Stories of the Betterverse: Anything Goes

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Re: Stories of the Betterverse: The Bloody Week

Post by betterwatchit »

The Bloody Week, Part 7

9 AM, 10th April 2017, The Lodge…

Griffin was having cornflakes in the kitchen after having an early night. He said "I just realised something, Cass."
As a result of the early night and Ms. Magus' healing spell, Griffin has recovered from all Injuries.
Ms. Magus asked "What is it?"

"As part of my Agreement with my Lady, I have to make a charitable donation whenever I obtain money as a result of performing an assignment or using my gifts."

"How much?"

"Ten percent. No later than seven days after I get to spend it. Before you ask, that's from gross, not net. How long has it been since we got paid by that auction house?"

"Four days ago."

"Okay. I think I know how to sort it out this time."

"What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking $11,000 to that F.E.A.S.T. Centre over in Chinatown?"

"That's more than the pair of us got from Marco put together! Where are you getting that much money from?!"

"There was $100,000 in Robert's safe, which I took when I took that book, so I had to factor that into my equation."

"Ah, that makes sense. And F.E.A.S.T. really do help the homeless. I think that they've reduced the amount of homeless in New York than anyone else here has done in the past decade."

"So they're actually legitimate? I don't want to donate to a fraud, you know."

"Yeah. I don't know what you're planning to donate but I'm telling you, it'll actually help people there."

"Thanks for verifying. I'll be on my way soon."

Within ten minutes, Griffin put his platform high-tops on, put Justice in its custom bag and took his phone and his clean Metrocard with him as he took the subway to Chinatown.


F.E.A.S.T. Center, Chinatown…

Griffin walked through the main entrance with a pair of carrier bags full of canned foods.

An elderly woman approached him, asking "Welcome to F.E.A.S.T. How can I help you?"

Griffin said "I'm here to make a donation, ma'am. Both of these carrier bags and an envelope in my laptop bag. The name's Griffin, by the way."

"I'm May. And that's quite a donation you have there! Peter!"

Peter came over and asked "Yes, Aunt May?"

May asked "Help Mr. Griffin here with his donation, would you?"

Peter said "Hey, that's quite a donation you have there!"

Griffin was thinking 'I remember that voice-!' as he said "Yeah, so could you help me get it moved?"

Peter said "I'll take one of those bags."

Griffin handed a bag over, saying "I appreciate it."
Griffin does a Perception check and gets 22. He remembers where he's seen -or more precisely, heard- Peter from.

As Griffin was helping Peter unload the cans in the storeroom, he said "Yeah, I remember you now, Peter! Peter Parker, you used to be with the Daily Bugle if I'm not mistaken!"

Peter asked "How do you know about the Bugle?"

Griffin told him "We do have the internet in Britain, you know! The World Wide Web, the part of the internet that most people are familiar with, is a British invention!" Griffin looked around and then he asked Peter "How's your right arm?"

Griffin found his feet webbed to the floor as Peter asked "How did you recognize me?!"

Griffin told him "I may not be that good with faces, but I've gotten good with remembering voices. You spoke to me, I realised who else you were! And mentioning your arm was the most discreet way I could think of to let you know how I recognised you. Just in case someone overheard. Don't worry, I won't spill. It would be bad for the city in the long run if I did that. And I want it to at least be a bit better than when I found it. Also, how long does it normally take for the web to dissolve?"

"I can adjust it. It should be getting loose now."

"Yeah, I can feel it getting loose. Also, where's the main office? I have a cash donation to make and it's big enough that the office is the only place here that's private enough. Five digits worth."

"Five?! Follow me to the office."
Spiderman's Spider-Sense didn't activate even once during the conversation. He does an Insight check on Griffin, getting 20. He reckons that Griffin's telling the truth. At the very least, he couldn't find any inconsistencies.

Ten minutes later in the office…

May Parker entered the office. "Mr. Griffin. Peter told me you had a even larger donation to make?"

Griffin told her "That's right, ma'am. Apart from the food, I want to make a cash donation of $11,000."

May said "Eleven thousand?!"

Griffin took the envelope out of his laptop bag, saying "$11,000. In cash. Feel free to count it. I'm heading off now. Is there a balcony I can use? I don't want to cause any drama at street level when flying out."

Peter said "Yeah, right this way."


F.E.A.S.T. Center Rooftop Garden…

On the rooftop, Peter asked "I just have one thing to ask, Griffin."

Griffin went "Yeah?"

Peter asked "Are you planning on leaving New York soon?"

Griffin told him "In a few days. I have some unfinished business involving vampires that I need to resolve first."

Peter was puzzled as he asked "Vampires? Really?"

Griffin told him "Yes, vampires. Not lawyers or those f**kheads over on Wall Street. I'm talking about the undead who drink the blood of the living to sustain themselves. You hear about what happened at Central Park last night? Me and Ms. Magus were putting a stop to them after they opened a Hellmouth."

Peter went "…You're kidding."

Griffin went up to Peter's face as he said "I never joke about the path I walk, Peter. EVER. My Liege set on this path, so I'll walk it wherever it leads." Griffin revealed his wings as he said "I gotta go."

Peter asked "Before you leave, I have to ask… Why do you wear platform high-tops? I didn't know you could get them in men's sizes!"

Griffin told him "I wear them for softer landings. I don't know about you, but I think this stuff through!" He then jumped off the balcony and did a 180° spin before pulling up and heading to the Lodge.
Last edited by betterwatchit on Wed Dec 27, 2023 8:21 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Stories of the Betterverse: The Bloody Week

Post by betterwatchit »

The Bloody Week, Part 8

Flying over Brooklyn, Griffin felt that something wasn't quite right on his hoodie. He landed on the roof of a nearby Costco and took it off. He saw something shaped like a small spider on the back of his hoodie. He sighed "Seriously? Looks like he doesn't get it at all." Griffin simply took the micro-tracker off, unsheathed Justice and cut the tracker in half. The last thing he wanted was to bring any trouble to the Lodge.

At the Lodge, Griffin decided to call his dad. 'It's 2 PM now. +5 hour time difference means that he's definitely in the house if nothing's going on.'

"Hello?"

"Hey, Dad. It's Simon. Just doing my weekly check in."

"Simon! How have you been?"

"Been in a few fights, nothing I can't handle."

"About that… On that Urban 75 forum you were talking about, they were talking about you fighting a bunch of dogs in Central Park?"

"Yeah, some arsehole opened a Hellmouth. Me and Ms. Magus sent the Hellhounds that came out back home again before we closed it. The vampires who opened it… they're not making it back home."

"Vampires?!"

"Yeah, vampires. Actual undead creatures who have to drink the blood of the living to sustain themselves."

"You're joking!"

"Remember who you're talking to, Dad. You know I can't joke. You know that I see it as a sign that you either don't understand how your world really works, you're deceiving someone or that you're simply not showing respect."

"I take it you can't cut a deal with them?"

"That was never once an option. Very long story short, the Agreement I'm bound to prohibits me from giving quarter to the undead. If I get in a fight with undead opponents like vampires, lethal force is considered to be the only sane response!"

"And what if they're not undead? Do you have to kill them?"

"If they're not undead or Hellsworn and I don't have direct orders from the top to kill them, I must accept their surrender if they offer it. Listen. Once I'm done here, I'll send an email with the terms of my agreement. It'll be from a Proton Mail address."

"What does that do?"

"They let me send emails with end to end encryption. I write and send the email as normal and then they send you an email saying that you have an encrypted message. You click the link and give them the password I'll send you via WhatsApp and they'll decrypt it for you. It keeps the Ministry from reading it."

"Oh! I get it now! That makes sense!"

"I've gotta go, see you later."

"Be careful, Simon."

"I always am."

After hanging up, Griffin used his OS-on-a-Stick to write the email, sending it via Proton.
Griffin wrote:Subject: My Agreement

Dad, Here's what you need to know about the Agreement I'm subject to:

Clause 1: I cannot disobey an order from my Liege or from an archangel. I can discuss my assignments with others (unless forbidden otherwise) and perform them however I can (as long as I don't violate any other part of the Agreement), but I can't refuse to perform them.
In the event of a conflict between Agreement Clauses, my Liege's word is final. In the event of a conflict between following the instructions and/or laws of mortal authorities or my assignment, I must choose the assignment.

Clause 2: I can work alongside other mortal Chosen or even with other deities as needed, but I can't obey an instruction from them that would require disobeying my Liege or violating the Agreement to do so.
No man can serve two masters.

Clause 3: I can't harm a civilian or, through knowing inaction, allow a civilian to come to harm. I must actively seek to prevent and reduce collateral damage, and advise the same to others wherever possible. I must accept a surrender if any opponent who is not undead or who doesn't serve Hell asks for it.
Anyone who willingly raises a hand against another, carries a weapon, uses an offensive power against another or who pretends to surrender is a combatant. Combatants forfeit all claim to being a civilian and can be harmed without me violating the Agreement.
The three notable exceptions to the compulsory acceptance of surrender are if the opponent is Hellsworn, undead or if I'm under direct orders to kill them (see Clause 5 for more information).
In those cases, I must kill them as fast as possible, mortal laws be damned.

Clause 4: My Liege understands that I need money to survive in the modern world, but They don't want me hoarding it and succumbing to Mammon.
If I obtain any money as the result of performing an assignment or using my gifts, I must donate no less than 10% of the earned sum to the charity or non-profit organisation of my choice within seven days of me becoming able to spend it (usually starting from the moment I obtain it).
I must donate to a different group each time. I can't charge or demand payment for the use of my gifts. They do not come from me, so they are not mine to exploit. Looting a fallen combatant is acceptable, but stealing from an innocent is not, as it violates Clause Three.
I must also choose performing my Liege's will over making money whenever the choice falls upon me.

Clause 5: I can only use lethal force under one of six specific circumstances without my Liege treating it as murder: If the target has committed murder, self-defence if the aggressor is capable of killing me, defending others from unlawful use of lethal force, if I have proof that the target has ordered the use of lethal force, if the opponent is not alive to start with (robots and undead qualify)… Or if a direct order from my Liege is given to kill someone.
My Liege must explicitly tell me when the main objective of an assignment is to kill someone (this usually happens if the target is undead, knowingly serving Hell or if their continued survival risks the occurrence of a Great Depression, a World War or a global pandemic).
Using lethal force that meets one of the six circumstances does not violate the Sixth Commandment or the Agreement.

Clause 6: I must deliver on any affirmation, contract, oath, promise or threat that I have freely sworn. Breaking freely sworn affirmations, contracts, oaths, promises or threats is in violation of the Agreement.
If the other party breaks it first, I'm released from obeying it. Any attempt to subvert the Agreement violates it.
My yes must mean yes, and my no must mean no.

Clause 7: My Liege can summon me before Them at any time it won't endanger me, but They must plainly tell me why They summoned me.

Clause 8: In return for my adherence to the Agreement, I am to receive angelic abilities along with the training required to use them effectively, and I am to be recognised by the world's pantheons as my Liege's current Chosen.
After sending the email, Griffin sent another message via WhatsApp:

Code: Select all

Email Password is "1London1" (case sensitive, without quotes).
When I send you an email password, that means you just got an encrypted email.
Password will be deleted from my end in 36 hours for security purposes.
Last edited by betterwatchit on Thu Apr 20, 2023 1:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Stories of the Betterverse: The Bloody Week

Post by betterwatchit »

The Bloody Week, Part 9

7 P.M. the Lodge…

Ms. Magus heard the doorbell. When she opened it, she saw a blonde woman in a hoodie and cargo pants. The woman asked "Excuse me, is Mr. Griffin here?"

Ms. Magus asked "May I ask who's calling?"

The woman said "Tell him that Amélie wants to speak to him. He should know who I am."


Griffin was checking his email in his room as he heard a knock on his door. He said "Hello?"

Jane said "There's someone at the front door for you, Mr. Griffin. She said her name was Amélie?"

Griffin went "Tell her I'll be right over!"


In less than a minute, Griffin ran down to the front door and he saw Amélie.

Griffin said "First off, tell me how you knew where to find me. I took multiple precautions to make sure that I wasn't followed back here."

Amélie said "Do you remember what you said at the Golden Terrace?"

Griffin said "I said that if you were serious about turning your back on vampiric society, you just had to pray and the path would be clear if you were sincere. And you must be sincere, otherwise you wouldn't have been able to find your way here. You'd better come in."

As she entered, Amélie told him "After that Hellmouth business last night proved that you really were who you said you were, I started praying for the first time since my Embrace and I felt this tugging. I know it sounds strange-"

Griffin interrupted, saying "Don't worry, Amélie. I know exactly what you mean."

After sitting down in the dining room, Amélie said "So, to prove I'm sincere, I can get you something far more valuable than a dead vampire."

"What on Earth would that be?"

"How about hard evidence of the existence of vampires… that'll stand up in mortal courts of law?"

"I'm listening."

Ms. Magus said "You can't be serious, Griffin."

Griffin said "Deadly serious, Ms. Magus. My orders were to kill Robert Moses and to break the vampiric hold on this city. If Amélie's telling the truth, I need that evidence! And your price, ma'am?"

Amélie gave him a note, saying "Eyes only."

The note read…
Amélie wrote:Port Authority Bus Terminal, main concourse, 8 PM, three nights from now. Bring $50K + tickets for both of us to Gotham City. Once within Gotham, I will give you location of evidence and access method.
Griffin looked Amélie in the eye as he said "You shall have it, as the Almighty is my witness."

Amélie then said "I also have some info on something concerning your homeland. Consider it a pledge, to show I'm serious."

Griffin asked "What's that?"

Amélie told him "The 3rd Street Saints did a deal with certain members of our… community and they're sending a huge weapon shipment to Southampton that's setting off tonight on the Cortez. I've heard it called a geared feeder ship?"

Griffin said "Southampton's a major port city, serving Britain's transatlantic trade. It's a straight shot from there to London by road or rail." Then he asked "Where and when is the ship setting off from?"

"It's all in this note."
Amélie wrote:Red Hook Grain Terminal, Slip 3, 8:30 PM, The Cortez. Blue Container, number 167592.
The terminal had recently been refurbished, any US-flagged ship that was booked in advance could dock there.

Amélie said "Before I have to go, one last thing. There will be several Saints on board as a precaution against pirates."

Griffin said "Thank you for the intel. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a couple of preparations to make before I do this."

Twenty minutes later, Griffin changed into his tactical outfit and looked up how to correctly call a mayday signal. He also found out that the term "geared feeder" meant that it was a small container ship with its own crane. He headed out into the back garden and took off.


8:30 PM, Red Hook Terminal…

As the Cortez set off, Griffin followed, using the rooftops as cover. He thought 'I've got until the boat passes the Verrazano to make sure the Coast Guard comes quick!'

Griffin made the decision to board from the stern, which was SOP if you wanted to sneak onto a ship. He flew low until he reached the stern then upwards onto the deck.

'If I make the captain stop now, the Sinners will notice. So I have to floor them first.'
Griffin has 15 minutes before the Cortez reaches the bridge.
As he approached the container, one of the Saints saw him and shouted "It's Griffin! Max him out, Billy!"
Four of the guards are Criminals with Spec-Ops SMGs (Sub-Machinegun from Hero's Handbook with Aiming Scope, Laser Sight and Suppressor). Billy is a Goon from Gamemaster's Guide with his ranks of Ranged Combat instead going into Close Combat (Unarmed), Brass Knuckles and a dose of Max increasing his Strength, Stamina and Agility by 4 each.

Roll Initiative!

Guard 1: 21
Billy: 20
Guard 2: 20
Guard 3: 19
Guard 4: 15
Griffin: 3

Guard 1 fires his Spec-Ops SMG at Griffin, getting 17 and missing. Billy takes a swing with the Brass Knuckles, getting 18. Griffin gets 21 and is hit. Guards 2-4 get 23, 23 and 20, all hitting Griffin, who is Impervious to the SMGs. Griffin fully All-out Attacks the Goon with the Flurry of Steel, getting 34, crit scored! He raises the DC by +10 (+5 from Multiattack and +5 from the crit). The Goon gets 26 and is hit and Dazed!

Griffin: 1 Injury
Billy: 1 Injury, Dazed.
One of the Saints shouted "You bruised him, Billy! You f**kin' got this!"
The Guards hang back, they know that Billy is the only one on board who can wound Griffin. Billy punches Griffin, getting 26. Griffin gets 30 to resist. Griffin performs a full All-out Attack with the Flurry of Steel, getting a Natural 20, crit scored! He raises the DC by +10 (+5 from Multiattack and +5 from the crit). The Goon gets 20 and is hit and Staggered!

Billy: 2 Injuries, Staggered.
Griffin saw his opportunity! As Billy swung at him with a left hook, Griffin swatted the arm aside, grabbed it and used it to hold Billy as he beat him unconscious.
Billy throws a punch with the Brass Knuckles, getting 26! Griffin gets 13 and spends a HP to reroll, getting 28 to resist. Griffin then did a full All-out Attack with the Flurry of Steel, getting 33 and raising the DC by +5 (from the Multiattack). Billy gets 10 and is Incapacitated.
Griffin then proceeded to lay out the rest of the Saints. He saw the container and cut it open. He prised open a few crates. One at the front contained suitcases. A couple at the back contained sub-machine guns. Griffin then made his way to the bridge.

As he opened the door to the bridge, the Captain put his hands up, pleading "Please don't kill me!"

"Kill you?! Did you know about the firearms and ammunition?"

"N- N- No!"
The Captain's stats are those of a Reporter with all ranks in Expertise: Writing instead going into Expertise: Maritime Law and all ranks in Stealth going into Vehicles. The Captain gets 8 on his Deception roll and Griffin gets a Natural 20!
Griffin says "Here's what you're going to do. Order a full stop and drop anchor. Tell me when you've done it."

The Captain set the throttle lever to the middle and threw a switch. "Done!"

"Now, go to Channel 16 on the radio and call in a Mayday to the Coast Guard! If your ship has a flare, deploy it! The goods pose an imminent danger to life onboard, justifying the mayday! Also, you have several injured criminals onboard. That would also justify a mayday."

The Captain told the First Mate "Do it." As the First Mate went outside to set off the flare, the Captain set the ship's radio to channel 16 and said "Mayday, Mayday, Mayday! Coast Guard! Mayday, Mayday, Mayday! Coast Guard!"

On the radio, Griffin could hear a female voice saying "Vessel calling Mayday, vessel in Distress! This is United States Coast Guard, New York! Request your vessel's name, position, nature of distress and number of persons on board, over!"

The Captain said "This is the Cortez in Upper New York Bay! We have discovered weapons, explosives and ammunition on board! Ten persons onboard, five injured! Requesting immediate armed and medical assistance! Have deployed flare, over!"

The Coast Guard asked "Cortez, Coast Guard! Can you change to 22, over?"

Griffin said to the captain "Do it."

The Captain said "Cortez changing to 22." He switched to Channel 22, which the US Coast Guard used to talk to vessels in distress while keeping channel 16 clear. "Coast Guard, this is Cortez, over!"

The Coast Guard said "Cortez, Coast Guard! What is your size, over?"

The Captain told her "100 feet long, 30 feet wide!"

The Coast Guard asked "Cortez, Coast Guard! If you can, stop all engines, drop anchor and maintain position!"

The Captain said "Wilco!"

On Griffin's handset, still tuned to Channel 16, he heard her say "All stations, all stations, all stations! This is United States Coast Guard, New York! All civilian vessels are required to remain no less than 100 feet away from the Cortez! The Cortez has a flare deployed! Coast Guard is en route! Say again, all civilian vessels are required to remain no less than 100 feet away from the Cortez! The Cortez has a flare deployed! Coast Guard is en route!"

Griffin knocked the Captain out and said on the radio "Coast Guard! This is Codename Griffin on board the Cortez! Be advised, the captain is down! Say again, the captain is down! He was helping to smuggle the illegal weapons on board into the United Kingdom! The captain and false saints are unconscious, maybe concussed but otherwise unharmed! The captain has an envelope with their fleur-de-lys on it! It proves he's in on it! Requesting law enforcement meet us ASAP! Codename Griffin out!"

Codename is the term used on maritime frequencies to indicate that the speaker is a person who isn't part of a ship's crew.

Griffin then made his way upstairs and flew off as he saw the Coast Guard arrive.
Last edited by betterwatchit on Wed Dec 27, 2023 9:11 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Stories of the Betterverse: The Bloody Week

Post by betterwatchit »

The Bloody Week, Part 10

As the Coast Guard boarded the Cortez, Griffin flew north to Manhattan, changing to his casual outfit on the roof of a tower block on the Lower East Side. He realised he hadn't eaten. Good thing he had $25 on him. And he could see a café across from the block.

After he landed in a nearby alley, Griffin entered the restaurant and ordered a mixed grill and a cola.

The waitress said "Don’t you worry Professor, I still have it safe and sound."

Griffin thought 'I have no idea what that was all about.'

The waitress called out "Harry, are you okay?" as she headed into the back, then Griffin could hear her screaming!

Then five men burst in from the front door! Another man come out of the kitchen, having taken the waitress hostage! The hostage-taker shouted "Grab him! Don’t let him get away!"

Griffin drew his still-sheathed sword and roared "LET THERE BE LIGHT!" as he struck down three gunmen in one blow.
The man holding the waitress hostage is a Gang Leader from Hero's Handbook with a Heavy Pistol and his "Choose One" ranks in Ranged Combat: Guns. The other gunmen are Thug minions.

Roll Initiative!

Gang Leader: 22
Thugs 1-4: 10, 12, 14, 18
Griffin: 5
Thug 5: 2

The Gang Leader holds to keep the waitress still.

Thugs 1-4 fire their pistols, getting 23, 8, 16 and Natural 1. Griffin's Impervious to the pistols.

Griffin performs the Flurry of Steel on the Thugs, getting 22, 25, 26 and 15. The Thugs get 8, 19, 10 and Natural 20, leaving three of them Incapacitated.

Thug 5 fires his pistol at Griffin, getting a Natural 20, no crit due to being a minion.

One of the thugs went "Boss, he's f**king bulletproof!"

"Just grab him, I said! What's wrong with you?!"

After another broad stroke to lay the thugs out, Griffin gets his wings out and says "The name's Griffin, angel of the Host of Heaven! Surrender now or you will surely die!"

The hostage-taker dropped his gun and let the waitress go, saying "Fine! It’s too late anyhow! The Doc is gonna blow this city sky high!"
Thug 4 tries to Grab Griffin, getting a Natural 1 and failing. Griffin performs the Flurry of Steel on the two remaining Thugs, getting 25 and 17. The Thugs get 14 and 12, getting Incapacitated. Griffin then does an Intimidate check to Coerce the Gang Leader into surrendering. He gets 8 while the gang leader gets 4 on Will.

That was when a bolt of lightning blasted the hostage-taker, killing him instantly! Griffin turned around and saw what he would describe as a doll-faced man run off into the crowd. He turned to face the waitress and asked "Are you okay, ma'am?!"

She said "Yeah! But who are you?!"

"I'm not the professor you were on about, ma'am. You must have mistaken me for him. And so did these fellows. What was it you were keeping safe for him?"

"This keyring. I have the feeling you'll need it." She passed Griffin a pair of keys. He had a look at them.
Keyring wrote:The keyring said Nebraska Bld. 1013. One key looked like it was meant for an outdoor lock, the other appeared to be for an interior door.

"Do you know where the Nebraska Building is?"

The waitress said "Yeah, it's only four blocks north of here. Just turn right after leaving the cafe. It was built in the Art Deco style, you can't miss it!"

Griffin said "Got it. I just have to check him." A quick check and he found a business card in the dead hostage-taker's pocket.
Business Card wrote:"Dynamo Supply Ltd., Brooklyn, NY." On the back of the card is written "Midnight."
He took the card, saying "Looks like I have another lead. Before I go…" He put his hands on her shoulders and said "I swear, I will get to the bottom of this," while using his healing touch to heal any injuries she took. Then he went out the back entrance and flew off to the Nebraska Building.
Griffin does a Healing Check on the Waitress before leaving, getting 25! Any injury or illness the waitress had before is definitely gone.

A few minutes later, Griffin was at the entrance of the Nebraska Building. He used the key to let himself in and proceeded to take the lift up to the 10th floor. He soon saw room 1013. He turned the key quietly. He saw a workshop that looked like a makerspace with a pair of French doors leading out on to the balcony. When he entered, he saw someone on the floor.

He checked and saw that the man was decapitated and his head was nowhere to be found, nor was there any blood on the floor. Griffin went 'Oh, f**k me! Hang on, why isn't there any spray? The floor should be covered by now! Did someone move him?' A quick touch said it all. 'Cauterised. Whoever did this didn't even give him time to bleed.' He found a letter in the man's hand typed up on the oldest letterhead he had ever seen.

Image
Gustav wrote:CONSOLIDATED EDISON COMPANY INC.
KINGSTON, NEW YORK

My dear Harold,

It is with great pleasure that I inform you that your time is coming soon. Yes, your old friend and partner has returned. After the fire everyone gave me up for dead but you never found a body? Were you so ready to be rid of me?

For all of those years you belittled my concepts, my genius! The Telecution Helmet and the experiments with the rats! I told you the human mind can control the power of electricity! Now you will become my greatest experiment and I will get my revenge on the city itself!

I'll be seeing you soon.

Your friend,
Gustav
From what Griffin could see, it looked like they used a real typewriter to type it up, a true rarity in 2017.

Suddenly the lights by the balcony doors turned on and Griffin saw the doll-faced man standing near the balcony doors. The doll-faced man said with a scrambled voice "You have meddled in my affairs for the last time, winged one. The electrical generator in this room will soon overload! Unless you wish to be a lightning rod, I suggest you leave." The doll-faced man then leapt away.

Griffin rushed to the generator, putting on a pair of rubber gloves while doing so. He was able to find and throw the master switch to switch the generator off. Then he took the gloves off. He did a check around the balcony. He couldn't see the man. He couldn't see where the doll-faced man went. He saw a laptop was on and had a quick look. If the doll-faced man used it, he couldn't see what he was looking for. So he did a quick check of his own for where the warehouse was. He found that It was in Red Hook. It was near the Grain Terminal, which meant going somewhere he'd been before the same night. With an increased risk of NYPD encounter.
Griffin gets a HP for his Agreement. Clause Three compels him to reduce collateral damage, forcing him to let the doll-faced man go for now. He must make a DC 15 Technology check to safely shut the generator down. He gets 12 and spends the HP to reroll, getting 16.

After getting something to eat at a different restaurant, Griffin flew back to the Lodge as he prepared to hit the warehouse. He changed to his tactical outfit, making sure to bring his mask.

As he flew to the warehouse, he saw an open skylight. He said under his breath 'Thank you, Ma'am.' as he entered.
Griffin spends a HP to edit the scene to allow him a covert entry method.
Griffin then entered the warehouse. He made his way to the front desk. That was when he heard the distinctive sound of bolt-cutters at work. He ducked under the desk as he saw the delivery door open. He heard a man say "Okay boys, look for a crate labeled 'Bremmen Elektrizitat'. Boss said it came in this mornin', so it oughta be close to the door."

Griffin saw the crate, which he passed when he went to the desk. There was simply no way whoever's coming for the crate could reach it without seeing him! So Griffin drew his still-sheathed sword. That was when he saw the flash-bang grenade they tossed go FLASH!
Griffin is in the blast radius of a Flash-Bang Grenade (Deluxe Hero's Handbook page 216). He has to beat a DC 14 Dodge check to cover his ears in time, getting only 11. He gets a HP from his Disability complication, as the flash-bang makes him Visually Unaware!
As he was yelling his head off from the shock, Griffin could barely hear someone saying "Leave him! Just get the crate in here NOW so we can get it to the reservoir!" The ringing in his ears only stopped after their vehicle was too far away for him to hear. Griffin escaped via a fire exit and made his way to the subway.
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Re: Stories of the Betterverse: The Bloody Week

Post by betterwatchit »

The Bloody Week, Part 11

8 AM, 11th April 2017, The Lodge…

As Griffin and Ms. Magus had a mixed grill for breakfast, Ms. Magus asked "I have to ask you something, Griff."

"Yeah, Cass?"
Griffin's single Injury is healed after going to sleep.
"Do you even have fifty grand to pay off Amélie? In cash?"

"I do, actually. A bit under $80,000 left from Robert's safe."

"That oughta do it! Also, did you stop that arms shipment?"

"Yeah. And then I got caught up in something unrelated. After the Coast Guard showed up, I took off and went to a diner on the Lower East Side. The waitress mistook me for a professor she knew. Then i was attacked by a bunch of hoods who I laid out. One took the waitress hostage, but I convinced him to let her go. As the waitress ducked, a lightning bolt blasted the hostage-taker dead! I turned to the entrance and I saw a man with a face like a doll run off into the night. I had to check on the waitress so I couldn't pursue. After confirming that the waitress was unharmed, she gave me a pair of keys to the Nebraska Building. She wanted me to check on the professor."

"Nebraska Building's on the Lower East Side, I know the one you mean."

"Then I checked the pockets of the man who took her hostage. I found a business card for a wholesaler in Brooklyn with 'midnight' written on it. I went to the Nebraska Building. Using the keys meant I just walked in without getting any heat from the guards. After all, I had a key so I'm supposed to be there, right? I went to the room indicated by the keyring. I found a dead body in there!"

"Was it the professor?"

"They were wearing a lab coat, but I couldn't tell much more than that. The body was headless. Cauterised. Whoever did this didn't even give them time to bleed. I found this in his hand." Griffin then passed the letter to Ms. Magus. "It's pretty obvious what Gustav's beef is. He got left for dead, but he wasn't. Then I went to the shop on the business card. It was a warehouse, but they definitely forgot to put a motion sensor on the skylight. The gang who broke in threw a flashbang, leaving me too overwhelmed to stop them. By the time I could see straight, they were gone!"

"Did they mention anything that you could hear?"

"Something about a reservoir. This morning before I came down, I looked up the location on the letterhead."

"What about it?"

"Kingston is about 100 miles north of here. Ashokan Reservoir to the northwest of the town has a hydroelectric facility. That has to be where they've gone. I'm heading over there right now. All goes well, I'll be back before tonight."

"I hope you make it. If you need any help-"

"No need. I'm reasonably certain I can do this by myself. I'll see you later." Griffin then put on his tactical outfit and flew out of the Lodge's backyard. He flew over the Hudson, following the route on his HUD.


Twenty minutes later…

As he approached Kingston, Griffin saw something to his northwest that any flier or pilot dreaded. 'Stormcloud! Right over the reservoir!' He couldn't back out now, he had to catch Gustav before it was too late.

As he flew under the cloud, Griffin dealt with a bit of turbulence. He dealt with it by lowering his altitude. Then the rain really started driving down. As he neared the facility, a bolt of lightning nearly hit him. He saw that it was from the ground, not the air. Gustav was on to him!
Griffin makes a DC 10 check, getting 10. He saw that the bolt came from the ground.
As he landed, Griffin saw a naked man face down in the water. He could see that the poor man took a headshot from behind. 'Another thing Gustav has to answer for.'

As he entered the building, he saw a row of lockers, a set of coat hooks and a rack of ear defenders with four pairs removed and a noise hazard warning sign on the door ahead. And what Griffin could hear beyond the door told him that he needed it. Really loud dynamos.

After he put a pair of ear defenders on, Griffin opened the door quietly. He saw two men working on a Tesla coil. That would be a very effective anti-personnel defence, if it were fully functional.

Griffin knocked the two thugs out from behind and dragged them back to the locker room.
Griffin goes in quietly, getting a Natural 20 on his stealth roll. Two Thugs get 5 and 14 on their Perception.

Both Thug minions have Heavy Pistols and Bulletproof Vests, with their Choose One ranks put into Ranged Combat: Guns.

Roll Initiative!

Thug 1: 20
Griffin: 15
Thug 2: 13

In the Surprise Round, Griffin attacks both thugs from behind with the Flurry of Steel, getting 26 and 22. The Thugs get 12 and 13, and are both Incapacitated.
Behind the coil was an obscured staircase. Griffin went down it and through a steel door. He only saw a few crates and a single chair. As he approached the far door, Griffin heard the other door slam shut! Then he heard the doors being barred and saw a lot of water coming in from a pipe in the ceiling! He shouted "By the Lady's Heart!" as he unsheathed Justice and started cutting through the door.
Griffin has five rounds to get past the door before the room fills up! The steel door's Toughness is 9. He attacks the door with the Armour-Piercing Strike getting 33! The door gets 15 and is holed enough to keep the water from getting above waist level.

Griffin thought 'They knew how to build this door!' as the water got ankle deep.
Griffin attacks the door with the Armour-Piercing Strike getting 28. The door gets 26 and is untouched.

As the flooding got calf-deep, Griffin managed to cut the door in half, sending the water downwards and allowing escape. That was when the door back upstairs also opened.
Griffin attacks the door with the Armour-Piercing Strike getting 26. The door gets 10 and is slashed apart! It's now safe for Griffin to advance.
Griffin entered a cave and what he saw come out of one of the other entrances freaked him out. A robot with a glass dome containing a head with a familiar face. Griffin shouted "My FACE! He has my FACE!"

The robot with Griffin's face said "Kill... Must kill... Kill...!"

Griffin went "Nothing personal!" as he hacked the legs off from under the robot wearing his face.
Roll Initiative!

The Robot is from Heroes Handbook with Strength 7, Agility and Dexterity 0 and is wielding a wrench that it uses like a Club.

Both sides are using lethal force.

Griffin: 14
Robot 13

Griffin Charges the Robot with the Flurry of Steel, getting a Natural 20, Crit Scored! He raises the DC by +10 (5 from Multiattack, 5 from the crit). The Robot gets 22 and is hit and Staggered!

The Robot attacks Griffin with the Club, getting 16 and missing.

Robot: 1 Injury, Staggered.

Griffin manages to literally disarm the robot and take its head off. After the head rolled out of the dome, Griffin closed his eyes. He could see the man's ghost saying "Thank you…" before it moved on.
Griffin attacks the Robot with the Flurry of Steel, getting a Natural 20, Crit Scored! He raises the DC by +10 (5 from Multiattack, 5 from the crit). The Robot gets 18 and is destroyed from taking two Staggering blows!

Griffin proceeded to advance to the next chamber. If Gustav was anywhere, he'd be there. And no way out meant that he would fight like all Hell was after him. Griffin kicked the door in, shouting "FREEZE. YOU BASTARDS! HANDS IN THE AIR, ALL OF YOU!"
Gustav's stats are those of the Mad Scientist from Gamemaster's Guide with Strength 5, Parry 6, Toughness 10 (6 Impervious), Immunity To Fortitude and Telecution Helmet (Removable Blast 12, Unreliable (5 Uses)).

Griffin Intimidates everyone inside to try and Coerce them into surrendering, getting 9. The Thug gets 5 and is Coerced. Gustav gets 24 on his will check and resists.
Gustav went "You again?! You are too late, Mr. Griffin! All I need to do is think of Manhattan and a massive bolt of electricity will travel from my mind to the center of the city, destroying the island!"

The thug with Gustav dropped his gear, saying "I ain't messin' with Griffin! Only way in here's past the Professor! He must've killed him or somethin'!"

Griffin told the thug "Your so-called mates are knocked out in the locker room! Get them out of here! NOW!"

The thug fled, going "Okay, okay!" While the thug ran off, Griffin saw something. A red knife-switch at the base of the machine. Maybe something will happen if he throws it.

Gustav told him "In 30 seconds, Manhattan will be in for a shock!" So Griffin ran straight for the switch, dodging Gustav's lightning!
Griffin makes a Perception check, getting 21.

Roll Initiative!

Griffin: 12
Gustav: 9

Griffin has six combat rounds before Gustav can fire the bolt at Manhattan! The switch is far enough away that Griffin must double-move twice to reach it in time.

Gustav fires the Telecution Helmet at Griffin, getting 12 and missing.

Griffin ran and managed to reach and throw the switch while dodging a bolt! He saw all of the dials on the platform suddenly redline.

Gustav screamed "No! You fool! You’ll blow us both to atoms!"
Gustav fires the Telecution Helmet at Griffin, getting 24. Griffin gets 17 and spends a HP to reroll, getting 27 to resist!

Griffin: 4 HP.

As Griffin ran off, he shouted "And it's a price I'm willing to pay! Agh-! But not today!" as he was grazed by a bolt.
Griffin has to double-move twice to get back out of the chamber.

Gustav fires the Telecution Helmet at Griffin, getting 24. Griffin gets 14 and spends a HP to reroll, getting 23 and is hit.

Griffin: 1 Injury, 3 HP.

Griffin was struck in the arm by Gustav's third bolt before he could exit the chamber and get out of Gustav's range.
Gustav fires the Telecution Helmet at Griffin, getting 20. Griffin gets 15 and spends a HP to reroll, getting 22 and is hit.

Griffin: 2 Injuries, 2 HP.

Griffin ran as fast as he could back up the stairs, hoping to outrun the possible explosion. He had to run back up the stairs and leap over a couple of fallen water pipes to reach the locker room. Once he reached it, he heard a massive explosion.

The three thugs were nowhere to be found and their ear defenders were tossed to the ground. He put his pair back and flew off before law enforcement showed up. In the nearby woods, he switched outfits before flying back to Kingston. From there, he took the bus to Poughkeepsie and the Metro-North train back to NYC.


First thing Griffin did was go straight to the restaurant he went to last night. The waitress needed to be told.

She said "You're back, Griffin. I was just about to clock off! Do you know what happened to the professor?"

"I'm sorry, but he's gone. He didn't suffer, for what little it's worth."

"…I- I see. Did you find whoever did it to him?"

"I did. I brought justice to the man responsible."

"I understand. I need to be alone now."

"Of course."

Griffin walked out the restaurant and walked back to the Lodge.
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Re: Stories of the Betterverse: The Bloody Week

Post by betterwatchit »

The Bloody Week, Part 12

8 PM, 13th April 2017, Port Authority Bus Terminal…

Griffin spent the remaining day and a half recovering after his fight with Gustav and getting the coach tickets to Gotham, as well the train to his next stop in Freedom City along with a month's accommodation there.

Griffin was now at the Port Authority, waiting for Amélie. This was one trip he couldn't afford to miss. In his holdall was $50,000 cash.
Griffin has recovered from his wounds.

He heard someone saying "Mr. Griffin?"

He turned around and saw Amélie. He said "Good evening, Amélie. Got our Greyhound tickets here and the other thing we discussed is in my holdall." Then he asked "Do you have what you said you'd have on you?"

Amélie told him "I do. Once we arrive in Gotham, you take the envelope, I take the holdall, matter settled."

"Glad to hear it. It'll be two and a half hours before we reach Gotham. Are you absolutely certain you're ready to go?"

"Yeah. And don't worry, I've already had something to drink. I didn't want to get thirsty on board. And speaking of boarding, it looks like our bus is ready."


It didn't take long to stow the holdall away and get on board. The coach was scheduled to go direct to Gotham City Bus Terminal.

As the bus went underway, Amélie asked "I want to ask you a question, Griffin."

"You can, but I can't guarantee you'll get an answer."

"Fair enough. So… Why are you in America?"

"I'm doing a world tour. How can I perform my duties if I do not see and understand what it is I am supposed to defend in the first place?"

"Makes sense. Are you going coast-to-coast?"

"Yeah. I'm thinking of taking Amtrak to the West Coast. After that, who knows?"

"Are you going back to London?"

"How do you know I'm from London?"

"Even we get VidBox! I saw the leaked CCTV footage of you in the SHADOW Invasion. After you slew that big fella in the Museum of London, I know that you were shouting something."

"I wasn't shouting, I was singing! The exact words were 'London stands forever more, ever more, ever more! London stands forever more, my fair Lady!'"

"Wow."

"I had to vent after having been in a couple of fights to the death. Anyway, I'll be headed to Asia after going coast-to-coast here."


Gotham City Bus Terminal, 10:30 P.M…

As the coach finally stopped in Gotham, Amélie said "You actually kept your word. That's a bit rare in my circles. Here's the envelope. After you hand me the holdall, it's settled between us."

"Got it. Just have to wait until after the driver hands it over to me first."

On the concourse, Griffin handed his holdall with the money inside over to Amélie, saying "I believe this is yours. Goodbye, Amélie."


As Griffin walked out, he saw and decided to walk down what the maps called Park Row. Everybody else knew it as Crime Alley. Even in London, he heard the stories about the various murders that happened there. Including what happened to the Waynes.

He was about halfway across Crime Alley when he was roped up by the ankles and dragged up to the roof. "What the f-!" Next thing he knew, he was hanging upside down as he saw a cowl that would make anybody else brick themselves. Batman wanted a word.

"Why are you in my city, Griffin?"

"Oh. Good evening, Batman. I'm here because of that gang war going on in New York. I've had to come here to get intel needed to end it."

"Do you know what caused it?"

"I do, but you won't believe me."

"Try me."

"Vampires. And I mean the undead who drink the blood of the living to sustain themselves."

"You're lying!"

"I swear to the Almighty God I'm not. You're a member of the Justice League and you fight some of the craziest criminals ever. Have you ever seen anything that rules the possibility out?"

"No. And neither have I seen anything that proves you're who you say you are!"

"There are two people who can vouch that I'm who and what I say I am."

"Who?"

"Zauriel, formerly of the Justice League, currently of the Shadowpact. He can vouch for me! Or if you can get in touch with whoever's currently hosting the Spectre, they can also vouch for me!"

Batman cut Griffin loose, saying "…You had better go."
The current Batman's stats are in DCA Heroes & Villains Vol. 2, page 81. He does an Intimidation check, getting 27. But Griffin is Fearless. "Batman" does an Insight check getting 30! It doesn't seem to him like Griffin's scared or lying.
Griffin said "Thank you, sir," as he revealed his wings and flew off back to New York.

On the way back, Griffin was thinking 'I can't believe I got past the Bat without a massive fight!'
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Re: Stories of the Betterverse: The Bloody Week

Post by betterwatchit »

The Bloody Week, Part 13

8 AM, 14th April 2017, The Lodge

Ms. Magus was having breakfast with Griffin, who said "I got the intel last night. And I even had a run-in with the Bat!"

Ms. Magus spat her drink out before she said "You saw him?!"

"Saw him? He dragged me up to the rooftop near Crime Alley! It took a deft tongue to avoid a fight. Come to think of it, I swear he looked a bit younger, compared to how long he's been reported to be active. Closer to Amélie's apparent age than mine. Now let's see what I paid fifty grand for…" Griffin found a note inside the envelope.
Amélie wrote: North Brother Island, NY. Whole island off-limits to public. Morgue basement of abandoned hospital on the north side of island. Fake safe with trap in open morgue drawer, any code activates it. Behind medical cabinet is real safe, code: 7412369#.
Ms. Magus said "North Brother Island is northwest of Rikers. The nearest subway would have to be in the Bronx."

Griffin asked "Is it possible for you to come with me for this?"

Ms. Magus told him "Those vampires have preyed on this city long enough. Let's see how they like it!"

Griffin said "Quick look on Google Maps says the nearest station is East 143rd Street & St. Mary's Street on the 6 Train. We have to change trains at Union Square and fly from a nearby dock to reach it. The only boats that go there are with NYC Parks. Also, I suggest you wear boots and tuck your trousers into them. The wiki says there's loads of poison ivy there. Leave your phone behind and bring your dirty Metrocard."

"Why?"

"We're not allowed to be there and I don't want our phones saying we were somewhere we shouldn't be."

"Yeah, that makes sense."

"Also, I bought a duffel bag and a new holdall yesterday, before I did that excursion to Gotham. The bag contains two torches with fully charged batteries and a pair of filtered dustmasks."


Two hours later…

At a dock in the Bronx, Griffin said "I don't see any watercraft around for a quarter-mile in any direction and it looks like rain's coming in again. We cross now."

Griffin revealed his wings and flew over the East River, carrying the duffel bag. Ms. Magus also took flight, hovering her way across to Griffin's position.


North Brother Island…

As they made their way northeast to the abandoned hospital building, Ms. Magus said "You know something, Griff? I don't think I've been anywhere this… quiet before!"

Griffin replied "Not surprising. You've just gone from the most populated city in the United States to an island without any people on it. We're at least a third of a mile away from anyone else in town. And call out if you get caught in the ivy. I'll be fine if it touches me, but I'm your best chance if you get stung."

Ms. Magus pointed at an abandoned building asking "Is that it?"

Griffin told her "Yeah, that's likely the old hospital. Remember, we're looking for the basement." He tried the entrance door. Open. He unsheathed Justice to be sure.

Ms. Magus asked "Trouble?"

Griffin told her "I don't see any recent footprints but we're now heading into the belly of the beast. If trouble's likely, it'll be when we get downstairs. Grab a torch and mask up."

As she masked up, Ms. Magus said "It's pouring down now!"

Griffin said "That's a good thing, it'll wash our footprints away and give us time to search."


As he opened the door to the basement morgue, Griffin turned his torch on. The morgue was dark and dusty. He could see the drawers that used to hold bodies. Only one still had its door open. He said "That must be the one with the booby-trap." Then he saw it. A medical cabinet slightly taller than him and a lot wider. Padlocked. Griffin simply cut the padlock off and opened the cabinet.

It contained a Fort Knox-brand fire-proofed safe as tall as Griffin.

Ms. Magus said "Fort Knox?!" She whistled as she said "Robert splashed out buying one of those!"

Griffin told her "This would take all day to crack. At best. The fact we have the code means it'll take about 20 seconds. Entering the PIN!" Griffin entered the PIN, heard the safe open up and turned the handle. "Now let's see what's in here…"

When Griffin opened the door, several LED lights inside the safe turned on and he saw half a dozen fireproof file boxes and a full duffel bag. A quick examination of one case contained several documents, maps, photos, discs and even tapes, audio and video. From what Griffin could see, this was practically everything anyone would possibly need to know about New York's vampiric society! He said "By my Lady's Heart, we didn't hit the jackpot. We hit the f**king motherlode! Every dirty deal and every backstab is right here!"

Ms. Magus asked "How are we going to get all this back to the Lodge?"

Griffin said "I've seen you make portals with the other end at the Lodge."

Ms. Magus opened a portal and said "Oh, yeah." She opened a portal and said "Just toss the boxes in. Jane!"

Jane appeared on the other side of the portal, saying "Yes, Mistress?"

Ms. Magus told Jane "Griffin's going to toss some boxes over. Could you keep them neat and tidy for us?"

Jane curtseyed and said "Of course." Griffin then tossed the boxes through the portal, whistling "Johnny Comes Marching Home" while Jane moved them to one side. He was enjoying this.

Griffin said "I've got a couple of duffel bags here as well. The lighter one's mine." After tossing them through, he said "And that's the lot of them. I'm heading back, Cass." as he crossed the portal into the Lodge's living room.

Ms. Magus went "Got it!" as she crossed the portal back home.
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Re: Stories of the Betterverse: The Bloody Week

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The Bloody Week, Part 14

Noon, 14th April 2017, The Lodge

Griffin did a brief poring over the files. Cass asked him "So… What did you find?"

Griffin said "In terms of American events, they've definitely been around since the European settlement. They didn't start the American War of Independence but they took advantage. Same goes for the Civil War. The Great Depression wasn't their doing, nor were the World Wars. 9/11 was definitely not one of theirs. They had fronts in both towers, why would they want to blow the place up?" After putting the files back in their cases, Griffin said "I think I know how to distribute the files, Cass. I need contact details for a trustworthy driver with a van and if you know them, the local Dedsec branch and the local branch of ARCADE. We finally have our chance to break the hold!"

Ms. Magus went "First off, I don't know how you found out about ARCADE, but they would want that intel. Abd I have a cousin with a van who knows what I do for a living. Also, Dedsec have a dedicated pick-up point at the Waypoint Café. It works the same way as the Looking Glass in London?"

Griffin said "Yeah, I know what you mean. Is there a specific passphrase I should use?"

Ms. Magus said "With Dedsec, just tell a barista there that I sent you, that'll do it. As for ARCADE, go to the Met Cloisters. At the Information Desk or Ticket Booth, tell whoever's there that you want to see Mr. Dee. They'll hand you a visitor's ID and lead you to ARCADE's New York HQ."

Griffin went "I won't ask how you know that."

Jane approached and said "Mr. Griffin, your clothes are washed, dried and in your room as per your request."

Griffin said "Thank you, Jane." He then turned to Ms. Magus and said "You know how you said I had to be gone today, Cass? I haven't forgotten and I've made arrangements to stay somewhere else for a couple of nights."

Ms. Magus went "Well, it's been an interesting time. I'll be sure to call you if I'm ever in London."

Griffin said "I'd appreciate it. Now if you'll excuse me, I have my gear to pack and a call to make."


After packing his bags, Griffin made a phone call.

He heard a female voice say "Hello?"

"Is this Isabelle Valentine?"

"Speaking. Who is this?"

"Hello, Isabelle. The name's Griffin. Your cousin in Bay Ridge referred you to me. I have a job for you if you're interested, pays ten grand. Half up front."

"I'm listening."

"I want you to pick me up from her address in Bay Ridge and get me to four different stops. I'll be dropping something off at three of them and you'll be dropping me off at the fourth stop, which is out-of-state. The assignment is time-sensitive."

"I know her address. How time-sensitive are we talking here?"

"The job begins at once and must be completed before sunset. This is non-negotiable."

"Got it. Are any of the packages dangerous?"

"Not physically. They're not bombs or anything that could be mistaken for a weapon if that's what you mean. And you can hold one in each hand without any problems. More than that, you don't need to know."

"Fair enough. So, what are the four stops?"

"The first will be the Waypoint Café in Manhattan. I'll tell you the other three as we go, but the last one is out of state."

"Okay. I'll take the job if and only if you can fend off anyone chasing me during it."

"Done."

"Alright. I'll be there in 30 minutes, three zero. I'll be in a red Ram ProMaster City. I'll call again when I'm outside. Make sure you have everything ready."

"I will. See you later."

"Goodbye."

After hanging up, Griffin set a countdown on his phone for 25 minutes. Enough time to get his stuff in order if he moved quickly. He placed the fileboxes and his luggage in the living room. He then filled two envelopes with $5,000 each. He then left a note for Ms. Magus in the guest room.


When the time came, Griffin heard his phone ring. When he answered, he heard Isabelle.

"It's Isabelle. I'm outside and I just opened the cargo door! Once you've loaded up, go into the cargo hold, sit down and use the van's intercom to signal."

Griffin said "I'll load six fileboxes and my luggage. Keep the motor running!"

It took five minutes to load everything. In the van, Isabelle said "When you're ready, put the envelope containing my payment into the box below the intercom. Just hold the button and say you're ready."

After putting the money in the box, Griffin used the intercom to say "Everything's set here, ready when you are."

As she set off, Isabelle asked "You said the Waypoint Café, right?"

"Yeah. What's the ETA?"

"About half an hour."

"Suits me."


Half an hour later…

On the intercom, Isabelle said "We're at the Waypoint. I'll keep the motor running."


Griffin entered the Waypoint and asked the barista "Ms. Magus sent me here to deliver something to Dedsec."

"What are you delivering?"

"I've got a pair of file boxes here that Dedsec should look at."

"Okay. May I ask who dropped them off?"

"Tell them that Griffin dropped the boxes off."

"Got it."


When Griffin returned to the van, he said "Okay, the first two packages have been delivered. The next objective is Avengers Tower!"

"What? Are you f**king serious?!"

"DEADLY serious. I'll handle any flak they give us and don't worry, I've got something that'll convince them to let us leave in peace."

"Okay. Any screw-ups and it's on you!"

"Fair enough."


Twenty minutes later…

Isabelle said "Okay, we're at the Tower. It used to be the MetLife Building before Stark took over. How you're getting the boxes inside is your problem."

Griffin told her "And it's a problem I've solved." He picked up two boxes, exited the van, closed the door, revealed his wings and flew up to the helipad.


Inside the Tower, J.A.R.V.I.S. said "The winged individual known as Griffin is at the helipad and is approaching the door, sir. He is carrying two fileboxes, one in each hand. A sword is concealed in the laptop bag he is wearing."

Iron Man said "Let him in."

Black Widow said "I heard a rumour that he can speak any language. Let's see if there's any truth to that."
Black Widow does a Well-Informed Check on Griffin, getting 28. She knows pretty much everything Griffin's been up to.

When he opened the door, Griffin saw that he was surrounded and examined the people surrounding him. He said "I am Griffin, angel of the Host of Heaven, and I have valuable information for you and AEGIS. I have heard of all of you. Lord Thor Odinson, Aesir God of Thunder and the only one of his pantheon known as the ‘Friend of Man’. Iron Man, one of the world’s richest and smartest men. Black Widow, beautiful and lethal at the same time. Hawkeye, the master marksman. And Captain America, an inspiration to us all!"

Thor said "Aye, I heard that the Lamb of the Book had Chosen a new mortal champion recently."

Black Widow said in Russian "<Griffin. You have exactly 30 seconds to explain why you're here uninvited.>"

Griffin put the boxes on the ground then he put his hands up as he said "<My apologies for coming here without invitation, Black Widow. But I come with hard evidence of a vampiric conspiracy that has been running New York in secret for centuries.>"

Black Widow went "<What?! Impossible!>"

A pause and Stark asked "What did he say?"

Griffin replied "I apologised to her as I apologise to all of you for coming here without invitation. Then I told her that I have hard evidence of a vampiric conspiracy that's been running New York in secret. The evidence in these boxes shows that the conspiracy's been in place since the time of the European settlement."

Iron Man said "No way."

Griffin told him "Yes way! And I'll give you this for free: Robert Moses became a vampire in 1981. I brought him to judgment earlier this week. Check the files in these boxes if you don't believe me!"

Captain America said "Griffin. I actually remember working alongside someone with your codename during the war."

Griffin asked "Did he have a wing pack and a prototype railgun called a Tesla Rifle? He would have mentioned how he used magnets to make the slugs go faster than a bullet."

Captain America said "Yeah, he did. I thought he was a bit odd, even by wartime standards. How do you know-?"

Griffin told him "Codename Griffin of Q Company was my great-grandfather. I met him during the near-death experience that resulted in me getting my wings and sword. He had a message to give if I should ever meet you, Captain."

Captain America asked "What’s the message?"

Griffin said "The message is as follows: The Eagle and the Lion soar and roar again. End message."

Captain America stuttered as he said "He- He- He’s telling the truth about who he is! He did speak to the original Griffin! He never told anyone else that particular phrase! And he only gave me that phrase on his deathbed!"

Black Widow said "<He's lying!>"

Griffin said back "Does it sound like I’m lying, Black Widow? I would have thought you at least would have noticed if I was. I have to go, so I just have to say that you're not the only ones who are getting these. Before you say anything, I need to be sure that somebody's going to act on the contents! And no, I don't have to tell you who. See you later." Then he walked out.
The Avengers each do an Insight check. Black Widow gets 33. Thor gets 12. Hawkeye gets 27. Iron Man gets 19 and Captain America gets 34! Since Griffin wasn't trying to Deceive or Intimidate them, they all realise that he's not lying. And they could tell he wasn't scared of any of them.

After landing, Griffin knocked on the van's side door. When he entered, Isabelle asked "Are we cool?"

Griffin said "Yeah, we're cool! I kept polite, kept my cool and explained the contents to them. Now, the next stop is the Met Cloisters at Fort Tryon Park. The last boxes go there!"


35 minutes later…

Isabelle said "Okay, we're at the Cloisters. I hope you know what you're doing."

Griffin told her "Something this big, I make sure to have a method of approach."


When Griffin approached the ticket booth, the clerk in charge asked "How can I help you?"

Griffin told him "The name's Griffin. I have some files to show Mr. Dee. Can you lead the way?"

The clerk said "Of course. Take this visitor card and put it on your chest."

The clerk lead Griffin to a hidden basement. The door opened. A really big man put his revolver to Griffin's head and said "So you're this Griffin fella everyone's been talkin' about! I knew a Griffin once."

Griffin said "First, calm yourself, sir. Second, if you mean the bloke with the wingpack and rail gun, he was my great-grandfather. And third, these boxes I'm carrying? Evidence of a vampiric conspiracy that has been running New York since the European settlement. Evidence hard enough to make mortal courts of law acknowledge it. Also, you know what happened at Dutchman Recycling?"

The large man cocked his revolver and asked "Oh yeah? What do you know about it?"

Griffin said "There were several people who were corralled down in a hidden basement as a food stock. I'm the reason they got back out alive again, and why they survived the facility being burned down. And I'm the reason why the vampire who ran the facility lost his head before you got to him. Don't believe me? The fatal blow was caused by a monomolecular edge. The lock for the door was also cut with the same edge."

The large man said "That was you?!"

Griffin told him "Yeah, that was me! The Hellmouth in Central Park? I'm the one who closed it again. And I'll give you this for free: Robert Moses became a vampire in 1981. I brought him to judgment earlier this week. I have other matters to tend to, so if you'll excuse me…" He then walked out of the museum.


When Griffin made it back to the van, Isabelle asked "Where now?"

Griffin told her "Drop me off at the Journal Square station in New Jersey and I'll take my luggage and give you the other five grand."

Isabelle went "Got it. ETA, forty minutes."


Forty minutes later…

Isabelle said "Here we are, Journal Square. Make sure you have everything with you when you leave. Once you close the door, there's no turning back."

Griffin put the second envelope in the box as he said "Pleasure doing business with you."


Twenty minutes later, Griffin was in his room at the nearby Ramada Hotel. He knew not to ask Isabelle to drop him right at the hotel, in case she talked. It was sunset now and all the vampires were going to wake up to a big surprise…
Last edited by betterwatchit on Sun Dec 17, 2023 11:10 pm, edited 5 times in total.
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Re: Stories of the Betterverse: The Bloody Week

Post by betterwatchit »

The Bloody Week, Epilogue

10 AM, 15th April 2017, Ramada Hotel, Jersey City…

After breakfast, Griffin was washing his face. He blinked and saw Annabelle's face in the mirror in place of his own. She said "Mother wants to speak to you." Next thing Griffin knew, he was before the Throne.


Griffin went down on both knees and said "You wanted to see me, my Lady?"

The Lady said "On your feet, Simon." When Griffin stood up, she said "Do you know why I had you go through all of last week?"

"That was one hell of a week, Ma'am! Nearly every single day that week, I was in one fight or another! I even took down someone who was going to give Manhattan a massive lightning strike by myself."

"I saw. And I noticed that you refused Cassandra's help with that. Explain."

"I just… I noticed how I had help other than your gifts in completing most of my assignments. I wanted to prove that I didn't need any more assistance than your gifts to complete an assignment. I only needed help recovering from the two lightning blasts he gave me and it annoyed me that I needed that."

"There is a specific reason I made sure your healing touch didn't work on you and why you still need to sleep. You need to be able to trust other people. I know you're starting to. Why else would you stay at someone else's place for over a week?"

"And don't worry, Ma'am. I didn't leave her uncompensated and I made sure to keep trouble I caused or which was related to your assignments from coming to her door."

"Which was very considerate of you. Most people in your situation don't even think of that. The reason you went through that week is simple: You had to learn how handle being under attack by people who are invested in your defeat. The sort that don't surrender, where only one of you can leave the area alive. The bounties on your head should keep you sharp. And what about that vampire, Amélie? Do you know how rare it is for a vampire to sincerely pray to me?"

"I'm afraid I have no idea, Ma'am. It can't be too frequent if you're making a note of it!"

"I'll tell you. It's been over a hundred years since the last time a vampire ever honestly prayed to me, and that was during the Great War. She meant it, so I gave her the revelation she needed to find you out. And you're now on the Red List as one of the Vampires' Most Wanted for killing Robert Moses. And you're one of the few non-vampires who's ever made it."

"I'm not sure if I should be worried or flattered they thought that much of me. And I'm reasonably certain they can go places that a US extradition treaty can't touch. Speaking of, are ARCADE after me?"

"They're on the lookout for you and they have a file on you. So the night has become even more dangerous for you. Nothing you can't handle though."

"And speaking of nights, I've determined where I'm going to stay in Freedom City, Ma'am. 30 nights at that new Extended Stay America Premier Suite they just opened in Hanover. Cost me £2,000 after all the discounts, but it was easier to sort out compared to having to talk to a landlord. After all, I can sort it online and I've paid the rent in advance. Good thing they recognise foreign passports as valid ID. If there is nothing further…"

"There are two things you must know before you can go. Harmon Kale, the Sheriff of New York's vampiric community knows that the safe's been opened. He doesn't know where the contents went, but he knows you had something to do with it."

"Not surprising at all. And the other thing, Ma'am?"

"Since Amélie willingly gave you everything needed to take down New York's vampires, I'm giving her a special dispensation. Amélie is exempted from the "No Quarter" requirement of Clause Three. That'll be all."

"Thank you for informing me, Ma'am. I'll see you later."

Griffin then hopped through the portal leading back to the hotel.


ARCADE NYC Field Office, beneath the Met Cloisters…

ARCADE Field Agent Leroy Dutch said "I don't know if that Griffin fella is dumb or mad, Robert. I had Betsie right up to his head and the palooka just stood there, cool as a cucumber!"

Robert Archer, the NYC Field Chaplain said "I don't know about his IQ or sanity, but I've done some research on near-death experiences and his reaction isn't exactly unprecedented. Practically all the documented near-death experiencers I've checked out noted that they weren't as afraid of dying as they were before. After all, they barely noticed that it even happened the first time! A lot of them come back changed in subtle ways. Like being able to recite the entire Bible off the top of their head or having increased empathic intelligence, that kind of thing."

Leroy asks "Where is this going, Robert?"

Robert told him "This research, along with the files on him that the Ministry of Powers Spiritual Division gave us last week, brings me to the conclusion that he might be telling the truth about what he is."

"What?!"

"Near-death experiencers often come back changed, but this is the most extreme NDE-related change ever documented. A pair of wings, fluency in all tongues and scripts and the ability to withstand gunfire and most conventional weaponry. And while it's very well-documented that you can't bring anything to the other side with you, there's the fact that he physically brought something back with him! This is the first time that's ever happened to my knowledge!"

"What did he bring back?"

"A shortsword which Griffin calls 'Justice'. The Ministry documentation -what little there is of it- shows that it's razor-sharp and he can cut ghosts with it."

"How-?"

"He took down the Silver Scream with it. And remember when all of Britain was being haunted? He took down a lot of ghosts with it. He could only pull that one off if the sword's on the spiritual plane as much as it is on the physical. And that's not the weirdest thing. The weirdest thing is that we haven't got any forensics on him! No fingerprints, no blood sample, nothing! Which is really odd, given that everyone coming here legally has to submit their fingerprints at the border."

"So we don't know who he is? He's one of those undocumented people?"

"I'm afraid we don't know who he is, but I'm certain he's not undocumented. The CCTV showed him coming in from an flight from Shannon in Ireland. But for whatever reason, it just says Mr. Griffin instead of his real name whenever we check his immigration record! And I don't know who tampered with it. The only way we've been able to tell he's been somewhere is if he's cut anything with his sword or by video footage. I don't know what it's made of, but it holds an incredible edge. There's evidence of him using it in Dutchman Recycling and at Ashokan Reservoir."

"The reservoir that had the big explosion? I never knew he hit it!"

"That sword cut through a solid steel door. The Federal investigation found that the room was booby-trapped to flood. I don't know if Griffin can drown, but the fact that he cut the door open indicates either great strength or a very sharp sword."

"So we're looking for a Brit with the sharpest blade we've ever seen, a pair of wings and who isn't scared of anybody! I get the feeling we'll hear from him sooner or later."


The Lodge…

Ms. Magus was checking out the guestroom where she found a note on top of a pile of cash and a duffel bag on top of the bed.
Griffin wrote:Cass,

I owe you big for letting me stay at your place. Here is $10,000. All cash. Also, my Metrocards (which are in the guestroom, this letter should be on top of them if Jane didn't give it to you) are yours, along with whatever you find inside the duffel bag. Do with it what you will. It's still unopened, so I honestly don't know what's inside.

Yours,
Griffin.

P.S. I apologise for any trouble I dragged you into during my stay. I took measures to keep as much of it as possible from coming back here.

Ramada Hotel, Jersey City…

The sun was shining and Griffin just checked out of the hotel. He took the nearest train south. Next stop: Freedom City!

Griffin gets 4 PP. He spends one on Immunity 1: The Gravity of Balance, another on Improved Initiative and the rest to gain Favoured Foe: Vampires, two ranks of Stealth (making it 2 (+4)) and two ranks of Perception (making it 6 (+8)). Griffin also gains a Complication: Blood Money. There is a combined bounty of $200,000 on Griffin's head. And his death is the only way to get them to pay out.

Ms. Magus gets 2 PP, which she spends on Favoured Foe (Vampires) and Well-Equipped (Superteam Handbook, page 39).

Author's note: I think this is the biggest arc I've wrote! And Griffin's come a long way! Here is Griffin's post-NYC sheet!
Last edited by betterwatchit on Sun Aug 06, 2023 11:24 am, edited 4 times in total.
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Re: Stories of the Betterverse: The Bloody Week

Post by betterwatchit »

Time of the Apes, Part 1
SPOILER WARNING! This story contains spoilers for Time of the Apes, the Freedom City adventure in the Deluxe Hero's Handbook. If you don't want to be spoiled, click this link to go to the next story, The Curse of Gotham. SPOILER WARNING!

Griffin's Hotel, Hanover, 4 PM…

Griffin had checked in to the hotel quite easily and made it to his room.

Annabelle said "Well, I must say it looks like you made a good choice of accommodation."

"Thank you, Annabelle. It's a short walk from Hanover Main Street, so I can get the train into town and I won't have any problems getting something to eat. And this particular hotel doesn't even mind a paid guest coming in here from the roof."

"How could they tell you're a paid guest?"

"When I checked in, the debit card I showed them was the same one I used to pay them. And the passport's proof that I really am who I said I am, and it's the only proof that's good worldwide. Good thing it doesn't have my other name on it! That card they gave me lets me enter the building whenever I want for the duration of my stay and proves that I'm a paying guest. Hang on a minute, I just have to send a text to my dad…"

Code: Select all

To: Dad

Will call in the morning, my time/early-mid afternoon, your time.

16th April, Griffin's Hotel, Hanover, 9 AM… (79 Days left on waiver)

After getting a couple of cereal bars and a bottle of mineral water for breakfast, Griffin phoned his dad…

"Hello?"

"Hey, Dad. It's Simon."

"Where are you now? Are you still in New York?"

"No, I'm in Freedom City now! On the map, it's in southern New Jersey, just south of Atlantic City. The Gotham City archipelago is about 20 miles to the north-east."

"How long are you going to be there for?"

"A month."

"WHAT?!"

"You heard me!"

"Can you even afford that?"

"The place I went with has discounts for people staying with them for a week or more. A month means I effectively get half off their rates!"

"It's not a dump, is it?"

"No. These guys have been doing it for over twenty years, so they're not noobs at it."

"So they're charging you fair this time. Got any plans for today?"

"Yeah, I'm going over to Pyramid Plaza in a minute."

"Isn't that where they have those towers that look all twisted up?"

"Yeah, that's right. How they got the planning permission for that, I'll never know. Is there anything else going on?"

"No, not at the moment. I'll let you go now, I'll see you later."


One hour later, Pyramid Plaza

Griffin was browsing at the high-end retail district at the top floor of 1 Pyramid Plaza, one of the three most iconic towers in all of Freedom City.

As he was washing his hands after using the men's room, Griffin overheard someone in a stall saying "This score should be worth it. Let's see those Yank hosers handle Canadian ice a thousand feet up."

Griffin turned his phone off before he drew still-sheathed Justice out of his laptop bag, thinking 'North American accent, mentioned a score, dissed America, used a Canadian insult and claims to be a freezer. Sounds like the Mad Maple. Thieves Guild are here! Let's improve the odds a bit…'

When the Mad Maple opened his cubicle door in full costume, Griffin was waiting for him. A single blow to the Maple's arm was all it took to kick things off.

Mad Maple hit Griffin upside the head with his Ice Staff, going "Come on, you f**king hoser!"

Unfazed, Griffin broke a few of the Mad Maple's ribs as he went "You give the Commonwealth a bad name!"
The Thieves Guild statblocks are on pages 302-304 of the Deluxe Hero's Handbook. Griffin does a Well-Informed check, getting a Natural 20! He also gets 21 on a Technology check. On the "Learning about the Thieves Guild" sidebar on page 294, Griffin knows everything in the Investigation and Technology sections.

Griffin gets 22 on his Stealth roll and Mad Maple gets 17 on his Perception. Mad Maple didn't notice Griffin.

Roll Initiative! Griffin gets 10, Mad Maple gets 12. Griffin is using non-lethal force and gets two HP: One for entering combat and another for reduced force.

In the surprise round, Griffin performs an All-out Attack on Mad Maple with the Flurry of Steel, getting 23 and a +2 to the DC to resist. Mad Maple gets 21 and is hit.

Mad Maple tries to High-Stick Griffin, getting 18. Griffin's Impervious to the attack.

Griffin performs a second Flurry of Steel, getting 27 and a +5 increase on the DC to resist. Mad Maple gets 17 and is hit and Staggered!

Griffin: 3 HP.
Mad Maple: 2 Injuries, Staggered!

Mad Maple shouted "I never expected you to come here!" as used his staff to fire an icicle at Griffin, which grazed his head as he struck back.
Mad Maple fires an Ice Projectile at Griffin, getting 27. Griffin gets a natural 1! He spends a HP to reroll, getting 16 and is hit and Dazed!

Griffin attacks with the Flurry of Steel, getting 24 and a +2 increase on the DC to resist. Mad Maple gets 21 and is hit.

Griffin: 2 HP, 1 Injury, Dazed.
Mad Maple: 3 Injuries, Staggered!

Griffin finally managed to lay the Mad Maple out by bashing his head against the wall.
Mad Maple fires another Ice Projectile at Griffin, getting 19. Griffin gets 17 and spends a HP to reroll, getting 21 and getting hit. Griffin attacks with the Flurry of Steel, getting 21. Mad Maple gets 11 and is Incapacitated from taking two Staggering blows!

Griffin: 1 HP, 2 Injuries.
Mad Maple: Incapacitated.
After washing his hands and washing the blood off his face, Griffin turned the Ice Staff off and broke it over his knee before putting Mad Maple in the recovery position. He headed out, revealing his wings. The Legacy of Freedom were already on the scene. He saw Weather Mistress and Firebug flying around the outside fighting Freedom Eagle and Lightbearer while Midnight and Looking Glass were throwing mist and shards at each other. Bola was raiding the jewellery shops before he saw Griffin. The Huckster was on the PA system saying "If it isn't the Legacy of Freedom!"

Scarab knocked out Firebug with a single mind blast, then she used her telekinesis to place him on a window-washer's cart.

Looking Glass got a small taste of Midnight Mist.

Huckster said "Bola! The man with the sword, that's Griffin! He got Maple!" Then he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Bola threw some strobing bolas at Griffin that overloaded his eyes, he was barely able to get into cover afterwards.

Griffin was thinking 'Once I recover, I'm laying him the f**k out!'
Roll Initiative!

Firebug: 20
Scarab: 20
Looking Glass: 19
Midnight: 18
Freedom Eagle: 15
Bola: 13
Weather Mistress: 12
Huckster: 11
Griffin: 11
Lightbearer: 9

Freedom Eagle and Lightbearer's Favoured Environment bonuses are both active and set to Defence.

Firebug's Favoured Environment isn't active as his suit can't get the open air warm enough for the bonus to activate.

Huckster does a Well-Informed check, getting 28. He definitely knows about what Griffin's been doing.

Scarab does a Well-Informed check, getting 26. She knows about Griffin and the stuff he's done in Britain and America.

Griffin does a Well-Informed check on the Legacy of Freedom, getting 17. He knows the names of the Legacy's members.

Firebug fires his Flamethrowers at Freedom Eagle and Lightbearer. Freedom Eagle gets 22 to dodge it and gets 25 to resist it. Lightbearer gets 25 to dodge and 21 to resist.

Scarab performs a Mental Blast on Firebug, who gets a Natural 1 and is Incapacitated!

Looking Glass uses the Funhouse Mirrors on Midnight, whose Mask allows him to overcome the Affliction.

Midnight responds by firing his Midnight Mist at Looking Glass, getting 26. Looking Glass gets 20 to dodge most of it and gets 10, leaving her Dazed.

Freedom Eagle attacks Weather Mistress with his claws, getting 18 and missing.

Bola throws his Flash Bolas at Griffin, getting a Natural 20! Bola adds +5 to the DC to resist. This along with Griffin's Disability makes it a DC 30 check to resist! Griffin gets 20 and is Visually Disabled!

Griffin gets a HP for his Disability! He barely makes it into cover.

Weather Mistress is using her Thunder & Lightning to contain Firebug's flames.

Huckster used a Johnny Buzzkill to hide his position.

Griffin gets a Natural 20 on his Fortitude to shake off the Flash Bolas' effect.

Lightbearer fires a Light Blast at Weather Mistress, getting 26. Weather Mistress gets 19 and is hit and Dazed.

Firebug: Incapacitated.
Looking Glass: Dazed.
Weather Mistress: 1 Injury, Dazed.
Griffin: 2 HP, 2 Injuries, Visually Disabled.

While catching his breath, Griffin got a telepathic message…

"This is Scarab of the Legacy of Freedom! If you're still lucid, please respond at once!"

Griffin thought back "Ahh-! This is Griffin, angel of the Host of Heaven! This isn't my first conversation with a telepath! Mad Maple's in the men's room, unconscious! Targeting Bola!"

Huckster went "Here's mud in your eye!" as he threw a cream pie at Griffin, who ducked in time.

Griffin flew at Bola, shouting "LET THERE BE LIGHT!" as he smacked him upside the head.
Scarab does a Mental Blast on Weather Mistress. She gets 13 is hit and Dazed. Scarab is given a DC 25 Perception check, getting 26. She sees something unusual happening on the horizon.

Looking Glass fires her Laser Mirror Gun at Midnight, getting 12 and missing.

Midnight fires his Mist at Looking Glass, getting 27. Looking Glass gets 18, failing to dodge. She gets 10 on her Fortitude save and is Stunned!

Freedom Eagle attacks Weather Mistress, getting 22. Weather Mistress gets 17 and is hit and Dazed!

Bola throws his Steel-Mesh Bolas at Lightbearer, getting 17 and missing.

Weather Mistress fires a Lightning Bolt at Scarab, getting a natural 1 and missing.

Huckster throws a Johnny Jalapeno Cream Pie at Griffin, getting 17 and missing.

Griffin Charges Bola with the Flurry of Steel, getting 24. Bola gets 16 and is hit and Dazed!

Lightbearer fires a Light Blast at Weather Mistress, getting 27, Weather Mistress gets 14 and is hit and already Dazed.

Weather Mistress: 2 Injuries, Dazed.
Looking Glass: Stunned.
Bola: 1 Injury, Dazed.

Looking Glass was still coughing badly from the Mist, which gave Midnight the chance to hit her hard.

Freedom Eagle knocked out Weather Mistress. placing her unconscious body on the washer cart next to Firebug.

Huckster drew his Sword Cane and went "Engarde, Griffin!"

Griffin disarmed Huckster, saying "I can swordfight without killing!"
Scarab fires a Mental Blast at Weather Mistress. Weather Mistress gets 20 and is hit.

Looking Glass gets 10 on her resistance check and is still Stunned.

Midnight punches Looking Glass in a minor Power Attack with his Brass Knuckles, getting 23. Looking Glass gets 9 and is hit and Staggered!

Freedom Eagle attacks Weather Mistress, getting 22. Weather Mistress gets a Natural 1 and is Incapacitated!

Bola throws a Steel-Mesh Bola at Griffin, getting 16 and missing.

Huckster attacks Griffin with his Johnny Walker Sword Cane, getting 9 and missing.

Griffin uses Justice to Disarm Huckster, getting 25. On the opposed check, Griffin gets a Natural 20 and Huckster gets 8, leaving Huckster disarmed.

Lightbearer fires a Light Blast at Bola, getting 24. Bola gets 14 and is hit and Staggered!

Weather Mistress: Incapacitated.
Looking Glass: 1 Injury, Staggered, Stunned.
Bola :2 Injuries, Staggered.
Huckster: Disarmed.

Scarab used her telepathy to say "Midnight, Mist Huckster and Bola! Griffin will be fine!"

Midnight fired his Mist on Huckster and Bola. Bola was coughing as he crawled out, meaning he couldn't see Freedom Eagle knock him out!

Huckster put his hands up saying "Okay, we give, you got us fair and square! Where's Maple anyway?"
Scarab fires a Mental Blast at Looking Glass, who gets a Natural 1 and is Incapacitated.

Midnight fires the Midnight Mist at Bola and Huckster. Griffin is in the cloud's radius, but his Blessing of Sustenance makes him immune to the Mist and his True Sight allows him to see through it. Bola gets Natural 1 to dodge and is caught in the Mist. He gets 11 on his Fortitude and is Dazed. Huckster gets 16 to dodge and is caught in the Mist. He gets 20 on his Fortitude save and resists the Mist. Both are Visually Unaware.

Freedom Eagle Readies his action. The first person to leave the Mist is getting attacked.

As Bola leaves the Mist, Freedom Eagle Charges at him, getting 23. Bola gets 10 and is Incapacitated!

Huckster surrenders and is out of combat.

Griffin told Huckster "The Mad Maple's in the men's room, unconscious. I overheard him say he was taking a score here and he was calling the locals a bunch of hosers. By the time he opened the door, I was ready for him. He put up a fight, I'll give him that. Don't look at me like that! Only thing happened after knocking him out was putting him in the recovery position. Why did you hit the Plaza? And that cloud to the south-east, is that you?"

"Only one team in town is about as empty as this place gets! And no, that cloud over Blackstone isn't our fault. I didn't expect you to show either!"

The police finally came up the stairs shouting "FREEZE, FCPD! We're taking the Guild into custody!"

Griffin put his hands up, saying "Fair enough, officer. Bola and Huckster are right here. The Mad Maple's in the men's room, unconscious. The stupid failure muttered under his breath a bit too loudly, that's how I knew he was here. He's in the recovery position and he was definitely alive before I left. Don't know about the rest of the Guild."

Scarab said "Weather Mistress and Firebug are on the washer cart outside, I'll fetch them."

Midnight said "Looking Glass is in the jeweler's over there, I'll drag her over."

Lightbearer landed next to Griffin, saying "If you want any help with those bruises-"

Griffin simply said "Please, Lightbearer. Also, what's Blackstone?"
Lightbearer does a Healing check on Griffin, getting 18. Both Injuries are gone.

Lightbearer said "Blackstone's the super-prison around here! Someone must be breaking in. Or out. If you want to help-"

Griffin told him "Oh, I'm already in! People need to learn that those who fear the darkness…" He flared his wings as he said "Haven't seen what the light can do!"
Last edited by betterwatchit on Tue Sep 12, 2023 10:25 pm, edited 6 times in total.
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Re: Stories of the Betterverse: Time of the Apes

Post by betterwatchit »

Time of the Apes, Part 2

Scarab's Lair…

The Legacy teleported themselves and Griffin to the Lair.

Griffin asked "Where are we?"

Scarab said "This is my hideout. We've got teleportals that go all over the city. The Blackstone portal's here, so we can get there in a moment's notice."

Griffin said "Okay, lead the way."


Blackstone Prison…

After teleporting to the Old Fort of Blackstone Island, Griffin, Freedom Eagle and Lightbearer took to the air at about 15 feet off the ground. They saw a monkey in a mask and a man who looked more like he was made of shadows than of flesh.

Griffin asked "Who are you, sir?"

The monkey said "I, the High Priest of the great god Set - Master of the Darkness and the Desert - have now mastered the mystical forces that once brought low the mighty pharaohs themselves! Soon the glory of Ancient Apegypt will return, and all apekind shall tremble before the power of Marmo-Set! I shall make even the accursed Primate Patrol into my hapless slaves!"

Freedom Eagle said "And who's that next to you? Speak up, man! If you can!"

Griffin said "I've heard of that f**khead! He's one of the people who was responsible for the Time of Vengeance incident. The creature called Mr. Infamy sparked up ten people, giving them powers based on the Ten Plagues of Egypt. Each plague was designed specifically to make a particular Egyptian god look stupid and weak for being unable to protect their followers. That is Choshech, the Plague of Darkness."

Freedom Eagle asked "Is Choshech with you?"

Griffin told him "No, what's wrong with you?! Choshech is NOT a servant of God, he NEVER was! He gained his powers by dealing with Mr. Infamy. Taking his deal makes you a monster and a parody of your old ideals. NOTHING short of accepting that you were wrong this whole time and COMPLETELY rejecting everything he's given you will restore you to normal. Choshech is the only Plague who remains completely unrepentant today, which is why he's still in Blackstone. And I've heard that there's a parallel world where intelligent apes are the predominant sapient species. That's likely where Marmo-Set and the Primate Patrol he's on about came from."

Marmo-Set said "We have a most learned man in our midst, more than most I have met in your world! Tell me, what is your name?"

Griffin shouted "I am Griffin of the Host of Heaven! Surrender now or you will surely die, Chosen of Set!"

Marmo-Set said "An angel of the One who bested the Pharaoh?! Choshech! Bind the angel! BIND THEM ALL! NOW!"

Shady tendrils came out of Choshech, firmly holding Griffin and Lightbearer by the legs. Marmo-Set blasted Griffin with a bolt of pure darkness!

Griffin cut himself loose, roaring "You're f**king DONE, Marmo-Set! YOU HEAR ME?! YOU'RE DONE!"

Scarab went "He's got a disciplined mind, I can't break through just yet!"
Griffin and Freedom Eagle are both 15 ft. up, activating their Favoured Environment, both set to Defence.

Griffin and the Legacy each get a HP for entering combat.

Griffin does a Well-Informed check, getting 27. Lightbearer does a Well-Informed check, getting a Natural 20! Midnight does a Well-Informed check, getting 26. Scarab does a Well-Informed check, getting 26. They all know everything in the sidebar on page 298 of the Deluxe Hero's Handbook.

Griffin does a Theology and Philosophy check, getting 23. He also knows some specific information that gives him some context behind the original plagues.

Marmo-Set's statblock is in page 305 of the Deluxe Hero's Handbook. Choshech's statblock is in page 306.

Roll Initiative!

Choshech: 30
Marmo-Set: 15
Freedom Eagle: 15
Griffin: 13
Midnight: 13
Scarab: 7
Lightbearer: 7

Choshech attacks with the Shadowhold. The entire Legacy and Griffin are all in the blast radius. Marmo-Set's magic keeps the Shadowhold from affecting him. Freedom Eagle gets 33 to dodge and 25 to resist. Griffin gets 22 to dodge and fails the resistance check at 13, becoming Hindered and Vulnerable, losing his Favoured Environment bonus. Midnight gets 20 to dodge and 30 to resist! Scarab gets a Natural 20 to dodge and 18 to resist. Lightbearer spends a HP to instantly counter the Shadowhold targeting him.

Marmo-Set fires a Darkness Blast at Griffin, getting 17. Griffin gets 22 and is hit.

Freedom Eagle dives at Choshech, attacking with his Gauntlets, getting 12 and missing.

Griffin performs the Flurry of Steel to cut the Shadowhold, getting 31, crit scored! He raises the DC by +5. The Shadowhold gets 17 and is torn apart! He gets a HP for his Temper compelling him to target Marmo-Set on his next turn!

Midnight punches Choshech, getting 24. Choshech gets 22 and resists.

Scarab does a Psychic Blast on Marmo-Set. Marmo-Set gets 24 and resists.

Lightbearer fires a Light Blast at Choshech, getting 28, crit scored! He raises the DC by +5. Due to Choshech's Weakness, he has to resist a DC 40 Toughness check! He gets 26 and is hit and Staggered!

Marmo-Set went "Enough, you hairless fools!" as he put the Legacy and Griffin in a dome of solid shadow. Griffin couldn't cut his way out, nor could Lightbearer shine through. He then said "Now you all know the power of Marmo-Set! And I have one thing to say to you, little angel… Before the light, there was and always will be, the darkness."

When the dome faded away, Marmo-Set and Choshech were gone!

Midnight said "So now what do we do?"

Griffin said "We check inside the prison, just to make sure no-one's broken out yet."

Scarab said "Yeah, fair point."


The Legacy and Griffin checked the Old Fort, where they found several guards. Some were unconscious, some were dead.

Midnight said "Anyone else thinking what I'm thinking?"

Griffin went "Mass breakout?"

Midnight nodded "Got it in one. We need to get out of here before the FCPD think we-"

Then a deep voice said "-Had something to do with this mess?"

Everyone turned to face the person, only to see one Doc Simian.
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Re: Stories of the Betterverse: Time of the Apes

Post by betterwatchit »

Time of the Apes, Part 3

Blackstone Prison…

Freedom Eagle asked "Who's this big ape?"

Griffin said "Dr. Simian, I presume."

Dr. Simian said "The very same, Mr. Griffin. And you have better manners than your acquaintance. I have heard of your adventures and those of the Legacy of Freedom. I know where Choshech and Marmo-Set will strike next. Furthermore, after observing their attack on this prison, I know their weaknesses. I offer to share all this knowledge with you humans and even fight alongside you in exchange for one thing."

Griffin asked "What is your price, Dr. Simian? And what are you getting out of this?"

Dr. Simian said "My terms are as follows: If you let me join you against Marmo-Set and we win the fight, all of you will let me walk away and you will not follow. With that, our bargain will be fulfilled. As for what I am getting out of this: I am not allowing any other primate to take this world over. That honor is mine and mine alone."

Griffin told him "I'll need to confer with the Legacy on this one."

Dr. Simian said "I have the time."

Scarab sent a telepathic message, saying "Griffin, I've already tried prying into his mind but I can't get in. Whatever information Dr. Simian has, I can't get at it."

Griffin asked "Are you sure he actually knows it?"

Scarab asked "Yeah, I can tell he knows it. But his mind is too different from a human's to just eavesdrop. I can try, but not without letting him find out what I'm doing."

Freedom Eagle went "To hell to that, we can take Marmo-Set!"

Midnight said "I'm with Eagle on this one. Lightbearer could take them by himself. His light could go through their shadows!"

Griffin said "Fair point. I should point out that only one camera is still intact. Apart from Dr. Simian, we're the only ones who know we're here. Besides, everyone else is already out so it won't look too weird if Dr. Simian disappeared as well. We give him an offer, take it or leave it: If we win, he gets until sunset tomorrow. If we lose the fight, he turns himself in. Willingly. We won't call the law on him, but we won't stop them if they catch him. This is going to be a show of thumbs, majority rules. Thumbs up if you agree, thumbs down if you don't. And i won't ask for your reasoning."

Griffin, Scarab and Lightbearer had their thumbs up. Freedom Eagle and Midnight had their thumbs down.

Griffin turned and said "Doctor Simian. We've discussed it and here's our final offer, take it or leave it: If we win the fight, you get until sunset tomorrow. After that, you're fair game. If we lose the fight, you will turn yourself in. Willingly. If it turns out you lied about what you know, you're fair game. You don't show up for the fight, you're fair game. We won't call the law on you, but we won't stop them either. Do we have an agreement, sir?" He then extended his hand to Dr. Simian saying "Just shake my hand if we have one or turn your back on me if we don't."

Dr. Simian very firmly shook Griffin's hand, saying "We have an agreement, sir. I do not know when he will do it, but I do know that he will target Pyramid Plaza."

Griffin said I have a very good idea about when he'll come over."

Midnight asked "When's that?"

Griffin said "It's simple. Marmo-Set serves a god of darkness and he just dominated someone with darkness powers. We need to be at the Plaza before sunset. That's when he'll come over. We need to leave at once to get ahead of him!"

Dr. Simian said as his hover-chair arrived, "Do not worry, I will be there."
Last edited by betterwatchit on Sun Sep 10, 2023 10:52 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Stories of the Betterverse: Time of the Apes

Post by betterwatchit »

Time of the Apes, Conclusion

Pyramid Plaza…

As the Legacy arrived, the sun was starting to set. Scarab said "Get to the roof, Marmo-set'll be here any minute!"

As they all landed on the roof of Pyramid Plaza One, everyone could see dark clouds forming. Griffin shouted "He's here!" He then drew still-sheathed Justice as he shouted "Chosen of Set! I am Griffin of the Host of Heaven! Fight me if you dare!"

Out of the dark clouds, Choshech and Marmo-set burst out. Marmo-set said "I can feel it, it's here! The power I seek is here! Choshech! Put them all down!"

Spotlights came on from Dr. Simian's Hover Chair, shining a bright light on Choshech. He shouted "Strike for Marmo-set's head! A sharp blow there will neutralize him! If any of you can do magic, focus on Choshech!"

Lightbearer said "Got it!" as he blasted Choshech unconscious!

Scarab tried to get inside Marmo-set's head, but she failed.

Griffin left a bruise on Marmo-set, who said "Impudent angel!" as he nearly hit Griffin with a bolt of pure darkness.

Marmo-set didn't notice Midnight strike him in the back of the head.
Roll Initiative!

Dr. Simian: 22
Lightbearer: 21
Scarab: 19
Griffin: 15
Choshech: 15
Marmo-set: 14
Midnight: 13
Freedom Eagle: 10

The spotlights on Dr. Simian's Hover Chair effectively Nullify Choshech's Shadow Form.

Lightbearer fired a Light Blast at Choshech, getting 25. Choshech gets 9 and is Incapacitated due to his Disability complication.

Scarab does a Mental Blast at Marmo-set. Marmo-set gets 30 and resists.

Griffin charges at Marmo-set with the Flurry of Steel, getting 24. Marmo-set gets 22 and is hit.

Marmo-set fires a Darkness Blast at Griffin, getting 25. Griffin gets 24 and resists.

Midnight punches Marmo-set from behind with his Brass Knuckles, getting 27. Marmo-set gets a natural 1 and is Incapacitated!

Before Freedom Eagle could strike, he heard Marmo-set say in a different voice: "Oh my… it happened again, didn’t it?"

Scarab said "Hold, Eagle, hold! It's not him! He's not Marmo-set anymore!"

Freedom Eagle asked "What are you talking about?!"

Griffin said "He was possessed. I can see Marmo-set's soul hovering around him, waiting for a chance to get back in!"

Freedom Eagle said "You can see him?"

Griffin said "Yeah! I can see ghosts and spirits as well as most people can see the living!"

The monkey who used to be Marmo-set said "My name is Professor Victor. I've been the victim of Marmo-set for years. And as your sword-wielding friend said, he's still there, waiting for his chance."

Griffin said "With your permission Professor, I want to perform an exorcism to destroy his hold on you."

Professor Victor asked "How can you do that, sir?"

Griffin flared his wings as he said "I am Griffin, angel of the Host of Heaven. It is within my divinely-granted power to perform an exorcism if you so choose."

Professor Victor said "If you can get him out of me, then do it."

Griffin said "Very well. Can each of you agree that none of you will interrupt me, no matter what you see or hear?"

The Legacy all nodded. Griffin didn't see Doc Simian, but he didn't expect him to stick around for long anyway.

Freedom Eagle said "If you can keep him from coming back here, be my guest!"

Professor Victor said "You're my best chance, sir."

Griffin put his hand on Victor's forehead as he declared "My Liege! Please hear your servant's request! This poor monkey wants to be freed from his bondage at the hands of the undead Chosen of Set! If it is your will… Shatter Marmo-set's hold on Victor!"

Holy light burst out of Griffin's hand, covering Victor. Victor and Griffin both heard Marmo-set say "No! Set help me…!"

Victor said "He- He's gone! I can't hear him anymore!" He hugged Griffin tightly as he said "Marmo-set is gone at last! I don't know how to thank you!"
Griffin spends a HP to stunt his Wings into Exorcism: Close Range Nullify 10: Possession Effects. He must beat Marmo-set's Will of 14 to banish him. Griffin gets 27. Marmo-set gets 26 and is banished!
Griffin said "No need, just doing my duty, sir."

Another voice said "A walking myth who works miracles and simply sees it as his duty. Quite the rarity by any standard."


Griffin and the Legacy turned around to see a team of various costumed primates.

Victor said "It's okay, I know these people! They're the Primate Patrol, my world's greatest super-team!"

The primate who spoke hovered above the ground, saying "Indeed. I am Brainiape, leader of the Primate Patrol. We are here to bring Victor and Marmo-set home."

Griffin said "If Victor wants to go home, I won't argue. But Marmo-set's been banished and made to face judgment. I think Lord Anubis is weighing his heart against the feather as we speak."

Brainiape asked "Weighing his heart?"

Scarab said "That's how the Egyptian gods pass judgment. The moment it's found heavy from the weight of his crimes, Marmo-set is done."

Victor said "At least I know he's not coming back. It's been a very long day, so I need to get back. Brainiape, please take me back to Simian City."

Brainiape said "Just take my hand and we'll go home."

Victor said "Before I can go, I just wanted to say… Thank you, Griffin. You truly freed me from my curse. Not even the Primate Patrol could do that!"

Griffin told him "Just doing my job, sir."

Victor then said "Now I'm ready, Brainiape." He took his hand and said "Let's go home." A flash of light and the Primate Patrol were gone with Victor in tow.


Scarab's Lair…

The Legacy teleported themselves and Griffin into the Lair after the Primate Patrol had gone. Scarab said "Griffin, we need to talk."

Griffin asked "About what?"

Freedom Eagle went "You."

Griffin said "Okay. Scarab can read my mind, right? She'll be able to tell if I'm lying."

Scarab told him "Since I have your permission, I'll read your surface thoughts while we ask the questions." Scarab's protocol was not to point it out if she subject was telling the truth, only if they were lying.

Griffin said "Fair enough."

Freedom Eagle asked "The first is: Why are you in America?"

Griffin told him "I'm doing a world tour to gain some experience. How can I defend my world if I don't understand what I'm defending?"

Midnight asked "Did you have any advance warning of the Thieves Guild showing up?"

Griffin told him "No. The only warning I had was Mad Maple psyching himself up for the robbery."

Scarab asked "Griffin. Is it true that you've killed people?"

Griffin said "Yeah, I've had to kill people in the course of my angelic duties. Only twice was I ever directly ordered to do so by my Liege. Most of them were during the recent SHADOW invasion, but I've also slain vampires and put Hellsworn down. There is blood on my hands. I don't regret doing it and neither do I enjoy it."

Scarab asked him "Isn't there a commandment against killing?"

Griffin told her "I know the one you mean, Scarab. It was mistranslated from the original Hebrew. It's actually 'Thou Shalt Not Murder.' I was able to verify what it really was with the One who made that commandment in the first place. I asked Them when They gave me Justice. Self-defence doesn't break it. Lawful executions don't break it, if the condemned has committed murder. And you'd better believe that a direct order from above makes it not murder."

Lightbearer asked "Is Justice the name of your sword? And what the hell do you mean by 'Hellsworn'?"

Griffin said "Justice is indeed the name of my sword. A monomolecular edge means that it doesn't care if you can stop a bullet, and the halosteel construction allows it to wound even intangible opponents. And Hellsworn is the term I use for any mortal knowingly and willingly serving the cause of Hell. Idiots who sell their soul to a demon are good examples of Hellsworn. Like Madame Macabre. That's why I put her down. There are only three sorts of people who I have to kill if I ever find them. Hellsworn, undead and anyone I get a direct order from the top to kill. I can't accept any surrender from them. They die or I do. All else is unacceptable. I can use lethal force to defend myself from someone who can kill me and to protect someone else from being murdered, I won't get in trouble with my Liege for doing that. If anyone else surrenders or if there's any reason for me to doubt their status, I must take them alive and hand them over to the law. Are we done here?"

Scarab said "One more question and you can go. How long are you staying in Freedom City?"

Griffin told her "I'll be staying for thirty days and this is my second day here." He then passes her a business card saying "Call this number via WhatsApp if you want to contact me. Now, which one of these do I take to get to Kingston?"

Scarab said "I can tell that's not where you're staying."

Griffin told her "One of the most important rules I have as a travelling power is to be a good guest. And that means I must make sure that anything I get involved in doesn't come back to where I'm staying, to protect my host."

Lightbearer said "You thought a lot about this, haven't you?"

Griffin sighed as he said "Mate, I'm a power doing a solo journey around the world. It's not just the logistics I have to worry about. You need to be self-reliant, be able to go in with a plan while being able to improvise and be able to get a grip on who knows how many different languages."

Midnight asked "How did you get your sword over here, anyway?"

Griffin said "I'm sorry, but that must remain a trade secret. Not that you'd believe it if you were told it. Now, which one is it to Kingston?"

Scarab said "That one leads to an alley in Kingston. From what I've seen, you can fly to anywhere in north Freedom from there."

Griffin said "In that case, I just have to say, thank you and good night." He then walked into the teleportal that dropped him off in Kingston.
Scarab tries to read Griffin's mind to prise that secret from him. Griffin gets 29 and resists.

Scarab said "I couldn't get it out of him. I tried and all I got was this blinding white light, brighter than the sun and I'm surprised that was even possible!"
The Legacy and Griffin get 2 PP each. Griffin banks his. Midnight spends his on a new Removable Device: Combat Gloves: Strength-based Damage 3. Scarab gets another rank of Mind Reading. The rest of the Legacy banks theirs.
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Re: Stories of the Betterverse: Time of the Apes

Post by betterwatchit »

The Curse of Gotham, Part 1


20th April (73 days remining on waiver), Griffin's Hotel, Hanover…

Griffin was listening to WFAN on his phone. A lot of smartphones could pick up FM signals, so Griffin plugged his headset into the phone, opened the radio app and set it to speaker while he hit the shower. The news programme was talking about the recent mass breakout at Blackstone. As he finished, he got a phonecall from Ms. Magus.

Griffin said "Good morning, Cass."

Ms. Magus said "Hey, Griff. I got invited to this lecture at Gotham City by Professor Eric Rasoletti. I can't attend due to a previous obligation so i asked him to email you the invite instead."

"What's the lecture about?"

"The Satanic Panic of the 80s. He said that he was going to include part of a real demonic ritual. I can't go due to my obligation, but I need to be sure someone's there who can handle it if something from Hell shows up."

"Okay, I get what you mean. I'll text you the address in a minute."

"Alright, goodbye."

"Bye."

A minute after hanging up, Griffin sent a text containing his email to Ms. Magus. Afterwards, he put his USB-C security dongle in his phone to access his encrypted email. He got an email back containing the invite. He saved the attached PDF to his phone and opened it. He saw a QR-Code that could be scanned.

Griffin got his gear sorted and flew to Gotham City…


Gotham City University, an hour later…

Protesters choked the street corners, carrying signs with various Bible verses (Deuteronomy 32:17, Psalms 106:37, Job 10:11), admonitions to reject sin and embrace Christ, and a huge banner reading "WHAT ARE OUR CHILDREN LEARNING?"

The GCPD were on hand to make sure things don't go out of control, but just at present it looked like all the crowd wanted to do is yell and chant. Across the street from the university's main building sat Gotham Cathedral. Not as large as the university's building, it still seemed to dwarf anything else on the block. Spires and gargoyles loomed over the protesters. A dour priest stood at the huge, oaken doors to the building. His expression made it impossible to tell if he approved of the protests.

Someone behind Griffin said in a half-Scouse, half-London accent: "Well, well, if it isn't God's own demon slayer, vampire hunter and hatchetman." Griffin turned around to see a man in his 60s in a suit and trenchcoat. Griffin saw John Constantine, an infamous occultist from Britain. What was he doing in Gotham?

Griffin said "Good morning, Constantine."

"Why are you here, Griffin?"

"Don't know about you, but I was invited by Rasoletti himself, front row seat and all! The lecture's about the Satanic Panic of the Eighties-"

Constantine said "Some old abuses were uncovered back then, but none of them had any real ties to the occult that I know of."
Constantine's stats are in pages 126-127 of DC Adventures Heroes and Villains: Volume 1. He does a Well-Informed check on Griffin, getting 28. He knows everything Griffin's been up to in America. Griffin gets a Well-Informed check on Constantine, getting 22.
"This time, Rasoletti said in the invite that he would include a piece of a real demonic ritual in his lecture. That got my attention. Now, what are you doing here?"

"Same as you, I was invited by Rasoletti. I think it's time to go in."


The auditorium was huge, and the stage was bare but for one podium. No screen was in evidence, implying that Rasoletti wasn't going to bother with any multimedia. Listening to the chatter all around the room, Griffin could overhear various points of view:

"This guy's a quack. If he's such an expert, why isn't he out doing the lecture circuit? Why hasn't he written a book?"

"It's not a hoax! My half-sister's little cousin was one of the kids abused in Massachusetts."

"'Real occult practices?' Please. This is just another attempt by the Christian Reich to make us look like a bunch of psychos."

"Just to warn you, this guy is boring as hell. I took his class last year."


Constantine decided to sneak his way past the guards. All it took was a phone ringing to distract them. After getting through the side door, Constantine saw Rasoletti fold a note around a key and put it into his left pocket.
The guard has the stats of a Police Officer from Hero's Handbook. The guard gets 13. Constantine gets 22 and sneaks past.

Griffin asked "Constantine, how'd you get past the guards?"

Constantine said "Phone rang at the right time. I think he's starting now."


The first half of the lecture was a bit dry but it sounded like it was well-researched. When the second half of the lecture started, that's when it got interesting. When Rasoletti got to discussing the ritual, he said "Now the ritual in question. The first line is…" Then Rasoletti looked at Constantine and Griffin as he said in a strange language "<Help me free this city of its curse!>"

He then fell off the stage, right in front of Griffin and Constantine.

Griffin tried to use his healing touch, but Rasoletti's skin felt really slimy. Griffin said "F**k me, he's f**king plagued!" He settled for gently putting him in the recovery position.

Constantine found the note, which read:
Eric Rasoletti wrote:My name is Eric Rasoletti. I live at 4401 Lakeview Drive, Apt 213. I am trapped there. If you understood me, PLEASE HELP!
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Re: Stories of the Betterverse: The Curse of Gotham

Post by betterwatchit »

The Curse Of Gotham, Part 2


Gotham University…

As Rasoletti was being wheeled off into the ambulance, Constantine asked "What just happened?"

Griffin said "He looked me in the eye as he said 'Help me free this city from its curse!' in another language, and then he fell off the stage! When I tried to heal him, I found a demon plaguing him!"

"Bollocks. I checked him for an emergency contact number and found this paper, rolled around a house key. He knew this would happen! Do you know what language his plea for help was in? It wasn't any I know of."

Griffin told him "Good and bad news is that I do. It was Helltongue, Hell's own lingua franca. Rasoletti's in it deep if he's fluent! I have to get involved! You know who I am and who I serve, Constantine. I have a duty to mess up any infernal plans going on. And we both know people who can vouch for me there."

Constantine asked "Who do we both know who can vouch for you? And you need to answer me very carefully."

Griffin said "When I had my near-death experience, Zauriel was there when I was up before the Throne and given my wings and sword, you can ask him if you like! The Spectre was there, he can back me on that as well! Also, I can see as clearly on the spiritual plane as well as most people can physically. Rasoletti was as demon-plagued as you are damned. And as clearly as you are haunted."

Constantine was shocked. "You can see them?!"

Griffin said "Yeah. They're all looking at me right now. Sorry you lot, you have to wait until Constantine goes before you can go, it's not my rules."

Constantine asked "Then I only have one question to ask?"

Griffin wondered "What's that?"

Constantine demanded "If you know I'm damned, why haven't you killed me already?"

Griffin told him "The way I see it, I only have to kill you if you're actively serving Hell. Madame Macabre knew she was serving Hell, that's why I killed her, livestream and witnesses be damned. And your own damnation means that I can't really do anything that you haven't already done to yourself. Look, Gotham University has a Medical Centre, that's where the ambulance took him. We'll give them an hour before we go in."
Griffin gets a HP for his Honour: It's his duty as an angel to put a stop to whatever infernal plan is going on. Constantine gets a HP for Riding the Synchronicity Highway: Something big is going on.

Gotham University Medical Center, an hour later…

Rasoletti had been given a room on the ICU floor. Signs on the walls admonish people to turn off their phones, and nurses looked at Griffin and Constantine strangely. No one asked them who they were here to see, however.

Griffin could hear a steady stream of beeps, laboured breaths and from one room, a recitation from the Bible: "I will grant peace in the land, and you will lie down and no one will make you afraid. I will remove savage beasts from the land, and the sword will not pass through your country."


Before they entered Rasoletti's room, Constantine asked "Griffin, do you have any ability to heal other people?"

"Yeah, I've got a healing touch that works even if you don't believe. It won't work on the dead, but it'll work on anything short of that."

"In that case, I've got a plan. We're going to attack that demon on two fronts."

"Explain. Now."

"I'll exorcise Rasoletti. You keep him alive."

"That's… actually a good plan. I'm ready when you are."


Griffin opened the door to Rasoletti's room and Constantine started chanting with his hand on Rasoletti's forehead. The ECG started slowing down and it was about to flatline! Griffin used his healing touch to stabilise him. The demon made a scream and then fell silent… Then Rasoletti's heart-rate returned to normal.
Constantine is going to do some fast-casting (Gadget Guides, page 129) of a Banishment Ritual (Close Range Nullify 10). The ritual will take DC 20 to cast.

The demon inside of Rasoletti is an Imp (Deluxe Gamemaster's Guide, page 147) with Toughness 6 and Will 7.

The ritual is going to take five rounds.

Rasoletti has the stats of a Reporter from Hero's Handbook with INT 5 and Academics 5 (+10).

Constantine performs his Expertise: Magic check, getting 22 to cast it. The Imp must resist a DC 20 Will check. It gets 14 and is banished!

Once the ritual starts, Rasoletti is Dying! Griffin uses his Healing Touch to stabilise Rasoletti and to ensure that he survives.

Rasoletti awoke, groaning "Oh, my head. Who are you two?"

Constantine said "I'm John Constantine and the fellow next to me is Griffin the angel."

Griffin said "We got that demon out of you, doctor."

Rasoletti said "I can't hear him anymore! Thank God you two got Hush out! The fact I said his name out loud that means I can talk freely now! I'm a bit tired, so I'll be brief. There's two things you need to know."

Constantine asked "What's that?"

Rasoletti asked him "Have you been to my apartment yet?"

Griffin said "No, not yet. We have the note and key, so we assume we have your permission to go there?"

Rasoletti said "You do. And you have to go as soon as possible."

Griffin asked "What's there?"

Rasoletti said "Hush is waiting for you there. He's the demon you took out of me."

Constantine asked "And the second thing we need to know?"

Rasoletti said "There's info on another demon inside Gotham at the apartment. And a lead on where it is. Make sure you get rid of Hush before you look for it!"

Griffin told "Thanks for the tip. Do you want us to inform a nurse you're awake or-?"

Rasoletti told him "No, no need. I'll likely be here for a couple of days. Leave the keys with the landlady at apartment 101 when you're done."

Story continues on next page.
Last edited by betterwatchit on Mon Jul 17, 2023 9:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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