Day of the Octopus

[Kareeah_Indaga]

"You can't hide from me!" he gloats, and jets of flame burst forth from his hands directly toward Sleeper, guided by the same radar system he uses to see through his smoke.

“Reeeeeeeeeeee!”

Sleeper flung himself backwards only to slam into a girder, but there was no pain as the fire engulfed him. His ringing symbiote screech graduated from fright to anger as he realized he’d been tricked. And he should have known better!

“Let’s see if you still think so after I eat the eyes out of your skull!”

Sleeper dove through his vantage point intending to make good on the threat. But a bolt of lightning from Electro struck nearby and it occurred to Sleeper, belatedly, that just because Beck could see him it didn’t follow that the rest of this merry band of miscreants could, and he should keep his mouth shut while they were still in play and could use his voice to track him.

So the next few moments were a bit tense while Sleeper leapt from floor to wall to ceiling and Beck tried to tag him closely enough for Electro to get a good idea of where Sleeper actually was, mostly resulting in a great deal of structural damage to the building.

He and Kaine were somewhat outnumbered, and Sleeper wondered what was keeping Hercules. But he had an idea to even the odds…

The space was somewhat confined, but opened up in unexpected places, giving Sleeper room to maneuver. And Beck had so kindly introduced Sleeper to his hallucinogenic gas…still dodging stray lightning bolts Sleeper leapt, jumped and tumbled over to Shocker, currently targeting Kaine, and gave the quilted supervillain a face full of Beck’s favored chemical cocktail…and a little extra as well…

~They’ve turned on us! They must have sold us out after they were arrested!~

Then there was a massive crash and an equally massive cement pipe appeared. Sleeper reflexively jumped for the ceiling, out of the way.

It was…howling?

…that sounded like Hercules.

[Thane of Fife]

Something in the Shocker's hardened criminal mind seems to tip him off to Sleeper's tricks (or maybe Sleeper isn't able to get quite close enough to those very loud gauntlets), and he doesn't seem to be impacted - at least not yet - by Sleeper's gas.

Moments later, however, he and Mysterio are bowled over by Hercules in a long length of pipe. Shocker recovers faster than Mysterio does - protected by his padded suit, no doubt - and is in time to see Hercules's pipe ram into and shatter against the incredible strength of the Rhino.

"RRARRGGH!" bellows the big man. "You think you're strong?! You're no match for the Rhino!" He lowers his head and charges at Hercules. Even as he charges, his image seems to split into two. No, three! It must be Mysterio playing tricks on Hercules's eyes. But which one is the real Rhino?!

Above them, Electro seems to have decided that, even if he can't see Sleeper, if he electrifies enough of the steel structure, he's sure to hit the hero eventually. And below Sleeper, the Shocker seems to have hit on the similar idea that he can try to bring the whole structure down on his head.

As Sleeper and Hercules contend with these four, they are too preoccupied to notice the battle between Kaine and Doctor Octopus carrying those two away from the construction site.

Spoiler

Show

Spending a die from the doom pool to add a third die to Shocker's total to help him resist Sleeper.

Rhino is attacking Hercules with a 15/D12 (!).
Electro is attacking Sleeper with a 17/D8.
Shocker is targeting Sleeper with a 14/D8, but the D8 will go to the doom pool if he succeeds.

Electro is at D6 physical stress.
Mysterio is at D6 physical trauma and D8 physical stress (you can spend a plot point to step this up to D10 physical stress).
Shocker is at D8 physical stress.

Doom: 3D8, 1D10

[Plaids]

Hercules

Sensing the ground quake underneath the charging strides of the Rhino Hercules flexes and bursts from the pipe. Charging forward in kind he focuses on the Rhino and the phantasmal image dissolves into green mist upon contact. Continuing his charge Hercules settles into a low stance and grapples Rhino's hips, twists and presses straightens his bent knee. The two large combatants hit the ground unharmed leaving a cloud of dirt to commemorate the titanic struggle.

Spoiler: Tackle form

Show

Seeing steel structure quake and strain a modern-day calculus takes hold Hercules. Recognizing the most destructive element Hercules pounces towards Shocker.

[Kareeah_Indaga]

The metal girders sizzled around him, but Sleeper leapt and cartwheeled off broken bits of cement pipe and anything else he could reach that was non-conducive and so just managed to avoid serious electrocution. It was more effort than he liked; something needed to be done about Dillon. Gassing him with sedative hadn’t worked, but a heavy physical blow had worked last time, so…

There was a swing stage nearby, straining under rubble it wasn’t designed to hold that had fallen from above. It was near enough to Dillon to be useful; Sleeper leapt over and gave it a good kick in his direction, hoping to spray the villain with heavy debris.

Spoiler: OoC

Show

12/d10 with one Hitch for the Watcher.

Sleeper’s status:
Physical Stress: d6
Emotional Stress: d8
Plot Points: 1

[Thane of Fife]

Shocker is sent flying by a single punch from the mighty Hercules. He crashes through a series of girders before staggering back to his feet. It's a hard to believe he can still stand after a blow like that! (And perhaps best not to say anything to Hercules, but his aggressive fighting style may be causing as much damage to the site as Shocker was!)

Above them, Sleeper sends the swing stage towards Electro, but it is deflected by the electric field swirling around Dillon. Nonetheless, he seems to have spotted where it came from, and sends a lightning bolt hurtling in Sleeper's direction.

Hercules hears a loud creaking sound behind and turns to see Rhino, back on his feet, lifting a bulldozer over his head. "Think you're strong, Hercules? You're NOTHING next to the Rhino!" He hurls it at the demigod. Meanwhile, Shocker, seeing Hercules being attacked from the other direction, shows his true colors and fires one of his vibro-blasts at the former Avenger's back.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Shocker takes D12 physical stress, putting him now at D12. Another (physical) hit will knock him out. Electro dodges Sleeper's attack.

Electro is attacking Sleeper at 15/D8 to deal physical stress.
Rhino is attacking Hercules at 14/D8 to deal physical stress.
Shocker is attacking Hercules at 10/D8 to deal physical stress.
Mysterio is nowhere to be seen, but is probably up to something (makes a D10 Prepared Illusion asset for himself)

Note that in the rolls thread I gave each of you a plot point to advance the doom pool. It is now at 3D10. If anything advances it on your turn (for example, if you guys roll any 1's), then on my turn I will spend 1D12 to collapse the construction and end the fight. That seems fairly likely to happen, so just be aware that this could be your last turn.

Doom Pool: 3D10