Chicago:Sessions:20040313
March 13 - June 19, 2004
GM: Bobby J.
The focus has returned to the "Chicago" world, and we skimmed through events between October 2002 (the end of the previous scenario) and the present time. A mansion formerly belonging to Victor Samuelson has been converted into a school for young people who possess (or have a high potential to develop) meta-abilities. Reg Myers has been spearheading this project, which has involved a number of IS/ISF personnel as well as members of various superteams. Among the first enrollees were several of the children rescued during the Wildwood raid. Presently the school is set up for up to 100 kids ages 12-18, and already has more applicants than it can accept, but there are ongoing plans for expansion.
Dr Grigori Pyotorovich has set up a number of neighborhood clinics which he oversees, and Sly has established a number of Glass Houses, family shelters, and community centers.
Infinite Solutions Foundation headquarters has opened in Chicago. The original base has also been retained as a satellite office. Earl Grimes made sure to go around to the neighbors of the latter location to try to ease their concerns about attacks against ISF.
In late November 2003 the Lampton Hotel in Boston hosted a black-tie gala on the eve of its grand opening. Among the attendees was Megan Starling, daughter of Sabrina and Jonathan Starling. She and Travis Burton wound up talking computers for a large part of the evening.
"Joe Lampton" appointed the new Board of Directors for Trifocus, consisting of himself as Chair, Sabrina Starling, Chip (of Justice Patrol, a Chicago metateam), Xandu (a mage who is the ladyfriend of Shabaz, another member of Justice Patrol), Archwidow (of the Atlanta-based metateam Y-Force), and Starburst (a mage who is a member of the New Orleans-based metateam Bayou Brigade). The new CEO is a man named Zeb Jelks, who establishes the new Trifocus HQ in Atlanta.
For some reason Enigma has decided that twice a day (8:00am and 8:00pm) he will allow IS personnel to transfer between the "Hawaii" world and the "Supers"/"Alternate Chicago" world. Enigma has also allowed certain additional IS personnel access to "Alternate Chicago". Several of those people immediately invited other people to visit, too. Reg Myers had already asked Jessica Spring and Strawberry Gdowski to help with the school and the design of the Danger Room (respectively). Jessica, who brings her precocious twins Jazzie and Jeff with her, soon acquires the affectionate nickname "Mega Mom".
Over the span of time between mid-October 2002 and mid-January 2003, the remnants of the Dragon Cult, with which John Whitetop had broken bread (or, rather, turnip), were rounded up and rendered harmless.
Rii tells Jarret should move the Wizard's Inn to this nice normal-mana world, but Enigma wants him to maintain the present location. (Rii wonders if that's why some of IS's more powerful mages are no longer around...)
Travis Burton personally inspects each of Trifocus' research centers. He learns that three of them have "pulled up stakes" -- one each of Body, Mind, and Spirit.
Earl Grimes and Evonne Nelms spend some time looking for Mark Yang, but they find no trace of him. However, they find hints that Yang has "collected" several of the missing kids from Wildwood as well as some alumni of that currently defunct institution. On June 14, 2003, Earl contacts Jason Rathbone and has him put a one million dollar bounty on Yang, and the following day Earl asks Reg whether the Mob might be enlisted to help search for Yang.
Another ongoing project for ISF is establishing contacts and good relations with other metateams across the United States and around the world.
August 18, 2003: The newly-built ISF HQ opens in Chicago. Aboveground it looks to be a two-story mansion, and there are several subterranean levels.
Sometime in August(?) 2003, Kevin McGuire and Steve Williams go to Scotland to meet this world's Kev McGuire. They discover that the latter is a member of the metateam First Force.
The new school opens September 8, 2003 with an initial enrollment of 53 students. Three of them have been classified (by other psychologists, presumably) as sociopathic; Jessica is determined to help these kids as much as she possibly can, but she will not allow them to disrupt the school. The first semester passes relatively smoothly, and an additional dozen kids apply for the second semester.
March 7, 2004: Construction on the Moana Loa Hotel is completed in Hawaii and will be open for business in a few weeks.
Megan Starling moves to Chicago the weekend of March 5, so as to be there in time for St Patrick's Day. She buys a townhouse in Evanston IL. She gives Carl Corey a call and he comes and helps her move in.
Earl Grimes discovers that Mark Fisk, the "moon mage" from Wildwood, has arrived in Chicago. He flew in from Houston using the alias "Mike Franks" and landed at O'Hare. (There are no established metateams in Houston, nor is there a Trifocus office.) Earl calls Travis, who is at Megan Starling's place helping her move furniture. Travis starts trying to determine how Fisk left the airport and where he was headed. Up pops a transportation agency with a suggestive name - Quarter Moon Limo Service - and a highly-secured website (piece of cake for Travis). Meanwhile in Boston, Reg Myers (as Joe Lampton) notices a couple of men in his casino, Barry Alcott and Joe Pace, acting strangely, like they're trying to watch *him*. They had been recommended by Brett Scano, a capo in the Boston mob.
John Whitetop is patrolling the streets of Chicago and observes two people staking out an ISF clinic. He phones Carla, who tells him that Dr Pyotorovich is presently at that very clinic.
Travis discovers that Mark Fisk's parents both died in a traffic accident in Tampa eight months ago. Fisk's father had worked for Trifocus.
Earl teleports to the top of the car staking out the clinic, then casts Darkness. As Darkness descends, Whitetop walks up and taps on the window, and while Earl creates a Fireball, Whitetop asks the two men if they're stuck in the snow. The men start acting panicky, but claim they're waiting for a friend. Earl recognizes these guys from the Andrelli mob. In the course of questioning, the men admit they report to someone named Carl Douglas, who told them "follow the dame and her daughter [Kathy Paul and her daughter Eileen] and report anyone they come in contact with." When asked Douglas' current whereabouts, one man guesses he's at Donna's Brothel. Earl and Whitetop climb in back of the car and order the men to drive to Donna's.
Reg strikes up a conversation with the craps player, Barry Alcott. He's not sure why, but he gets the impression the guy is younger than he's trying to act. Reg asks, "Did Scano send you to see me?" and Alcott starts stammering. He claims he never saw Joe Pace before. Reg waves at Pace and walks over beside him at the roulette wheel. Alcott hurries into the men's room. Moments later Reg gets a call: "We've lost video surveillance in the men's room."
Travis and Megan turn up more info on Mark Fisk. He had arrived in Houston from Miami and had used a credit card with yet another M. F. alias. He had stayed in Miami at a home owned by Olivia Queen, which also happens to be the name of one of the missing Wildwood children.
Reg calls security into the men's room. Something had shorted out the video camera. None of the "sniffers" had reported any meta activity. A man is found unconscious in a stall, a sap mark on the back of his head. Oddly, he has no pockets in his clothing. When revived, he says that someone paid him $1000 to tell him whether Joe Lampton was there. Reg hypnotizes him and learns his real name is Ben Elts, and that a guy had stopped him on the street, asked him if he wanted to make some money, then changed his appearance. Reg recalls a Wildwood graduate named Elliot Ussel, a shapeshifter (who can apparently use his power on others). He was one of a group of four recent Wildwood grads who had moved to New York to work for Trifocus. One of those people has since gone missing. Reg concludes, "Yang is killing people who work for me. Time to call Troublemagnet."
The car pulls up in front of the brothel. Earl dazes the driver (he'd dazed the other guy earlier). Earl casts Darkness and Shape Darkness for special effects. A girl named Dorinda tells Earl and Whitetop that Carl Douglas is in a back room with Donna going over the books, and leads them to the closed door. Douglas recognizes Darkness and Thunderbird. "We were following somebody who went into one of your clinics. Her husband is very important to the family... We don't want any trouble with Team Infinity." (Earl: "Too late.") Douglas doesn't know where the husband, Adrian Paul, is. Earl emphasizes that "we feel obligated to BEAT to a PULP anyone who messes with those under our protection." Earl asks if Ironmonger works for them; Douglas goes pale and says, "No, he's a psycho dude."
Reg phones Travis. "We have a problem. Someone's killing our employees." Travis says it appears that Yang is making a move against Trifocus and/or Earl.
Reg calls Jessica and warns her about Mark Fisk. Jessica locks down the school and sends Jeen out to round up three kids who are off the grounds. She puts out an APB to all within headset range, briefs the school's faculty, and questions ex-Wildwood students.
Reg then phones Chip of the Justice Patrol and says "our school may be having an interesting visitor" related to the Wildwood episode. She will pass the word to Gold.
Earl has teleported back to HQ and finds that Dr Pyotorovich has brought Kathy and Eileen Paul there. He had treated Eileen, an eight-year-old girl, for a sprained knee; Kathy says there was "trouble at the playground this morning, and Eileen fell." As Earl questions her, Kathy repeatedly insists that her husband isn't just Mister Paul, he's Doctor Paul. He is an expert in occult sciences, while she has a Masters degree in comparative religion. While talking with Kathy, Earl's Danger Sense spikes twice, and Carla privately informs him of two large influxes of energy. Earl surreptitiously casts Aura, which reveals that Kathy is linked to Hell, and that Eileen has the potential for psi, mage, or meta abilities. Earl assures Kathy they can go home safely.
As of 5:00pm, Saturday, March 13, 2004:
Travis is preparing to leave Megan's place Brodie is starting a drill of his martial arts students Jeen is still out looking for the three students who are off-campus, and hasn't been heard from Three students from the school are scheduled to go with Shabaz to his "secret high-mana place" Jessica continues talking with various students to find out if any of them have been in touch with Mark Yang, Mark Fisk, or any of the missing Wildwood students [March 27, 2004]
We picked up again at 5:00pm Saturday, March 13. Earl Grimes is at ISF HQ with Kathy and Eileen Paul. He casts Foolishness on each of them. He asks Kathy about her studies in comparative religion. He gathers that her "hell" houses mid-level demons, and in fact it is the same hell that Team Infinity helped Y-Force combat down in Atlanta. Earl has Carla call a cab for them and have it followed, so Carla notifies Thunderbird. As Travis is leaving Megan's townhouse, he invites her to go with him -- just as she was about to ask if she could. With Megan driving, they make a circuit of high-class Chicago hotels, with Travis using his Seekersense to try to locate Yang.
Reg and Earl converse by phone. Reg thinks he'd have to talk to Kathy to find out whether hypnosis would trigger her gateway.
As Reg is hanging up with Earl, he gets a call from Sly in Pittsburgh. He tells her about the shapeshifter, and informs her that "moon mage" has been seen in Chicago. She charters a jet to Chicago.
Earl is suspicious of the cab driver who comes and gets Kathy and Eileen. He casts Aura and discovers the cabbie is a hit man. Earl pulls on his Darkness mask and cape and teleports into the cab beside the driver. The cabbie slams on the brakes, and about that time he also sees Thunderbird coming toward him, so he carefully puts the car in park and spreads his empty hands on the dashboard. Reg also comes running up.
The cabbie says his name is Bob Orson and that a sub-capo named Danal Gambini sent him. He was to deliver Kathy and Eileen to a safe house on the lower east side. If Team Infinity caught him, he wasn't expected to hold out. His failure to pass a certain checkpoint meant that the safe house was already being evacuated. He claims it was a "calculated risk", that he supposedly had about a 25% chance of succeeding. Reg remarks, "Somebody needs to teach this boy some math." Earl starts disarming Bob, while Thunderbird escorts Kathy and Eileen back into HQ. Reg contacts the Gambinis and tell them "pick up your package".
Jeen calls Jessica -- she has located the three junior-level students who had been out shopping when the school lockdown went into effect. Jessica tells Jeen to stay put; Whitetop heads out in an armored van to pick them up at Chicago East Mall.
Reg escorts Bob to a holding cell. "I don't have to take your belt and shoelaces, I hope."
Earl phones Chip (since he hasn't done so in a few hours). She remarks, "Shabaz went into his meditation room for two hours -- when he came out he said 'Buckle up, it's about to be a rough ride.'" Earl tells her that Yang is coming to get his revenge on Earl. Earl tells her about the Pauls and the mob involvement (Andrelli and Gambini families). Chip says she'll notify Gold to put the Justice Patrol on standby. Gold and Silver, in their secret identities, are supposed to go to a university function tonight -- the same one Adrian Paul is attending. Earl asks Chip to obtain tickets for "Carl Corey" and Megan Starling. Chip asks, "Is that one of the Starlings of San Francisco?"
At 6:30 Whitetop reaches the mall and picks up Jeen and the three teenage girls. Reg has a phone conversation with Danal Gambini about his "package". Reg says that Kathy Paul is a "gateway to Hell" but Gambini says that's not why he came after her. Reg suggests Gambini contact a certain mob boss in Boston to verify that Reg Myers is on the up and up.
Megan learns she's going to a formal dinner with Travis -- and she only has TWO HOURS to get ready! Travis uses his TK power to fly her back to her townhouse. He helps her find the box that contains her formal clothes, then goes to retrieve her car and hire a limo for the evening.
Whitetop's voice comes over the headset: "Big Bird to Mega Mama. The chicks are coming home to the nest. Turn off the fryer."
Darkness goes down to the holding cells on sublevel 4 to rattle Bob. "I have a power called Entomb... Whenever you see darkness, just pause... I'm going to give you a name; watch out for Mister Wicket... he's one of the people we can't control."
Karla Brent, one of the girls who just came back from shopping, knew Mark Fisk (moon mage) from their days at Wildwood. "He was really gung-ho for TriFocus." A girl named Ellen Quinton had the hots for him, as did another girl named Olivia Queen. Reg, as "Joseph Lampton", phones Spellman College in Atlanta and verifies that Ellen is there.
Reg gets in touch with Frank Andrelli, who doesn't know why someone in his organization wanted Kathy Paul, but that "someone called in a favor"; Gambini thugs had tried to kidnap Kathy and Eileen from a playground, and Andrelli men had stopped them. Andrelli says his cousin is attending the party for presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at the university tonight.
As Earl is telling Carla Elliott (our ISF office admin) to be alert, Reg comes up and asks Carla to find a Game Boy to distract Eileen. He then tells Earl that Kathy Paul had lied about the playground incident. It was not a simple childhood scrape, but an attempted abduction.
Reg then talks to Kathy. She admits that someone tried to bum-rush them into a car, and claims her judo training got them out of it. She didn't want to tell anyone because she thought it had something to do with her brother's gambling debts. Reg suggests that perhaps they wanted to kidnap Eileen due to her meta potentials. Kathy denies having meta potential of her own, and says that her husband Adrian has been tested previously and shows no signs of having them either. Since last September he has been studying a new branch of the occult. Adrian, a hypnotist, has told Kathy that she's a poor subject for hypnosis. Reg gives it a go and puts her into a light trance. He feels her resistance is natural and innate to her, not a block that someone else has put there. He asks about the gateway and the Hell it's connected to, and she answers in great technical detail. When Reg asks how she was connected to this gateway, Kathy pops out of her trance. She says that Adrian taught a Masters-level course in demonology last semester. Reg wants Kathy and Eileen to stay at ISF HQ overnight.
Around 8:00pm: Travis goes back to his place and gets dressed for the dinner. Reg calls Frank Andrelli, gives him the name of Kathy Paul's brother, and asks "who is he to you?" Andrelli says he had owed the guy a favor for something he (the brother) had done "inadvertently". He comments that the brother is a very poor gambler. Ox, a meta who works for the mob, is supposed to keep Kathy and Eileen "alive and free". Reg offers to trade Bob for Ox; Andrelli says he'll have to discuss that with his cousin.
Reg calls Jessica. "How about if I bring you a gate to Hell?" He suggests finding a 'big sister' type for Eileen, and see about fixing the gateway.
Reg phones Travis and asks him to get hold of Dr Paul and let him know his wife and daughter are safe. "You're going with a Starling girl -- try not to get her in trouble. I don't want to have to explain it to her mother."
Reg, Earl, Kathy, and Eileen teleport to the school. Thaemon recognizes that the Gate in Kathy is not natural. He explains it's part of a chain of gates that lead to a major hell, and that Kathy would surely be consumed if the gate ever opened.
Reg gives a briefing to the three students (Carl Helm, Samantha Etch, and Bess Joseph) who have the privilege of visiting Shabaz' secret high-mana area tonight. He explains that Shabaz is arrogant, abrasive, and has earned their respect. If Shabaz gets upset and stops the outing, the three teens are going to have to explain this to their classmates.
Shabaz teleports in and is introduced to Thaemon and the three students. Then they (as well as Reg and Earl) teleport to a rock cavern lit with magical lights. There is an alchemy lab, pentagrams inlaid into the floor, a tunnel leading off somewhere, a hidden tunnel, some powerstone charging racks, a two-hex very high mana area, and a one-hex no mana area (drained by Shabaz).
Whitetop goes as backup to the Justice Patrol to a brawl that may involve metas. Sly arrives in Chicago.
At 8:55 Megan presents herself to Travis; he is impressed. At 9:15 they arrive by limo at the gala. Among the attendees they spot:
Charles Thornton, a millionaire, whose uncle was formerly on the board of the Starling Foundation. He has a reputation as a "straight arrow". Dr Adrian Paul, who is in the group with Mr Thornton. Sergio Andrelli, mob boss. Mid-50s, black hair, almost 6' tall, solidly built. Annette Piney, Sergio's girlfriend. Late 30s, blonde, 5'6", slender, slightly apprehensive. Sandra Andrelli, Sergio's daughter. 20s, long dark hair. Sandra approaches Travis and Megan, but her focus seems to be on Megan. The vibes from her are of excited anticipation, like she expects something to happen to Megan. She seems to see Megan as a rival. Her "date" is actually her bodyguard. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Megan has met him personally at a previous time. One of the Secret Service guys is a dampener. Out of the corner of her eye, Megan spots a shape moving around people's feet, but she can't focus on it. Travis thinks it has magical Avoidance on it. Eventually they figure out it's a cat. Travis and Megan enter gestalt.
Travis attempts Telereceive on the cat, and it starts running away. Just at that point, Dr Paul twitches as if in quickly-controlled reaction to pain, like something jerked him. Travis picks up some thoughts -- "must get away, man and woman are the danger" -- an image of a penthouse, an image of the cat's true master -- a high lord demon/god. Travis gets off a Mental Blow just at the cat moves out of range. The emotional reading from Adrian Paul is: "Why did it punish me?"
Whitetop and Sly arrive at a "bar fight" that has moved outdoors. Two big bruisers are faced off, about to pound each other. Sly saunters between them. "If you want to fight, go to the community center and put on boxing gloves. If you want to fight dirty, take it to vaudeville or the circus. You might not know who I am, but you know Chip and Thunderbird... and *they* respect *me*." No doubt the sound of Thunderbird's laser rifle powering up added emphasis to Sly's words. After those bruisers decide to buy each other a drink, there's plenty of other gang activity around the city, including some near ISF's secondary HQ. Sly becomes Smoke and she and Thunderbird make the rounds. The Irregulars are out on patrol, too.
The students visiting Shabaz' cave behave themselves well, and around 11:00pm Shabaz teleports everyone back to the school.
Just as Reg gets back, he has a call from Danal Gambini. They'll meet tomorrow morning at 8:30am, at an IHOP in the south part of Chicago, just the two of them.
[April 10, 2004]
Travis and Megan finish their dinner and wait through the speeches. Sandra Andrelli glares in their direction. Dr Adrian Paul was badly rattled by the cat episode, but is gradually recovering. There's a buzz among the Secret Service agents, and their dampener disappears for three or four minutes. RFK Jr speaks briefly; his words are favorably received. Travis wants to collect Dr Paul, but first he goes and has a chat with Sergio Andrelli. Sergio and his ladyfriend Annette Piney are talking with a Chicago alderman. Travis takes out an ISF business card and negotiates for a meeting with Sergio; Sergio says he can work a meeting into his schedule Monday. Travis presses to meet sooner, but Sergio will only promise "as early as possible" Monday.
Meanwhile, Megan has engaged Dr Paul in a conversation about comparative religions. Seeing this, Sandra makes a beeline toward them, dragging her "date" (actually her bodyguard, Don Thompson) with her. Megan actually draws Sandra into the conversation. It turns out that Sandra took a course from Dr Paul last year.
Travis makes his cell phone ring as he approaches Megan's group, then announces to Dr Paul that there's been trouble with his wife and that she's at "our offices". Sandra asks with apparent sincerity whether the daughter, Eileen, is all right. Megan purrs, "I thought your interest in Dr Paul was strictly academic." Travis walks off with Dr Paul toward the parking garage; Megan pretends to go in a different direction, but secretly joins them.
The group that toured Shabaz' lair finds the ISF HQ teleport platform is locked. Shabaz has Chip call Jessica, who unlocks the platform. Shabaz stays only briefly before departing, but he does praise the students' behavior and is favorable to the idea of another such trip in the near future.
Jessica calls a meeting of all IS personnel, in person or by headset. She conveys what she has learned from Kathy Paul through hypnotism and telepathy. Kathy's memories had been blocked, but she now remembers a trip to the zoo (on Sunday, February 29), being met by five people, Eileen going off with a man and a woman while Kathy and Adrian got into a limo and drove to the University of Chicago. There in a research room containing a pentagram, a complex ritual is performed in an arcane, demonic language. The five points of the pentagram are occupied by Kathy, Adrian, a very strong feline presence, another presence which seems to be partly in another dimension, and a woman. Afterward, Kathy lost consciousness for a time; the next thing she knew, she was in the limo headed back to the zoo, where she and Adrian were reunited with Eileen, then went on home. Kathy now remembers that she herself spoke the arcane words that linked the gate to her, under the direction of the dominant feline presence. Kathy sincerely believes that Adrian was forced into doing this to her. Jessica concludes that Kathy was intended to be a time bomb, but the spellcasters had not counted on Kathy's strong will.
Jessica sends an image of the five people to Earl's mind, and Earl conjures an illusion to show them to the others. Reg recognizes an Andrelli man and his wife.
Megan points out to Travis that there are three cars following them -- and one of them is Sandra Andrelli in her Ferrari.
Reg locates Terry Roark, the school's best hacker, and has him call up Dr Paul's class rosters for last semester. Two names jump out -- Annette Piney, and Sandra Andrelli.
Thaemon offers to cast Scryguard on Eileen, who the bad guys might attempt to use as leverage on her parents. Jessica awakens Kathy and explains that they want to keep Eileen at the school for her protection. Thaemon wants to Scryguard Kathy but realizes that the spell's power will be siphoned off, so he casts it on her wedding ring. Thaemon then opens a gate from the school to ISF HQ.
[Almost simultaneously, Jessica and Brodie remember back to an Infinite Solutions mission from 1993... Chicago, Andrelli's artifact, Jessica as a hostage, Brodie beaten up by a woman with a phone, a witch with a cat familiar, a witch named Annette Piney.]
Travis and Dr Paul are waiting in a conference room; Carla has brought them coffee. As Kathy enters, Adrian moves to embrace her. Thaemon and Earl check Adrian's aura, which shows an overshadowing, a growing spot of dissonance and corruption; he is not evil per se but has been around it. There is a Communication and a Mind control spell on him. Travis tells the others about the "demon cat familiar."
Carla, puzzled and somewhat sheepish, reports to Reg that there was an unidentified "secondary bio sign" detected when Travis entered HQ. Megan asks Travis to convey her apologies. Reg makes a recording of Megan's sensor readings.
Megan suggests that she go check Dr Paul's computer, to find out what was so fascinating that he spent hours upon end there. Travis excuses himself from the group and lets Megan use an autotailor to change from her dressy gown into something more suitable for breaking and entering. Travis, meanwhile, dons his Business Suit. With Megan accompanying him, he goes up to the roof, turns invisible, and flies away.
Out on the streets, Whitetop invites Stalker (of the Irregulars) to meet the gangs. Stalker's hesitant at first, thinking "familiarity breeds contempt", but goes along. Chip also bounces in.
Reg phones his buddy Frank Andrelli. "Take your people away from my building," including "little Sandy." Frank says he'll be glad to, and that Sandra doesn't have authority. Reg asks Fred Thomas, "Did the boss' daughter ask you to watch us?" "No, but she followed along. I told her she was conspicuous." Reg: "Frank, you're off the hook." Frank: "I'd rather not mess with a meta team." Reg tells him about the meeting he's having tomorrow regarding metateam relationships with the Mafia.
Travis lets Megan off onto the roof of the Pauls' house. She disables the alarm system, looks around a bit, and lets Travis in the back door. In Adrian's study Travis disables the DSL line, setting up his laptop to make the computer think it's hooked up. There is quite a bit about Gate rituals, demon summoning, avatars, and familiars. There are email headers from Annette dating back to last September, but the text has been deleted. Travis makes note of four names as possible gate points:
- Rodney Isbel - Masters level, graduate assistant to Dr Paul
- Calissa Hook - Underclassman majoring in the occult
- Patricia Nunez - Currently in one of Adrian's undergraduate classes
- Elbert Utley - Traces of a private file that was erased sometime in January
Megan says she doubts Dr Paul's innocence. "He may be over his head now, but he drew these things to him purposely."
Thaemon sees that Adrian's Communication spell has activated. There is a feline "taste" to it.
Earl to Dr Paul: "We deal in the weird. What do you mean by weird?" Adrian claims he doesn't study cats, and Earl calls him on the contradiction; Thaemon sees the Mind Control spell flare. Thaemon removes a Hide Thoughts spell from Adrian, and begins a ceremony to remove the Mind Control spell. Earl joins in. After the spell dissipates, Earl asks him once again about cats. Adrian says, "Cats? Oh..." and faints. Uttering the word "cats" triggered a post-hypnotic suggestion. Earl goes to fetch Jessica.
Reg phones Joel Valdez, the metahuman affairs reporter for the Chicago Sun-Times, and gives him the name Annette Piney. Valdez replies that she has no documented meta abilities, and has been Sergio Andrelli's girlfriend for the past ten years. Sergio's wife died under mysterious circumstances. Valdez mentions that The Exchange has been very active recently, and Reg says that some former members of Trifocus security are trying to exact revenge. Valdez will dig deeper into Annette's background.
Whitetop, Sly, Chip, and Stalker start breaking up the "party" in the streets.
Jessica begins working on Adrian's mind, quickly detecting that magic and hypnotism have been mucking with it.
Earl says, "We need to stop swatting flies" and talk to Sergio. Sergio's most likely successors are Antonio, Guido, Frank, Tito ("Oh, no, not Tito!"), and his only son, Tim.
Travis and Megan leave the Pauls' house. As he deposits her at her townhouse, he says, "This is the most interesting first date I ever had." She rejoins, "Well, Travis, you sure know how to show a girl a good time."
Reg knows of three pentagrams at the University of Chicago.
Jessica continues working on Adrian, and by 4:00am she has done all she can. (Earl helps her with Lend Strength.) Adrian has been taking orders from Annette, who hired a psychiatric expert. His memories of the magical ritual have been erased magically. Annette flirted with him, planted suggestions; one day she brought a cat to school with her, after which she gained more influence over Adrian. He succumbed due to a spell from the cat, and he did have sex with Annette.
Thaemon takes over to clear up the mind magic while Earl and Jessica go to their respective rooms. He detects a spell that would fry Adrian's mind if it were triggered, a permanent forgetfulness spell, and various delays. He figures that "only an elf or a demon" would be so devious in their spells. Thaemon fails his first attempt at dispel but quickly dampens the effect (fireball) after minor damage. He dispels the second delay, then goes to work on the permanent forgetfulness.
At 6:30am Reg awakes from his power nap and begins putting on a disguise: work shirt with "Joe" on a sewn-on nametag, Peterbilt cap, jeans. He goes and gets Bob Orson out of the detention cell. "C'mon, son, we're goin' back to your boss." He informs Bob that they're going to IHOP, and Bob is not to speak a word to Danal Gambini.
At 7:00am Reg has Bob drop him off in front of the IHOP. When he walks in, he sees Danal Gambini in the smoking section. Around 7:30 some construction workers come in -- Andrelli men, who sit where they can see most of the restaurant. Starting at 7:45 there are several drive-bys, probably Gambinis. Reg goes into the bathroom, exits, then goes into the kitchen. He gives the busboy two $20 bills; "When I drop my fork, drop this other $20 between those two guys." Around 8:00 a couple of prostitutes enter and take a table in the back.
Promptly at 8:30 a car pulls up and Danal Gambini steps out. He enters, sees Bob, slips into the booth, says something; Bob doesn't answer. Reg drops his fork, and at the clanging sound one mobster and two of the streetwalkers go for their guns. The busboy, as instructed, drops the $20. Reg walks over saying, "Hey, there's some money down there." As a goon reaches for it, Reg kicks his chair out from under him; the guy falls badly and knocks himself out. The other guy goes to help his buddy and Reg tells him, "Keep your gun to yourself and you'll live." Going up to the pro who had reached for her gun, he says, "This is a private party," brandishing a shuriken for emphasis. Reg straddles a chair and sits down at Danal's table.
Danal: "How the heck would Andrellis get wind of this?" Reg: "Oh, I probably told them."
Reg wants to know why the Gambinis want Kathy Paul. Is it because she's a gateway to Hell?
The streetwalker rises and says, "Gambini, you don't want to talk to him either. Kiss of death." Neither Danal nor Reg recognize her. She raises her hand and it starts to vibrate. Reg throws a shuriken and hits her in the hand. She casually yanks it out and tosses it aside; the wound closes and the poison has no effect. Danal says, "Oops... Bad Vibes." Bad Vibes is a meta who throws vibration blasts, regenerates, is immune to poison, and has done many assassinations on mob men.
Bad Vibes and Reg approach each other. She says, "You don't talk about family, even when you've had a falling out." After a closer look, Reg realizes this is Sandra Andrelli in disguise. He invites her outside. She raises her voice and says, "Hey, Gambini, take your man and leave." They do.
Reg calls Sandra by her real name, then removes his own disguise. "You don't want to kill me, because then you'd have Team Infinity, the Infinite Solutions Foundation, the Starling family, Y-Force, and the Bayou Brigade after you -- just to name a few."
Reg: "Your father's girlfriend is causing trouble. Does he really believe this occult stuff, or has he been pushed that way?"
Sandra: "Give me the information on what she's trying to do."
Reg: "You'll have to come up with a new persona -- I don't work with Bad Vibes."
Sandra: "I'll think about it."
Reg gives her his card.
Sandra: "The Gambinis were trying to get the wife and daughter as leverage against the father. ... That Starling... thing irritated me. And she and that Corey scared the cat. Never seen Pucci run like that." Annette has been quite unhappy recently. "Father was planning something to give us.... I'll get back with you."
She waves off her people. "They think Tito hired Bad Vibes to run this operation."
Reg: "Demons are smart enough to go after the most powerful people first."
Sandra: "I'll talk to my dad."
Reg: "Won't do any good -- you haven't got what she's got."
Sandra: "You want a finger on Annette so you can take her out."
She starts up her vibrations and matter-surfs away at about 60mph.
[April 24, 2004]
Sunday, March 14, 9:00am. Jessica checks with the school and all is quiet. Blue Star (Darr) calls. He wants Thunderbird, Neko, and a mage to come to Europe and help him investigate a "dimensional incursion possibility". Jeen and Helios (Valmont) answer the call.
Jessica goes over to the school at 9:30 and sits down to breakfast in the main cafeteria with her kids. A twelve-year-old boy, Tim Barstow, sidles up to her table. He wants to tell Jessica about a bad dream he had. She takes him into a side room and uses Telereceive to see what he dreamed. Demons and their minions have arrived in Chicago and are tearing down buildings. People are dying horribly. Darkness, Troublemagnet, Magna Dwarf, Brunette Brain, Smoke, and Neko are all fighting among the hordes, and the fight is going against them. Jessica can see that clocks read 12:00 and most people are dressed for a workday. Just as a larger demon was about to attack the school, Tim awoke, sweating and with a terrible sense of 'wrongness'. Jessica softens the effects in Tim's mind and reassures him.
Jessica returns to HQ around 10:00. Thaemon wants to examine the pentagram at the university. Jessica drives him there in an armored SUV. The door is locked with a sophisticated electronic system that requires a keypad entry, thumbprint, *and* retina scan. It was last opened by the Dean of Parapsychology. Thaemon casts Ethereal Body and passes through the door into a completely dark room. He casts Dark Vision on himself and can see a Watchdog spell laid around the pentagram. He returns to Jessica and teleports them both into the room. Jessica's Psychometry confirms that each person was there - Kathy, Adrian, the cat, Annette Piney, and the unknown "presence". Some effect was masking Annette and Sergio.
Just after 11am, Earl's cell phone rings. It's his friend Chip. Earl wonders to himself, "What took so long?" Chip explains that the Justice Patrol is going up to a town called Bayfield, Michigan, 450 miles away, to investigate a "lake monster". The Injustice Gang may be involved. Earl suggests that this is a diversion to get the Justice Patrol out of Chicago; Chip agrees, but states that all 7 of them have to respond. Earl thanks Chip for the warning.
About 11:30 Thaemon and Jessica arrive back at HQ. Reg also arrives, having been delayed by three flat tires from returning from IHoP. Reg says that Bad Vibes interrupted his meeting with Danal Gambini; she didn't think Danal should be talking to him about her family's business. He mentions that Bad Vibes is a hit woman for the mob, and is also Sandra Andrelli in disguise. ("And I'll bet her dad doesn't know.") He thinks Sandra may help us get to Annette. Earl shares the news that the Justice Patrol just left town.
Reg does some computer research on Bad Vibes. She's been active for the past five years. Her abilities include vibratory blast and matter surfing. She can absorb massive damage and heals rapidly. 70% of the "work" she does is for the Mafia, but she rarely acts in Chicago. She is listed with the Exchange.
Reg researches candidates for the four other demon gates linked to Kathy Paul's. Travis, who is using his telepathic powers on Adrian Paul, announces that according to Adrian's memory, two of the gates are Rodney Isbel and Calissa Hook. The other prime candidates are Patricia Nunez and Elbert Utley; other possibles are Andy King, Kim Cramer, and Art Farkle. Earl had already been on his way to question Rodney; after a nice ride on the el, Earl arrives to find that Rodney has been taken.
Travis assures Adrian, "I know everything; we're going to fix it."
Earl spots Patricia Nunez. A big, burly man and another, elegant man are approaching her from behind. Earl realizes the big man is Ox. Earl pulls down his mask and swirls out his cape and becomes Darkness. Darkness fails his first Teleport and falls into a group of people, but quickly reacts, teleports behind Patricia, then teleports her to HQ. As the intruder alarm goes off, Reg says, "Thaemon, that's one of the gates. Earl, what did you do?" Thaemon dazes Patricia.
Travis arrives at Calissa Hook's place. Calissa is a redhead, but the woman who answers the door is a petite blonde... who screams and tries to run away. Travis has to calm her down. She tells him that Calissa went to brunch with her boyfriend, Gerald Anderson, at a downtown hotel. No answer on her cell phone.
Earl reaches the Farkle place. The door is answered by Art, who resembles Howdy Doody. He is not a gate, but he does have minor meta potential. Earl questions him briefly, then heads for Andy King's dorm.
Travis arrives at the hotel restaurant, where he is recognized by many. The hostess says there was a disturbance about 15 minutes before. Calissa and Gerald were approached by three men (at least two of which were Andrelli goons); the goons flashed weapons, and all five of them left. The recognized goons were Bob Caruso (leader) and Quinn Edwards (muscle). Travis heads for the nearest Andrelli drop/safe house.
Reg has Thaemon check Patricia Nunez's aura. She has no magery, psi, or meta. So why did someone send two metas after her?
Adrian Paul starts apologizing profusely to his wife, Kathy. Jessica comments to him, "Do you have any idea how abysmally ignorant you still are?"
Earl reaches the dorm, then has a thought. He teleports back to Rodney Isbel's place, picks up his comb, and casts Seeker. Isbel has Scryguard on him. Earl teleports to HQ.
Reg phones Frank Andrelli. "Is this a family operation, or is it the girlfriend using family resources?" Frank: "We're going to the mattresses on Sergio's order, based on events this morning.... I'm due for a long talk with Sergio." Reg: "Do you like Hell? Do you want it showing up in Chicago? You know what she's into. She's dragging Sergio into stuff he doesn't understand. It's going to take meta powers to survive. Do you realize who that leaves in charge?... When was the last time you had a council without Annette?.... Where are they taking those people?" Frank: "I've never gotten a good read off Sandra." Reg explains that they want to save the kids and keep the gates from opening; "I've got people out looking for them." Frank: "Are you telling me Annette's a witch and the cat's her familiar?" Reg: "It might be the other way around. ... If you get a shot at the cat, take it. ... You're worried about property damage, when she's bringing in demons?"
Travis goes to the restaurant and demands to see the ranking boss, one Tom Marcini (who reports through Antonio). He gives Travis two phone numbers, but there's no answer at either. Travis and Marcini go to the latter's car; Travis says, "Don't worry, I rarely drop people."
Reg goes in to talk to Adrian Paul while Jessica leads Kathy off somewhere else. Reg: "How do you get hold of Annette?" Adrian has three phone numbers for her. Sergio's men know him at the penthouse. "Why did you do what you did?" "They would have given me knowledge and stuff." "You would have been *dead*." Reg and Earl both let Adrian have it. Adrian: "When Annette explained it, it all seemed so reasonable." Reg: "So you thought it was a good idea to deal with demons and the Mafia, and implant a gate in your wife?" Reg points out that Eileen has potentials "that could be triggered by the trauma of her mother blowing up." It occurs to Earl that Adrian's been the victim of Foolishness spells, multiple times.
Thaemon uses Patricia Nunez and his Seek Gate spell to find another gate. He determines one of them is a few miles away at an art museum (the other is 20-30 miles away and Scryguarded). Thaemon, Earl, and Sly head for the museum; Travis drops his mob guy off on a roof and joins them. Reg remembers that the Dragon had a teleporter named Jacob Bartlett. Sly spots Bartlett in the museum, and she and Travis both daze him. As Bartlett starts to fall, Travis hears, "S---, point man dropped, abort, abort." Sly catches Bartlett under the shoulders and starts walking him to the men's room. Thaemon and Earl rush in and spot the gate. Thaemon dazes Elbert Utley and Earl teleports him to HQ. Thaemon follows, then takes Utley to one of his own pentagrams (in a downtown industrial district), injects him with Suspend, and Scryguards him.
Bartlett was at the museum as a backup for Ironmonger, Hate Jackal, and Nuclear Degen, who had planned an art theft while Mind Prime and Count Flare created a diversion at a jewelry store in south Chicago. Travis says into Bartlett's radio, "I wouldn't be in Chicago for the next month if I were you." Travis takes Bartlett to the city slammer.
Earl takes Bartlett's phone, gets on the el and calls Ironmonger. "Tell Mind Prime I want to talk to him... Do you know how we caught your teleporter? Dumb luck.... We can find Count Flare within a 50-mile radius of Chicago.... I'm glad you're keeping busy."
Jessica reads Patricia Nunez's mind. Patricia was interested, and was invited to participate with Dr. Paul and the others. Jessica removes some mind blocks from Patricia's mind, so she'll realize what the gate will do to her if it opens.
Travis returns to his mob guy [my notes here say Caruso, but I thought it was Marcini?], still on the rooftop but feeling pleased with himself. Caruso had paid someone $200 for the use of a phone, warned someone he was coming and to clean up the big stuff at the safe house. Travis sees 15-20 people there, but no higher-ups. "In about six hours -- I hear from another family -- yours is going to lose its Chicago privileges."
Travis phones Megan Starling. "We're at a lull in the bugaboo thing." She invites him to drop by. Travis arrives and immediately starts doing some kind of research.
Thaemon talks to Adrian Paul. It turns out that Adrian's research uncovered the ability to make the five gates work together.
Between 3pm and sunset there is a great deal of discussion among the IS folks about what's been happening, what's going to happen, why things are happening, and what to do about it.
Reg calls the Exchange and pays them $10,000 to have Bad Vibes call him within eight hours.
[May 8, 2004]
In Croatia, Blue Star (Anthony Darr) leads an IS team (Brodie, Valmont, Jeen, Nelms, Whitetop) to defeat a neo-Nazi scheme to gate in troops. Everyone else feels left out. ("You fought NAZIS and you didn't invite ME??")
Earl and Jessica go to talk to Adrian Paul. Kathy discreetly excuses herself. Earl questions Adrian to try to find out where all the rituals were performed, and where the "secret location" might be. Earl also asks directly where Adrian had his trysts with Annette Piney; Adrian, embarrassed, replies "University, around my office" and also a fancy hotel. Earl offers a smidgen of reassurance; since he's already admitted helping plant a demon gate in his wife, it couldn't make things any worse if he confessed his sexual infidelity to her as well.
Travis, who has dropped by Megan's townhouse again, has been looking up real estate owned by Sergio Andrelli and/or Annette Piney. Annette apparently owns none. Travis does discover that her sports car has a Lojack device in it, but tracking down the car shows it's in a garage, not anywhere near her.
Earl phones Xandu, Shabaz's girlfriend. Xandu seems amazed to learn that Annette Piney is a witch with a cat familiar (or the familiar of a cat). Xandu will be leaving for Mexico City in the morning. Earl mentions the problems the ISF is starting to have with former TriFocus security chief Mark Yang. "Yang doesn't have to draw me out -- just tell me where to be."
Reg learns there's been mob-related gunfire in the northwest part of Chicago, a Gambini area. Reg phones Earl Nayberry, a sub-capo for the Montarelli family, who says the Montarellis are trying to stay out of the Andrelli/Gambini war, but some of the 'young Turks' see this as an opportunity to move up. Reg warns that pretty soon either Team Infinity or a demon will get involved in the war. "You don't want Team Infinity interested in your family. My guys can't tell a Montarelli from a Gambini."
Reg then dials Frank Andrelli, who is growing frantic. Antonio, an avuncular 72-year-old, is missing -- the Gambinis got him. The return hit came from either Tito or Tim, Frank doesn't know which. Frank's in a bad dilemma, and he can't find Sergio.
Travis names off to Reg two of Sergio's properties where he might currently be. Reg asks Frank, who says that one of them is where Frank is at presently. Travis begins suiting up to go pay a visit to the other site; Megan does her 'magic disappearing trick' and goes along.
Travis beams a live video feed back to HQ as he invisibly surveys the property. Several cars are parked in front of the main building, which Travis decides is a high-class brothel. A gardening shed conceals an entrance to a tunnel that leads to the main building. Entering through a trap door, Travis and Megan can hear voices arguing in English and Italian -- low-level mobsters getting itchy for action. Travis cuts the electricity and announces, "This mob war is being manufactured." He gathers up a cache of weapons and ammo. Megan discovers a room containing paraphernalia used by a meta called Prince Ghost. Travis shakes down the peons somewhat, tossing one of them (Ralph Grady) so hard he hits his head and passes out. These guys are some of Tito's men. Travis takes one of Prince Ghost's costumes and one of his gadgets for later study.
Jason Rathbone (aka "Driver", "Jake Wilson") arrives in Chicago bringing a new jet for ISF. His passenger, John Whitetop, has colored his hair black and begun constructing a new meta persona, Warpath. (He doesn't want outsiders knowing that Thunderbird is back.)
On the streets, Sly along with Magna Dwarf (of the Irregulars) break up a crap game that was potentially the target of a mob hit. Elsewhere, a crew wagon arrives and mobsters start shooting; Warpath happens to be in the area along with Stalker (another member of the Irregulars), fires an explosive arrow into their back tire, and takes four prisoners.
Travis and Megan arrive at HQ just as Earl and Thaemon are about to go to Sergio's penthouse to look for personal items that could be used to Seek/Trace them. Travis turns invisible, flies to the penthouse and lands on a balcony. Megan comments that the security system was designed by Gomez (a fellow with whose work she is quite familiar) "on one of his most brilliant/paranoid days." She slips inside, then tells Travis there are five goons within, two of them guarding a room containing a pentagram.
Earl and Thaemon, after turning invisible, teleport to the balcony. There's a Watchdog spell on the floor beyond the patio doors, but they avoid setting it off. Thaemon collects a couple of hairbrushes with hair on them. At first he sees no traces of cat hair, but eventually he finds a vacuum cleaner bag with cat hair in it. Earl and Thaemon examine the pentagram room, which also contains a magical podium; after Earl uses Apportation and determines that the podium can be moved, Thaemon teleports it to HQ.
Bad Vibes, aka Sandra Andrelli, talks to Reg on the phone. Reg: "They're dragging the Gambinis into it because your little brother's being a ----." BV: "I need help to get rid of Annette." There's a pause, then Reg hears BV exclaim "Oh, s---!" The phone bounces off the floor, then the connection is cut of, as if by a paw brushing across the keypad.
Earl and Travis both feel their Danger Sense vibrating. Earl and Thaemon teleport back to HQ.
Travis "covers his tracks" in the penthouse security system but the feeling of danger does not abate. Then Megan spots a model plane flying in their direction. The plane has no motor and no guidance system, but it is being directed nonetheless, and it is transmitting a video feed. Travis' Danger Sense spikes until he makes himself invisible to the plane's infrared sensors. The plane is loaded with C-4, and Travis quickly removes the detonators. Reg wonders if the plane is one of Prince Ghost's toys, and indeed this appears to be the case.
Earl and Thaemon put their Magery talents together to locate the cat. Their first attempt at Seeker fails, but the second one succeeds. The cat is in a great room behind super-powerful wards. Sergio and Annette are seated, with the cat lying at Annette's feet and Sandra standing at attention before them. Earl and Thaemon's attempt to Trace -- bounces. Thaemon casts an illusion of the room, which Reg describes over the phone to Frank. Frank warns, "We've got Prince Ghost and Ox working for us."
Trying for the shock power of a quick strike, Earl and Thaemon prepare to teleport into the room. Jessica feels she doesn't have time to go fetch her business suit, so Earl gives her a mask to cover her identity, and casts Missile Shield on both Jessica and himself. Rathbone walks into the room, suggesting that they need more people for the strike and recommending that they fetch Whitetop (Thaemon does so). Reg looks at Rathbone and says, "Are you going to protect *her* back?" A strange look crosses Rathbone's face, then he too suits up.
A plan is quickly made: Thaemon will teleport in with Sly. Earl will teleport Whitetop, Rathbone, Reg, then himself and Jessica.
1. Thaemon, Sly, and Warpath arrive, getting the jump on Annette, Sergio, and the cat. Sandra appears to be stunned. Sly begins firing her heavy blaster rifle at the cat; the cat dodges all three shots, but moves farther away from Annette each time. Whitetop calls out "Dance for me, Fred!" and tosses his magic axe into the air, thinking 'cat' as the target.
2. Sly fires at the cat, which dodges. Warpath scoops up Sandra. Thaemon casts Great Haste on himself, then raises his assault rifle and fires at Annette, who Blinks. Fred strikes the cat but the blow glances off. Earl teleports Rathbone, who fires his 9mm twice, kneecapping Sergio. The cat runs into the middle of a triangle formed by Sly, Rathbone, and Whitetop. Annette says "Sandra, attack 'em." Sergio sinks back into his chair. Thaemon fires again at Annette; one good shot wounds her in the leg.
3. Sly shoots at the cat but it's barely singed. Whitetop throws Sandra into Annette, and they go down in a tangle. Fred follows the cat and the cat concentrates. Thaemon attempts to cast Utter Dome, but the spell critically fails and some sort of glowing force field encompasses Annette. Annette concentrates. Sergio reaches for a gun; Rathbone fires at his right arm and misses. Earl teleports Reg, who points his swagger stick at Sergio and orders, "Don't." Thaemon shoots at Annette and wounds her in the vitals; she is bleeding badly but still levitating.
4. Sly fires at the cat, again barely grazing it. Whitetop hits Sandra on the head with the butt of his laser rifle. Thaemon casts Dehydrate on Annette. Fred swings at the cat and misses. Sandra begins concentrating. Earl and Jessica teleport in beside Sandra and Annette. Thaemon notices that Annette has healed herself somewhat. Reg releases his sword cane's sheath, which bounces off the wall right next to Sergio's head, then points the sword at Sergio. Thaemon fires at Annette, hitting with several bullets but barely scratching her.
5. A rhythmic thudding, coming up a long hallway toward the great room, announces the imminent arrival of Ox (and presumably Prince Ghost too). Sly fires at the cat, again grazing it. Thaemon again casts Dehydrate on Annette, then yanks the empty side of his taped clip out of his assault rifle. Whitetop flips his laser rifle around, sticks its muzzle in Sandra's belly, and fires, hurting her. Earl concentrates, turns around, and casts Levitate on the cat.
6. Reg orders Sergio "Down on your face." Sandra concentrates despite her pain. Sly does nothing, having been Dazed by the cat. Fred gets a solid hit on the cat, but it is so tough the axe cannot deal it any damage. Annette teleports away (and since Thaemon's reflex Magic Resistance doesn't stop her, he concludes she didn't use magic). Sergio, as ordered, drops to the floor. Reg looks around, steps up, and lays his blade on the back of Sandra's bare neck.
7. Thaemon casts Trace Teleport; Annette is 60 yards away inside an armory. He fires his AP grenade at the cat, which actually does a few points of damage. Earl casts a line of Darkness in front of the door that Ox is thundering toward. Jessica finally regains her bearings and fires her dazer at the cat, stunning it. Reg says to Sandra "She's gone," and Sandra revs up and matter-surfs away. Whitetop grabs Sandra's foot, however, causing her to lose her balance and fall face-first. Fred whacks at the cat but it's too tough. Thaemon calls out "Following Annette," pops in a full clip, and concentrates. Reg steps over to the levitated/dazed cat, swings at it wildly, and misses.
8. Reg strikes the cat in the leg for some damage. Whitetop pulls a vial of Suspend from his pocket. Thaemon teleports into the armory behind Annette and sees gun ports opening all over the walls; he fires AP rounds and she Blinks behind him. Earl swings the cat and thumps it against Sly's chest. Jessica steps to Sergio's side with the intent of tending his wounds. Sandra attempts to pull free from Whitetop, but doesn't manage it. Annette exclaims "Oh s---!" and concentrates. Fred swings at the cat and misses. Thaemon fires and wounds Annette who falls, unconscious but still alive.
9. Sandra struggles futilely to escapte Whitetop's grasp. Thaemon grabs Annette and teleports back to the great room. Fred whacks the cat again. Reg grabs the cat by the scruff of its neck. Earl steps toward Sly and concentrates. Whitetop jabs a vial of Suspend into Sandra's belly wound (bypassing her Toughness). Jessica dazes Sergio. Thaemon aims at the cat and tells the others "Move away."
10. Reg spits the cat on his sword and holds it out for Thaemon. Earl casts Levitate on Sly and moves her toward Ox. Thaemon fires at the cat's vitals, turning it into kitty litter. Jessica begins tending Sergio's wounds.
[June 5, 2004]
Travis captures Prince Ghost's plane and goes to the auxiliary (temp) HQ to store the C-4. Flying out, he notices a man in grubby fatigues watcing him through a good, expensive set of binoculars. Reading the man's mind, Travis learns that this homeless man's instructions are to watch the place for four or five days and report activity to someone named "Joe", for which he is being paid $20 per day. Travis returns to aux HQ and sets a trace on "Joe's" cell phone number, and also bugs all pay phones nearby.
Meanwhile, back at the big fight...
Jessica with Astral Sight saw something emerge from the dead cat and immediately 'snap' away. It is not a threat.
Sly finally snaps out of her Daze. She finds herself floating toward a band of darkness. Coming through the darkness she sees/hears Ox coming and fires her heavy blaster rifle at his feet. Ox starts falling forward. Earl releases the Levitation on Sly. Prince Ghost emerges from the darkness and Thaemon fires at his knees; PG parries two bursts with his sword but the third gets through and he starts to fall. Ox catches himself and handsprings towards Sly; she reaches out with her left hand and judo-flips him to her left. Thaemon casts Dehydrate on Ox.
Sly fires and hits Ox's right shoulder. Thaemon steps up to PG, points his big gun at him, and orders, "Surrender now." Earl casts Levitate on Ox (getting through Ox's Magic Resistance) and pushes him downward. PG releases his sword (which vanishes), then he lies very still.
Earl flips Ox over. Thaemon dazes PG and heals him a bit. Reg first-aids Annette Piney and stops her from bleeding to death, then Jessica dazes her. Thaemon dazes Ox.
The group can hear the sound of many people fleeing out the front door. Reg picks up the phone but there is no dial tone. Thaemon and Earl teleport themselves up over the house and see six mob guys running toward two cars. Thaemon casts Mass Daze, catching them all, then packs them into the cars' trunks.
Reg has Carla check the GPS locator in his headset. She informs him that they are in Downers Grove near a small lake. He has her call DMI in Washington DC and ask what they want done with Ox, Prince Ghost, and Bad Vibes. Then Reg phones 911 and tells the cops, "I think we can stop the gang war if you get out here soon."
Reg then calls Frank Andrelli. "Your problem's solved." He tells him that Annette and the cat have been neutralized. Frank says Tim is "running amok." Reg replies, "Tell Tim to back off or I'll kill his father."
Reg phones Danal Gambini and leaves voice mail: "I have Sergio Andrelli. You have two choices: stop fighting, or I'll come and get you too."
Reg calls Justice Patrol HQ and verifies from the receptionist that they have two holding cells that will contain Ox and Prince Ghost. Carla notifies Reg that DMI will arrive at HQ in about 25 minutes.
Earl, along with Dr Pyotorovich, takes Ox and PG to JP HQ. The Justice Patrol's night receptionist is a short, thin, nervous guy.
At ISF HQ, Annette Piney, Sandra Andrelli, and Sergio Andrelli all go into autodocs. Thaemon and Travis start working on Annette's mind.
Reg and Rathbone stay to meet the cops, who come screaming up to the house followed by media vans. Rathbone, in his Team Infinity commando suit, takes on the role of silent brute muscle. Reg points out the trunks containing the six mobsters (and their illegal assault weapons), and tells them that the metas are secured elsewhere. "We have Sergio Andrelli -- you don't need that hassle tonight."
Reg's phone rings from an unknown number. The caller says, "I hear you have my father." Reg responds, "Are you near a TV? Channel 5. Stop right now, or there'll be no family to lead. Capish?" Silence. "I thought so."
Joel Valdez from the Sun-Times comes up to Reg to get a statement (and is the envy of all the other media guys there). Reg states, "The Andrellis made the big mistake of hiring metas to further their cause." Turning to the camera, he warns, "Frank, you'd better fall in line, too. Danal, you'd better stop." He mentions Bad Vibes, Ox, Prince Ghost, and Annette Piney ("a pretty powerful mage"). Valdez grins from ear to ear as Reg says to him in conclusion, "You have my cell number."
Whitetop has the ISF limo driver drop him off where he left his motorcycle, then sends it to the house to get Reg and Rathbone.
Thaemon, Travis, Jessica, and Megan are all studying Annette. She has no magic items or implants. She is a level 3 mage and also has psionic abilities (telepathy, teleport, mind shield). Her mind is full of blocks and traps and shields, some of them set there by magic. They learn that two of the gate people, Rodney Isbel and Calissa Hook, are near a pentagram in a basement beneath the house, along with Dr Edmund Urbank, the head of the parapsychology department at the university. Travis starts using Mindwipe on the traps with great success.
Earl finds that Ox has more Magic Resistance here at JP HQ than back at the house, and that Prince Ghost still has a mind control spell on him. Earl confiscates their cell phones and goes through their call lists. Ox has an entry for "Fe Dog" which Earl figures out means "Ironmonger" [apparently Ox doesn't know the difference between 'monger' and 'mongrel', or doesn't care]. Pyotorovich will be staying with Ox and PG for a few hours; Earl teleports back to ISF HQ.
Annette's mind reveals that she was indeed responsible for arranging the death of Sergio's wife. She had summoned the cat, which became her patron and imposed a Duty on her. She knows the true names of the demon and the demon prince.
Travis dismantles all the mind blocks within the next few hours. Jessica and Megan gain an excellent lesson in Mindwipe techniques.
Whitetop (as Warpath) has met back up with the Irregulars - Stalker, Magna Dwarf, and Brunette Brain. He explains that he was pulled away by some guy in flashy medieval plate armor to fight "some big Ox guy." They are impressed.
Tim Andrelli calls Reg again. "It's cooled. The last of our soldiers are disengaging. I'll take care of problems." He will have a family council meeting with Frank, Guido, and Tito. Reg: "You're aware that Annette has been the problem all along?" Tim: "That's what my sister said, but I didn't believe her." Reg asks Tim if his father and sister are invited to the 'family council'. Tim: "My only protection is that you don't know where I am." Reg: "I found Annette, and she has more powers than you ever dreamed of." Tim asks for conditions to keep Reg off his back. He says that Sergio 'messed up' and needs to retire. Reg: "Listen to Frank and listen to your sister." Tim: "I was following my father's directions." Reg: "Even when you thought he wasn't worth following?" Tim, grimly: "He's still my father." Reg offers a brief lecture on the folly of blind obedience. Tim promises to keep a low profile, and to lose the number for the Exchange. He will also talk to the other families. Reg: "Keep me informed on the progress of your coup." Tim, ironically: "Thank you, Mr Myers."
Earl checks on Kathy Paul, who is peacefully asleep inside a pentagram. Her gate is still there.
Reg looks through the house's library and selects three books on the occult that refer to demons.
Annette's mind contains the knowledge of how to undo the gates, and how to get into the basement. Jessica uses telepathy to convey the spells to Earl and Thaemon. Annette set some of the protections on the basement, but some were set on the gate people and the pentagram itself by the cat, Pucci. Pucci was also going to cast a Loyalty spell on Dr Urbank. The room with the pentagram is aspected to Death, Gate Magic, and Evil, and there is high mana in certain portions of the room.
In the security room, Reg locates the secret door to the spiral iron stairway down to the basement. He warns everyone else, including the cops, not to go into the security room. (Rathbone has already collected the videotapes.)
A little after 2:00am Earl's phone rings. It's Xandu. She says there was a 'big magic event' a few hours ago; "was that your team?" (It was our mages punching through the shields.) She has a feeling of foreboding about the house, but her divinations aren't working. She offers to postpone her scheduled flight to Mexico, gather other members of the wizard's club, and be available for backup. Earl tells her, "Go get your circle and be ready to defend it." Xandu: "If your group fails, we have no chance."
Earl calls Reg and tells him of Xandu's premonition. Rathbone tells the cops to clear the area. Thaemon tells Sly to meet him on the school's teleport pad. Jessica finally puts on her commando suit. Our Heroes gather at the house: Reg, Rathbone, Earl, Thaemon, Travis, Whitetop, Jessica, Megan.
Thaemon and Earl go first, followed by Sly. The mages cast Dispel Magic on the hexes near the door. Magic lights brighten in the huge room (60' x 198') and there is a rattle of chains. 30 feet from the door is the center of the pentagram, which is etched into the floor and glows with a black light. At each point is a set of chains, and two of these sets are 'occupied'. There is also someone lying on a slab/altar. The two people in chains are awake and standing. There are several spells on each of them. Earl and Thaemon begin circling the pentagram in opposite directions, dispelling traps. There is a podium at the north point of the pentagram made of a stone as black as midnight. The points and the lectern are very high mana.
Reg calls out Rodney Isbel's name. He looks toward Reg with glazed eyes. Reg says, "You may be seated." Rodney sits down. Reg does the same with the other gate person, Calissa Hook.
Jessica goes over to Dr Urbank and asks Earl and Thaemon if it is okay to touch him. Her clairvoyance doesn't reveal anything. There is an Enslave spell on him, as well as Increase Intelligence and Magery 1. As these are dispelled, Earl sees something that startles him, and after checking Rodney and Calissa, he says there is a link from them to something extradimensional. He concludes that something has just been notified of something powerful enough to dispel the spells. Part of the demon prince's essence is here, the "otherworldly presence" reported in previous findings. The demon prince could work through its link to these people.
Jessica reads Dr Urbank's mind. Prince Ghost and Ox had picked him up the day before at the univerity. He'd awakened with a cat sitting on his chest and a beautiful woman casting spells on him. Then they had knocked him out. Jessica dazes the professor and asks Rathbone to carry him upstairs to the limo. He tells her, "Don't get killed while I'm gone, or I'll never forgive you."
Thaemon tries his dazer on the chained ones and finds it doesn't work. He goes to the lectern at the primary point and begins studying it.
Earl and Thaemon hypothesize that stepping on the focus points would allow them to cast spells into the pentagram. They concentrate, step on the pads, cast Sleep, and step off. Rodney and Calissa both sleep, but Calissa threw some sort of mind control spell at the lectern first.
Reg starts looking through the occult books he'd found earlier. There are annotations throughout in Adrian Paul's handwriting. He reads that if the pentagram is broken, it will open any minor gates within it. Patience and attunement to the vibrations of the room, or a modification of one's aura, would allow someone to enter through the major point.
Thaemon casts, countering the Scryguard and Conceal Magic spells on Rodney Isbel. He starts to do the same on Calissa Hook. Jessica, Earl, and Travis all get a feeling of danger. Calissa's muscles tense, then she rises, upright and vibrating. Thaemon casts the Command "lie down" but it's shrugged off. Earl casts Levitate on her, overcoming resistance. Travis hits her with TK to do fatigue damage. Earl tries to put her on the floor but is resisted; he finally gets the vibrations to cease. Travis uses TK to force her down into an unnatural squat that looks like it should break bones, causing Jessica and Reg to gasp with alarm. Calissa's mouth opens slightly and a voice issues forth: "You will pay for your impertinence! I will not be denied forever, and you will die the final death!"
Jessica kneels, then Rathbone leaps forward to catch her as her body slumps to the floor. Jessica, in astral form, attacks Calissa's link to elsewhere (a huge massive thing) with an astral chainsaw.
Earl, having been told earlier that the link works both ways, tries casting Levitate *through* Calissa. He feels the link (being attacked) into something huge.
Reg steps up to the black lectern, and in his most sonorous tones commands, "Calissa, you must fight..." and he speaks the true name of the demon prince.
And somehow, Calissa responds. Weakly, she says, "Feed me massive energy." When the others hesitate, she says, "Shoot me."
Earl raises her up, and Sly and Whitetop open fire (Whitetop with two hotshotted laser rifles). Jessica changes her astral chainsaw to a lightning rod. Whitetop projects the Thunderbird to Jessica. A burst of energy shatters the cord as it moves up and devours it. Earl, struck by the backlash, starts to collapse, and Travis and Megan jump to keep him upright.
We just slew a demon prince!
The whole room is now no-mana. The basement is now pitch-dark, but Travis and Megan supply some psionic light. Megan checks Calissa, who looks like she's aged several years and appears sunburnt, but her vital signs are good.
Thaemon and Earl rush up the staircase and teleport to HQ to check Kathy Paul. There is no longer a gate within her. Nor are there gates in any of the victims.
Earl calls Xandu. She says, "I'm very, very glad it's you." Earl tells her, "Believe it or not, I think we destroyed a demon prince."
Calissa looks at Reg and says, "Thank you. You opened something in me." Later it is found that she is a Level 5 mage and has ESP and Psychic Vampirism and the stirrings of some other sort of meta power. Her moral fiber has become strong, and her aura burns brightly.
Everyone leaves the basement. Travis destroys the metal staircase, and the door is sealed. Travis then flies Megan home.
Reg talks to the cops. They want to check the wall safes. They also found out from the thugs that there was something in the security room. Reg says "It's not there anymore."
Reg tells DMI that Bad Vibes isn't dead but didn't come back with us. He mentions Xandu's offer of support.
Brunette Brain pumps Warpath for information. He will probably be invited to join the Irregulars.
Finally, around 4:00am, almost everyone is asleep.
Around 9:00am Earl's cellphone rings. Of all people, it's Mark Yang. He's seen the events on TV. He tells Earl the million-dollar bounty on his head is "irritating". They trade barbs back and forth. Yang claims he's leaving Earl alone for now, but "when you least expect it, I'll be over your shoulder." Earl: "When you do expect it, when you hear the footsteps, I'll be there with the Big Guy. I call him an enemy-in-waiting. ... There's always a yin and a yang."
Since he's awake anyway, Earl phones Ironmonger. "I thought I'd call and tell you we're coming." Ironmonger says he's not in Chicago, and claims he hasn't talked to Yang in a couple of months, not since he was hired by Yang to train some young metas down in Galveston.
Travis spends three hours cleaning up the remaining 'mind stuff' on Sergio.
What to do about Annette? There are several suggestions, including simply killing her, turning her over to the Mafia so they can kill her, and draining her magical ability. It's decided that she'll be turned over to DMI, which will keep her safely locked away. The Mafia won't be able to touch her, but they'll no doubt be watching in case she escapes. Thaemon will cast a Geas upon her.
Reg and Jessica go around and talk to each of the 'gate people'. Elbert Utley and Patricia Nunez both agree to testify against the perpetrators, if necessary. Rodney Isbel feels he has become a better person from the ordeal. He has level 1 mage potential now. He tells Reg, "You are an impressive group of individuals." He doesn't know whether he wants to continue studying the occult; he does want to talk to Dr Paul. Calissa Hook is offered a chance to study at TriFocus Academy. After being assured she won't have to "share a room with a high-schooler" and she can continue her university studies, she agrees to move on-campus. However, she is concerned about her family (parents and younger brother) who live downstate; she's not sure they should be told about her new powers.
Around 3:00pm Travis has finished clearing Sergio's mind blocks. Reg, Earl, and Jessica go to talk to him. Sergio recalls now most of the details of the past several years, including the things Annette did to him. He remembers seeing Travis at the gala with "that beautiful Starling person -- Why was she with you?" He is the one who had "Uncle Antonio" killed because he wouldn't "fall into line". He doesn't want to know what we do with Annette. He had begun to suspect that his daughter Sandra was Bad Vibes, and yesterday's events confirmed it. He wants to take her to Florida with him, into "retirement".
[June 19, 2004]
Sandra Andrelli is placed in an autodoc to bring her out of Suspend and let her heal up. With her father Sergio by her side, she is shown the videotape of the fight between Team Infinity and Pucci, Annette Piney, Ox, and Prince Ghost. She will be allowed to go to Florida and join her father in his 'retirement', but she is warned that she will be watched, and Team Infinity will not be merciful if she steps out of line again. To this end, she is urged to give up her metahuman identity (Bad Vibes) and activities (hiring out for assassinations).
Over the next few days, Tim Andrelli and his uncle Frank work out a joint leadership of the Andrelli family. All three of the main Mob families in Chicago (Andrelli, Gambini, Montarelli) are likely to be laying very low for some months to come.
Thaemon, having been seen in his silvered armor, has been dubbed "Shining Knight" by the popular press (led by a gleeful Joel Valdez). Thaemon is disgusted by the moniker, but as usual his only show of emotion is a slight sneer of disdain.
The Justice Patrol returned from their field trip up north a bit banged-up, nothing major. They had fought several "sea monsters" that had mysteriously appeared in the Great Lakes.
A contest is announced in the Chicago media: "Rename the Brunette Brain!!!" First prize is $25,000.
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