll Initiative! Griffin gets 26, four Advanced Trooper minions get 16-19, The Fist-In-SHADOW gets 15, four Advanced Trooper minions get 9-14, Cheddar gets 5 and Ms. Magus gets 3.
Cheddar, Griffin and Ms. Magus each get a HP for entering combat. Cheddar gains a HP for using non-lethal force. Griffin gets a HP due to his two unhealed injuries.
Everyone other than Cheddar is using lethal force.
Griffin put all his pain and rage into a single wide stroke, felling five SHADOW troopers at once! After that, he took a blaster shot to the face. Cheddar and Ms. Magus quickly took down the two remaining troopers.Griffin Charges at the Fist-In-SHADOW with the Armour-Piercing Strike, getting 29, crit scored! He stunts the crit into Soul-Severing Strike: Affliction 10, Impaired, Disabled, Dying. Resisted by Will. The Fist-in-SHADOW gets 8 and is Dying! Fist-in-SHADOW gets 21 to stabilise and is instead Incapacitated.
Four Advanced Troopers fire their Blaster Rifles at Griffin, getting 7, 9, 14 and Natural 20. Griffin gets 24 and resists the one that hit him. Two fire at Cheddar, both getting 11 and missing. Another two fire at Ms. Magus, getting 23 and 13. Ms. Magus gets 25 and resists. Cheddar fires a blast of Magic at a trooper, getting Natural 1 and missing. Ms. Magus fires her own blast of magic at a trooper and gets 15, hitting the trooper. The trooper gets 10 and is killed.
Fist-In-SHADOW: Incapacitated. 7 Advanced Troopers remaining.
Griffin fully extended his wings, singing "London stands forever more, ever more, ever more! London stands forever more, My! Fair! Lady!"Griffin lets loose with the Flurry of Steel, getting 25, 16, 15, 21 and Natural 20, crit scored! Griffin raises the DC for the crit by +5. The Advanced Troopers get 15, 18, 21, 21 and 23, and are all dead. The two remaining troopers fire at Griffin, getting 22 and 19. Griffin gets 22 and 27 and is hit. Cheddar fires a burst of Magic at one of the troopers, getting 26. The trooper gets 8 and is knocked out. Ms. Magus fires another blast of Magic at the remaining troop and she gets 29, crit scored! She raises the DC by +5. The trooper gets 23 and is killed.
Griffin: 3 Injuries. One Advanced Trooper knocked out, seven dead.
Ms. Magus said "Who the hell taught you how to fight like that, Griffin?! Killing five guys with one swing of a sword, that's a hell of a trick!"
Still high off the adrenaline, Griffin replied "Archangel Michael, that's who! He taught me everything I know about fighting and tactics! Argh!"
Cheddar asked "What's wrong, Griffin?"
Griffin asked "If either of you know a healing spell, I could do with it right now! I took a fireball and a blaster to the chest at St. Paul's on top of the blast I just took! Ask Britannia if you don't believe me!"
Cheddar said "Here, let me help with that. Just stay still."
Ms. Magus went "This'll cure ya, Griff!"
Griffin felt his pain ease and his scars fade... and that was when the Giant in SHADOW uniform got back up and suddenly grew to about nine feet tall!Cheddar does a healing check and gets 19. Ms. Magus got a Natural 20. All of Griffin's wounds have been healed up.
Griffin went "How in the Lady's name did you survive that blow?! That was a bloody heart-shot, I felt it!"
The giant roared "HAIL SHADOW! OUR SHADE WILL COVER THE EARTH!" He then turned to face Griffin and went "STARTING WITH YOU!"
Griffin then concealed his wings and then roared "KILL HIM! KILL HIM NOW OR WE'RE ALL DEAD!"
Cheddar reflexively fired a blast, hitting the giant right between the eyes. How he resisted that, she had no idea. Ms Magus had much better luck when she got him in the chest.Roll Initiative! Griffin gets 18, Cheddar gets 17, Ms. Magus gets 14 and the Fist-In-SHADOW gets 12.
The Fist-In-SHADOW Now has Growth 1.
Cheddar still isn't using lethal force, everyone else still is.
The giant lashed out at Ms. Magus, hitting her in the chest and knocking the air out of her.
The giant roared "KILL YOU ALL!" as he lunged at Cheddar...Griffin attacks Fist-In-SHADOW with the Flurry of Steel, getting 18. Fist-In-SHADOW gets 25 and resists. Cheddar fired a blast of Magic at Fist-In-SHADOW, getting Natural 20, crit scored! She stunts the crit into Sleep Spell: Progressive Ranged Affliction 7; Dazed, Stunned, Incapacitated, Resisted by Will. Fist-In-SHADOW gets 20 and resists. Ms. Magus fires her blast of Magic at Fist-In-SHADOW, getting 29, Crit scored! She raises the DC by +5. Fist-In-SHADOW gets 19 and is Staggered. Fist-In-SHADOW does a minor All-Out Power Attack in order to punch Ms. Magus, getting 19. Ms. Magus gets 20 and is hit and Dazed.
Ms. Magus: 1 Injury, Dazed.
Fist-In-SHADOW: 1 Injury, Staggered.
... but Griffin got in the way of the almost killer blow, shouting "I'm the one you want! KILL ME IF YOU CAN!"
Cheddar managed to land another headshot, this one finally flooring the SHADOW giant!Griffin unleashes his own All-Out Power Attack with the Flurry of Steel on the Fist-In-SHADOW and gets 19, crit scored! He raises the DC by +7 (including Multiattack bonus). Fist-In-SHADOW gets 29 and is hit and Dazed. Cheddar fired a blast of Magic at Fist-In-SHADOW, getting 18. Fist-In-SHADOW gets 29 and resists. Ms. Magus fires her bolt of Magic at Fist-In-SHADOW, getting 24. Fist-In-SHADOW gets a Natural 20 to resist. Fist-In-SHADOW punches Cheddar with a minor All-out Power Attack, getting a Natural 20, crit scored. DC is raised by +5. Griffin uses Interpose to block the attack instead, getting 20. He spends a HP to re-roll, getting 27, and is hit.
Griffin: 1 Injury.
Fist-In-SHADOW: 2 Injuries, Staggered.
The SHADOW troopers who survived both started having seizures and then they suddenly went limp. Cheddar checked for a pulse and started sobbing "I- I think I killed them! May God forgive me, I'm a murderer!"Griffin unleashes the Flurry of Steel, getting 14 and missing. Cheddar fires off a blast of magic and gets 24. Fist-In-SHADOW gets a Natural 1 and is Incapacitated. Fight's Over!
Ms, Magus saw Griffin's eyes turn completely white for a split-second! She asked "Are you alright, Griffin?! I just saw your eyes go completely white, I thought you were having a seizure!"
Griffin replied "I'm fine, Ms. Magus. I just had a revelation from my Lady. What we just saw there was not your fault, Cheddar! I've heard this one story about SHADOW that we can now confirm, called the Umbral Protocol. It's a remote-control implant that gives a trooper a massive neurotoxin dose when activated. If it looks like they're about to betray SHADOW, all their superior really needs to do is flip the killswitch and their enemies will still be in the dark. Looks like it works very well with magic, given what Overshadow had in mind for it."
"So... I didn't kill them?"Griffin spends a HP to receive some inspiration.
"No, Cheddar. You didn't. That blood is on Overshadow's hands, not yours! And given how fanatical SHADOW troopers get, I don't think they'd care about the implant even if they knew about it. Even if you did kill them, what you did before that was in self-defence. No one in their right mind's going to throw you in jail for this, you have my word."
"Are you certain?"
"Absolutely. You did nothing wrong here, Cheddar."
Ms. Magus went "Are you sure about that, Griffin?"
Griffin told her "I'm absolutely certain, Ms. Magus. I was taught by someone who knows what right and wrong are really like. Now, let's see if anyone's still here..."