Assault on the Empire!

[andyman]

[shadow=black,right,300]ASSAULT ON THE EMPIRE![/shadow]

... a group of very unique-- and very unhappy-- individuals.

The Secret Empire totaled the New Defender's townhouse, knocked the stuffing out of them, and managed to get Cloud away from them, too.* If Warren hadn't thought of moving the team here to his aerie, Moondragon, Angel, Beast, Gargoyle and Iceman would be meeting on the street right now! The New Defenders may be washed up as a super-team-- but maybe they can make it as movers!

Unpacking a box, Hank McCoy discovers...

Balance of Terror--trashed.
City on the Edge of Forever--trashed.
The Empath--trashed.
Amok Time--trashed.
Requiem for Methusaleh--trashed.

...all 79 of his Star Trek episodes have been wiped out! Not to mention his VCR-- and the Defenders' career as a team!

Across the room, Bobby Drake notices that it sure is high up here. The clouds remind him that the girl named Cloud came to the Defenders looking for help! But they're the ones who needed the help! That wasn't one little fight they lost-- that was a disaster! Iceman melodramatically thinks maybe he'll jump out of the window.

"I've got coffee, tea, milk, Mint Milanos, and Oreos?" Dolly Donahue, the team's renowned housekeeper, serves drinks and cookies. "Who wants what?"

* See Cloud Hidden! for all the details.


Beast's Health: 3/3
Beast's Energy: 9/9

Iceman's Health: 3/3
Iceman's Energy: 9/9

[Silentking Alpha]

"What the... all of my precious Star Trek episodes! Gone! Oh my stars and garters! Those monsters!" Beast begins to cry for a few minutes over the lost dvds before going through the other stuff. When he saw the other damages, he frowned a little. "This is very unpleasant news." He then went to the others to inform them what he learned noticably more concerned over his destroyed Star Trek VCR tapes.

[Manah]

Robert "Bobby" Drake

Bobby looks down the window, thinking about the irony of being so high in the sky when his morale (and that of most of his friends at the moment) was so darn low. He sighed silently, turning away from the otherwise breathtaking sight, and walked back to the others, trying to put a smile on his face. If he couldn't do it, no one could... 'cause that was how he dealt with bad situations. Which meant that lately, he spent a LOT of time trying to put a smile on his face.

-Ah, mrs. Donahue, you know just the words to ease a weary mind... I'll have oreos and milk, please. Nothing like milk and chocolate to make a man feel better.

Not the funniest thing he had ever said, true... but neither he, nor anyone, was really in the mood. Also, as much as he wanted to say it, he knew he didn't need to: they had to save Cloud. One way or another. What were the New Defenders at all if they couldn't save one girl? "Raise the team's morale... yeah. Save Cloud... sure. But how?", the young mutant thought to himself.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Start
H: 3/3
E: 9/9

1 stone into Social Skills (Humor) to try to lift the spirits of the others a little, myself included.

End
E: 8/9
Defense: 0
Mental Defense: 3 (Intelligence)
Immune to Cold

[andyman]

"Well, will you look at us?" Gargoyle laments. "What a fine group we turned out to be! We're all moping around like a bunch of spoiled babies--acting like the whole world has come to an end!"

"Be still! Gargoyle, and you as well, Beast! Moondragon has heard enough!"

Beast's Health: 3/3
Beast's Energy: 9/9

Iceman's Health: 3/3
Iceman's Energy: 9/9

[Manah]

Robert "Bobby" Drake

Drake frowned for a few seconds. He could understand Moondragon's frustration; not only had she suffered the same defeat they all had (perhaps an even worse fact considering her pride), but she wasn't even there by her own free will. However, she was being really unfair, both with the Defenders and humankind as a whole. He remained calm, however, and even tried to joke about it some more, still hoping to defuse the tension in the room.

-Oh, but we ARE a most pathetic race, actually. I mean, we spend most of our lives working at boring and repetitive jobs, most of us don't actually take to the streets to fight for our ideas and beliefs, most of us eat more than we need while others don't have enough to fill their bellies, and, FAR WORSE than anything, there are a good part of us who actually enjoy the 'Brady Bunch'. Now THAT's pathetic.

But then he smiled to Moondragon, after thanking mrs. Donahue for the cookies and milk:

-A lot of us got a lot of flaws, that's for sure. Don't learn these among us... but... (He then looked at Beast and Gargoyle) ...I believe each and every one of us has suffered in the past trying to help others, and are all ready to take that burden again, and that's nothing to sneeze at. We also support one another in times of trouble, such as... right about now. And finally... we humans are pretty bold and persistent. I guess you could say stubborn, too... but what I mean to say is, we often bounce back and try again even after failing miserably.

He dunked his cookie in his milk and took a bite out of it.

-...Kinda like what we're gonna do when we'll save Cloud from those Empire jerks.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Start
H: 3/3
E: 9/9

3 stones into Intelligence to come up with a decent little speech and find the appropriate words, in an attempt to help with my next action...

1 stone into Social Skills (Humor) to try to lower the obvious frustration and anger that fills the group at the moment in an attempt to make them either calm down/think things through/remember we're all in the same boat here and that whining about it won't change a thing... while working as a team will. ^_^

End
E: 5/9
Defense: 0
Mental Defense: 3 (Intelligence)
Immune to Cold

[andyman]

"Ah," Moondragon replies, "So at last you look beyond your own selfish needs and consider the problems of others."

Beast, Iceman and Angel are soon distracted from Moondragon's sermonette when looking out the window, they see who's back!

With a hand-held remote, Warren can open a wall for Val to fly in. First Angel and Iceman were hanging around with Hercules, as members of the gone-but-not-forgotten Champions, and now Valkyrie! Bobby knows these so called gods aren't really divine, so how come he has this crazy urge to kill a fatted calf and light a sacrificial fire?

"My dear friends! My heart fairly leaps at the sight of you!" Valkyrie sounds pretty chipper to Beast. Did she have some kind of cosmic revelation while out flying the friendly skies?


Angel's Health: 3/3
Angel's Energy: 9/9

Beast's Health: 3/3
Beast's Energy: 9/9

Iceman's Health: 3/3
Iceman's Energy: 8/9

[Manah]

Robert "Bobby" Drake

Once the feeling of awe lessens and allows him to think a little more clearly, Bobby puts one hand on his chest, seems to concentrate for a second, then states with a smile:

-Thankfully mine is still there, and beating, which is a good thing. But I'm very glad to see you, as well! Say, Valkyrie... you seem happier than all of us combined, has something happened?

[toast]

Angel smiles casually. Valkyrie is a sight to behold and her winged horse is absolutely amazing. Warren stretches his wings at the sight, as moves closer. Yeah, what's shakin' Valkyrie?

[Silentking Alpha]

Beast calmly waves hello at the sudden arrival. "Hello Ms. Valkyrie. How are you doing today?"

[andyman]

"In a way, Iceman," Valkyrie says dismounting Aragorn, "something has."

"The location of the Empire's Headquarters was in Cloud's mind...clear and bright," Moondragon states. "I can lead you there."


Angel's Health: 3/3
Angel's Energy: 9/9

Beast's Health: 3/3
Beast's Energy: 9/9

Iceman's Health: 3/3
Iceman's Energy: 9/9

[toast]

Very good! Let's get the plane fueled and go kick some Imperial butt! Warren fist pumps the sky as he rushes to get the plane ready for their next adventure.

[Silentking Alpha]

Beast nodded at Moondragon. "Yes, lead the way so that we may rescue Cloud." He then headed towards the nearest vehicle that can take them to their destination.

[Manah]

Robert "Bobby" Drake

Bobby watched as the others apparently all went from disheartened to fully confident in mere seconds. On one hand, he was glad that they hadn't given up. On the other... had he missed something? Last time they fought the Empire head on, said Empire's troops wiped the floor with them. What would be different this time aside from the effect of surprise and the motivation to save Cloud? Not that it wouldn't help, but...

-Uh, guys? ...Valkyrie? Far be it from me to discourage any of us to charge to the rescue and take on the Empire... in fact, I was trying to convince everyone to do just that like a minute ago... but, don't we need a plan, or something? I mean, we did get our butt kicked last time. And if we die, no one else will rescue Cloud, so we have to get this right.

[andyman]

Shortly, plans are made aboard a borrowed Avengers Quinjet...

"An' I >static< want you >static< >static< in there >static< >static< understand?" The Defenders are losing Colonel Fury's transmission.


Angel's Health: 3/3
Angel's Energy: 9/9
[Seated at the co-pilot's instrument panel.]

Beast's Health: 3/3
Beast's Energy: 9/9
[Overcoming the resistance of piloting the Quinjet requires 2 stones on energy from either Intelligence or Agility.]

Iceman's Health: 3/3
Iceman's Energy: 9/9
[Seated in the far back driver's side, behind Gargoyle and next to Valkyrie. Moondragon sits behind Angel and in front of Valkyrie.]

[Manah]

Robert "Bobby" Drake

Bobby simply sat there, next to Valkyrie (best seat in the plane, as far as he cared), listening and getting ready for action. Or for getting his butt kicked. Best think positive, though, as he kept reminding himself.

-"Major crisis brewing at SHIELD HQ?... Is it just me or is the world's growing more crazy everyday?