| The Champs of NYC |
| Summary: | Doc Mid-Nite and Captain Atom round up Villains, Gorilla Grodd, Captains Cold and Boomerang - to discover another plot against NYC. Black Lightning and Kyani arrive to help Captain Atom defeat the Griffin who is empowered by Pluto, Greek God of Death. |
| Date: | (2014-09-05) |
| Related: | NA |
| NPCs: | General Grodd, Captain Cold, Captain Boomerang, Griffin, Pluto |
| Scene Runner: | Captain Atom and Black Lightning. |
| Social/Plot: | plot |
| Players: |
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-==[ Rooftop - Beacon Street Apts — Lower East Side ]==---—-
Beacon's rooftop is what one might expect it to look like; flat, it offers a nice get-away for those wishing to smoke outside of their apartments or look up to the light-polluted sky. The wind is a bit strong up here on certain days - but the gravel population that makes up the flooring seems to remain quite intact. A few boxy domes of glass protrude here and there - skylights for some of those lucky enough to live on the top floor. The small closet-sized entrance that opens into the staircase back into the building sits beside a large, metal shed, which is an area for whatever the janitors or residents care to keep inside. Two parallel plastic clothes lines span off of these constructs, attaching to poles near the edge of the roof. This, naturally, is to accommodate those who wish to air dry their garments or perhaps who weren't quite fast enough to get their things in the driers downstairs. A humble patch of dirt is separated off by lean planks of wood, serving as the resting place for this apartment building's sad excuse for a community garden. Unfortunately, the local pigeon grouping has claimed the spot for their own uses, as well as the bird roost it sits beside. If it's any consolation, the birds seem quite content and healthy.
High atop one of the larger buildings of the Lower East Side, nefarious schemes are afoot. The rooftop of the Beacon Street Apartments happens to be on eye level the 34th floor of the Transco Commerce Building. One of the larger information banks in the world. Information is stored within massive servers upon the 28th and the 38th floors. The information is mostly banking in nature and if one can access said location and past the firewalls/security, they can acquire riches beyond imagination.
Tonight, one such criminal mastermind is found standing atop the Beacon Street Apt rooftop. One animal of a man called Gorilla Grodd. Upon his head is his trusty mental enhancer which he uses to mind control and do other mental tricks. He's presently accompanied by Captain Cold and Captain Boomerang along with 4 normal gorillas that have recently been freed from the zoo. The 3 villains have a plan, they're about to unleash it and abscond with the virtual loots.
"…Is that all you have?… Alright, Nite-Lite. Thank you. At least with the location and date we have /something/ to go by…"
The voice belongs to one Doctor Mid-Nite, who finds himself atop the Transco Commerce Building, crouching down on his haunches and whispering into the comlink embedded in his cowl. The wind picks up and wraps his cloak about his knees. "…No, I'm already here… I might as well stay - this is a good vantage point. Be prepared to contact the authorities if it becomes necessary, Nite-Lite. Mid-Nite out."
Taking a moment to check the grapple on his gauntlets, he leans over the edge of the building, and peers downward.
Within the clouds above the cityscape that is greater New York, Captain Atom casts a unique glow. This glow gives illumination to the clouds and, like any aircraft that is caught within, is surrounded by said light.
Meanwhile, Gorilla Grodd points. Captain Boomerang throws one of this TM'd boomerangs and it sails across the expanse between the buildings. Behind the boomerang is a line. Captain Cold also launches an attack. He forms an ice bridge that trails behind the boomerangs path. The boomerang strikes the building and whips around a flag pole. The line is immediately drawn pulling a heavier cable across. Now the ice bridge has a cable line 4 feet above it. Both extend across the expanse and the gorillas begin to cross with exuberance.
Doctor Mid-Nite may, or may not sense something that could seem like a light finger pressure against his brain.
Behind his visor, Mid-Nite's eyes widen as soon as he spots the cable and ice-bridge. Infrared and sonic-sensors in his cowl feed a variety of input to his mind and he steps up to the edge of the building.
"This is…" he starts to say as… 'something' brushes against the edges of his consciousness. His voice trails off, distracted. "Charlie…" he murmurs as the owl that had been perched atop an air conditioner unit takes wing and soars away from the building. Mid-Nite does not notice the light in the clouds.
The gorillas cross. Close behind them are Gorilla Grodd who is followed by Capt Cold and then Capt Boomerang. The bridge is 5' wide and approximately 8' thick with an arch beneath it for support and anchors of ice on both sides.
Once they reach the Transco building, Grodd instructs Cold to freeze the window. That is quickly done and then the gorillas smash through. Alarms do NOT sound. Boomerang looks about for persons who may be spying. Grodd follows his gorillas into the building.
"Nite-Lite," the Doctor barks into his comm. "Call the authorities. Tell them the Transco Commerce Building is under attack. Looks like Gorilla Grodd… and I'm picking up intense cold-spots on the infrared. Captain Cold, most likely. Send them the feed from Charlie's spycam. I'm going in."
"Wait, Doc," the woman on the other end of the com-line urges. "Grodd?! Doc, you're already outnumbered! Wait for back-up this time, please!"
Ignoring Nite-Lite - and whatever the distraction had been - Mid-Nite spreads his arms out wide. "If I need a second opinion," he tells her as he leaps over the side the building in almost free-fall. "I'll ask for it." He fires a hook over the building above him, and slows his descent over the ice-bridge.
Middy leaps into action. However it's a long way down and by the time he will reach the bridge, Capt Cold and Capt Boomerang are already inside the villain-made entry point. When Middy reaches the bridge, he will have a clear view into the very dark server room within. Millions of red and green lights can be seen flashing on countless server banks. It is VERY warm inside with many heat signatures coming from the servers themselves. Almost blindingly so. But cold points are better detected. A significant blue (cold) area is seen from deep within along with several blue footprints leading from the entrance.
Meanwhile, in the skies above Manhattan, Capt Atom hears over the police band that the Transco Building is under attack. He cuts and descends from the clouds to get his bearings on the city below and plot his course.
Inside the server, Mid-Nite disconnects himself from the line and ducks behind a mainframe with enough stealth to make Batman proud… or not. He hesitates. How best to resolve this? Where to make that first incision…? Dialling back the infrared feed to his visor, he drops into a crouch and makes his way across the floor, following the footprints left by Captain Cold. He palms a pair of sonic-concussion devices from his belt, and prepares to toss them at the feet of the first intruders he finds.
Once inside, Middy will find following the cold footprints easy. Perhaps too easy. Then suddenly, behind Middy, a very heavy Gorilla Grodd lands (5' away). Middy will be mentally assaulted by a severe pain attack projected from the mental amplifier on Grodd's furry head. With the attack comes Grodd's surly voice, "Surely you didn't expect to get the drop on us, Doctor Mid-Nite. You are no Batman."
Captain Atom gets his bearings and spies the Transco Commerce Building. He also spots the ice bridge that spans from the rooftop of the apartment building to the 34th floor of the Transco bldg. He knows there are foul things afoot. He begins his rapid descent toward the hole in the wall where the bridge terminates against the building.
Agony.
Pure. White. Agony.
Pain threatens to drown out Mid-Nite's other senses as he falls to his knees. He puts both his hands out to prevent himself from falling any further - looking not unlike a track-runner at the starting line - and turns his head enough to catch sight of the hyper-intelligent gorilla.
"Neither are you." He rolls sideways, and sends both concussion devices rolling across the ground toward the gorilla's feet - where they explode in a burst of intense, ear-splitting sound. Mid-Nite himself hits a computer server on his way past, eliciting a grunt from him as he tries to get himself upright again. A tiny injector from his gloved fingertip extends, injecting him with both pain relief, and…
"Octahydrathylaxine," he mutters through gritted teeth. "Give it a moment and… you might find… my brain… a little harder to fry…"
Doctor Mid-Nite pages: the drug is supposed to fortify concentration but flood the brain with intense emotion (anger etc), and… hopefully make him harder to manipulate. There'll be other side-effects, of course. I'm not sure how powerful Grodd's abilities are, so if you want to thwart Doc's efforts entirely, go for it! :D
Concussion grenades roll forward to Grodd's feet. He looks down and a split second before they go off, Grodd is slammed into from behind by Captain Atom who calls out, "GRODD, SURRENDER NOW!" as he does. No, Atom isn't the sort to ask questions then shoot, he's all about shoot first and ask questions later with the tagline that he did call for surrender just in case it goes to trial.
Grodd and Atom are caught in the concussive explosion knocking both in separate directions and both into massive server banks.
The mental assault is not only quelled by the Oxta…, but also suddenly stops as Grodd is jarred to the side.
Mid-Nite starts to perspire.
A lot.
"What in - ?!?!" he gasps through his teeth as he turns about to spot Atom's… dramatic entrance. Fortunately for the Doctor, at least, his cowl insulates him from the excessive noise while (what is left of) the computer server shields him from the brunt of the blast.
The computers themselves are not quite so lucky.
Technicians will have a field-day here, come the morning.
"What?! Atom?!" Mid-Nite blurts out as he rises to his feet, sways where he stands - the remnants of Grodd's attack - and steadies himself by the wall. "Take care of him - Captain Cold, and… argh! Wait! BP… Epinephrine levels… rising. I'm going after the others. I have a 'Cold' to cure!"
And he pushes off the wall to make his way out of the server room. He hopes.
"Others?" Queries Captain Atom as he looks around while rising.
Grodd leaps to his feet and ignores Middy other than to say, "That's it, little boy, run away and let the men play." while eying Captain Atom. His annoyed tone continues as Grodd states after reading the mind of Atom, "Captain Atom is it? Well, shall we see what you're truly made of? Allow me to peel off that containment suit…" and the massive gorilla leaps toward Atom with snarling teeth.
Atom raises his arms to defend and engage. He exclaims, "Negative, Grodd. If anything, you'll be going back to the zoo where you belong."
As bio-scanners his cowl project information to his visor, Mid-Nite keeps close tabs on his vitals as the drug he deliberately injected works through his system. It is not a nice drug. "One hundred eleven seconds remaining…" he murmurs to himself. At Grodd's taunting, the Doctor turns about and switches the bio-sensors to scan the gorilla instead - searching for any weakness that someone might be able to exploit.
"Doc…" says the woman on the other end of his comlink. "If I'm seeing what I think I'm seeing…"
"No time, Nite-Lite!" he snaps back at her, mere seconds from either returning to the battle with Grodd himself, or going after his cohorts. "Have Charlie do a sweep of the building. Wide-band infrared. Tell me where COLD is!"
"Take the antidote, Doc," Nite-Lite responds with urgency in her voice.
He shakes his head. "Not until I'm sure Grodd can't get inside my head. Mid-Nite out."
Charlie's sweep is fruitful. Several yards away, Captain Cold is noted at one of the central terminals. Alongside him is a heat signature that can be expected as Capt Boomerang. However, the gorillas are bounding around looking for random targets, perhaps security if they present and another has turned around and heading back toward Middy.
Grodd and Capt Atom begin a phyiscal struggle that will lay waste to much of the inners of this building if not kept in check. Grodd is durable, super strong, and has mental powers. Capt Atom is more durable, stronger, and has control over all energies in the EM spectrum and beyond - however, he is unable to use his full powers because of environmental concerns and the mental assaults that Grodd is using on him.
The Doctor frowns.
Opting to leave the Captain to it, he bolts away from his current position and leaps on top of one of the nearby servers. Reaching for his belt, he removes another two devices. The first is a black-out bomb, which he tosses in the air above Boomerang's head - with the intention of blanketing the area in a mist of impenetrable night. The second is an miniaturized EMP - aimed directly at Captain Cold's chosen terminal.
Not waiting for either device to explode first, Mid-Nite leaps off the server almost as soon as he landed upon it, and fires tranq-darts from his gauntlets at the nearest henchmen/gorillas.
A tranq dart strikes a gorilla, it's going to take more than one. The gorilla is presently only pissed off and charges Middy with lots of roars and grunting signaling his buddies to come help.
Captain Cold sees the small emp bomb strike nearby and he calls out, "GRENADE" and dives for cover not realizing it's just an electronic disrupter. Turning, Capt Boomerang is caught in the darkness, he hears the warning too late and dodges but slams into a server shelf not realizing it was there because he's in pitch blackness.
Near the exit, Grodd continues to assault the mind of Capt Atom who does his best to resist the simulated pain that is caused.
As the heroes Captain Atom and Doctor Mid-Nite are battling at a stand still with Grodd, Cold, and Boomerang, the gorilla foot soldiers deal with some security. The brave security at least that stay to fight. There are shouts to stop by those brave men, the gorilla's unleash a flurry and one of the security guards drops, his eyes rolling back in his head as his life begins to fade away.
And that is when things really take a turn, perhaps towards the weird. The sky over the present building darkens and with a tinge of green lightning (or lighting, no bolts strike down). A voice calls out as a figure descends on wings, "Stop, none shall die, as the Herald of Pluto, I come with this decree." Oddly, this Herald is the Griffin. Eagle wings, lions face, dragon scales, humanoid though, claws and all. "Fight, but no souls shall pass." The man who nearly died sputters and seem to hang now, between life and death.
That gets more attention from the city, Black Lightning who has been chasing the 100 around, trying to stop drugs and guns from coming into the Suicide Slums of Metropolis witnesses the cloud over the building while silently observing among the roof tops. Becoming a streaking bolt of lightning, he is en route to the building presently.
"Mary, Mother of God…" Mid-Nite has time to breathe as the gorilla charges him. He fires off another two tranqs in rapid succession when the beast collides with him. The shock knocks the wind out of the Doctor, even as he rolls backward and uses his legs to pitch the beast over his head - and with any luck, into a wall or something hard.
Mid-Nite grunts in pain, feeling a rib crack despite the light armour he wears, and is left lying on his back on the floor, gasping. He checks the countdown as depicted by his bio-sensors, regarding the drug in his bloodstream, and curses. Slowly, he touches an injector to his neck, to spare himself more… permanent side-effects.
When the gorilla finally hits the wall, the 3 tranq darts take effect. It lands upside down onto the floor against the wall and almost starts to right himself, instead, eyes close and he goes nighty-night. Other gorillas will arrive soon. They're making gorilla calls from all around the very expansive room (that takes up the entire building floor) looking for their friend.
Capt Boomerang pushes away from the server and begins cursing as he tries to find his way out of the darkness.
Captain Cold is clear of the darkness but finds that it resides between himself, his companion, and the enemy (Middy). He calls out, "Boomer, come to my voice. We need to deal with this nuisance before the real super heroes show up."
Nearto the exit, Captain Atom twists and in a last ditch effort throws Grodd out of the hole in the building. The massive Grodd smashes into the bridge and skips across on the frozen surface. Subsequently, he slides off onto the rooftop of the apartment building and rights himself on the rocky top. He looks pissed.
Atom gets a breather.
Outside the hole, Griffin merely hovers and observes not too close to that ice bridge. Black Lightning flashing down, drifting in towards the middle of the bridge to assess the situation being a new observer. Not seeing the fight inside, he only sees Grodd skid across the bridge and to the neighboring apartment building as he's coming down. Black Lightning may see Atom near the hole too, not sure who is friend and foe, he simply chooses to call between the two parties (Grood and Atom), "Fellas, I don't know what this is about, but its starting to get some attention."
"Nuisance?" Mid-Nite mutters as he climbs to his feet again. "Oh captains, my captains… I pity you." Inwardly, he hopes the strain of a cracked rib doesn't show too much in his voice. He pulls out two more black-out bombs and throws them in two different directions, causing more of the vast room to fade into darkness.
A second later, he deposits a tiny mic on the side of a terminal, then crouches again and rolls away from his current position. "You're both out-gunned here, Captains," he remarks - his voice coming from where he had been standing mere moments before. "And that harddrives you were attempting to access have suffered a severe case of electro-magnetic inhibition. I highly recommend withdrawing before you come down with similar symptoms.
He pokes his head up from a number of feet away, and aims a tranq at Boomerang.
Doctor Mid-Nite fires.
Captain Atom flies out of the hole, spies Black Lightning and says, "Stand aside, citizen. This villain needs to be taken into custody before he does any more wrong." Atom's direction is directly toward Grodd at sub sonic speeds (albeit really fast) and will (if unimpeeded) blast and then slam into Grodd in the next round.
Boomerang is blindsided (albeit still blind) and the tranq will take fast effect causing the man to collapse into a tumble of boomerangs.
Captain Cold begins to randomly fire blasts of cold into the darkness, but not where his compatriot should be standing, elsewhere in the direction of the voice in hopes of hitting and freezing the enemy.
Holding up his hands, Black Lightning isn't getting between Grodd or Atom. At best, he barely has time to flash enough to the side as a bolt to avoid Atom. "Citizen?" He isn't sure what else to say, sounds like some robot from some movie, and with the silver to match it. Though he is still uncertain who the aggressors are for the moment.
Meanwhile the Griffin hovers all the same, as much out of it as Black Lightning is, if only for his own reasons. Security and gorillas continue their conflict inside, but probably not for long if its going bad for Grodd and his team, the gorillas might start to pull back, so long as there is no darkness to contend with.
Tall and leaning towards the stocky side on his frame, this man has a soft, dark tan complexion. There are warm tans with hints of yellow in the light towards comfy mocha where shadows outline his features. Smooth would best describe most of his features, suggesting he works out regularly and maintains himself enough to keep his face from showing much aging. No hair atop his head, he keeps a neat goatee with half a mustache just over his lip and away from his nose and no soul patch upon his chin. While his eyebrows lean towards tall, the fine hairs are thin enough to help them further define the angles of his face.
Over his body is worn a suit suggestive of being a crime fighter, the sort with a secret identity. His eyes are completely covered by mirrored sunglasses. Almost wide enough to be ski glasses, not quite googles, they also cover a portion of his nose as if to hide his identity. The suit itself is blue and black with highlights of gold suggestive of lightning bolts. Indeed, while most of the suit is black, the only blue portions are on his arms and up to his shoulders, appearing light lightning bolts across his chest even. The same is in his belt, which aside from this, it looks like one piece of fabric and completely custom made to suit this man
Doctor Mid-Nite smiles as soon as he sees Captain Boomerang drop to the ground. "One down, one to - " The Doctor's vision blurs and he sways on his feet for an instant. More side-effects from the drug he ingested earlier. It complicates matters further when one of Captain Cold's ice-blasts strikes the area where the tiny mic had been place, damaging it. Part of Mid-Nite's sentence then comes from where he actually IS, rather than his attempt at misdirection.
"Hang in there," Nite-Lite tells him over the comlink. "The police are almost there. Fire-brigade and paramedics too."
"Good," Mid-Nite whispers, then he pulls out what looks like a raygun of sorts - and fires a beam of intense light straight at Captain Cold. He then sweeps the beam across the room, aiming for the faces of any gorillas he can spot. The beam is little more that an extremely focused (and bright) flash light, and it burns away some of the darkness around it.
It also gives away his position.
The beam strikes true and Cold is blinded. But he also fires his own cold beam back in kind in hopes of striking Middy. The gorillas on the other hand are totally blind and dazed unsure what to do now that they cannot see a target.
Outside, Atom blasts Grodd with massive amounts of pure energy and blasted back into an AC unit. Once within striking distance, Atom knocks the mental amplifier off the gorilla's fuzzy head. It goes tumbling off the side of the building and will strike into the alleyway below. Grodd is zapped into unconsciousness and crumbles.
The situation seems mostly over. "Glad I could help," says Black Lightning to no one in particular.
However, Griffin speaks up, "Now this, denizens of Manhattan. Your demised is thus claimed by Pluto, no soul shall pass until the transition of power is complete." Most likely that is, for Pluto (Zues' brother Pluto) to have that power over the city. He starts to fly up and enters a portal, the clouds overhead begin to dissipate.
If Mid-Nite is on radio with Nite-Lite, he might be the first to know that there are reports of people not dying (though they should be) on the first-responder communications devices around Manhattan.
"Doctor? …Doctor?" Nite-Lite's voice grows a little more urgent. "Doctor I don't like what I'm seeing here. Doctor!!"
Mid-Nite stirs back to consciousness and shivers. He shivers again. He tries to move and discovers to his surprise that his right arm is disinclined to come with him.
As is his right leg.
Then, of course, there is the cold.
"Ooohh dear," he murmurs through chilled teeth. "I'm here, Nite-Lite," he tells her. "I am a little… stuck. My right arm and part of my leg caught that last blast from Captain Cold. I'm… pinned to the wall."
As Captain Cold struggles to overcome his blindness, Mid-Nite struggles to free his arm. He has minimal success. "It's no use," he tells her. "Look. I'm broadening this transmission for Captain Atom to hopefully pick up; he should be able to see radio waves. I need help."
"Cavalry's on its way," Nite-Lite replies.
With Grodd down and Cold on the way out, there's very little more to do than cleanup. Atom will bind Grodd with nearby metal bars and then fly into the building to look for the man whom he helped. Passing Black Lightning, Atom will suggest, "Follow me, there are others inside that may need to be incapacitated. However, watch out for Doctor Mid-Nite, he's a good guy."
"Sure thing," says Black Lightning, "Clean up, I can do that." He'll fly only at the speed Atom does, moving to look for Gorilla's. "This some sort of fight, you guys don't like each other, or there something else going on with those Gorillas I don't know about." He hasn't seen the other Captains (Boomerang and Cold) to put that group together. Though with the Grodd being a gorilla, he knows enough to know that's a safe bet. They're mostly blinded, its not overly hard to move in and send out stunning bolts from his hands. "The Gorilla and that hawk guy were together?"
"The hawk guy?" asks Captain Atom as he drifts through the stacks of servers. "I only know of Captain Cold, Boomerang, Grodd and his henchapes."
The gorillas are perhaps easily routed not being mind controlled/commaneded by Grodd, knocked out by Captain Atom. Finishing up any zapping that needs to happen, if at all, he goes to that server room where everyone was converging. Asking curiously, "So, Captain Cold, Boomerang and this Grodd and the apes, they work together?" Scratching his bald head to fathom all of this for the moment. As Atom looks at the servers, he'll look around to see if Doc Mid-Nite is around and/or needs attention, ignoring any apes or the ones indicated by Atom unless they are stirring.
Atom nods to the query and states, "Yes. Most villains are opportunistic in that if they are shown profit by some mastermind, they'll change their M.O. to accommodate a partnership. Grodd, Boomerang and Cold are normally villains in the Central City location. I'm sure they saw opportunity in fields beyond their own.
Moments will pass, police, fire, etc will show up to take away the villains and after statements are made, credentials shown, etc, Captain Atom will have time again to speak with Black Lightning on the street level nearto the meltwater of the liquified bridge. "What were you asking about earlier? A hawk guy?"
What had transpired … Captain Atom and Doctor Mid-Nite had foiled a robbery attempt by Gorilla Grodd, Captain Cold, and Captain Boomerang. Cold had established an ice bridge from a neighboring apartment building, Boomerang had blown a whole into the higher tech building itself near the server room, and Grodd and his apes had come in to maintain the situation. Atom and Mid-Nite both came to foil individual, but needed the team work to finish the job.
As this happened, a large cloud formed over the building, and a winged man (Griffin) came to witness what happened, shed some words on the situation and left when the fight ended. Black-Lightning was drawn by the cloud and is entering the building with Captain Atom, they two are talking presently in the exposed server room.
Black Lightning nods, "Ya, that guy with the wings. All apocalyptic with no souls passing, Manhattan belonging to Pluto."
As they are talking and responders arrive, they pick up the guy that was dying when Griffin arrived and attend him, they get excited anxious, "By all rights, this guy should be gone, but he's still breathing." Like serious sucking chest wound (to the chest).
With a furrowed brow, Captain Atom seems confused about the very nature of life and death - in this case how death is circumvented by someone's will alone. "Then I am to understand that no one is allowed to die? On who's authority? And who do we consult in regards to this matter?"
Raptor or better yet, still unnamed is now rushing to the area, having spotted the responders and heard of the location as he ran next to one of the cop cars, he waves to the cops and speeds past them. It's only a matter of seconds when Kyani arrives. Looking around, he doesn't see anything really going down, but then again that should be a good thing. Noticing Black Lightning and another man talking, he walks over towards them, "I take it a robbery was stopped?" he asks.
"I don't know," responds Black Lightning, to neither or both, when Raptor runs up to join them near the bridge and hole in the wall. He looks to the first responder helping the injured, "Uh, I just try to keep them alive." Is about all he can say. They put the guy on a stretcher just the same though, and he says, "Ya, something weird, no deaths at any of the hospitals for the last hour or so."
If they happened to look out the window, there is another black cloud forming, to the north side of the Island, near Washington Heights. Like the first cloud with Griffin, this one is dark with roiling green lightning just the same.
Looking himself, Black Lightning says, "That might be your guy, he might have the answers? I don't know what they were stealing here, but its still safe?" He starts to hover, his legs showing blue static crackling energy as he does that, getting ready to go look if no one seems opposed.
Quizzical, Captain Atom begins to query more but notes Raptor's arrival. "It was taken care of, yes. Who are you? Actually that goes for the both of you. I'm Captain Atom, USAF and…", said reticently, "…a super hero. If that's the designation."
Raptor quirks his head to teh side and moving out of the way of the first responders. He does tap his foot on the ground, still as Black Lightning speak of someone or something in the sky, does Raptor look up. Watching the dark cloud with the roiling green lightning. "Is it a friendly?" he asks. Though when Captain Atom asks who he is, Raptor sorta smiles, "I'm conflicted at the moment. Still working on this name thing, Raptor, or Ebon Cheetah." he chuckles. "Nice to meet you Captain Atom."
Ebon Cheetah didn't help him, but the other man offers over, "Ya, super hero, or crime fighter, people's champion, take your pick. I go by Black Lightning, the motorcycle." As if he needs to specify the reference. "Trying to make a difference. Not military, hope we're not entering some area we should't be." Maybe the info in the server is classified, hence needing Captain Atom. "I'd love to chat, but I think that cloud needs some attention." He hikes a thumb in that direction and walks backwards towards the large opening in the wall where Captain Cold put the ice bridge.
"Easy there, soldier. Lightning may be your thing. But that looks a little more magical than elemental. You may be getting into more than you can chew. Let me do some recon as I'm likely a little more durable than you and I can absorb just about anything they throw at me." states Captain Atom implying that Lightning stand down from his intended actions.
Kyani looks at the two before him, then up at the cloud. "Well, whatever the hell you two are going to do, you better do it quickly." he says. "If your both able to withstand whatever that is, it may be wise that you both go, just keep me informed, if your able to." he says. Tapping his foot on the ground a little, he looks around and as he does he watches the police move in and out of the bank, then he looks back to Atom and Lightning, "Better hurry up."
Giving a nod, "Sure thing, you do seem solid." Black Flag looks back to the cloud, "I'll get closer though, just in case you need any help." He does look to Kyani as well, he can run over just as fast too, but if Captain Atom goes first, all the better for them. So he stands down and won't move until Atom does, and will not fly into the cloud at all.
Captain Atom does not hesitate and streaks upward toward the cloud. His form glows with a brilliant white energy causing a vibrant reflection on the buildings as he passes. Once above the structures, Capt Atom pauses several meters before the cloud and gives his eyes a moment to adjust to the wavelengths presented hoping to identify the energy signature's present. "Let's see, what are you?" he asks aloud but doesn't expect an answer.
The cloud grows some. Captain Atom (and the others if they follow, just behind and at a distance) will notice on the ground was a gunfight between minor gang bangers. Some shot, no one dead. From the cloud comes a voice, "I am the harbinger of Pluto, no souls may pass until he has transcended to his domino. The souls of Manhattan now belong to him." Then Griffin descends from the cloud, or out, towards Atom. "No mortal may interfere with the domain of the gods." As if, he's got control here, over the dead not dying bit.
"So yeah." Kyani starts out as he watches Captain Atom, "Still going on with this name thing, I'm messing with Ebon Cheetah, I was thinking of keeping Raptor, but the dinosaur ones weren't what I thought, but I still like the jet fighters." he says as he looks to Black Lightning, still thinking he could've came up with something else. But then again it fits him. Sighing and watching as best he can from where he is standing. "Should we at least get to the top of the building?" he asks.
"Ya, I'd rather be closer in case something happens to him." Says black lightning, taking off in that direction indicated by Raptor (Sorry, meant to include going along in my pose, skipping real quick to help get Kyani closer).
"Well, this isn't good." Captain Atom mutters to himself with the revelation that the energy is mystical in origin. He calls back to the Griffin, "Sorry bud. I'm not mortal anymore. So count me in on the interference part. You're going to do your part and stand down or I'm going to put you down. Got it?"
With that, and both men are actually moving up to talk with this Hawkman, Kyani runs up the nearest building, once up at the top, he stands there waiting, watching whats unfolding before him. There wasn't a lot he can do right now, but even here, Kyani has a way to be able to assist even if he can't fly.
Black Lighting goes to the building indicated by Raptor, "Hope he's a good talker, as much as he is direct and talks like a robot." About Captain Atom that is. Setting down on the building itself to be ready for any other weirdness that may happen.
The Griffin, strong in his own right, shakes his head. "It has been decreed, these souls belong to Pluto, none may pass." Into the after life, some of that green lightning stuff comes out and hits Griffin, his body seems to react and he looks more beastial. His nose grows to a lion snout, his claws become sharper and he launches at Captain Atom in a bestial rage.
"Here we go." comments Captain Atom as the creature grows in size and power. Atom himself powers up a bit brighter and will gladly engage mid-flight with the creature. Arms up, radiation damage shield on, eyes glowing and when they connect, red beams will launch from his eyes to strike out at the creature.
Looking over to Black Lightning, "What happened to you going with him?" he asks Black Lightning, "Or was I talking through that?" he asks trying to think. Kyani does do that sometimes and right now he was hoping wasn't one of those times. But as he was about to say something more, his eyes widens a bit, "Oh boy." he says as he looks at where Griffin is, and Captain Atom, "Looks like something is going down." he says.
"He said stand down," replies Black Lightning, hence he's only on the building presently. "I can help, but don't know about those clouds." Says the man, taking off and going up to see how the fight is going.
The fight is intense from the start, Griffin is in a berserk by the time they collide, but Captain Atom can ramp up from other energy in the area. The winged man doesn't flinch but is pushed back and seems to react to radiation thrown his way. Not as fast as say the Hulk would, but he reacts to being beaten in a manner. Though lightning shoots from the cloud again, hitting the Griffin and his eyes start to glow, shooting magical energy back at Captain Atom as the tangle above Manhattan.
Not having a weakness to mystical energy is a plus, just not being able to manipulate or absorb it is a minus. In Atom's case, his body armor resists the attack but it only serves to annoy him further. The assault of energy continues as Atom uses his super strength to pummel the Griffin while his radioactive damage shield continues to burn the creature. "Not this time, bucko." is exclaimed when he takes the shot.
This sucked not being able to get up in the fight, but then again Ebon Cheetah isn't without some ways of fighting, but even creating vortexes could possibly disrupt his allies. Shaking his head, he would have to wait, but then again as he looks around. As he does, this is the only building close enough to where the action is. Even with all the speed he is able to use, he has learned to be patient. But as he does this, he waits and watches for an opening.
Black Lightning gets up, but avoids the cloud. As the two are locked in battle, he tries to shoot at the Griffin from behind. But this is more coupled with the lightning from the mystical cloud. The Griffin falters under Captain Atoms onslaught, but gets another boost from his own meta ability coupled with the mystical lightning. He roars as he becomes more like a real Griffin, less human. Claws racking, his maul trying to bite at Atom. The lightning from Black Lightning helps a little, as if slowing his progression into something larger but the mystical cloud seems actively tring to manipulate the Griffin to meet the match that is Captain Atom.
"Seriously?" is asked by Captain Atom who draws back and then hammers the Griffin in the face. "Do you honestly think you're going to best me, creature? Mystical or not, you don't stand a chance against one who controls all forms of energy." and with that, the energy around his body shifts to that of white hot flame which will continue to act as a contact and proximity damage shield.
As he continues to watch, Kyani isn't liking the fact that he isn't…… Quirking his head to the side, watching the clouds then watching the Griffin, "Sonova….bitch.." Bringing his arms up, he begins to swing them rapidly and it only takes a matter of moment and as Kyani aims his arms outwards, he focuses them at the cloud. Having seen wht the clouds do to the Griffin, if he could disperse them, it may just weaken him. Two large tornadoes races off towards the clouds, "MOVE NOW!!" he hollars.
Black Lighting continues to send stunning bolts at the Griffin, only when openings present themselves, he doesn't know yet that his lightning might help Captain Atom who can absorb and reuse them. He does move aside when Kyani yells.
The increase in energy output by Atom has the Griffin wavering, and yelling as if there is a man in there fighting some external control on him. The tornadoes heading to the cloud seem to draw at that mystical energy formation, pulling the cloud into them. With that, the lightning feeding Griffin starts to disperse and Atom starts to official gain the upper hand, he would see, feel, or even sense, some of the power levels pumped into the Griffin start to dwindle.
As the cloud goes, the image of a bald man with black, thin facial hair is sort of glimpses. "You were supposed to be in Metropolis," he says at random, seeing the heroes gathered and Captain Atom defeating the Griffin. Though he doesn't stay long, dispersing in what is probably some dimensional portal. Between him going and Raptor taking out the cloud, it can be seen there is a mechanical device that was cloaked in the cloud as well - whether to help Pluto's magic, or assist the science enhanced Griffin is anyone's guess. Black Lighting doesn't hesitate, letting Atom fight Griffin, he turns his lighting on the device, to zap it, or drain it, or both.
Realizing there is something more going on down beneath him with his new off named friend, Atom takes the initiative and will kick the Griffin away from himself toward one of the tornadoes.
Now that he's stronger, Atom looks to the challenging image. He calls back, 'Here to stay, buddy. Now don't come back."
Having dispersed the clouds, Kyani continues so that Black Lightning has a bead on the device that was being used to possibly aid the Griffin. As he is about to stop now that the clouds were pretty much gone, Kyani spots a flying figure presumably the Griffin, be thrown into the vortex. Knowing he will need to be dealt with, Kyani begins to reverse the tornadoes down to a manageable speed, but also take away the Griffins air until he goes unconscious. Bringing the Griffin down to the building he is on, Kyani lets the man drop a few feet to land near him. "Alright, first catch." he laughs.
"We'll shall see," says the retreating voice as it leaves this dimension.
"You win, I'll say behind you next time you tell me," says Black Lightning towards Atom as the man challenges the dispersing cloud and Pluto.
The Griffin is caught and with power depleting he is completely unconscious. He lands with a soft thud and crumples at Raptor's feet.
Drifting back towards Raptor from where Captain Atom was, Black Lightning speaks up, "I think he'll be back, and that thing, the cloud machine or whatever, it looks like someone's helping him here. I know Justice League is protecting Earth and Metropolic, but maybe New York needs its champion as well?"
Touching down alongside BL and KK. "You're correct Lightning. New York doesn't seem to have an overt organized super hero team." the last three words said with a sour taste in his mouth.
Kneeling down and checking the mans pulse, "He's alive, but we better get him turned in." he says as he looks back between the two men. "Honestly, I'm still new to all of this, but I do know if there isn't a team here, maybe it's time one is formed." he says. Kyani watches both and following their trail of thought, "Maybe if such a team was created, they are based here in New York and slowly branching out to do more along what the JL does. There isn't anything saying that no one else can't help where the help is needed."
With a nod, Black Lightning agrees with the two other men. "All right, lets organize, I can give you two a cell number, we can coordinate meeting again, figuring out the logistics of this. Like seeing how made that thing and if that guy plans to come back for the souls of the city. We'll be the Outsiders," which may sound better if shortened. "If you can that is, Captain," cause of military obligations to the USAF.
"Actually I'm here because of the USAF. I'm on orders to help form or join such a group. Bringing my talents Stateside is by order of the NSA. So count me in and I'll see what I can do in regards to securing us a base of operations and such." states Captain Atom regarding the most recent remarks.
Never thought he would be helping form a team, and well from how things sounded on another venture, he may not get in. "Sure why not." he says. Reaching into a pouch, he produces a number for one of his burner phones. "Here you go. Now if we are doing this, I really need to come up with a damn codename that make sense for my abilities. I'm a speedster, it shouldn't be this damn hard." he sighs and grumbles.
"You're over thinking, maybe something not related to speed at all might help?" As if he's conversed with Kyani before about a code name, he offers his own number out the same. "Do we need to like register or something with NSA if we're gonna be on a team with you Captain Atom? Or are your orders simply to work with a such a team?"
"Simply work with. I'm sure the brass will have questions, but mostly for me since this team isn't already established. Anyway, I have a communicator. I'll link up with your numbers and it'll send my number directly."
Nodding his head, "I will figure it out." he tells Black Lightning. Once numbers are exchanged, he quirks a brow. "Well the biggest thing is getting ourselves setup. Honestly I don't have the funds to do it, and if we are going to be doing this, we will need quite a bit and money is going to be an issue if we are to have what we need." thinking for a moment, "I can already think of quite a bit we will need, and on top of that, what will be our focus and so on." he sighs. "How about we all meet up sometime, either in costume or out, and discuss this more, but in the mean time, we start looking for others who may want to join. And Outsiders of New York…..how about just Outsiders?" he asks.
"I have some funds, I'm still earning endorsements in the real world to help," and has a job, the endorsements is enough of his real life for the moment. "Something to get us going, we could proposition the city itself as well, assuring someone will be available, but that can be worked out as we see how much we can provide. My concern is the group helping Pluto to claim Manhattan like that." He puts his phone away with all the contacts exchanged. "Outsiders, ya, I think I could live with that."
"Outsiders is fine." states Captain Atom as he doesn't seem to have a preference. In fact, he's not really the 'super hero'/'spandex' wearing sort. He's Air Force. "Further, I don't have a secret ID. This is my skin now and if you all don't wish to compromise your own ID, then meeting in heroic guise is best."
"Well I guess this can all be hashed out at a later time. How about we try to meet up and do just that?" Kyani asks. "I mean if we are going to do this, we need to make sure we are setting ourselves up the way we want." A alarm goes off on his watch, "I need to get going, but I have your numbers now, so how about we setup a time and go from there. Honestly, at some point, we should know who one another is, in and out of costume. But I can that waiting for a bit."
Listening to the two, Black Lightning nods towards Raptor, "Ya, I agree, its a trust thing. If we're going to work together we should know each other's names, and out of costume. It would help to know if something happens to the other too. I'll leave discretion to you Captain, as regards what you tell the Military, but building trust is probably a good place to start between us. We'll arrange another meeting, plan on centralizing our efforts, and looking more into this matter."
Atom watches the youth depart and turns to BL. "Roger that. Now, on that note I've got to report in." Atom then lifts upwards and will say, "I'll be in touch." before streaking away.