Stories of the Betterverse: Anything Goes

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Stories of the Betterverse: Anything Goes

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Index
House rules and clarifications for these stories/M&M 3E playtests:

Crunch and fourth wall-breaking stuff appears in quote boxes like this.

Linked names lead to the post containing the character's stats, or to the book containing their stats.

Going For The Kill (page 258, Deluxe Heroes Handbook) is allowed.

Characters without a Stamina score cannot take non-lethal damage, only lethal.

Hero Points are given out as follows: Each named character starts a story they appear in with one Hero Point. All characters who enter combat or are placed in a challenge gain one Hero Point. Hero Points do carry over between chapters, but reset to 1 at the start of each story.

Level of Force: In combat, all characters must choose lethal or non-lethal force. If a character chooses non-lethal force against an opponent who's using lethal force, the characters going non-lethal get an extra Hero Point. If both sides use the same level of force, no extra points are given.

Dialogue spoken in triangle brackets "<Like this.>" is spoken in a non-English language.
The Convention

Docklands Danger

Brawl at the Bank

Of Two Worlds

Bad Medicine

Battle of Baggins

Operation Inundation III: Freedom City

Operation Inundation III: London

Monster Mash-up

No Man's Land

One Year On

Battles of Britain

Planning, Preparing and Progress

Out on the Town

SHADOW of the Past

Warflower

Operation Inundation III: Tilbury

The Bloody Week

Time of the Apes

The Curse of Gotham

Power Play

From Sea to Shining Sea

By Day and By Night

Christmas Carnage

Anything Goes
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Re: Stories of the Betterverse

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The Convention, Part 1

London, May 2016...

Every summer and winter, MCM holds the London Expo, one of the largest pop-culture conventions in Britain at ExCel in the Docklands.

Griffin was getting ready to attend the summer Expo, and he knew from previous visits that it was going to be packed. It was a good thing then, that he lived near enough that he didn't need to pay for a hotel. He checked on Google Earth, and saw that it was three miles away as the crow flies, which suited him fine. He'd have to go near London City Airport, but the route and the height he normally liked to fly at was certainly below their radar, so he wasn't too worried. After all, the general rule of thumb for British fliers is 'If you're higher than a lamp-post, then you're higher than any lorry or double-decker bus.'

The London Expo was also the unofficial "coming-out" event for the British super-scene. True, most of them introduced themselves to other powers with a pint and a chat at the Time in a Bottle, but the Expo was where they introduced themselves to the public.

When he was sure he had everything he needed, Griffin went to nearby Plumstead Common, so as to avoid being seen flying out of his house. He was going to enjoy what he was about to do next. Ten minutes later, he stood in the middle of the Common, and revealed his wings. Griffin was thinking 'Clear sky, slight south-easternly wind. Favourable conditions.' That was when he took to the skies.

He headed northwest over Woolwich, taking care not to go directly over the Royal Artillery Barracks. Doing that without a disaster going on in town would cause much more drama than it's worth. He was soon across the Thames. He veered left slightly to keep away from the airport, and landed at Pontoon Dock station. He wanted to rest his wings and get a coke at the off-licence at Royal Victoria Place before crossing the nearby footbridge to reach the Expo.


Once Griffin got inside ExCel, he saw the desk for Special Guests, which included those entering the 'New Faces' Q&A that he would be attending tomorrow.

As Griffin approached the desk, he said "Hi, I'm the Griffin, and I'm here for the 'New Faces' Q&A as a interviewee."

The clerk checked his iPad and said "Okay. You said in your application at the Bottle that your powers include flight, enhanced toughness, and the ability to speak, understand and read any language. Is that correct?"

"Correct. If you want me to show them to you, I can do it now."

"Perfect. How about you show me your power of flight."

Griffin unfurled his wings and flew 10 feet up. He shouted down "If that doesn't prove it, I'm out of ideas!"

"I'm convinced! Get back down so I can see if you're an omniglot."

Griffin said "Okay then. Look out below!"

As Griffin landed, the clerk said "This is an extra-special Rosetta Test. You may give me your answers when you're ready."

Griffin had heard of the Rosetta Test, a good way to confirm an omniglot. There were three different paragraphs in three different languages and three different alphabets, with efforts made to ensure that they were in different language families. One European language, one Asian language and one African language was the norm, as most people wouldn't be able to get their heads around three different languages from three different families without assistance. in order to pass the test, Griffin would have to tell the clerk what each paragraph was about. Each paragraph would also contain the language it was written in.

"The first paragraph is about William Tell and that legendary apple shot, and it's in German. The second paragraph talks about the Journey to the West, and it's written in Traditional Chinese. The third talks about Mentac, and it's in the Farsider tongue. My guess is that few people on Earth would be able to read an extra-terrestrial language, so it legitimately would take an omniglot to pass this test."

The clerk said "Yeah, you're right there. Okay, I'm convinced you're a guest. Stick out your wrist, and I'll give you the wristband that says you're allowed to be here. That's valid for the entire weekend, from today to Sunday."

Griffin said "Gotcha," stuck out his wrist and got a silver wristband attached, to show that he was superhuman, but he was invited in. It meant that he could use non-offensive powers inside the Expo area without Security mistaking him for a crook and it also allowed him to openly carry one weapon without peace-bonding it. Given that ExCeL was to be treated as an accorded area for the length of the Expo, he shouldn't need to draw it, but who knows who's going to turn up?

Once he was sure where and when the New Faces Q&A was going to be tomorrow, Griffin headed straight for the gentlemen's toilets. He preferred a bit of privacy for what was coming next. Once he sat down with the lid down, he saw a familiar pink-furred whippet appear in the reflection on his phone. His commanding officer, Archangel Annabelle.

"Simon?"

"Yes, Annabelle?"

"Please remind me why you're here again."

"Not only is the London Expo the biggest Comic Con in the country, it's also been the main event for recently empowered superhumans who want everyone to know they exist. I won't need to reveal my real name, just the Griffin alias."

"I still don't understand why 'powers' as you call them would need to hide their identity."

"You'd be glad for it when a villain wants to hunt your family down. Or if you'd rather not get arrested by the police if causing violence to further justice is more your thing. It's mostly to keep the risk of revenge down. The Q&A panel is on tomorrow, so I have some time to have a little fun..."
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Re: Stories of the Betterverse

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Docklands Danger

Midnight, Millennium Mills, Newham, London...

Faceoff had overheard in The Spieler earlier that evening that something was arranged to go down here. Word has it that the Third Street Saints from America were looking for recruits and defectors from the local crews in order to establish a base of operations in London.

He saw that there was a big American RV painted purple with a fleur-de-lys on the side parked inside the gate. Of all the known gangs and syndicates out there, the Saints are among the least subtle and the most successful, with their 'Planet Saints' stores across North America spreading the idea that 'Crime is Cool'. Faceoff had heard through the grapevine that the White Gang, who were Custom House's local crew, were having fights amongst themselves. Plenty of bad blood, but no deaths yet. That was about to change. It looked like there were just six people inside the RV.

Faceoff was thinking 'Six guys inside, two at the door. A headshot each for the two bouncers, then a whole clip from my new rifle. Then I reload, hide the bodies and wait for the White Gang to arrive.' He smoothly landed two headshots on the guards, who never saw it coming.
Roll Initiative! Faceoff gets 23 on his Stealth roll, the two Thug minions each get 4 and 7 on Perception, and they're both Surprised. In the surprise round, Faceoff fires his Silenced Heavy Pistol and gets 18. One of the Thugs gets a Natural 1 and dies. Faceoff's Takedown is now active! Faceoff fires his pistol at the other Thug and gets 27. The second Thug gets 18 and dies.
Someone inside shouted "I just heard a shot! I knew these limeys couldn't be trusted!"
The Saints did a DC20 check to hear the gunshot. One of them got a Natural 20!
Someone else shouted "Let's f**kin' go!" Faceoff barely has enough time to holster his pistol, draw his rifle and aim at the door.

Faceoff waited until they got out, before spraying the Saints with lead. Five of them were dead, so where's the sixth?
Roll Initiative! Faceoff gets 13, the five Saints inside are five Thug Minions who get 2-12, and a Gang Leader is still hiding inside. All the Saints are carrying Heavy Pistols and wearing Bulletproof Vests. Faceoff does an All-out Attack with the Assault Rifle spraying all five Thugs who were outside. He gets 29, 31, 26, 25 and 17, hitting them all. The Thugs get 22, 19, 14, 18 and Natural 1. The Gang Leader injects himself with something.
Faceoff reloads the rifle and heads toward the door. He heard a bullet whizz right past his ear, with another going through the rear window and someone yelling "This is our town now!"

Faceoff yelled "LONDON WILL NEVER BE YOURS!" while emptying the clip on the Saint, making him look like Swiss cheese.
The Gang Leader rolls Stealth and gets 23. Faceoff only gets 22 on Perception, and is surprised. Both Faceoff and the Gang Leader get a HP. Roll Initiative! Gang Leader gets 22, Faceoff gets 11. They're both using lethal force. In the surprise round, the Gang Leader performs an All-out Power Attack and gets 16, hitting Faceoff. Faceoff gets 20 and resists. That's when the injection kicks in, increasing the Gang Leader's Strength, Stamina and Agility by 2 each. Then the Gang Leader simply does an All-out Attack and gets 17, missing completely. Faceoff does an All-out Power Attack with the Assault Rifle and gets a Natural 20, making the DC to resist a total of 30! The Gang Leader gets 16, spends a HP and gets a Natural 1 and is killed! Fight's Over!
Faceoff knew that the White Gang would break and run when they saw the mess he made, so he got on his bike and fled into the night, job very well done...
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Re: Stories of the Betterverse

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The Convention, Part 2

Plumstead, London...

Griffin was at home, reading the Grapevine, the only news site that focuses on the superhuman, supernatural and gangland communities in Britain. The latest headline was about a shooting in Newham, the borough which ExCeL is based in. It would be a good idea to read the article, if only to know how to alter the route to the MCM Expo...
Grapevine wrote:LONDON: Saints slain in Newham gang war!
The latest battle in London's recent gang war has resulted with the deaths of an entire 3rd Street Saints crew at Millennium Mills in Newham. It appears that the deaths were at the hands of the vigilante known as Faceoff.

Our Man in the Met informs us that the rounds used in the shooting were both pistol and assault rifle-calibre, which is consistent both with the 3rd Street Saints and with Faceoff paying a visit.

The Saints, who are attempting an expansion into Europe, currently specialise in the franchise model of doing business. Basically, each Saint from the U.S. leads a crew of 5-10 locally recruited gangsters (preferably those who are willing to betray their old gangs), engaging in activities like growing and selling cannabis, chop-shop operations and the occasional armed robbery.

Those from other gangs who wish to join the Saints must kill a member of their old gang, and prove they actually made the kill themselves. Their aggressive presence in Britain means that there's a risk of a nationwide gang war between those who support the Saints and those who oppose them.

'At Millennium Mills?' Griffin thought. 'So I fly a bit further to the left before turning right.' He got his gear together and then made for Plumstead Common. Once he was there, he revealed his wings and took off. His route was the same as before. Straight over Plumstead, over Woolwich, turning left to fly over the Thames Barrier (So he'd be certain he wasn't too close to London City Airport) and right to ExCeL.


ExCel, London Docklands, Day 2 of the MCM London Expo...

Griffin was now at the New Faces Q&A at the MCM London Expo, where recently empowered superhumans were interviewed by the public. It was an open secret that there would be a few heroes and villains attending in disguise, and at least two Ministry agents. And there's always the media... The rumour this time is that there's apparently an AEGIS agent or two amongst the interviewers. And in this crowd, the folks wearing suits would most likely be decoys.

A well-dressed woman said "I have a few questions for the Griffin."

"Go on."

"Do you honestly believe in the supernatural?"

"Yes, I do. I obtained my powers, my sword and my wings as a result of going through a near-death experience." He then unfurled his wings and sent a slight breeze through the Q&A area, to prove that his wings are real. "I can tell you for a fact that near-death experiences are not as 'near' as you'd think, ma'am. In an NDE, you're really dead, but someone on the other side knows that you're not supposed to be there yet, so they have to send you back. Yes, this has actually happened before, with most of those caught in that situation choosing to go back.

I'm not a religious man. I believe that the supernatural exists - I'd be mad not to, given how I found out - but I don't worship it. I show supernatural beings that I respect them without sucking up to them. Here's a piece of advice you'll find vital if you're near me: If you hear me address someone as a 'Lord' or 'Lady' and they're not nobility, it's safe to assume that they're a really powerful supernatural being, so you should show some respect yourself or keep your distance."

The woman said "I see. What is your opinion on the use of lethal force?"

Griffin said "I can think of three reasons where the use of lethal force is legitimate: Self-defence where the other guy is capable of killing you, to prevent an innocent from being killed and to avenge a murder. And I have access to certain... resources that allow me to check whether or not it's murder before I draw my sword. I can draw it with or without the sheath still attached, allowing me to perform non-lethal blows, thus reducing any heat emissions produced by the Ministry of Powers when I simply have to floor a thief or show a street gang what time it really is!"

Griffin heard a laugh and a gasp at the 'heat emissions' joke.

The woman asked "What about the sixth commandment? Aren't you being hypocritical if you have to kill someone?"
Griffin rolls a DC20 Expertise: Philosophy & Theology check and gets 23. He has a good idea on how to answer the woman without sounding like an idiot.
"I'm actually being very consistent, ma'am. You see, 'Thou shalt not kill' was a mis-translation from the original Hebrew, which I've actually read. Whether the mis-translation was deliberate or accidental, I don't know. What I do know is that it's actually supposed to read 'Thou shalt not murder.' Killing someone in self-defence or in the immediate defence of another isn't morally wrong or a sin. Neither is executing a cold-blooded murderer where they stand. I usually give anyone I've got good reason to kill one chance to surrender. If they don't, it's because they either think they can take me or they're too far gone to listen to reason any more. Generally speaking, as long as the kill isn't cold-blooded, out of madness - or worse, out of power - it's simply something that sometimes needs to be done but can usually be avoided with skill, knowledge or understanding. I thank you for your understanding, ma'am."

Some of the audience clapped.

An Asian man asked "Have you been in a fight since your transformation?"

"Oh yes! About a week ago, I stopped a bank robbery in Woolwich! Let me tell you how it went down..."
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Re: Stories of the Betterverse

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Brawl at the Bank

Woolwich, a week before the Expo...


Griffin was at the bank, reporting his debit card as lost and also making a withdrawal. No-one wants to go to the Expo without any money on them, after all. Once he had the money in his holdall, he turned to see someone put a gun to his head.

The robber shouted "Give me the holdall!"

Griffin said "F**k you, and over my dead body!"

The crook fired his gun. When he saw that Griffin was still standing, he emptied the clip at him, shouting "You're supposed to be dead!"

Griffin revealed his wings and said "Someone beat you to it! If you don't want to know your fate, then surrender now!"

The crook said "S**T! I don't wanna die!"
Griffin rolls Intimidation and gets 7. The Criminal gets 2 on his Will roll and is Coerced.
That was when the robber's own accomplice shot him. The accomplice, who looked like a human brickhouse, said "The Saints don't want cowards!"

Griffin saw that this crook just used an auto-injector on his neck. That meant he just took a combat drug.

It was a good thing then, that Griffin took the precaution of concealing his sword inside his holdall. The scabbard for it had three safety settings. The first kept the whole thing attached to the swordbelt. The second (which is what Griffin usually sets it to when he isn't flying) would allow him to draw the sword with the scabbard still attached for non-lethal use. The third would allow him to simply draw the blade, for those occasions where lethal force is required.

He was wondering why the shooter had a pair of oversized knuckledusters, until he suddenly became a few feet taller. There was only one thing for it. He had to lay this idiot out before the police arrived.

Griffin wasted no time in hiding his wings and in quickly performing a trick he'd been rehearsing, where he quickly grabbed the sword from the holdall while slipping the holdall loose for better manoeuvring.
The still-standing shooter is a Goon (See Gamemaster's Guide or DCA H&V 2) with Close Combat: Unarmed 3 (+6), Brass Knuckles and the injection just gave him Growth 4 (Density)! Roll Initiative! Griffin gets 19, the Goon gets 13. Griffin gets 3 HP for entering combat, his Motivation (he can't allow the crooks to leave the bank without being carried out by the police) and for civilians on the field. The Goon gets 1 HP for being there.
Griffin immediately went for a pommel blow, to screw up the shooter's balance. All it did was get him too close for comfort.
Griffin spends a HP to stunt the Armour-Piercing Strike into Pommel Blow (Cumulative Affliction 10: Dazed, Stunned; Resisted by Fortitude, Limited Degree.), and gets 26. The Goon gets 14 and is Dazed. The Goon then spends his HP on overcoming the Daze and does a Power Attack getting a Natural 20, Crit scored! The Goon raises the DC by +5. Griffin gets 28 and is unharmed. Goon: 0 HP.
Then he went for the ribs. No use there either. As the brick lunged at him, Griffin simply turned his arm aside with the sword.
Griffin attacks and gets 20, Goon gets Natural 20 and is unharmed. The Goon then does a Power Attack and gets 20. Griffin also gets a Natural 20 to resist.
Griffin puts everything into a single head blow... and knocks the brick right out!
Griffin does an All-out Power Attack and gets a Natural 20, Crit scored! He raises the DC by +5. The Goon gets 17 and is Incapacitated! Fight's Over!
Just before the police arrived, Griffin spotted that the autoinjector had a purple fleur-de-lys on it. The symbol of the 3rd Street Saints. What are they doing on this side of the Atlantic Ocean? He'd have to find out after he's dealt with the police…
Griffin gets 1 PP, which he spends to make Justice Indestructible.
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Re: Stories of the Betterverse

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The Convention, Part 3

Panel Area, 2nd Day of the MCM Expo...

Griffin was finishing off relating the details of his first post-transformation fight at the 'New Faces' Q&A...

"And now, the epilogue: I explained to the police that the fight I had was in self-defence and every eyewitness backed me up! It also helped that the bank had CCTV of me being shot in the head. The Met let me keep the sword after I explained its safety mechanism and proved the story about how I got my powers. Lucky for me, the case officer was religious. All in all, I was only at the station for two hours. I got a £25,000 reward from the bank, and some intel from the robbers that I have to share with you."

A red-headed girl said "Speaking of your reward, what is your opinion on superhumans who make money with their abilities?"

"It depends on various factors, ma'am. My rule of thumb is that if the money is made honestly, and they perform their job in an ethical and professional manner, I don't have much cause to argue. I think that Augustus Silber was on to something when he formed his agency. I mean, honest work for open powers is hard to come by in most places outside of the media and its decadence, meaning that a reliable and steady source of honest work for powers reduces the inclination for someone to fall into crime to make ends meet."

"I get that. You mentioned that you found some intel. Can you safely share it with us?"

"Yes, I can. It's not much, but everyone needs to know that the gang of greed and power-worshippers calling themselves the 3rd Street Saints are here in Britain as we speak! Anyone else hear about that shooting at Millennium Mills last night? Anyone taking that footbridge near the West Entrance to get here would likely pass by where it happened. I heard it through the Grapevine that Faceoff shot up a crew of Saints there. I also heard that the Saints are looking for people who are willing to defect from their old gangs. There's going to be a war out there, and I just want to let you know that the Saints declared it. Okay, I've got time for one more question, make it a good one!"

A gentleman with long, blonde hair and wearing a red suit asked "Excuse me," with a smile. "I have a question." He then tore the arms off his jacket, saying "How many more minutes do you expect to live?"

Griffin cleanly unsheathed his sword and said "More minutes than you've got! Tell me, who are you anyway? After all, a warrior should know the name of his opponent!"

"I am FighterBot 1.0, a construct made by the genius that is Doc Otaku!"

"You're a robot? Then I've got no reason to hold back!"

FighterBot said "No, you shouldn't," while firing a energy beam from a cannon inside its chest cavity, missing Griffin. Griffin proceeded to charge and break four of FighterBot's limb servos in as many strokes.
Doc Otaku's stats are in Threat Report.

FighterBot's stats are of a Medium Robot from Gamemaster's Guide with Fighting 2, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 7, Blast 8 and Power-lifting 2. Roll Initiative! FighterBot gets 17 and Griffin gets 3. Both are using lethal force and get 1 HP each. FighterBot uses Blast, gets 21 and hits. Griffin gets 29 and resists, then he Charges into a major All-Out Power Attack with the Flurry of Steel and gets 25, getting +2 to DC due to Multiattack. FighterBot gets 13, spends his HP, gets 12 and is Staggered.

FighterBot: 0 HP, 1 Injury, Staggered.
As Fighterbot tried to get up, Griffin said "Tell me, FighterBot. Can your master hear me?"

FighterBot's face shifted to look like Otaku's. Otaku said in Japanese "<Yes, I can hear you perfectly!>"

"Why did you send your robot here, Otaku? And I want you to speak English so everyone else in this room can understand! Do not insult us both by saying you can't, because I've seen you on YouTube as well as Nico Nico Douga!"

"I wanted to see if any of you 'New Faces' could actually put up a fight! That, and there are some rare items here that I'm after."

"I take it you're not paying for them like you're supposed to."

"Why would I, when I can have my lovely Angels take them? Autographs, unique fanart, animation cels, you name it! And then there's the car. I am definitely taking that with me."

Griffin knew that there's only one car that Otaku was referring to. The 'Bumblebee' Camaro from Transformers was on display right now!
Griffin rolls on Well-informed and gets a Natural 20! He knows that the 'Angels' who Otaku's referring to could only be his robotic bodyguards, the Angel Androids. They could definitely lift the car and move it out.
Griffin fully opened his wings, saying "I call you, Solo Takashi AKA Doc Otaku, a Man without Standards! I call you such for attempting a crime in accorded neutral territory and for claiming a fake title! No record of you having a doctorate from anywhere! Your fake angels are about to fight the real thing, and I have this to say to you: <Make your peace and then wash your neck,>; because I'm coming for you after I've disposed of them!"

Otaku yelled "<Ako-chan! Take him now! I'll shut this bot down and join you soon!>"

A redhead in a Japanese schoolgirl's uniform said "As you wish, Takashi-sama!"

A real Angel Android! Griffin was going to enjoy this! The FighterBot shut down, falling limp while Ako charged at Griffin. Griffin hid his wings, then he started slashing at Ako, striking her knee servo.
Griffin rolls DC 10 Perception and gets 15. He can see Ako's joints and panels, allowing him to tell that he's up against an android, meaning that he's not going to commit murder if he destroys her. Roll Initiative! Ako gets 17 and Griffin gets 3. Ako gets 2 HP and Griffin gets 1 HP. Ako's going non-lethal, Griffin's using lethal force. Ako Charges at Griffin, getting 17 and missing. Griffin does another major All-out Power Attack with the Flurry of Steel, getting a natural 20, crit scored and +5 Multiattack bonus active! Griffin raises the DC to 33! Ako gets 20, spends a HP to reroll and gets 18, and is Staggered.

Ako: 1 HP, 1 Injury, Staggered.
Ako yells "I'll die before you hurt Takashi-sama!", landing a body blow on Griffin, causing him to step back a little.

Griffin yelled back "I accept your terms! He can always rebuild you afterwards!"
Ako does an minor All-Out Power Attack and gets 18, hitting Griffin. Griffin gets 21 and is hit. Griffin attacks with the Flurry of Steel, getting 29 and a +5 Multiattack bonus. Ako gets 18, spends her last HP, and gets 25, leaving her with another injury.

Ako: 0 HP, 2 Injuries, Staggered. Griffin: 1 Injury.
Ako wildly swings at Griffin, who reacts by slashing up her chest, ending with a thrust where her heart should be... which was where Otaku put her CPU!
Ako attacks, getting 17 and missing. Griffin attacks with the Flurry of Steel, gets a Natural 1, spends a HP, gets Natural 20, raising the DC to 39 (Crit and Multiattack bonuses active)! Ako gets 21, and is Incapacitated for taking two Staggering blows! Fight's Over!
As Ako fell, Griffin grabbed the mike again. "Sorry about that. Just a case of someone without standards running loose. Now if you excuse me, I'm going to stop the other 'Angel' Androids... As hard as I can."
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Re: Stories of the Betterverse

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The Convention, Part 4

MCM London Expo, ExCeL...

The Griffin had just destroyed two of Doc Otaku's robots and he was on the hunt for more. He knew that there was one place where his target was headed. The "Bumblebee" Camaro from Transformers was at the Expo. That was straight-up bait for the likes of Otaku. He couldn't simply fly straight there, too many overhanging signs for that. Luckily, he worked out a route that wasn't too crowded.

When he got there, Griffin saw that two girls - a blonde and a Japanese girl who were wearing the same uniform as Ako - were just lifting the car up. They had to be the other Angel Androids.

Griffin drew his sword and said "Put that car down, nice and slow! It's over, girls!"

They put it down. One of them, the blonde, said "Sure. We can just pick it up again after we send you to the hospital!" The blonde leapfrogs over Griffin, but he knew that they wanted him to be distracted by her panties (He'd seen a webcomic where a girl pulled that stunt), so he was ready to deflect and counter Aki's punch.
Roll Initiative! Aya (the blonde) gets 18, Aki (the Japanese girl) gets 16 and Griffin gets 5. All three get a HP for entering combat. Griffin's using lethal force (non-lethal methods just don't work on robots.). Aya and Aki get an extra HP for going non-lethal. Aya spends a HP to gain Agile Feint this turn. She does an Acrobatics roll and gets 25. Griffin gets 15 and is Vulnerable. (Aya's Set-Up allows Aki to use the distraction as well.) Aki does a minor All-out Power Attack and gets a natural 1. Griffin attacks Aki with the Flurry of Steel and gets 27. Aki gets 15 and is hit and Dazed.

Aya: 2 HP. Aki: 1 Injury, Dazed.
Griffin moved away from Aki's path, leading to a blindside from Aya which barely hit. Griffin twirled his blade, cutting Aya's face and impaling Aki!
Aya attacks and gets 21, Griffin gets 26 and is hit. Griffin is no longer Vulnerable. Aki attacks and gets Natural 20, crit scored! DC is raised by +5. Griffin gets 29 and resists. Griffin attacks both girls with the Flurry of Steel. He hit Aya with a Natural 20, crit scored! He raises the DC by +10 (including Multiattack bonus). He hits Aki with 12, and spends a HP to get 24. Aya gets 19 and is hit and dazed. Aki gets 10 to resist, spends a HP to reroll and gets a Natural 1, leaving her Incapacitated.

Griffin: 2 HP, 1 Injury. Aya: 1 Injury, Dazed. Aki: Incapacitated.
Aya lunged at Griffin, but Griffin was ready for it. He whacked her around the head and back.
Aya does a minor All-out Power Attack and gets 24. Griffin gets 13, spends a HP and gets 29 to resist. Griffin attacks with the Flurry of Steel and gets 29, getting the +5 bonus. Aya gets 14, then she spends a HP to get 29 and is hit and Dazed.

Griffin: 1 HP. Aya: 1 HP, 2 Injuries, Dazed.
Aya screamed while she charged Griffin, who stabbed her in the CPU - where the heart would be in a human girl - then he completely beheaded her!
Aya Charges Griffin and gets a Natural 1. She spends her last HP and gets another Natural 1! Griffin attacks with the Flurry of Steel, and got a Natural 20, crit scored! He raises the DC by +10 (including Multiattack bonus). Aya tries to resist, but she rolls a Natural 1 and is 'killed'! Fight's Over!

Aya: Incapacitated.
As Griffin caught his breath, the Golders Green Guardians came over.

Dr. Green said "Are you alright, Griffin?" Griffin knew the Guardians well. They were the most trusted super-team in London, particularly when it came to the supernatural. A few days after his transformation, he was invited to the Guardhouse and he had a talk with the Guardians about what happened to him. He didn't join them, but they did share phone numbers.

Griffin said "I've got a bit of a bruise on my chest, Doctor. Other than that, I'm fine. Those girls are harder than they look, but not hard enough! All we have to do now is wait. Otaku will be here to either take the car or what's left of the androids. I hope you're ready."

The Golem went "We're ready."
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Re: Stories of the Betterverse

Post by betterwatchit »

The Convention, Conclusion

MCM London Expo, ExCeL...

Griffin had just wrecked Doc Otaku's Angel Androids to keep them from taking the Bumblebee Camaro, and the Golders Green Guardians had arrived.
Griffin does a DC 15 Tactics roll and gets 19. He's got a good idea on how to take Otaku down quickly without killing him. Spindle is in her True Drider Form, Golem's Amulet is active and Red Mage has Mind Over Matter (Close) active.
He said "Otaku loves the Angel Androids like they were human. He's certainly going to try and get them back. I've got a plan. Spindle, you get some web in his eye. Doctor, you and Sakura will need to blast him. Golem, Red Mage and I will then close in on him. We need him alive, got it?"

Everyone nodded.

A minute later, Otaku finally arrived. As he approached the car, Griffin said "The girls have been scrapped and I've got the Golders Green Guardians here with me, Otaku. Surrender now or you'll regret it."

Otaku fumed "<You humiliated me, destroyed my girls in front of the entire Expo and now you expect me to surrender?!>"

"<Oh yes! You will be arrested here or in the hospital. Choose now!>"

Otaku was frantically tapping a button on his outfit. "<Damn, my Mecha-transform circuit's shorted! But I can't let the girls down!>"

"He won't surrender! Floor him!"

Otaku barely knew what hit him.
Roll Initiative! Dr. Green gets 25, Griffin get 22, Spindle gets 20, The Golem gets 17, Sakura Fubuki gets 17, Red Mage gets 13 and Otaku gets 5. Everyone gets a HP for entering combat. Dr. Green and Sakura get a HP each for their Responsibility complications (Green's thinking 'That spoiled **** can't be allowed to get away with his self-indulgent abuse of technology!' and Sakura was thinking 'How dare he give the Japanese a bad name!'). Otaku gets a HP for a Power Loss. All combatants are going non-lethal.

Dr. Green quick-draws the Ecto-Lance on Otaku, getting 24. Otaku gets 18 and is hit and Dazed! Griffin delays until after Spindle's turn. Spindle tries to get Web in Otaku's Eyes, getting 19 and missing. Griffin attacks with the Armour-Piercing Strike and gets 21. Otaku gets 21 and is hit. Golem does a minor All-out Power Attack and gets 21. Otaku gets a Natural 1, spends a HP, gets 25 and is hit. Sakura blasts Otaku and gets a Natural 20, crit scored! She raises the DC by +5. Otaku gets 10 to resist, so he spends a HP and gets 22, so he's hit and Dazed. Red Mage sets the Trigger for his Strike to "When Otaku is successfully hit", Strikes at Otaku, getting 27, crit scored! He raises the DC by +5. Otaku gets 13, he spends a HP, getting 21 and is hit. This activates the Trigger, allowing Red Mage to Strike again, getting 23. Otaku gets 1 from his injuries, spends a HP, gets a Natural 1 and is Incapacitated. Fight's Over!

Otaku: 0 HP, 6 Injuries, Dazed, Incapacitated.

After Otaku fell, he said "<Damn you all! Damn you!>"

Sakura grabbed him by the collar and said "<How dare you give the Japanese a bad name! As Amaterasu-sama is my witness, I should kill you right now!>"

Griffin said "<Calm down, Sakura! He hasn't done anything worthy of death yet.> Someone call the Ministry, we've got Doc Otaku over here!"

A voice said "We're already here, Griffin!"

Griffin turned around and saw a familiar-sounding woman with 5 armed officers behind her. He asked "And you are?"

The woman flashed her ID saying "Officer Benbow, Ministry of Powers."
Griffin rolls an Intellect check and gets a Natural 20! He recognises her at once.
Griffin sheathed his sword and said "Wait a minute, that voice! You're the one who asked me whether I actually believed in the supernatural!"

"Yes, I did. From what I saw of you in action, you look like you could be of use to us." Benbow then used her telepathy to tell Griffin "If I wasn't psychic, I wouldn't have believed your story. Or the fact that you meant every word of what you said."
Benbow did a Mind Reading check against Griffin during the Q&A. She got a Natural 20, and he got 17. She got two degrees of success. She could tell that he wasn't lying about what he said at the Q&A. The question she asked for getting two degrees was "Is there really life after death?" The answer was "Yes, beyond any possible doubt!" When she saw the fight with FighterBot and Ako, she got a Natural 20 in an Assessment check, while Griffin got 16. She knows that he can dodge attacks as well as she could, he's a lot tougher than the average person and that sword makes him deadly in close combat (Benbow knows that Griffin's Close Combat: Swords is 10).
"I'm sorry if I sounded a bit rude when you revealed yourself, officer. I won't mind trading intel with you, but you should know two things."

"Oh?"

"One, I prefer to do things my way, but I don't mind using someone else's plan if they have more experience with that particular situation."

"I wouldn't dream of interfering with you without good cause. Besides, I don't want to disrespect your... patron, whoever they might be."

"Smart move. The second thing I need to tell you is that in the event of you and my Lady giving me conflicting instructions, I will follow hers. The... Agreement I have with her requires me to do so in case of conflict. If you ask me, it's most likely going to crop up due to an innocent being endangered."

"How could such an agreement be that great?"

"Do I have to spell it out loud, officer?! My Lady brought me back to life and she sparked me up! Either one of those alone would leave someone greatly indebted to whoever did it! So when both happen to the same person…"

"I understand." Benbow then reached into her handbag and handed Griffin her card, saying "Call me if you need to talk."

"Thanks, officer. I'm going to need a drink after this. Can I go now?"

"The only violence I saw you and the Guardians commit was non-lethal, out of self-defence and to prevent a crime, so far as I'm concerned… you're not in trouble. The fact that you clearly acted to reduce collateral damage certainly helped. I might ask you to come to a station for a statement, though."

"Thank you, officer. Plumstead Police Station's the closest to my house, and I know that it's a relatively large and well-equipped station. All you need to do is put up a poster or two at Plumstead Common or ring the Bottle to get my attention. See you later."

As the Ministry officers read Otaku his rights and dragged him out, Officer Benbow entered a telepathic conversation with her superior…

"Ma'am? It's Benbow. We're on the scene, and Doc Otaku's under arrest."

"I heard that a fight broke out there with the Guardians involved as well."

"It was Otaku who started it, ma'am. He set two robots on a new cape called the Griffin, who destroyed them both. Griffin then proceeded to hunt down and destroy the other two of the 'Angel Androids'. Otaku hasn't got any powers without his suit except for his intelligence, so we're just sending him to the local lock-up. What's left of the robots are all en route to C.O.R., as that's the nearest place where we can have a proper look at them."

"That's a result at least. What about the Griffin?"

"Since he only acted to prevent a crime and to defend himself, I had to let him go. It helps his case that he only used lethal force on the Angel Androids, who could be rebuilt."

"I understand. What's your opinion on him? Is he telling the truth about his apparent origins?"

"I got inside his head during the Q&A. He's telling the truth, ma'am. He was dead and someone brought him back! He said it out loud and proved it to the public. He revealed his wings and sent a breeze through the Q&A area, I felt it myself."

"That would do it. What did the wings look like?"

"White and feathered, like you would see on a bird… or on an angel. He can hide or reveal them at will, allowing him to pass in public. There are three things you should know about him."

"Oh?"

"Griffin's willing to kill his opponents, ma'am. He sees three reasons where killing someone is a legitimate option. Those reasons are when he's fighting someone who's both capable of and actually trying to kill him, and to prevent or avenge a murder. And he claims to have access to various resources that allow him to see if it is murder or not before he kills his target. He doesn't see anything wrong with killing someone if there's a good reason for it, but he's fully aware that it's something that no-one of sound mind would dare take lightly. The second thing is that he's highly indebted to whoever brought him back, which is understandable. He has made it quite clear to me that he'll follow the orders of his patroness, even when they should conflict with ours."

"Not good at all, Benbow."

"He was brought back from the dead and empowered through supernatural means, ma'am! Anyone capable of doing that is someone we have to take notice of. I'm going to file Griffin in sections D and M."

"I take it the D is for the third thing I should know."

"Yes, ma'am. Griffin is autistic. I've been in the mindscapes of people with known mental disorders, and those with the same disorder tend to have similar features. I can tell what's up with him, what his potential weaknesses are."

"And those would be?"

"Most autistic people have a problem dealing with really loud noises and sudden bright lights. Should we need to kill him, my suggestion is to hit him with a flashbang and then use Merlin rifles from multiple angles. It would have to be inside a building to make it harder for him to fly out."

"Good to hear you already have a plan for him."

"Thank you ma'am. I have to go and make sure Otaku's secure. He is not escaping us this time! See you later."

"Goodbye, Benbow."

"Ma'am."


The Expo itself ended peacefully, and London was soon buzzing with the news of its latest hero. Especially in the underworld…

Later that evening, Purgatory Nightclub, London…

The Saints were getting ready to start their takeover of London's underworld. The Boss stepped up on stage and said "Okay, we're ready to take on the Big Smoke! Speak to any one of these four, they'll give you something to do! Sadiq, you've got the Talwar Brothers! We want to be the only gang in London wearing purple. Until then, that box has a lot of fleur-de-lys armbands which must be worn in any offensive. We don't want any friendly fire!"

"Got it, Boss!"

"Jane, you have the Water Dragons!"

"They won't know what hit them!"

"Good. Mikhail, you've got Old Man Zakharov!"

"Understood."

"Kinzie, you have the hardest job. Finding out about any costumes who think they can take us on!"

"Already on it. And I already have two targets in mind!"

"That was fast. Who are they?"

"Faceoff and the Griffin. Neither of them look like they'd take our money if they could loot it from our corpses instead. Faceoff's a Punisher-type. Guns and stealth are his preferred weapons. He's the one responsible for killing the Newham crew. And there's the Griffin. He only entered the super-scene about two weeks ago, but he's already made waves. He claims to have gone through a near-death experience, which would certainly explain his power-set if it's true. He has a pair of wings, he's bulletproof and he's a skilled swordsman with the sharpest blade I've ever seen in my life! Those two you said had to rob that bank in Woolwich to join us? He's the reason they failed so badly. He's also the reason the public knows about our presence in Britain before we could spread the word ourselves."

"They attacked and exposed us, and you're telling me they're still alive?! They have your priority! Do you have any ideas for them?"

"With your permission, I'd like to hire a couple of specialists."

"Who do you have in mind?"

"Lady Vic for Faceoff, and the Akimbo Assassin for the Griffin. They're the only hired killers in Britain crazy and skilled enough to actually attack supers."

"Do it. Tell them they can name their price, just make sure they can prove the kill!"

"Got it."

"Right, it's our time now! Let's get this s**t started!"

The cheering rang out into the London night, a sign of things to come…
Griffin gets 2 PP, the Guardians each get 1 PP.
Last edited by betterwatchit on Thu Sep 23, 2021 11:47 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Stories of the Betterverse

Post by betterwatchit »

Of Two Worlds, Part 1

Griffin's House...

As Griffin was drying himself off after his morning shower, Annabelle said in the bathroom mirror "Simon, I need to speak to you."

"What is it, Annabelle? I'm listening."

"You have an assignment. In ten minutes, a dimensional rift will open between Earth and another world. Your assignment is to ensure that whoever comes out returns home safely."

"Where's the rift going to appear?"

"Dial Square at the Royal Arsenal."

"I know where that is. I'll have to fly to reach it in time. Any idea who might come out exactly?"

"Mother knows, but she won't say. She said to tell you that you'll soon see why they need protection. Due to the importance of the mission, I'm authorised to give you a little surprise. Catch!"

Griffin caught it, then he saw it. His eyes widened. He said "Is this what I think it is?!"

Annabelle said "Yes, that is a Miracle Dogtag! Do you remember what restrictions there are on using a Dogtag?"

Griffin knew what a Miracle Dogtag was. It allows an angel to perform a single divine intervention! Due to its sheer power, multiple restrictions are placed on their usage. He said "I know what they are, Annabelle. I can't use it to directly target a demon except to return them to Hell, or to kill or resurrect a mortal without the Lady's explicit permission. And since the Lady alone can make them, it's completely impossible to use a Dogtag without her knowing it. There may be other restrictions depending on the assignment."

"In this case, you cannot use it to simply send whoever's coming here back home. And there's only enough power for one miracle."

"Very well. I have one question to ask, before I go."

"And that would be?"

"Is my sword ready? If this is a guardian assignment, I'm going to need something to fend off those who would gain from attacking the visitors. I'd rather not use the Dogtag until I've actually got a need for it."

Annabelle dropped the sword and belt on the sink, saying "I understand. I was told that your sword's hilt should have a much better grip, allowing for you to strike far more accurately than before."

Griffin picked it up, saying "Thanks, Annabelle. Now if you excuse me, I'm off to Dial Square."

"Good luck, Simon."


Dial Square, five minutes later...

Griffin arrived at Dial Square with minutes to spare. He just kept an eye on the square until the rift appeared. It was quite a small rift. Whatever was coming out would not be as big as a fully-grown human. Luckily, the rift was close to the ground, just a couple of feet above the grass. The landing probably wouldn't be too rough.

That's when they finally fell out of the rift. Six unusually-coloured little ponies, each about knee-high to Griffin.

A purple unicorn with wings looked up and saw Griffin. She said to him, "Who- Who are you?"

He replied "You can call me the Griffin. Welcome to Earth. Please tell me, who are you?"

"I am Princess Twilight of the Kingdom of Equestria."

The blue pegasus went "And I'm Rainbow Dash!"

An orange pony said in what sounded like a Southern U.S. accent "I'm Applejack, pleased to meetcha!"

A white unicorn said in what Griffin recognised as a 'Mid-Atlantic' accent, "I am Rarity. How do you do?"

A pink pony bounced over and said "And I'm Pinkie Pie! But you can call me Pinkie!"

Griffin said "And who's that over there?" pointing to a yellow pegasus who's looking seriously freaked out.

Twilight said "That's Fluttershy. Be careful with her, please."

Griffin walked over to Fluttershy, went down on one knee and said "Fluttershy, I know how hard it is being somewhere you don't want to be. But I assure you, I mean you no harm."

"Really?"

"Absolutely." He then extended his arm, saying "Come on, I'll look after you while you're here."

"Okay."
Griffin gets a HP for successfully getting Fluttershy to co-operate peacefully.
Twilight said "Can you help us get home, Griffin?"

"I don't have the facilities, Your Highness. But I'm good friends with a group who does."

"Who?"

"They're called the Golders Green Guardians. I can't think of anyone else around here who can help with this matter like they can."

Rainbow asked "Who are they?"

"The Guardians focus on supernatural problems around here, and this would qualify. Can't think of anyone else who could help us out effectively and in a reasonable amount of time. Stay there, I'm going to call them right now."

That was when Griffin phoned the Guardhouse, the Guardians' base.

A voice said "Moshi moshi?"

Griffin replied "Sakura! Just the woman I need to speak to!"

"What is it, Griffin?"

"You're not going to believe this, but six ponies just teleported right in front of me at the Royal Arsenal! The count includes two unicorns, one of whom's got wings and two pegasi. These little ponies are about knee high to a human."

"What?! Real unicorns and pegasi?! Are you kidding me?!"

"Not at all. I'm asking the Guardians for a huge favour. I need your help in order to get these ponies back home safely. They'll co-operate peacefully. Can you assist?"

"Of course! Can you get them to the Bottle?"

"Easily."

"Meet us there in three hours."

Griffin switched to Japanese as he didn't want the ponies to overhear him. "<Understood. Before I go, there are a few things I have to mention.>"

"Oh?"

"<The first thing I have to say, would you please ensure that Spindle's in human form when she sees us? I have the feeling that seeing her in her true form will spook the ponies. The second thing is that the winged unicorn I mentioned is a princess amongst her kind. Getting them all home unharmed would both prevent an international incident before it starts and actually improve our standing with that other world. Do you understand?>"

"<I understand perfectly. See you at the Bottle.>"

When Griffin hung up, he said "I just had a word with the Guardians. It's going to be a few hours before they're ready, and I have a good idea how to pass the time before then."

Twilight said "And that would be?"

"I'm going to take all of you to London, one of this world's great cities. The Guardians live on the other side of it to where we are, so we'd have to move anyway. One last thing I need to tell you before we move. If I tell you to do something or not to do it, you must listen to me. This is so you don't accidentally make an embarrassing, illegal, dangerous or even fatal mistake. If I'm actually shouting at you, you must assume that you'll be in mortal danger if you don't do it at once! Understood?"

All the ponies nodded. Griffin then said "Get in front of me, I'll tell you which way to go. Your Highness, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash. Would you kindly take to the air at about my shoulder height?"

Fluttershy stuttered "But- But we'll be seen!"

"Precisely, Fluttershy. It'll keep people from bumping into you. Besides, I'll make sure no one hurts you. And in the unlikely event of anyone doing so... Let's say that I'm just as capable of making them regret the decision. We're going to take the train to London and the nearest station's that way!"
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Re: Stories of the Betterverse

Post by betterwatchit »

Of Two Worlds, Part 2

Woolwich Arsenal Station...

When Griffin arrived at the station with the ponies, he told them "Stay there while I buy the tickets." he went up to the ticket counter and said "I'll have seven single adult tickets to Charing Cross, ma'am."

The clerk at the counter saw the girls and said "Seven tickets? Are you sure?"

"Absolutely. These ponies are from another world, and I'm getting them back home."

The clerk then said "You said seven tickets, sir? That will be £25 for a group fare. You need to all travel together, but that shouldn't come up if you're on single tickets."

Griffin handed over the £25 and said "Thanks for the tickets, ma'am. See you later."

As Griffin and the girls went downstairs to Platform 1, a Kent-bound train arrived at Platform 2. Rainbow said "That's a funny looking train."

Griffin said "Electrostar trains are meant for going from suburban areas like Woolwich to a major city like London and back again. It's designed to have the controls on either end, so you don't have to turn the train around any more. You can even link them to form longer trains if you need to!"

"How did you get rid of all the steam and smoke?"

Griffin told her "We don't use steam trains any more, Rainbow Dash. Modern trains covering suburban routes in this country are electrically powered. This is usually by a third rail on the line or by overhead wires, both of which are highly electrified. That means there's no smoke or steam in the first place. You still need to sort out ventilation through tunnels, as you don't want to suffocate the passengers. Now, the next train in our direction will be here in a few minutes. It's a semi-fast service, so it'll be about 30 minutes from here to London. We're taking the front-most carriage, as that's the closest to the ticket barrier when we arrive."

Twilight said "Griffin, I want to ask..."

"Yes, Your Highness?"

"Why do you call yourself the Griffin? You don't have wings, talons or even a beak!"

"In my particular trade, it's a very good idea to operate under a professional alias. The only people in my trade who don't use an alias are generally in a position where they don't have to worry about their loved ones being in danger. If I didn't know better, I'd say that Earth and Equestria likely had contact millennia ago. Until now, we knew of unicorns, pegasi and griffins as literally the stuff of myth and legend. Don't be surprised if people start taking photos of you."

"Okay. What is London? How would you describe it, Griffin?"

"London is the capital of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, one of the more influential countries on Earth. It may have had its ups and downs, but the city itself has lasted for millennia. As for how I'd describe it, I have to borrow a line from Samuel Johnson, one of the nation's great historical writers. It's said that when someone is tired of London, they're tired of life itself. For there is in London... all that life can afford. And given what I've seen, heard, ate, drank, gotten myself into - and back out of - when I've been there, I believe it! And that's our train now!"


30 minutes later...

The train had just rolled into Charing Cross. Griffin was saying "End of the line, girls. Remember, you need to stick close to me at all times, as I know the route to the pick-up point and where all the safe areas are. Especially you, Pinkie!"

Fluttershy asked "W- W- Where are we, Griffin?"

"Charing Cross Station. It's one of London's many railway stations, serving South-east London and the County of Kent. Now, we'll go through the wider gate one at a time like we did at Woolwich. I'll go last."

Once everyone made it through, Griffin said "Your Highness, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy. Would you be so kind as to take to the air at about my shoulder height again?"

Princess Twilight said "Right. You heard him, girls! Griffin, lead us out!"

Griffin replied "With pleasure, Your Highness! This way!"

When they got outside, they saw that it was a nice sunny day in Central London. Perfect weather for a tour.

Princess Twilight asked Griffin "You wouldn't happen to know where I can get some books about your world, would you?"

"There's a few branches of Waterstones on our route, Your Highness. They're a national chain of bookshops. And I actually have a good idea on what books you'll want. The nearest branch will be close by."

A couple of minutes later, Griffin and the girls were in the Charing Cross branch of Waterstones. Griffin went up to a clerk and asked "Excuse me, I was wondering if you could help me. I'm looking for these books." He then showed her the titles on his phone.

"It'll be a few minutes, but I can bring them here."

"Of course.

A few minutes later, the clerk came back, telling him "Here are the books you requested. Would you like them gift-wrapped?"

"No thanks."

As Griffin paid for the books, Princess Twilight asked "What did you get?"

"Concise World Atlas and World Religions. Both published by Dorling-Kindersley, one of Earth's best-known publishing houses. If I were going to learn about another world, obtaining the local equivalents of these books is the first thing I'd do! We'll soon be at our next stop, Trafalgar Square."


A minute later...

"This is Trafalgar Square. Cultural festivals, filming sessions, superhuman battles... All you need to do is wait long enough, and something interesting will always happen here sooner or later. Right now, we're it!"

Twilight pointed at Nelson's Column, saying "Who's that up there?"

"Admiral Horatio Nelson, one of this kingdom's great heroes. He may have been seasick, he may have lost an arm and an eye in his career, but few in his time could fight a naval battle the way he could! We'll be heading through some of the busiest areas in the city, including Piccadilly Circus, Regent and Oxford Streets. They have the most cinemas, theatres and shops in London. Who knows, I might even get you something. Let's move on, shall we?"


Five minutes later...

As they arrived, Griffin said "Piccadilly Circus. This place is so busy, it's said that a Londoner who waits here long enough will eventually meet everyone they know!"

Pinkie said "Circus?! Where?!"

Griffin sighed. "Circus is from the old Latin word for circle. Like the roundabout that used to be here until a few decades back. Now, it's this way to Regent Street and then to Oxford Street."


As Griffin led the girls through Regent Street, Applejack noticed a certain building. She said "That store over there, with the apple with a bite out of it? What kind of apples do they sell in there?"

Griffin replied "It's not fruit they sell in there, Applejack."

"If it ain't fruit in there, what are they sellin'?"

"I know what they've got in there, but it'll be easier to explain when we get inside. Don't touch anything unless I say so!"

As Griffin and the ponies entered the Apple Store, a security guard said "No animals allowed, mate!"

"They're sapient, mate! So calm down."

"Are you certain about that?"

"Oh yes! I've been giving these little ponies a tour for the past hour, so I should know! They speak English without any problems. I'm the Griffin, by the way. I'll vouch for their behaviour. You hear about what I did on Saturday?"

"I was there! You made Doc Otaku look like an arse in front of the media, the capes, everyone!"

"So you know what I can do. Otaku chose to be a Man Without Standards, so he got exposed as such in public. I had a little help from the Golders Green Guardians putting him down. They're helping me get the girls back home. If you'll excuse me, it looks like I'm taking quite a selfie..."

As they got in front of one of the iPads, Princess Twilight asked "What kind of magic does this use, Griffin?"

Griffin told her "No magic was used in its construction, Your Highness. Science, not magic, is the predominant force in this world. Magic does exist here, but there are very few people who believe it even exists and even fewer who actually use it. Now, I just need to check my feed... Nothing's up. Now to do a post of our own! I'm going to take a big group photo. Just need a minute to prep the camera... It's ready! We're going to do one big group shot that I'll share all over the world! Smile!"
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Re: Stories of the Betterverse

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Of Two Worlds, Part 3

Apple Store, Regent Street, London...

Griffin just put up a selfie on his social feed with the caption:

Code: Select all

Taking some little ponies from another world on a tour of London.
This First Contact is going to be remembered!
#firstcontact #griffinoflondon #littleponies
As he logged out, wiped the browser cache and escorted the girls out of the shop, Griffin said "Now the whole world's going to know about this! Right, girls! I know where we're going next. Get in front of me like I showed you before, then we're heading north then east."

As Griffin and the ponies headed to Oxford Street, Princess Twilight asked "Griffin, I've seen these signs marked 'Underground' all over the city. What do they have down there?"

Griffin told her "The London Underground is the rapid transit network covering Greater London in general and Central London in particular. It was the first such network in Earth's history and is famous worldwide. It's often crowded so I don't recommend it for someone your size if you have any other way to get around. Now, it's this way to Oxford Street and Tottenham Court Road, the other main shopping areas in the city."

As they walked their way across Oxford Street, Griffin saw that plenty of people were taking photos. He certainly wasn't going to stop them. After all, the more photos there were online, the more effort it would take for some secret organisation - government-based or otherwise - to attempt censoring the girls' presence on Earth.

As they approached the main crossing, Griffin said "We should cross the road here and then turn left into Tottenham Court Road." Griffin knew that not only would it get them slightly closer when they reached the end of the street, but it would also put them on the other side of the road to the Pantheon branch at No. 68. Less drama for everyone concerned.

It nearly worked perfectly and all. As soon as the Pantheon missionaries saw the girls cross the road at Chenies Street, it was the first time Griffin ever heard their preaching fall silent during opening hours, something he couldn't recall happening before. It wasn't long before they reached Euston Road.

As the girls crossed the road, Applejack asked "Where exactly are you taking us, Griffin?"

"There's a tavern I know of at the edge of Central London, Applejack. We can wait for the Guardians there."

"I hear ya."

As Griffin led the girls towards the Bottle, Princess Twilight saw a building and said "That looks like a big library, Griffin!"

"It certainly is, Your Highness! The British Library is the largest in this entire world! Under British law, everyone who publishes a book or periodical in this country must send a copy or issue there. I'm afraid that we don't have the time to spend inside. Anything worth going in there for is worth spending hours if not the entire day inside."

"I understand."

"Tell you what, though. If you ever come back here, I'll see what I can do about making you a Friend of the Library."

"Thank you for the offer, Griffin."

"Don't mention it. Come on, it's this way to the tavern." Griffin thought about taking them to St. Pancras, but he knew it wasn't worth the drama that would be caused by them flying over the glass barrier separating the Eurostar trains from the concourse by accident.


Five minutes later…

As they arrived, Griffin went "This is the Time in a Bottle, ladies. The current building was made over 500 years ago, but there are very solid records of the pub itself being around even longer than that! This pub has been a place of truce and diplomacy from the age of chivalry, to the adventurers of the Victorian era, the heroes who served this country in both World Wars, all the way to modern-day superhumans. And this is where we'll be waiting for the Guardians."

"Why here?"

"No weapon or power meant to harm another can work inside. That's why the Bottle has lasted this long. There is no safer place to possibly be in all of Central London. Not even the Great Fire of London, which burnt most of this city down several centuries ago, could touch it!"

"How did it not burn down?"

"Like I said, this has been the favoured drinking establishment for people who actually keep things done for a living in Britain for centuries. It wouldn't have been in their interest if the place turned into ash. Let's go inside, shall we?"

As Griffin entered the Bottle, which was empty due to it just opening, he saw that Bill was the barman on shift. Bill knew what every British super liked to drink, and was rumoured by some of the regulars to be a Scion of John Bull.

Bill went "Griffin, I've got two messages for you! One's anonymous and there's another from Antenna. Looks like that fight you had with Doc Otaku and his robots made some noise."

As Griffin picked up the messages, he said "Otaku starting it at the largest pop culture expo in Britain would get people spreading the word about whoever finished it."

"True. Who are these little ponies here?"

"They're from another world, and the Guardians are helping me get them home. We agreed that this would be the perfect halfway point."

"The one place in London where you can just walk in the door and have your safety guaranteed, no matter who you are!"

"Like I said, the perfect halfway point. The fact you can get a nice cold drink and a nice hot meal is simply icing on the cake! I'll have a can of coke and a ham and pickle sandwich to go."

Twilight said "You said ham as in- You... eat... meat?"

"Yes we do, Your Highness. We humans are omnivores. We need both meat and plants in our diet to survive."

Fluttershy said "A- a- are you going to eat us, Griffin?"

Griffin looked her in the eye and told her "No, Fluttershy. Eating a sapient being like yourself is actually among our greatest taboos. Anyone found doing so is usually imprisoned, and their reputation always ends up in tatters upon exposure. Now let's see what messages I've got..."

Griffin opened the first message, which read:
Been following you since Trafalgar. Interesting choice of books, by the way. Will talk more about ponies upon arrival.
Griffin was thinking 'That was probably Officer Benbow. Must have clocked us at Waterstones. Not like the girls can blend in anyway. Now, what has Antenna got to say...'
Dear Griffin,
I saw what you did at ExCeL. Taking down four of Otaku's robots without assistance shows you're no cannon-fodder. As a mark of my respect, I'm offering you access to my Network. You need something on the quiet, I can get it to you. My goods and services do not come cheap, but even the Ministry have the good sense to respect my client confidentiality and I only ask the sort of questions that ensure that you get exactly what you're after. If you want access, write down the e-mail address you want me to send the details on the blank sheet supplied, put it in the supplied envelope and hand it back to Bill.
Yours, Antenna.
Griffin wrote his 'business' address down, handing it over to Bill. After all, access to Antenna's Network is always going to come in handy. Then he sent a text to Sakura...

Code: Select all

Made it 2 Bottle with the guests. Please TB ASAP with status.
That was when Officer Benbow arrived. Griffin said "Good afternoon, officer."

"I saw that post, Griffin. Why on earth are there six little ponies with you?"

"They were teleporting somewhere, they miscalculated and landed in Woolwich. I was the nearest person who could actually help them. The Guardians will be here in a while to pick us up and get the girls home."

"You went to the Guardians for help?"

"The second I clocked that I was dealing with unicorns and pegasi, I knew I was going to need support that was used to dealing with the mythological and the supernatural. Around here, that only meant the Guardians. We agreed that this would be the best place to meet for the pick-up."

"The only place in London where you can get a drink in peace."

"True. Hang on, just got a text..."

Code: Select all

En route 2 Bottle now. Will be in minibus with 6 child seats.
Griffin said "That was just an update from the Guardians. They'll be here soon."

Benbow went "Good to know. How secure is your social feed, by the way?"

"I'm no permanoob, officer. I never log into my 'business' accounts from a residential connection, I always use an incognito tab and I know better than to do it from a cybercafé that actually asks me for a solid ID in case a bent officer - or worse, a villain - decides to look for whoever's been putting up videos and photos."

"You've planned for using social media, haven't you?"

"I've been using the Internet long before I got into the super-scene, officer. I know how to keep it down or get it out there."

That was when Dr. Green came into the pub, saying "Griffin, get the ponies together and let's go!"

"Got it, Doctor," Griffin replied. He then said "Ladies, it's time to go! Follow the Doctor, she's a friend. She'll show you where to go."
Last edited by betterwatchit on Thu Sep 23, 2021 11:59 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Stories of the Betterverse

Post by betterwatchit »

Of Two Worlds, Part 4

Outside The Time in A Bottle, London...

As Dr. Green, Sakura Fubuki and the Golem of the Golders Green Guardians helped the ponies get into a grey Mercedes minibus, Dr. Green said "Griffin, I need you to fly above us. This headset I'm lending you is tuned to our radio. Push that button to transmit, use it if you see anything unusual."

Griffin went "Push to talk, got it. Need to get my sword out of my holdall first, I might need it." While he did so, he turned to Princess Twilight, saying "Your Highness, you asked me why I called myself the Griffin."

Princess Twilight said "Yeah, I still wonder why."

Griffin then revealed his wings, saying "Because if it flies or walks, I can protect it or fight it as the situation requires. Don't worry, I'll be in the air, keeping an eye on the minibus at all times. Doctor, I'm going airborne now!"

As Griffin took to the air, Dr. Green said over the radio "Griffin, do you still have visual, over?"

He replied "I have visual, Doctor. Just remember to tell me when you turn, over."

"Understood. Officer Benbow will be with us for this, over."

"Understood, Doctor. When you're ready, roll out!"


25 minutes later...

As the minibus was on the final stretch towards the Guardhouse, Griffin noticed something unusual. He radioed it in... "Doctor, this is Griffin. Noticed possible tail behind you, it's the white van! Got a plan. Once I land on it, burn rubber and don't look back, I mean it! Tell the Guardhouse you're arriving under fire, out!"

Griffin knew a thing or two about tactics. His telling them to do an arrival under fire meant that they had to signal whoever was at the Guardhouse to open the gate right now, close it once the minibus made it into the courtyard and to prepare the girls for a quick exit.

"Got it! Good luck!"
Griffin makes a Tactics check and gets 20.
Griffin landed on top of the the van when someone shot him from underneath. Whatever their loadout was, it wasn't doing them any good. It was like shooting him with a pellet gun. It stung, but he wouldn't need medical attention.

That was when Griffin had an idea. He unsheathed his sword, shoved it into the van's bullethole and shouted "LET THERE BE LIGHT!"

The massive flash of light inside the van caused it to stop. Hard. Luckily, Griffin's grip on his sword was tight enough for him to stay on. He quickly removed the sheath from his belt and reattached it to the blade before jumping off.
Griffin spends a HP on the following stunt with Justice: Burst Area Affliction 10, Impaired, Disabled, Unaware, Resisted by Will, Limited (To Visual). Using the bullethole instead of making another hole keeps Griffin out of the blast radius. The Militant minions get 20, 9, 11, 8, 14 and 5. The one who resisted was driving. Griffin does a DC 10 Strength check and gets 10 to avoid being thrown off.
As Griffin landed, he saw the driver's door open. He did a blow from above, knowing that a horizontal strike would give the driver time to close the door on him. It stunned the driver, allowing Griffin to press his advantage. He then proceeded to strike the driver with multiple blows to the head. The driver fell on to his seat. Griffin engaged the van's handbrake and took the key out of the ignition.
Roll Initiative! Griffin got 19 and the driver got 8. Griffin's going non-lethal. Griffin Charges with the Flurry of Steel, getting 27, hitting the driver and getting +5 DC for Multiattack. The driver (who was wearing a Bulletproof Vest) gets 23 and is Incapacitated. Fight's Over!
After Griffin quickly knocked out the other passengers, he reached for the headset, going "Doctor, this is Griffin, please respond, over!"
Griffin does a DC 15 Philosophy & Theology check and gets 23. He realises that he has a major problem on his hands!
"I'm here, over!"

"Tell Officer Benbow that I've just knocked out five gunmen. The white Iveco Daily van holding them is at Finchley Road, turning to Golders Green Road, near the station. You can't miss it! The gunmen belong to the Order of St. Henricus. Hexenhammer's after us! I repeat, Hexenhammer is after us! Heading straight to Guardhouse now! If you have any ideas for stopping him, now's the time, over!"

"There's one thing you need to know. If you have to kill Hexenhammer - without a non-lethal alternative - don't touch the hammer afterwards! The last idiot who did that got themselves killed and their body possessed. We learnt from that incident that Spindle's webbing - or a good length of rope - will let you carry it without risk of possession."

"Thanks for the intel, out!"

That was when Griffin got a telepathic message from Officer Benbow: "Griffin, it's Benbow. Are you sure they're with the Order? Just think your reply back to me."

Griffin thought back "They all have the Iron Cross branded on them, officer. Not even Neo-Nazis go that far, because concealing a tattoo is easier than hiding a brand. Tell whoever you're sending to pick them up that they're all unconscious and carrying handguns."

"Given how publicly you fought, armed response is already going to be en-route. You know where the Guardhouse is?"

"Flown there before, officer. See you soon."

Griffin proceeded to slash the van's tyres and stab its radiator. Even if the gunmen somehow recovered before the armed police arrived, they couldn't go very far. Then he took to the air again.


One minute later at the Guardhouse...

As Griffin landed, a red van turned the corner and stopped just across the road from the Guardhouse entrance. As the passengers came out, Griffin drew his sword. He saw that they were carrying the MP5K, the shortened MP5 model that's meant for close quarters. Which was also seriously illegal for British civilians to possess.

Whoever they were, they came prepared. Then their boss came out...

Hexenhammer pointed his hammer at Griffin, saying "Who are you to stand in the way of dealing the wrath of the Almighty to the abominations inside that so-called Guardhouse?!"

Griffin pointed his sword back, saying "I am the Griffin of London, who protects the innocent however he can, regardless of their origins! This is your only warning, Hexenhammer! You can leave now, in peace, or you can take the consequences!"

"Those abominations in there must die! And if we both have to die as well, so be it!"

That was when Griffin knew. He would actually have to kill Hexenhammer if he was getting out of this alive.
Roll Initative! Hexenhammer gets 26, Griffin gets 20, and the five Militant Minions get 18, 14, 13, 10 and 6. Griffin gets 4 HP for entering combat, calming Fluttershy down, his Motivation (he has a chance to stop a religious extremist whose actions are an insult to his Lady), his Honour (innocents are in danger and he can help) and Temper (a religious extremist seeking to harm innocents just because of their supernatural background is something Griffin cannot allow to stand). Hexenhammer gets 3 HP for entering combat, his motivation and Hatred (he knows that supernatural beings are behind the gate that Griffin's in front of and he wants them all DEAD!). The Militants have Bulletproof Vests and SMGs.

Everyone's using lethal force. Hexenhammer's Stats are in Threat Report.

Hexenhammer swings and hits Griffin in the ribs. Griffin gets slightly winded as he barely manages to turn with the blow.
Hexenhammer All-Out Power Attacks Griffin, getting a Natural 1! He spends a HP and gets 25, hitting Griffin. Griffin rolls to resist, gets 23 and is hit. Griffin attacks Hexenhammer with the Flurry of Steel and gets 31, crit scored! He raises the DC by +10 (including crit and Multiattack bonuses). Hexenhammer gets a Natural 20 to resist!

Griffin: 1 Injury. Hexenhammer: 2 HP. The Militants are ready to fire, but they can't shoot for fear of hitting their master.
Griffin saw an opening and did a pommel blow to the back of Hexenhammer's ear.
Hexenhammer attacks and gets 15, spends a HP, gets 29 and hits. Griffin gets 18, spends a HP, getting 26 and resisting.

Griffin attacks with the Flurry of Steel and gets a Natural 20, crit scored! Hexenhammer rolls 18, spends a HP and gets 27, leaving him hit and Dazed.

Griffin: 3 HP. Hexenhammer: 1 Injury, Dazed, 0 HP.
That was when Dr. Green started shooting from the balcony. The distraction gave Griffin the chance he needed to slay Hexenhammer by stabbing him in the gut, then the heart and finally beheading him!
Dr. Green enters the battle, getting 15 on Initiative.

Hexenhammer attacks and gets 25, hitting Griffin. Griffin gets 13, spends a HP, getting 28 and resisting. Griffin attacks Hexenhammer and gets 31, crit scored! (+10 DC with Multiattack). Hexenhammer gets a Natural 1 and is Dead! A Militant fires at Dr. Green, getting 20 and missing. Dr. Green returned fire with the Ecto-Lance and got 29, crit scored (+5 DC)! The Militant got 20 and is Incapacitated. The remaining Militants fired at Dr. Green, getting 24, 8, Natural 1, 19. Dr. Green gets 28, resisting the one burst that did hit her.

Griffin: 2 HP.

As Hexenhammer's bloody and lifeless body fell to the floor, Griffin realised what he'd just done.

He had just killed a sentient being for the first time.

Everything he was taught about committing such an act said that he was supposed to regret it... but he didn't. All he could feel... was that he did what needed to be done. He gave Hexenhammer a chance to leave peacefully, so it wasn't really his fault if Hexenhammer was too far gone for peace or reason to work any more.
Griffin is hit with a DC 25 Will check to keep from breaking down due to killing a sentient being for the first time. He gets 19... but his Second Chance kicks in, getting 28, allowing him to keep it together.
His reverie was disturbed when one of the gunmen said "What- what in the name of God are you?!"

Griffin said "What am I? I know that now." He spread his wings wide open, going "Listen to me, all of you! I am the Griffin, angel of the Heavenly Host! Surrender now and you live! Fight me and you die in vain like your false master!"

The gunmen fell to their knees in prayer. They knew they've messed up badly. Their leader was dead at the hands of one who really was serving their God and there was no way they could get close enough to the hammer without themselves dying in vain.
Griffin reveals his wings and Intimidates the Militants, getting +5 for targeting religious extremists who'd be likely to believe him, which is mitigated to +2 by them outnumbering him. He gets 23. The Militant minions get 16 and are Coerced into surrendering! Fight's Over!
He went on the headset, saying "Doctor, I need you to get someone out here! And I need something to move this hammer!"

Officer Benbow got into Griffin's mind, asking "And what about the body, Griffin?"

"His hammer's the true threat, officer! It contains his soul! Anyone touching it gets possessed by Hexenhammer and it kills them! As for the corpse, the surviving Order members can haul it off for all I care, because I have the one thing they need for their master's resurrection to be any good!"

Griffin then said on the headset "Doctor, can you get some of the guys out here?! I can't move the hammer myself without getting possessed and I want these guys to stay still until the police arrive!"

Dr. Green replied "They'll be there in a second, Griffin! The Infirmary is empty if you need to be alone."

"Thanks, Doctor."

Fifteen seconds later, Red Mage arrived, saying "We've got it from here, Griffin. And you'll need this," tossing him a length of rope.

Griffin said "Thanks, Red," and got the rope around the hammer's head. As he dragged the hammer into the Guardhouse, he said "Now if you excuse me, I'm about to perform the most dangerous and most likely suicidal act of my entire life. I'm going to directly get my Lady's attention!"

Officer Benbow stood in front of the entrance, saying "Listen to yourself, Griffin. You're going to summon a being who you have every reason to believe to be a goddess after you just killed someone! For the first time! Are you absolutely sure this is a good idea?"

"It's the only one I've got, officer. The Lady is the only being I can contact who could both take out Hexenhammer and have it legitimately be in her best interest. And the bastard isn't really dead yet! His spirit is stuck in that hammer until someone's stupid enough to touch it. That's why I need this rope to move the thing and made sure the girls were safely inside before the fight broke out. The fact that I fought him to protect an innocent and complete an assignment should keep me from getting into too much trouble."

"An assignment?"

"The Lady assigned me to get those little ponies back home, preferably unharmed. Stopping Hexenhammer, the most immediate threat to that objective, certainly advances it. I have one thing to ask, officer, before I do this."

"What would that be?"

"Was my fight with Hexenhammer... self-defence? Legally, I mean."

"I saw the CCTV, which was wired for sound. You did give him fair warning. And if what the Guardians told me about him was true, they wouldn't last too long either. It would have been murder if you then killed his gunmen without them threatening someone else. I know that they can't kill you with their MP5s, meaning that you'd breach the Invulnerability Rule. In short... yes, what you did was self-defence. I might have to summon you to court for this, but there's no way a jury with all the facts and evidence is going to find you guilty of murder, and that's assuming the matter goes to trial."

"Thank you, officer."

"Your Lady may or may not have a different mind about it, but that's between you and her."

"You think I haven't noticed?"

When Griffin dragged the hammer into the Infirmary - the most secure room in the Guardhouse - he knelt in prayer, clutching the Dogtag, saying "My Lady, I've never had the tongue for prayer, but I need to speak to you. This spirit before me, known to men as the Hexenhammer, has acted in a manner that has slurred and blackened your name before the world! He has acted in a manner which has killed many innocents and left the supernatural world speaking nothing but ill of you! I am aware of how he has evaded your judgement for centuries in a way that has driven him mad! I ask of you, let him know your mercy! I beseech you, let your peace finally be upon him. I beg of you... Let your judgement fall upon him at last!"

Then there was a great wind from nowhere, and a blinding flash of light. When the light faded at last, Griffin saw a motherly-looking woman next to him, someone he was familiar with. She said "It's good to see you again, Simon."

"Likewise, my Lady. I wish it could've been in better circumstances, but..."

"I know. Don't worry, you're not in any trouble with me over that fight you had. Hexenhammer has been giving me a bad name for the past six centuries. No-one is as glad as I am that you finally brought him before me. You obeyed the Sixth Commandment and Article Five of our Agreement. I need you to stand up now, as you are to bear witness!"

The Lady lifted the hammer and said in an old German dialect "<I'm sure you know who I am by now, Erich Adler. And I am disappointed. You're going to stand before me and explain yourself. It's sad enough, Erich, that your actions and your choices besmirched your own character. But someone falsely claiming to serve me while killing innocents... I'll give you a fair hearing, but it's not looking too good for you.>" She then looked at Griffin, saying "Simon, I want you to call everyone into the Library at once."

"Of course, my Lady."

In another flash of light, the Lady was gone and the Infirmary door was unlocked.

Griffin went to the security room where the ponies were and said "Doctor, my Lady wants a word with the lot of us, and I know that listening to her is always a good idea. I need everyone to come to the Library at once!"
Last edited by betterwatchit on Wed Feb 01, 2023 4:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Stories of the Betterverse

Post by betterwatchit »

Of Two Worlds, Conclusion

The Guardhouse Library...

Griffin headed to the Library, only to find the Lady already there. That was when the Guardians and Officer Benbow arrived with the ponies.

Officer Benbow asked "Care to explain our mysterious new visitor, Griffin?"

"She is my Lady, officer. She is the one who brought me back from death... and she is the only one I fear! If you don't believe me, then look inside my head! Don't look in hers, it'll really blow your mind!"

So Benbow got inside Griffin's head... "Oh s**t... He's telling the truth! Everyone, lower your spells and your weapons!"

Griffin smiled and said "It seems you have the floor, my Lady."

The Lady said "I don't. Someone else will be having it right... about... now."

That was when another rift opened up inside the library. A very large pony walked out of it, with a coat as white as snow, a unicorn's horn, the wings of a pegasus and a mane that reminded every human there of the Aurora Borealis. All the other ponies bowed down before her.

Twilight said "Princess Celestia! Am I glad to see you!"

The white pony said "I'm truly glad to see that you're all okay." Then she turned to face the Lady and said "How are you?"

The Lady said "I'm fine, Celestia. These are the Golders Green Guardians, who help protect the city of London. This is Officer Jill Benbow of the Ministry of Powers, a local constable who also protects London. And this is the Griffin, an angel of mine who has shown your subjects around London and who has also put his life on the line to protect them when they were in danger."

Griffin said "Wait a second! You two actually know each other?!"

Princess Celestia said "Of course. I knew where the girls went all along and I diverted their spell. Your Lady and I wanted to see if ponies could co-exist with humans."

Griffin said "Your Majesty, I must inform you that the girls were lucky that I was with them. There was a gang of bigots calling themselves 'The Order of St. Henricus' that despised all forms of magic, not caring about the good or the evil of it. I'm one of the reasons that they failed to murder the girls in cold blood, mainly as I laid out five of their men and I killed their leader just a few minutes ago! And before you say anything, I gave him one chance to leave here in peace and he refused!"

Officer Benbow said "I saw and heard him, your Majesty. He did give Hexenhammer a chance to leave and he refused."

Griffin said "Personally, I would have given the girls a chance to volunteer for something as major and history-changing as this and give them a chance to back out!"

Princess Celestia walked towards him, saying "Nothing means more to me than the well-being of all my subjects, Griffin. Your Lady told me that you would be more than able to protect the girls if they ever found themselves in danger. And you just proved today that she was right."

The Lady said "I Chose you for a reason, Griffin. Because I need someone who can do whatever must be done. You did a good job today of making a First Contact go smoothly, given the circumstances."

Griffin said "Thank you, my Lady. Doctor, do you have a camcorder here?"

Dr. Green replied "Yeah. We've got a GoPro in the cupboard behind you with a screen and remote. It should be fully charged by now. Why do you ask?"

"Because I'm going to prove what's happening here to the world. Your Majesty, if you are willing, we can record a video of you. It can be shown to this world's press to prove your existence."

Princess Celestia nodded. "I understand."

Officer Benbow said "Griffin, if you're going to record this, then I must ask that I be left out of it."

Griffin told her "Don't worry, officer. I understand."

The Lady told Griffin "I'm heading off now. I'm sure you understand that I don't want to be on camera. I'll see you later."

"Understood, my Lady. Catch you later."

The Lady then disappeared in a flash of light. Griffin said "Let's get this sorted..."


Five minutes later...

After Griffin set the GoPro up and made sure he was aiming it properly, he pressed the record button on the remote, saying "Recording now, your Majesty."

Princess Celestia said "My greetings to the people of Earth. I am Princess Celestia of the Kingdom of Equestria. As you may already know, six of my subjects came from my kingdom to your world. Six of your kind helped them by showing them around the city you call London, doing what they could to help my subjects return home and also protecting them from the cult known as the Order of St. Henricus. I hereby decree that from this day, the angel known to men as the Griffin of London and the 'power-team' known as the Golders Green Guardians shall be known for their actions as Friends of Equestria! I thank you all from the bottom of my heart."

Dr. Green said "Thank you, ma'am."

Griffin bowed, saying "Thank you, your Majesty."

Princess Celestia then said "Now, my little ponies. Let's go home." She then reopened the portal, and led the girls through it. When they had fully gone through, the portal closed by itself.

When Griffin saw that the recording indicator had stopped, he said "Anyone wants me, I'm going to upload the video. I've got my own memory card reader, so I won't have to borrow the whole camera. It's the first Thursday of the month, so I'll see you at the Bottle!"


Four hours later, at the Time in a Bottle...

The pub was packed as usual, and Griffin was saying to Faceoff "And that's how the Guardians and myself helped six little ponies from another world get back home! All in all, I can say we had a very good day, even if I did have to kill someone!"

"You said you killed Hexenhammer, is that true?"

"Yeah, it's true. I had to kill him in defence of those ponies. Good thing the Guardians' CCTV was wired for sound! Because Officer Benbow of the Ministry - who's also a telepath - was at the Guardhouse as well, and the CCTV was the only thing keeping her from doing me for murder!"

"At least you were able to keep the law off you, for now at least."

"You know more about that than I do. Benbow told me that I might have to go to court, but the evidence of my defence is solid enough - this time at least - that a trial would most likely be a waste of time. First time I've ever killed someone, and not even the Ministry tried to do me for it! And it was out in public as well! I doubt I'd get away with it next time."

"I've seen the footage, Griffin. The Guardians put it online. Why did you drag his hammer inside and not his body?"

"Whenever someone killed him, his soul went into the hammer. The next idiot unlucky enough to touch it would be effectively killed with their body getting possessed! His hammer was the real threat. When I got it inside, I asked my Lady if she would pass judgement on him."

"After you killed someone?! I've seen some crazy moves..."

"She knew why I fought him! She told me that Hexenhammer had been giving her a bad name for six centuries! No one was as glad as her that I stopped him! Have you seen the video I just put up? I titled it 'Princess Celestia's Thank You and Decree'. It's about what happened next."

"Let me see it on my phone... Unicorns and pegasi?! Are you kidding me?!"

"You think I'm capable of joking about something this big? The Guardians will gladly vouch for me on this if you ask them! Benbow may or may not vouch for me, but she was there as well. And YouTube isn't the only site I put this on."

"Where else?"

"LiveLeak, Nico Nico Douga, Dailymotion, VidBox... Anywhere I could get away with putting it up!"

"So there's a world populated by little talking ponies, unicorns and pegasi, and you proved it to the public! There's one thing I need to ask."

"And that would be?"

"When you killed Hexenhammer, how did it make you feel? I know for a fact that no sane human being can kill for the first time without feeling something."

"It felt like I somehow crossed a line. It was the first time I ever did something that couldn't be undone, replaced or otherwise made amends for. Everything I heard about doing such an act claimed that I should be consumed with regret... but I wasn't. What I really felt was that I did what had to be done. I gave Hexenhammer a chance to leave peacefully. If he was too far gone to listen to reason any more... I warned him, he refused and then the choice was taken from me."

"Why didn't you let the Guardians deal with him?"

"His hammer was designed specifically for screwing with magical types. Like four out of five Guardians. There were only three of us there who could fight him effectively. Dr. Green and Officer Benbow could've done it, but they would have to endanger the ponies to do so. As far as I could tell, I was the only one there who could kill him!"

"I understand. Listen, that holdall you have. You should get something lighter."

"I prefer close combat, so that's a good idea. Got any ideas where to look?"

"I'd suggest going to Cape and Cowl tomorrow and asking them about a new bag. I'm pretty sure one of them could hold your sword."

Griffin had heard of Cape and Cowl before. It was the place to go in Cardiff, Edinburgh and London to buy clothes and other equipment designed for extreme conditions, like those a superhuman would sometimes face. He said "I'll see if I can't shop around first. It's a free market after all. I may even need to get one custom-made."

"Fair enough. Are those the Guardians just coming in?"

"Yeah. Just have to return something I borrowed off them, then I'm gone. Catch you later!"

So Griffin returned the memory card he borrowed to the Guardians. After saying farewell, he took off for home.
Griffin gets 1 PP.
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betterwatchit
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Re: Stories of the Betterverse

Post by betterwatchit »

Bad Medicine, Part 1

Greenbank, Freedom City...

Midnight's contacts told him that someone was using a warehouse as a makeshift drug lab and it looks like they were telling the truth. He mentioned the lab to the Legacy of Freedom and they agreed that it'd be worth hitting the place.

From the outside, the building looks just like plenty of the other run-down former industrial warehouses in the Greenbank area: windows covered or boarded up, brick and concrete walls covered with layers of gang tags and markings. Still, from Freedom Eagle's vantage, he can make out a few telltale signs: faint light leaked out around the window coverings and fresh marks show that the doors have been opened recently.

Scarab was using her telepathy to make sure everyone was connected. The team agreed to hit the place in all directions. "I'm at the southern door. Is everyone ready?" she asked.

Freedom Eagle replied "In position next to south-eastern window upstairs."

Lightbearer told her "I'm at the northern door."

"Midnight here, at northwest window."

"On my mark, we move at the same time. Now!"
Roll Initiative!

Freedom Eagle: 23
2 guards: 18
Midnight: 17
1 guard: 14
Lightbearer: 13
2 guards: 12,
Scarab: 8
3 guards: 7
Lab tech: 4.

The Legacy get a HP each for entering combat and another for using non-lethal force. They also get a HP each for their motivations (All of them agree that Freedom City needs a bit more cleaning up, and this would be a good start).

The guards are Thugs who are all minions with their "Choose One" skill put into Ranged Combat: Guns, making them PL 5. They all carry Submachine Guns with Laser Sights. The lab tech has the stats of a Scientist.

The thugs and lab tech are using lethal force, the Legacy aren't.

Freedom Eagle flew through the window, into the office, knocking out the lab tech who was running the place. The two guards at the door burst in and fire a burst at Freedom Eagle, but they simply couldn't breach his armour.

Midnight smashed his window and fired his Midnight Mist through it. One of the guards fell instantly, but another held his breath in time.

Lightbearer blasted at a pair of guards, who got out of the way. One of them returned fire to no avail.

Scarab burst in, sending a mental blast into one of the guards. The guard next to him shoots back at Scarab, who effortlessly deflects the bullets.
Freedom Eagle Charges through the window, getting 27, Crit scored (+5 DC)! The lab tech was Surprised, got 7 to resist and is Incapacitated. The guards get 26 and Natural 20, no crit! (Minions can't land crits on non-minions.) They couldn't breach the Eagle's armour.

Midnight fires his Mist through the window, hitting two guards. They get 12 and 20, meaning that one of them is Incapacitated.

Lightbearer blasted a guard as a routine check. The guard got a Natural 20 to resist. The two guards nearest Lightbearer return fire, getting 14 and 20, one of them hitting him but not breaching his Impervious.

Scarab fires off a Mental Blast, hitting one of the guards. The guard gets 9 on his Will check and is down for the count. The other guard returns fire, getting 19 and hitting Scarab. Scarab rolls 31 to resist.
The guard who thought he could hold his breath... couldn't do it long enough and fell.

Midnight then ran over and sprayed the guards attacking Lightbearer. Once they fell, Midnight and Lightbearer headed for Scarab.

Lightbearer flew over to Scarab's position and blasted another guard.

Scarab wracked the last guard with her mental blast just as their boss wakes up.
Freedom Eagle attacks a guard as a routine check, hitting him. the guard gets 16 to resist and is down. The other guard shoots and misses with 20.

The guard who survived being caught in the cloud had to do a second roll on his Fortitude check. He got 7 and is knocked out.

Midnight fired his Mist at the guys shooting Lightbearer. They got a Natural 1 and 14, and are down for the count.

Lightbearer blasted a guard as a routine check. The guard got 14 and is down.

One of the guards shot Scarab, getting 21 and hitting her. Scarab gets 24 and resists.

Scarab hits the last guard shooting at her with another Mental Blast. The guard gets 4 and is down.
Midnight said "Their boss is waking up. You want to search him, Scarab?"

"Of course. He'll tell us everything we want to know."

The lab tech says "What makes you think I'll talk?"

Scarab said "You don't need to," and got inside his head. She said "I've got everything! We need to move, right now!"
Scarab does a Mind Reading check and gets 24. The lab tech gets a Natural 1. Scarab gets four degrees of success!
Midnight said "I just need to keep this guy still first. Don't want him to tell anyone what happened here yet." Then he shot the technician with his Mist, saying "It'll take an hour before he wakes up, but he'll be otherwise unharmed. Let's go!"
Last edited by betterwatchit on Wed Aug 23, 2023 8:42 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Stories of the Betterverse

Post by betterwatchit »

Bad Medicine, Part 2

As the Legacy left the warehouse, Scarab said "Anyone else notice how they were loading their gear into that van? Someone else was already onto them!"

Lightbearer asked "Any idea who?"

"They didn't know who exactly. But their boss lives over in Parkside."

"Did you get his name?"

"Kyle Harrison. Do you know him?"

"I do. He said that he was bringing something new to the recreational drug market. That was what we just caught out. I've actually been to his Parkside penthouse yesterday for a... private meeting, I know where it is. And I remember seeing the two PINs he entered to reach the penthouse, one for the front door and the other for the elevator. So I just open the door, Midnight gasses the only guard there and we take the elevator straight to the top. Does that sound like a plan?"

Everyone nodded.
Lightbearer does a Streetwise check and gets 26. He knows about Kyle and knows something very useful that isn't common knowledge.

Parkside...

Once the Legacy arrived at the apartment block, they moved with all due haste. Lightbearer entered the first PIN at the door, opening it for Midnight who gassed the guard. When they entered the elevator, Lightbearer pressed the PH button. The lift spoke, saying "Please enter the four digit code on the keypad and press PH again to verify, otherwise please press the intercom button. Press Clear if you think you've made a mistake and Cancel if you want to go to another floor instead." Lightbearer entered the second PIN and pressed PH.

Once they arrived, Scarab said "Mr. Harrison, your attention please!"

Harrison turned round, going "Who the hell are you?!"

"We're the Legacy of Freedom. We're mutual friends of Mr. Jacobs."

"I know Jacobs! A friend of him is a friend of mine! Why are you here?"

"We believe that an attempt on your life is imminent. We need to get you out of here!"

"How did you find out that someone wants me dead? And how did you get in here, anyway?"

"The street has its ways and means, you know that. If we could find you and get in here, so can others. And they won't be so reasonable. After all, we actually want to get you out alive and unharmed! What if someone inspired by the Punisher found you first?! They'd shoot you as soon as they knew it was you!"

That was when the penthouse garden door broke down and four men in battlesuits forced their way inside. One of them said "Someone said you were dealing on the side, Kyle! You ain't gonna deal no more!"

Freedom Eagle went "It's the Power Corps! Get Kyle out of here and take them down!"

Everything got... messy at that point.
Power Corps stats are in Threat Report. Numbers 1, 5, 6 and 8 are present for this fight.

Roll Initative!
No. 6: 23
Midnight: 20
No. 1: 19
Freedom Eagle: 17
Lightbearer: 12
No. 8: 9
No. 5: 8
Scarab: 7

Everyone gets a HP for entering combat. The Legacy get a HP for using non-lethal force. Midnight and Scarab get a HP for their motivations (Midnight because he wants a drug-dealing scumbag to be known as a drug-dealing scumbag, and Scarab wants to see if his testimony can bring in bigger fish).

The Power Corps are using lethal force, the Legacy aren't.
The Power Corps opened fire with their gauntlets, while the Legacy charged them, with Midnight instead dragging Kyle into the bathroom. During the charge, Freedom Eagle smashed No. 6's visor.
No. 6 attacks Freedom Eagle with his Gauntlet Blasters, getting a Natural 20, crit scored! DC is raised by +5. Freedom Eagle gets 24 to resist, getting hit & Dazed.
Midnight drags Kyle to the bathroom.
No. 1 fires his Gauntlet Blasters at Lightbearer, getting 18. Lightbearer gets 28 and resists.

Freedom Eagle hits No. 6 with his Claws, getting a Natural 20, crit scored! DC is raised by +5. No. 6 gets 18 and spends a HP to reroll. He gets 26 and is hit. No. 6 loses his Enhanced Will.

Lightbearer blasts No. 8 with his Light Control, getting 14. He spends a HP, getting 27. No. 8 gets 19, spends a HP, gets 21 and is hit.

No. 8 fires his Gauntlet Blasters at Scarab, getting 23. Scarab gets 19, spends a HP, gets 27 and resists.

No. 5 fires his Gauntlet Blasters at Midnight, getting 21 and missing.

Scarab uses her Mental Blast on No. 6. No. 6 gets 9, spends a HP, gets 24 and resists.

Freedom Eagle: 1 Injury, Dazed.
No. 6: 1 Injury, 0 HP.
Lightbearer: 4 HP.
No. 8: 1 Injury, 1 HP.
Scarab: 5 HP.
It looked like the Legacy was going to lose...
No. 6 engages in close combat with Freedom Eagle, getting 25. Freedom Eagle gets 25 and resists.

No. 1 engages in close combat with Lightbearer and gets 20. Lightbearer gets 18, spending a HP, gets 24 and is hit.

Midnight holds.

Freedom Eagle goes into close combat with No. 6, gets 15, spends a HP, and get 22. No. 6 gets 17 and is hit.

Lightbearer blasts No. 8, getting 18, spending a HP and gettin 23. No. 8 rolls 13, spends a HP. getting 25 and resisting.

No. 8 goes into close combat with Lightbearer, getting 14 and missing.

No. 5 goes into close combat with Freedom Eagle, getting 13, spending a HP and getting 21. Freedom Eagle gets 20 and is hit.

Scarab fires her Mental Blast at No. 6. No. 6 gets 25 and resists.

Freedom Eagle: 2 Injuries.
No. 6: 2 Injuries.
Lightbearer: 2 Injuries, 3 HP.
No. 8: 0 HP.
...when Lightbearer managed to knock his target out with a point-blank blast!
No. 6 goes into close combat with Freedom Eagle, getting 22. Freedom Eagle gets 26 and resists.

No. 1 goes into close combat with Lightbearer and gets 14. He spends a HP and gets 22. Lightbearer gets 11, spends a HP, gets 24 and resists.

Freedom Eagle goes into close combat with No. 6 and gets 21. No. 6 gets 22 and is hit.

Lightbearer blasts No. 8 and gets 23. No. 8 gets a Natural 1 and is Incapacitated!

No. 5 goes into close combat with Freedom Eagle and gets 30. Freedom Eagle gets a Natural 20 and resists.

Scarab hits No. 6 with her Mental Blast. No. 6 gets 16 and is hit.

Midnight holds.

No. 8: Incapacitated!
No. 6: 3 Injuries.
Freedom Eagle then put everything into one blow and knocked his opponent out!
No. 6 punches Freedom Eagle, getting 23. Freedom Eagle gets 10, spends a HP, getting a Natural 20 and resisting.

No. 1 punches Lightbearer and gets 17, spends a HP and gets 22. Lightbearer gets 15, spends a HP, gets 25 and resists.

Freedom Eagle does an All-Out Power Attack on No. 6, getting 19. No. 6 gets 14, Incapacitated! Fight's Over!
No. 1 yelled "Five! Fall back! NOW! I've got Six, you get Eight!"

No. 5. went "Acknowledged!"


As the Power Corps fled, Kyle and Midnight came out of the bathroom. Lightbearer asked "Any idea what that was about, Kyle?"

Kyle told him "My boss at GrantCo hit upon something revolutionary... A drug that could temporarily activate your metagene! It was gonna be my shot at the big time! A drug that gave you powers, I wouldn't need to make it any more addictive or marketable! Meth, crack and smack would be buried! And I'd have no problem getting rid of my rivals. I'd just tell a customer to whack them if they wanted a free dose!"

Midnight said "Something as revolutionary as that, and you wanted to keep it to yourself?! I can't even begin to describe how wrong that is! The only way you'll survive your ex-boss's wrath now is to tell the police everything."

"Okay, I'll call them. You have a minute."

Scarab said "You heard him. Let's go!" She then drew a device from her outfit, pressed it, and the team disappeared in a flash.

Continued on Next Page.
Last edited by betterwatchit on Tue Jan 19, 2021 5:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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