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Phantasm · 05-16-2018, 11:20 PM

Mini-Session 7: Brief Flash Forward

There's reasons I won't get into where the players know roughly what will happen in the first real session. Suffice to say, I had an idea to get a second plot rolling, and despite not having the first real session yet decided to run a mini the day after the events of the first real fight as Avril, Ana, Chel, and Doc had a victory celebration at Chel's place.

So who should knock on the door but Agent Fred Duncan of the FBI's SHIELD unit. Despite an initial panic attack (Chel: "IT'S THE FEDS! EVERYONE OUT THE BACK DOOR!"), Agent Duncan managed to calm Chel down and introduced himself to the group, under the context of hiring them for a job.

According to Duncan, a string of murders across the nation involving superhumans have occurred, all tied to a genetics research project code-named "Project Rum-and-Coke". ("Who names these?" he asked no one in particular.) Among the victims were Evelyn Richards, wife of Dr. Nathaniel Richards and mother to (currently 7 year old) Reed Richards; Elizabeth Mace Ross, daughter of the Patriot and Golden Girl, wife of US Army Major Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross, and mother of Elizabeth "Betty" Ross; and Shawn Bowen, who may or may not be related in some way to the future Tandy Bowen/Dagger (though the players didn't seem to catch the name drop). Each of the deceased was killed by a superhuman (possibly more than one): Mrs. Richards had her car rammed from the front by someone with superhuman strength and durability, then made to look like she'd rammed a tree; Mrs. Ross had been decapitated by a speedster; and Mr. Bowen had drowned in bed in his third story apartment with his wife sleeping next to him (she lived).

Also, this little tidbit, when Duncan kept using the full name for SHIELD:
<Ana_Nightingale> "You guys really need a better name, you know."
<Duncan> "We're working on it." He gives a wry grin.
<Doc> "Its a government agency, the more words it has the more worried you need to be."
<Chelsea> "I-- look, call it the FBI SHIELD. Save us all some time. Learn to love the acronym, man."
<Duncan> "That'd be admitting that Deputy Director Woo wanted our initials to spell out 'shield'." Another wry grin.
<Chelsea> "Ah. Well, we couldn't have that."

When asked if he had a lead on the next target, since the party would be tangling with super-human serial killers, Duncan admitted he had a possibility: either Kurt Marko or his wife Sharon Xavier Marko. He then hired the group to protect the Markos and their two boys from prior marriages: Cain Marko and Charles Xavier. Duncan also mentioned that he had specifically been ordered not to pursue the matter, nor what Rum-and-Coke was up to, by his superior, Senior Agent Gyrich. (Yes, that Gyrich.)

This sparked a discussion between Chelsea and Ana on how to approach the Markos, and whether anyone showing up at the Westchester County estate (in civvies) would alert the assassins that someone was onto them.

As the girls debated how to approach the Markos and their boys, Doc wandered outside for a smoke, as he didn't see himself as a hero and didn't want to get roped into it. He also had an unhealthy dislike of Feds, after his experiences at the end of the Vietnam War. (Honestly, can't say I blame him.) Duncan found him outside and joined him for a smoke, relating how his own father had served over in 'Nam, ultimately being declared "missing, presumed dead" in '70, with less than a month to go in his tour. Duncan said that he understood Doc's resentment toward the Feds, but that at least one Fed was on Doc's side and just doing his best inside the system to protect people. The two parted with what looked like a cautious agreement.

----

Yes, I did a lot of name-dropping. :) I had always intended to use Fred Duncan, the X-Men's FBI liaison in the mid to late '60s, as the team's government contact, and this gave me a good way to introduce him. I was also able to flesh out Duncan a bit more than the comics ever did, which I liked.

Spoilers behind Project Rum-and-Coke is really the Black Womb project. You can probably guess who I have in mind as the BBEG of this particular plot-line. fnords.

I think I've identified one issue with Ana's player: no disconnect between IC and OOC. Something for us to work on with him.

Anyway, HOPEFULLY this weekend or next we'll see the full team together for the first time.

05-16-2018, 11:20 PM	#36
Phantasm Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: On the road again...	Re: [Supers] Enter the Shadowguard - a Marvel Reboot Story Mini-Session 7: Brief Flash Forward There's reasons I won't get into where the players know roughly what will happen in the first real session. Suffice to say, I had an idea to get a second plot rolling, and despite not having the first real session yet decided to run a mini the day after the events of the first real fight as Avril, Ana, Chel, and Doc had a victory celebration at Chel's place. So who should knock on the door but Agent Fred Duncan of the FBI's SHIELD unit. Despite an initial panic attack (Chel: "IT'S THE FEDS! EVERYONE OUT THE BACK DOOR!"), Agent Duncan managed to calm Chel down and introduced himself to the group, under the context of hiring them for a job. According to Duncan, a string of murders across the nation involving superhumans have occurred, all tied to a genetics research project code-named "Project Rum-and-Coke". ("Who names these?" he asked no one in particular.) Among the victims were Evelyn Richards, wife of Dr. Nathaniel Richards and mother to (currently 7 year old) Reed Richards; Elizabeth Mace Ross, daughter of the Patriot and Golden Girl, wife of US Army Major Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross, and mother of Elizabeth "Betty" Ross; and Shawn Bowen, who may or may not be related in some way to the future Tandy Bowen/Dagger (though the players didn't seem to catch the name drop). Each of the deceased was killed by a superhuman (possibly more than one): Mrs. Richards had her car rammed from the front by someone with superhuman strength and durability, then made to look like she'd rammed a tree; Mrs. Ross had been decapitated by a speedster; and Mr. Bowen had drowned in bed in his third story apartment with his wife sleeping next to him (she lived). Also, this little tidbit, when Duncan kept using the full name for SHIELD: <Ana_Nightingale> "You guys really need a better name, you know." <Duncan> "We're working on it." He gives a wry grin. <Doc> "Its a government agency, the more words it has the more worried you need to be." <Chelsea> "I-- look, call it the FBI SHIELD. Save us all some time. Learn to love the acronym, man." <Duncan> "That'd be admitting that Deputy Director Woo wanted our initials to spell out 'shield'." Another wry grin. <Chelsea> "Ah. Well, we couldn't have that." When asked if he had a lead on the next target, since the party would be tangling with super-human serial killers, Duncan admitted he had a possibility: either Kurt Marko or his wife Sharon Xavier Marko. He then hired the group to protect the Markos and their two boys from prior marriages: Cain Marko and Charles Xavier. Duncan also mentioned that he had specifically been ordered not to pursue the matter, nor what Rum-and-Coke was up to, by his superior, Senior Agent Gyrich. (Yes, that Gyrich.) This sparked a discussion between Chelsea and Ana on how to approach the Markos, and whether anyone showing up at the Westchester County estate (in civvies) would alert the assassins that someone was onto them. As the girls debated how to approach the Markos and their boys, Doc wandered outside for a smoke, as he didn't see himself as a hero and didn't want to get roped into it. He also had an unhealthy dislike of Feds, after his experiences at the end of the Vietnam War. (Honestly, can't say I blame him.) Duncan found him outside and joined him for a smoke, relating how his own father had served over in 'Nam, ultimately being declared "missing, presumed dead" in '70, with less than a month to go in his tour. Duncan said that he understood Doc's resentment toward the Feds, but that at least one Fed was on Doc's side and just doing his best inside the system to protect people. The two parted with what looked like a cautious agreement. ---- Yes, I did a lot of name-dropping. :) I had always intended to use Fred Duncan, the X-Men's FBI liaison in the mid to late '60s, as the team's government contact, and this gave me a good way to introduce him. I was also able to flesh out Duncan a bit more than the comics ever did, which I liked. Spoilers behind Project Rum-and-Coke is really the Black Womb project. You can probably guess who I have in mind as the BBEG of this particular plot-line. fnords. I think I've identified one issue with Ana's player: no disconnect between IC and OOC. Something for us to work on with him. Anyway, HOPEFULLY this weekend or next we'll see the full team together for the first time. __________________ "Life ... is an Oreo cookie." - J'onn J'onzz, 1991 "But mom, I don't wanna go back in the dungeon!" The GURPS Marvel Universe Reboot Project A-G, H-R, and S-Z, and its not-a-wiki-really web adaptation. Ranoc, a Muskets-and-Magery Renaissance Fantasy Setting Last edited by Phantasm; 12-17-2020 at 05:46 AM.