X-Champions Issues
Issue #2 - You Bet Your Life
Picking up after a week of investigating and big money dealings, we find Laughton and Davis forming their Blue Moon franchise while Sihn sets up his lab in the basement.
Laughton and Davis visit Jonas Hell at home early on Monday the 6th, both to offer him a job with the firm and find their safe. While Laughton keeps Hell occupied, Davis snoops around the house. Hell indicates that it's been a tough weekend, beginning with a social call by Caruthers that resulted in a binge. After some hedging Hell accepts the offer to work, with the understanding he doesn't need to work 40 billable hours though considerable effort (from Hell's perspective) is required. Laughton agrees to let Hell have some time off to continue to work to "save the human race". After a time Hell hollers out for Marty Davis to quit looking for the safe, fully aware of what he's doing (though his early morning hangover kept him from realizing it for a bit). Upon farewell, Hell mentions that Davis should be more careful when he's following people and that some person by the name of Levi Goldman has taken Sol's route over. He also mentions that several new faces showed up at the church on Sunday, more than usual. An important detail emerges regarding a Tucci cousin who frequents a gas station, though Hell has scant details.
Later that morning, at the zoo, Aela hears a strange tale of unusual volumes of food disappearing out of the zoo's dumpster. In fact something is taking it while it's locked shut. Staffers suspect a strange new mutant animal of some sort, possibly something wandering over from the other side of Belle Island. Aela checks out the dumpster and upon closer inspection finds traces of an unusual slimy substance, particularly around the lip of the dumpster. After getting samples she mentions to the security staff to be more mindful.
At the end of her day, Aela visits her husband Eliott at his new lab, still in the process of being put together. Undeterred and excited about the new space, Dr. Sihn has rushed into work there and ends up staying late analyzing the sample. He determines it to be some sort of mutant that can shift shapes, has an extreme appetite, requires regular rest, and is likely sentient. The first few factors are determined by the rate of cell regeneration and activity while the last is more of a guess based on profiles of beings with similar complex cell structures. He finds significant genetic material directly correlating with both canine and humanoid structures.
That night, Sammy the Slime visits the zoo dumpster area, eager to continue to exploit his newest great find. He is discouraged to see a watchman frequently revisiting it, preventing his easy access. He shifts to a german shepard shape and befriends the watchman, who seems to take a great liking to him, considering him quite a smart dog as Sammy displays he understands the word "dumpster". The watchman takes Sammy along his route and notes that he understands commands such as "sit" and "stay". While he asks Sammy to stay, he goes into a building and calls animal control, who show up fairly quickly. Sammy is surprised to see the truck and quickly takes off, avoiding one tranquilizer shot as he runs, eventually ending up in the forest just outside the zoo.
There he overhears a conversation by two men. At first the two are startled by the sound of Sammy as a dog but Sammy shifts into a more innocuous squirrel. After a long pause and nervous looking around, the men resume their conversation. They discuss something about a lot of death in an upcoming church mass and seem rather pleased about the prospect. Then one of them, James, asks about Marty Davis of Laughton and Davis detective agency and what should be done about him following Sol. The other man, Levi, off-handedly replies, "Oh, him? Just kill him." Then they turn to chatting about friends and gossip. Before long they trudge out of the woods, splitting up.
Sammy follows Levi, shifting into a bird along the way, until he reaches Levi's house. He lands in the yard and escapes several dogs who rapidly come after him. He notes that Levi simply goes to bed, briefly waking a woman in his bedroom. Sammy enters the house, sliming his way through the door and, staying small, making his way up to the attic. As he resumes his normal gelatinous state and expands he sets off an alarm. He quickly hides, taking note of the electronic eyes in the room, eventually shifting into the shape of one of the many boxes in the attic. After a while several men burst into the room, one of them smashing a window, others coming in through the door, apparently hoping to surprise whatever might be there. After a search, including turnover several of the boxes and pushing Sammy aside, they go downstairs and it sounds like some or all of the "visitors" leave. Sammy eventually makes his way to the kitchen but finds too many electronic eyes and decides to go hungry for a while.
After a fitful rest Sammy follows Levi as he goes about his day, visiting a chain of laundromats. Sammy learns little although at one point he sees Levi visit and briefly sit outside the Laughton and Davis offices. Levi goes in, speaks with the receptionist, and leaves.
Earlier that same Tuesday, Laughton receives a visit from a strange man wearing a disguise. They speak briefly in the main conference room. The disguise doesn't entirely fool Laughton, who plays along with the man as he asks about Caruthers, indicates he spoke with Hell, and pretends he's with a "counsel" to the Assistant DA's office. None of the numbers on his phony business card can be verified. Laughton checks out the business card and after consulting with Sihn on it finds nothing to use, but files it for later reference.
Through that day Laughton and Davis are finding out more info on Levi, who turns out to be Sol's cousin. Davis also studies up on the Purple Hat Gang, finding out that Sol and thus Levi are related to that same murderous mob which has been defunct since the mid-30s.
Mid-afternoon Sammy turns up at the detective agency, asking to speak with Marty Davis. Velma, the bombshell receptionist, calls Davis, and, realizing she's forgotten to do so, asks Sammy's name. He gives it as Elvis. Before he can say more, she becomes quite excited and stops talking to Davis. She chit-chats about the name, asking about how he got it. When he indicates he doesn't know due to his mother's death, she starts to talk about how Elvis and his mother were close. She hears Davis trying to get her attention from the earpiece, so simply cries into the phone to "Hurry up and come out here now!" Davis rushes out just to find "Elvis", and agrees to speak with him in his office.
Shortly Sammy/Elvis gets to the point and bluntly indicates that he's overheard the conversation regarding Davis' imminent possible demise and a potential church massacre. Davis calls Laughton into his office. Meanwhile, downstairs, a mover has asked Sihn to come up and see if it would be okay for them to slightly cut down one of his desks so it will fit coming in the building. Annoyed Sihn follows, and walks by as he overhears the detectives and Sammy talking. It catches his ear and he sees Sammy, thinking something is odd about him. As they talk about the case Sihn briefly listens and then realizes that Sammy/Elvis exhibits unusual but quite subtle physical traits observed in case studies of some mutants who shape-shift (such as no preference for right or left in hand movements, certain lacks of creases in parts of the face). Not to be deterred or delayed, Sihn walks into the office and simply plucks a hair out of Sammy's head, saying "Sorry!" and moving on. Sammy is puzzled but accepts the apology and goes on. Sihn rushes downstairs and quickly compares the hair sample to the sample Aela contributed - a perfect match. Meanwhile Velma goes to get Elvis a peanut butter and marshmallow sandwich and is so shocked to hear that Elvis' full name is Elvis Presley she drops it. Elvis is untroubled and eats it anyway. Sihn returns and takes Laughton aside, overhearing them discussing about going to the forest near the zoo. Sihn tells Laughton that Sammy is a shape-shifter and may be dangerous. Laughton tips off Davis subtly and, as they all agree to go to the forest, Davis indicates that he'll get The Captain to join them.
On the way Sihn picks up his wife Aela and all proceed to the forest, quickly joined by The Captain. Sammy is puzzled about Davis' disappearance and doesn't recognize that The Captain, though similar, is the same person. He is told that Davis is being kept safe. Sammy is also a bit troubled by the fire extinguishers The Captain carries but shows where he was at the time of the conversation and discusses more details.
While in the woods Laughton, listening on a personal radio to the first election returns, hears a bulletin that the Devil's Night Gang has come up again, this time robbing an armored car. The gang, still led by Bogeyman, consisted of Slayer, whom apparently was broken out of jail a few hours earlier, Bud Girl, Mocker, and another villain who was tiny, could fly, and delivered stinging blows.
They all go on to Levi's place, but on the way Laughton contacts Tony, his hit-man acquaintance to see what he's heard. Tony has more to discuss with him and they meet at a precinct voting center. At first Tony talks in code, then they go to the side to discuss things in more depth. Tony has heard that the mob warehouse was a financial data center and someone is using that information. The mob's business is being squeezed from all sides, including several hits on them. Drug shipments are being curtailed, further hurting business. It is believed that at least some of it is the work of Wilson Fisk (AKA Kingpin) who controls the mob in both New York and Miami. It is thought he's moving in. Laughton tells Tony about Levi Goldman, Sol Bernstein, and the Purple Hat Gang connection. Tony is surprised. Laughton asks Tony to spread the word that he's picking up a contract on Levi's head.
When they get to Levi's, Sammy, trusting The Captain's judgement as he's heard of him before, agrees to "disguise" himself as Davis and wear a wire, as the heroes press him to just "try" and use the detectives' disguise kit. The fake Davis emerges and rings the bell on the wrought iron gate to Levi Goldman's estate. A henchman appears to answer it, not appearing to know who Davis is, but, when Sammy indicates he is Marty Davis, the henchman's eyes widen and he quickly goes back in to consult with Goldman. "Davis" is quickly let in. Meanwhile Laughton catches the gate door and entices the present barking guard dogs outside but doesn't quite so deftly make it in, two of the dogs snapping at him. The Captain swoops down and grabs the two dogs, tossing them into bushes just off the estate. The Troll (Sihn) slips in and slinks near a window. The Mermaid (Aela), nearby as a puddle of water, moves as water through the fence, suddenly being shocked by the mild current in the fence. She almost passes out but gets through; fortunately the electricity was not actually a level were intended to feel it, so it does not throw back the water elemental heroine. Laughton gets near the door with the Mermaid next to him. The Captain slithers down the fireplace. Sammy/Davis talks to Goldman, maneuvering him away from the door as his sharp hearing hears Laughton start to open it. Sammy also hears henchman in other rooms readying guns. Goldman and Sammy/Davis have an odd chat, Sammy starting by indicating he understands Levi dropped by his office earlier and wanted to see him. Levi denies it. Sammy mentions he knows Levi has several people in the house watching him. Levi does admit he has "friends" over but denies any sinister doings. Sammy goes on about how he must be a friendly guy and tries to strike up an oddly familiar rapport with him. Levi turns colder and indicates that he doesn't like being toyed with, doesn't like playing games, and launches into a spiel about the Russians' scorched earth policies. Then he indicates he realizes he still needs to vote and asks Sammy to leave. Sammy presses him to buddy up, saying he'll give him a ride to the polls. Levi pauses and says he'd rather get together with Davis at church on Sunday and would like to talk more then. Sammy feigns excitement and offers to come pick Goldman up! Finally Goldman rushes Davis out. The heroes scramble off the property except for The Captain, who remains to listen in. The henchmen and Goldman gather in the living room. One saw someone go off the property just before Davis left. Goldman indicates that now he "REALLY" wants Davis dead. He also indicates that while Sol will be at the church, he has to go do his duty at the gas station. They chat for a bit. Levi indicates he'd "like" the henchmen to stay at the house the next few days in such a way that it's an order. He was clearly spooked by the attic incident though willing on the surface to write it off as being an unusually intrusive raccoon or some such.
Between Tuesday and Sunday the Mermaid, Laughton, and Davis investigate the gas station. It appears to be a mob drop-off point for something. After Laughton attempts to act as a courier but without results, the Mermaid travels through the pipes as water to get into the back room and listen to the conversation when the real courier arrives. After the courier and recipient are distracted by water bubbling out of the sink, they return to their business. She learns that cash is being dropped off and that business is not doing well. The Saturday courier might not come, although the receiver of the cash indicates he has to, even if he has little money. They talk about how pressured the bosses are on that front.
Laughton follows the courier back to what looks to be a crack house or similar in a bad part of town. He notes the address for future reference.
Saturday Laughton and Sammy return, Sammy posing as Levi Goldman. The clerk in the gas station seems to not understand who they are or what they're doing. They insist on getting the drop-off and begin intimidating the clerk. The clerk becomes scared and gives them a satchel, asking them to just go and take the money and he'll not say anything. They indicate to the clerk that they want him to say that Levi Goldman took it. They get $7,000.
Shortly thereafter the real courier shows up, the heroes observe him talking to the clerk, who motions wildly and shows confusion. The courier goes back to his place without dropping off the goods. The gang follows and it turns out he lives in a nice townhouse.
The Captain later visits the townhouse, after the courier leaves. The courier turns out to be some sort of mob wannabe with Godfather films, Tarantino films, mob posters, and the like. The Captain finds some cocaine, not enough to indicate any dealing in it. He also finds the stachel with $3,000, which he takes, and a safe, which he leaves. He picks up the phone and calls Goldman's place, indicating he's keeping the money. The henchman who answers the phone is confused. When The Captain mentions the gas station the henchman yells into the phone to keep him on but The Captain hangs up, leaving them wondering.
The big Sunday comes. The Mermaid observes Joe Tucci, a lieutenant in the organization, visiting and the clerk telling Tucci about Saturday's problems and about Goldman. Tucci becomes excited and presses his finger into the clerk, telling him he better be honest and not just keeping the money, threatening his life if Goldman isn't real. Before long the clerk is proven quite correct as Levi Goldman and several gang members arrive and shoot it out with Tucci and his few aides. The aides and Tucci are quickly killed, with the coup de grace on Tucci delivered by the Slayer. The Slayer goes on to exact his gruesome knifing on the fallen Tucci mob aides. Levi Goldman and his agents all quickly then run off, taking the one dead Goldman sidekick with them.
Meanwhile at the cathedral Sammy poses as Goldman and enters with Davis. Sol Bernstein approaches him and whispers his anger at seeing him there but can't do anything about it. Then the mass opens with a "miracle". An altar boy saw a man walk up to the altar and turn into a statue supplicating itself to the Lord. The priest verified that the statue was not there a short time earlier, so praised the event to the crowd. Fifteen minutes into the service, at the exact same moment as the gas station massacre began, the Game Show Host, a villain who creates a game show atmosphere and imitates other hosts, enters with his gang, three models and an unseen announcer. Also, a dozen of what is now the new Purple Hat Gang rise and ready firing, several aiming at Tucci's family. The Game Show Host indicates it's time to play "You Bet Your Life" and morphs into Groucho Marx. Most of the heroes want to be part of the game and aren't willing to stop the Host. Eduardo Tucci is asked by the announcer to "come on down" and he does, walking down the aisle. Sammy, as Goldman, stands up and asks the men not to shoot, delaying their action. Sol counteracts the order, though. The Captain, unfazed by "the game" changes to his hero identity. Rodin (Laughton) drops his statue form and commences to turn Tucci into a statue as one of the Game Show Models freezes him place, a big "X" appearing on the floor under his feet. As the Troll leaps into battle to stop the gangsters, he feels one of the models attempt to drain his INT with inane blabber, but her attempt falls short. The Troll dazes two of the gangsters, knocking one against the other. The Game Show host morphs into a wrestling commentator and announces the game is a show-down involving who can get more points; the agents by shooting Tucci or Sammy by disarming the agents. Rodin completes transforming Tucci as the Announcer booms his voice, rattling Rodin. The Captain leaps into action, landing a mighty blow on the Game Show Host and sending him spinning into a pillar, knocking him cold, hurting him badly, and ending the game. As the host is knocked back he also hits one of the models. Rodin suffers more at the hands of the Announcer. Sammy disarms several of the gangsters quickly, sending their guns flying. The Troll knocks out the two fazed gangsters. Jonas Hell, after first missing, shoots Sol, hurting him badly. Rodin moves to candles at the altar and jams hot candle wax into his ears, protecting himself from the disembodied voice of the unseen Announcer. The Announcer moves on to harass The Captain, though to little effect. Several of the gangsters coordinate firing on Hell, who fortunately loses his balance just then and only sustains a glancing blow. Two of the Models entangle Troll, whom a couple gangsters fire on, blowing off the entangle and doing no real damage to him. Sammy moves to take out the Models, swinging one against the other, knocking one out. A couple of the gansters move to take Sol but The Captain grabs him out of their arms and whisks him away towards the celing. The Troll leaps onto one of the Models and knocks her down into the level below. Realizing she's close to death as her skull is cracked open and she's rapidly losing blood and potentially brains, he pauses to save her life. Then he jumps back into the fray just as he realizes this has taken place in front of the Sunday School below! Rodin, having moved back behind a column, fires out at the gangsters. Meanwhile Sammy mops up the last of the Models, though it takes a bit of time. The Troll attempts to knock out the two gangsters who had tried to get Sol but misses, effecting instead a Three Stooges-esque face slap, puzzling but not hurting the agents. As he does so he spots out of the corner of his eye the body of the Game Show Host levitating and moving rapidly out of the church. He points it out to his allies. The mobsters start to move towards the front entrance. In the process he pushes back another of the mob. The Troll takes up bowling, taking the statue of Tucci and rolling it down the aisle at some departing gansters. They mostly leap out of the way, except for one unfortunate soul, though he's only lightly hit. Rodin knocks him off with a gunshot at that time though. Sammy chases the levitated Game Show Host, morphing his legs into running machines and quickly catching up, seeing the host's body being stuffed into a car. Sammy grabs the car, noticing he bumps into some invisible person on the way. He grabs the car and swings it around, smacking that invisible person as he does so. Four cars quickly peel off, squealing tires as they do. The gangsters inside the church realize they're done for and start to surrender. One, however, shoots a nearby compatriot and then himself, surprising all.
We leave off as the Mermaid arrives and our heroes begin interrogating the villains...
[Game Mechanics - Points Awarded...
Winning against a roughly equal opponent for the piecing together of clues and pulling the team together - +5.625 RPs for all, +.375 XPs for all
Gas station observations leading to the money gained - half credit for those directly contributing - +2.625 RPs for the Mermaid and Sammy, +.0875 XPs for the Mermaid and Sammy
Money gained as part of gas station observation - +5.25 RPs for The Captain and Rodin, +.175 XPs for The Captain, and Rodin
Losing to a vastly superior opponent at the gas station massacre (witnessing the crime and living - good decision) - +11.25 RPs for the Mermaid, +.75 XPs for the Mermaid
Thoroughly defeating a marginally superior opponent for the church battle - +26.25 RPs for The Captain, Rodin, Sammy, and the Troll, +1.75 XPs for each of those
Act of great heroism/publicity (church battle) - +15 RPs for The Captain, Rodin, Sammy, and the Troll, (0 XPs)
Thoroughly defeating a superior opponent for overall revealing the Purple Gang's existence and plans, witnessing the Tucci murder at the station, saving the mob boss Tucci's life (how ironic!), and arresting Sol - +45 RPs for everyone, +3 XPs for everyone
Session play - +4.5 RPs each, +1.5 XPs each
Totals:
The Captain +101.625 RPs, +6.8 XPs
Mermaid +69 RPs, +5.7125 XPs
Sammy the Slime +99 RPs, +6.7125 XPs
Troll +96.375 RPs, +6.625 XPs
Rodin +101.625 RPs, +6.8 XPs
Totals to Date:
The Captain 117.75 RPs, 9.575 XPs
Mermaid 85.875 RPs, 8.0375 XPs
Sammy the Slime 99 RPs, 6.7125 XPs
Troll 113.25 RPs, 9.45 XPs
Rodin 117.75 RPs, 9.575 XPs