Infinity Storm #2 – Reign of Chaos

Previously in the pages of ... Infinity Storm
A terrible thunderstorm, summoned by Dr. Stratos, Master of Weather, has struck Freedom City. As a motley band of heroes was able to disable the storm generators Stratos had placed around the city, but not before the evil doctor was able to use his accumulated meteorological power to hammer Blackstone Penitentiary in Freedom Bay.

The resulting blast shattered the prison’s walls and knocked its electrical systems – including its supervillain containment fields – offline. Now the heroes are faced with a potential crime wave of epic proportions as villains attempt to flee the ruined prison…

And now ... Issue #2: Reign of Chaos

Our Heroes

• Dragoon, the Man out of Time
• The Indomitable Gray
• Paladin, the Technoknight
• Lilly Tombs, the Spirit of Youth

Recordkeeping

• Power points earned: 1

Portents
July 6, 2007 8:55 p.m.

Lilly – the Spirit of Youth -- woke up from a horrible dream to the sound of a terrible explosion that shakes the city. Catching glimpse of flames far out at sea, from the direction of Blackstone Penitentiary, she makes herself incorporeal and heads in that direction. Arriving at the prison she finds mob in yard trying to overwhelm guards, a hulk (Brickbrack) trying to tear his way into one of the towers, another group trying to get into a second tower, and a third with gunfire raining down in guards in center of courtyard.

Lilly, seeing Brickbrack trying to take apart one of the towers tower, mindcontrols him to aid the guards in their fight. He leapt to the center of the fight and began wading through the prisoners fighting the guards.

Paladin Informed
Seeing the explosion, knowing that Dr. Stratos had been headed that way, Paladin immediately contacted the authorities. He learned from them that Blackstone Prison had been hit, that one of its four stone guard towers is in ruins, that its electrical grid has been smashed, and that its super villain population is loose. Among those known to be on the island are Rant and Rave (twenty-something superpowered drug addicts), Devil Ray (member of the Crime League, known associate of Dr. Stratos), the White Knight (racist villain, associate of the neo-Nazi group SHADOW), the expert thief Magpie and Granite, the member of the Factor Four whom Gray had battled earlier.

Hearing this, Paladin sends out his probes – Sherlocks and Professors – to find his fellow adventurers and recruit help.

Graystone
Gray sensed the explosion at Blackstone, and headed out to the ruined prison where he found the melee ongoing in courtyard. He swam underground, emerging near center of fight. He realized that many of those around him appeared identical … and were intent on taking down the Paladin-armored super. He vaguely remembered hearing the name of these “villains” before: Mirror Men, spawned by a singular Mirror Man villain.

The power-armored individual identified himself as Strafe, a prison officer, and – thinking he is another of the villains -- orders him to stand down. Instead Gray initiates a shockwave knocking most of the combatants to their knees, including Strafe.

An outraged Strafe stumbles to his feet and says “I TOLD YOU TO STAND DOWN!” and unloads on Gray, staggering him. Several Mirror Men start cheering on Brickbrak thinking he’s on their side (and not mind controlled). Others try to pile on Gray, but fail to knock him out. The fighter turns and knocks one flying, and as he slips unconscious, the Mirror Man shatters.

Enter the Dragon
Dragoon tried to join the fight, following Strafe’s order to hit Brickbrack. He missed however. Strafe then tried to drop the huge brawler with a repulser blast, but the giant took it. Paladin arrives and declares to Strafe that he and his friends are attempting to assist with crowd control. He includes Gray among his friends, but Strafe was skeptical.

Lilly had Brickbrack tell the guards that he’s under her control, and helping them. She then had him try and grab a Mirror Man. He misses, and Lilly retreats to a tower where she erects a protective barrier.

Strafe unleashes a blast burst that pummels Gray into unconsciousness and shatters the two mirror men on him.

Lilly, seeing how arrogant Strafe is, decided to release Brickbrack, who proceeds to knock the power-armored guard into Dreamland. Gemini – the construct paladin had assigned to help with the field melee – radioed “Creator, we’re going to need some help here.” Seeing this, Dragoon flew in and strikes at Brickbrack, who shrugs of the attack.

Lilly spoke to his mind, and told him to take out the Mirror Men instead. Paladin dispatched Ovid to revive Gray. He summoned the rest of his minions – two Sherlocks and a Professor -- to dazzle the prisoners in the towers while he reacted to the battle below. He flew at Brickbrack, unloading with his dual repulsar array into his chest, which stuns the man The ordinary prisoners, seeing the arrival of the heroes, flee.

Mirror Mirror
Mirror Man saw them flee, said in mirrored unison “We’re NOT going back inside” and suddenly there were another 15 of them in the courtyard.

Lilly tried again to fry Brickbrack’s brain into submission, but fails. Dragoon attempted to take down the hulk as well, but can’t stagger him. Paladin, suddenly surrounded by duplicates, lashed out at a Mirror Man. but can’t hit. Gemini, however, shattered one with a blow.

The troubled youth shatters a third of the Mirror Men with a telekinetic blast. Dragoon tries to grapple Brickbrack in an attempt to teleport him far into the air, but the brute shrugs off the attack.

Mirror Men launched a grapple wave that pinnedGrey, Dragoon and Gemini. Lilly tried yet again to fry Brickbrack’s again, and failed. Grey punches the Mirror Man that grappled him, shattering it. Three mirror men try and strangle Dragoon, but the space veteran merely smiles. Three others bash in Gemini’s helmet, disabling the robot.

Frustrated, Lilly flew down in front of Brickbrack, manifesting a ghostly aura that caused the brute to scream in terror and flee blindly.

Staggered, Gray tried to strike the Mirror Men around him but missed. Strafe, resuscitated by Ovid, got to his feet and unloaded on the Mirror Men and Gray, bruising the hero, shattering the Mirror Men. Seeing Strafe fire on her friend again, Lilly used TK to grab Strafe, and chucked him into the bay.

Paladin contacted Strafe to make sure that he’s alive; the super-powered guard reported that his armor was holding, but that he was sinking into the water and said he’ll have to walk back.

After the Fight
July 6, 2007 10:20 p.m.

After the fight, Strafe said he knows criminals and that Gray may not be one yet … but he will be. He then goes to assist his fellow superguard, Warboss, in the prison. The warden thanks for Paladin’s assistance, and asks they go search the perimeter. They find that several boats are missing. Grey reports one of the boats made it to the city, while Paladin receives report on military band from Coast Guard of submarine activity off the coast.

Within the hour, transport from Lockdown arrived, escorted by STAR helicopters. Strafe and Warboss start loading prisoners on to the plane.