Cutscenes

Basically, I write up a cutscene for the players to enjoy and read it to them before the start of each game. This isn't information the characters have but I trust them not to metagame and it helps to make the game feel more like a comic book. Does anyone else do this for their games? My players love it.

I wanted to share some of the cutscenes I've done for a few of my games.

(Bear in mind, my game is set in Atlantic City, where the PCs have just established themselves as the city's sole official superhero group. My campaign is set a good 6 months before Civil War)

Fade in... the scene is a lavishly decorated office, tastefully done in various shades of brown, black and gray. The couches and chairs are fine Italian leather, the carpet is soft and gray, the paintings on the wall are expensive originals and the large oak desk in the back of the office facing the door has a dark, slightly menacing finish and could have easily cost ten thousand dollars. The older Italian man sitting behind the desk wears a dark gray Armani suit that likely cost quite a bit more. Standing to his right is a younger Italian man, also wearing an expensive gray suit... aside from age it's obvious the two men are related somehow. Standing against the wall to their left is a very large brutish looking man in an off the rack gray suit, arms crossed, a scowl on his slightly Neanderthal-like face. Across the room the doors open and another gentleman steps into the room... he seems unusually confident as he strides toward the desk, wearing a clean white suit and a matching fedora.

The older gentleman perks up a bit as the man in the white suit stops about 5 feet from the desk.

Giovanni: "Well now, I had heard a newcomer was in town and wished to speak with me. I'm afraid I have not had the pleasure".

The man in the white suit smiles and removes his hat.

Edmonds: "Ah but everyone knows who you are in this town... Giovanni Diego, capo of Atlantic City's la cosa nostra". He nods toward the younger man sitting next to Giovanni "And I see your nephew Angelo is present as well. Excellent. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Vincent Edmonds".

Angelo snorts a bit.

Angelo: "So? Never heard of you. Edmonds... what is that, English?"

Giovanni holds up a hand.

Giovanni: "Angelo, please". He turns to Edmonds again and raises an eyebrow "Mr. Edmonds... while my nephew has made a rude statement, it is nonetheless a true statement. I don't know you, nor have I heard of you. What do you want, and why should I care to invest my valuable time to help you?"

Edmonds smirks a bit.

Edmonds: "Of course you don't know my name, Don Diego. I am not affiliated with your little organization".

Giovanni and Angelo frown a touch at the small show of disrespect. Edmonds continues.

Edmonds: "I come representing someone... and I know for a fact that he would indeed take grave offense should you so casually disrespect him".

Angelo balls up his fists and stands up.

Angelo: "You dare to come in here and speak to us like this? You dare to speak to us about disrespect?!"

Giovanni sighs a touch.

Giovanni: "Angelo, sit down... I am more than capable of handling this".

Angelo flushes and sits down, all the while glaring at a smiling Edmonds. Giovanni turns back to Edmonds.

Giovanni: "And just who is it that you represent that you feel we should pay such homage to?"

Edmonds smiles wickedly, a glint in his eye. He speaks one word.

Edmonds: "Kingpin".

Angelo's eyes go wide... his heart skips a beat. He turns to his uncle, who has set his jaw but otherwise seems unphased.

Giovanni: "Kingpin... I see. Very well, Mr. Edmonds... what can I do for you?"

Edmonds flashes a smile. Here comes the punch. He can't wait to see their reactions.

Edmonds: "To put it simply, Mr. Fisk wishes to expand his operations to Atlantic City. You will continue to operate as normal, but with him running the show. 60% of your profits will be sent to our people. He thinks this to be a more than generous proposal and hopes the transition will go as smoothly as possible".

Even Giovanni's eyes bulge at this. His jaw trembles... Angelo just blinks. Who the hell did this mook think he was, barging in here like this and demanding this s***? Giovanni shakes his head, his face flushed red with anger as he stands. Edmonds stands his ground and tries to keep from laughing.

Giovanni: "Excuse me? No, the 'Kingpin' does not come into MY city and issue ME a god $%&#@ ultimatum! Do you know who I AM?! I'm Giovanni $%&#@ing Diego and NO ONE, not even the Kingpin demands anything from me!"

Edmonds frowns a bit.

Edmonds: "That's unfortunate. I'm afraid Mr. Fisk will be very displeased".

He turns to leave. Giovanni shouts out.

Giovanni: "Oh no you don't, you douche bag! You're giving Mr. Fisk a message alright, but not the way you think". He turns to the large man "Frankie"!

Frankie growls and draws a pistol from his jacket and with no hesitation fires a shot. Edmond's eyes go wide... the front of his skull erupts as the bullet tears through it, ending his life. His body lands with a messy thud on the carpet. Giovanni sits down and scowls.

Giovanni: "I got yer message right here..." He turns to Frankie again "Frankie, get that mess cleaned up and deliver a package to Mr. Fisk".

Frankie nods and moves to pick up the body, dragging it from the room. Angelo gulps, his face white as he looks at his uncle.

Angelo: "U... uncle Giovanni. Are you sure you know what you're doing? This is the Kingpin we're talking about!"

Giovanni scoffs.

Giovanni: "Of course I know what I'm doing... I know all about Wilson Fisk. If he thinks he can come in here and pull this s*** without starting a war, the fat man is sadly mistaken".

Fade out... and fade in to a vast office decorated even more luxuriously than Don Giovanni's... location? A 40th floor penthouse in midtown Manhattan. On the far side of the office stands an enormous bald man, easily 7 feet tall and powerfully wide like a sumo wrestler. He wears a custom made white suit and holds a cane with a large diamond the size of a man's fist set at the top. Looking out a large window, he surveys his kingdom... after a moment the doors to the office open and a man steps in, carrying a box. He respectfully waits a moment after stopping 20 feet from the crime lord. Fisk finally turns toward the man and raises a brow.

Kingpin: "Yes, what is it?"

The man nods his head respectfully and in a shaky voice speaks, holding open the box with Edmonds' severed head inside for his boss to see.

Underling: "Sir, we received this package this morning. I think this is the Diego family's answer to your proposition".

Fisk smiles a bit, which catches the underling off guard a bit.

Kingpin: "But of course that was their answer. I expected nothing less, and Edmonds had failed me one time too many".

He turns back to look out the window and speaks evenly.

Kingpin: "If those barbarians think they are above the Kingpin, they will soon learn that they are sadly mistaken. Send in the Rose and Tombstone".

The man nods.

Underling: "Yes, sir".

He turns and exits the room. Ten minutes later, two men step into the room. The first, Tombstone, is an impressive 6'7" and powerfully built, wearing a black suit, which contrasts sharply with his albino skin and white buzzed hair. He has an almost gaunt face, and when he smiles, his mouth is shown to be filled with rows of sharp shark-like teeth. The second man, The Rose, seems less brutal than the first and seems quite short with the other men in the room. He stands at 6' even and wears a white suit. His head is covered by a light purple full mask, over which he wears a pair of white rimmed glasses. His hands are covered as well with matching purple gloves. Although the shorter of the two new men, the Rose seems more menacing in a subtle way, though that aspect is vastly overshadowed by the sheer presence of the Kingpin of Crime... who now turns toward them both.

Kingpin: "Ah, good... gentlemen, I have a job for you in Atlantic City..."

Fade out...

Fade in... the scene is the Platinum Doubloon, a ritzy casino in downtown Atlantic City, around 10pm on a Saturday night... needless to say, the place is packed with people drinking, gambling and gambling some more. The sounds of laughter, chatter and slot machines fill the air, with the occasional click of chip on chip heard amongst it all. This is the kind of place that wealthy residents and tourists flock to every weekend to get hammered and throw away their money. Of course, the place is crawling with security... guards wander the casino floor nonstop on the lookout for any trouble, while the cameras above watch every move each dealer and customer makes. It could be said that there are more cameras in this particular casino than could be found on all the paparazzi in a 20 block radius on a Saturday night in Hollywood.

About a dozen cameras in particular happen to capture a very large, stocky man about 6'7" tall with albino white skin wearing a black suit walk into the casino... about a dozen more capture the man pushing past 4 security guards and quickly moving up some stairs marked "Executives Only"... casino guests either gasp in shock or chuckle in amusement at the debacle. Upstairs, Angelo Diego sits at an oak desk and taps his fingers impatiently as he watches the albino man's progress. He watches as the albino man casually knocks half a dozen more guards aside... annoyed, he presses a button on the phone on his desk.

Angelo: "What the f#@& is this mook doing? I don't give a @#$%& who he is now, #$@&ing take him down! Kill him!"

On the monitor, he now watches as several guards draw pistols and open fire at the albino man. Though the feed on the monitor is black and white and silent, the sounds of gunshots can be heard not far from outside his office door. To Angelo's horror, the albino man seems completely unphased by the bullets. Angelo's eyes go wide.

Angelo: "Holy $#!%!"

On the monitor, the albino sneers a wicked sneer, revealing a mouth full of sharp, sharklike teeth. He moves toward the two guards, who themselves look shocked, and, as easily as a child would pick up a stuffed toy, grabs them by the throats and crushes their larynxes. Dropping the dead guards, the man kicks down the door at the end of the hall. Angelo jumps back from his desk as the door to his office is forcefully kicked down, wood splinters flying as the huge albino steps into the room. Angelo scowls, drawing a pistol and emptying the clip into the man's chest... gawking as the bullets seem to ricochet off his body as if it were made of stone.

Angelo: "What... what the Hell are you?!"

The man smiles now, showing those rows of teeth off again. His voice is deep and gravelly, but spoken barely above a whisper.

Tombstone: "The name's Tombstone... and you know why I'm here. No one says 'no' to the Kingpin".

Angelo's eyes widen as he drops the gun.

Angelo: "Wait! Listen, I told my uncle it was a bad idea! Y, your beef's with him, not me!"

Tombstone's eyes narrow as his lips curl into a sardonic smile.

Tombstone: "Yeah I know that... aint got no beef, kid. You're gonna be more like a bulletin board, see? We're gonna make your uncle suffer a bit before we -really- make him pay..."

Angelo's face goes white as Tombstone advances on him...

Angelo: "No! No! No, Please! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!"

Fade out... fade back in to a monitor as it shows a news broadcast for channel 8 Eyewitness News. The attractive brunette stands in front of the Atlantic City Museum of Antiquities and History, smiling as the newscast begins.

"This is Carol Johanssen reporting for Channel 8 Eyewitness News. I'm standing in front of the Atlantic City Museum of Antiquities and History, where later today a new wing of the museum will be dedicated to this city's brave firefighters and police officers, bought with an incredibly generous donation from none other than Atlantic City's own group of super heroes, the Atlantic Defenders, who only last week thwarted a bank robbery and apprehended all the criminals involved. The newly formed supergroup will be on hand for the dedication, and notable team leader Kevin Marshall, or Heatwave will personally address the large crowd expected to be present. This is Carol Johanssen reporting live for Channel 8 Eyewitness News".

The picture flashes back to the newsroom, where a man and a woman behind a desk smile at the viewers. The man nods.

"Thank you Carol. In other news, a local casino, the Platinum Doubloon, was the scene of a grisly discovery last night... Angelo Diego, famed nephew of noted philanthropist Giovanni Diego was found dead in his office, along with the bodies of two others believed to have been guards. Eyewitnesses say they saw a large albino man push past guards and move upstairs... Diego's body was maimed almost beyond recognition, and authorities say they believe the man to be Lonnie Thompson Lincoln, aka 'Tombstone', a well known super powered criminal believed to normally operate in New York. No further details have been released as of yet".

The monitor goes black. Pan back from the darkened monitor to reveal the back of an armored head, gleaming and metallic... the figure sits before a massive technological wall of various buttons, monitors and readouts. It speaks now, it's voice low, metallic and hollow.

Decimator: "Atlantic Defenders indeed... hahahahahahahahahahaha!"

His laughter echos throughout the chamber, resounding as the scene fades... fade out.

((The players apprehended Tombstone, only to learn that he was a decoy, and the Rose and his men had murdered Giovanni and his family while the heroes were occupied))

Fade in... once more to the luxurious penthouse of one of New York's tallest buildings, as the large form of the Kingpin stands, arms crossed behind his back, gazing out an enormous window to survey his kingdom. He seems quite pleased with himself, a smile playing across his features as his aid stands some 15 feet behind him. The aid speaks.

Man: "Yes, sir. It appears your ruse worked... the heroes unwittingly played right into your hand. I would imagine Tombstone is not very happy at the moment, however".

*The large man waves his hand dismissively without turning*

Kingpin: "It is of no consequence. If Tombstone remains loyal, his sacrifice will not go unrewarded. I am more concerned with my prize in Atlantic City".

*The aid nods*

Man: "Yes sir. It appears that your gambit worked. With Giovanni dead, the rest of the city's underworld is relenting to your authority".

*The Kingpin nods*

Kingpin: "Yes... I am quite pleased with our progress. I am, however somewhat concerned about this other presence within my new city. These robots which the erstwhile 'heroes' have been battling... I wish to know more about them, and the individual behind them. He could be an ally or an enemy, and I wish to know which".

*The aid stiffens*

Man: "Yes sir. I'll make whatever arrangements need to be made".

*The Kingpin sighs wistfully*

Kingpin: "Yes... everything is going according to plan".

Fade out... fade into a darkened room with 4 silhouettes seated around a table. Two of the figures are massive, while the last two are man sized. One of the man sized figures is muttering something, but no words can be heard from our perspective. The others nod and mutter in acknowledgment as the first figure cackles in sadistic glee. He slams a fist on the table with a crash, speaking in a low voice... he begins to laugh once more, and the others now join in the laughter. Fade out.

Small town in New Jersey called Tinselton... population 3,500. Heroes will be called to investigate the disappearance of a group of teenagers who had last been seen at a gas station 15 miles east of Tinselton heading toward the town. The group consisted of 2 boys and 2 girls, one of whom is the daughter of the commissioner of Atlantic City's daughter, Tandy. Tandy's boyfriend's name is Jason, and apparently he and his friends are bad news... into drugs, shoplifting and drinking. The other two are Steve and Amy, another couple. The AC police tried to contact the police in Tinselton, but there appears to be no response. The commissioner begs Heatwave to help get his daughter back, but discretely.

If the group flies over the town, the jet shorts out and crash lands just outside of the city limits. Crawling out of the rubble no worse for wear, the heroes find that their powers don't work. As of right now they are as human as anyone. The town seems deserted. This will soon prove to not be the case, however...

What actually happened: 3 days ago, a meteorite crashed into the back of a farm just outside of Tinselton. The farmer went to investigate and the entity inside attacked him and devoured his brain, turning him into the master zombie, the host. The host went about infecting his family and turning them into drones. Host took the remains of the meteorite and went into town, going to the church and infecting the people within... setting the crystal which was in the meteorite in the steeple of the church. The energy emitted by this crystal allows an increasing range of control of his drones, as well as nullifying the powers of metahumans, and rendering electronics inert. Once this has been destroyed, all powers and electronics will return. Host resides within the church, guarded by his children.


Cutscene:

Fade in... the scene is within some dark, lonely woods where it seems a small party is taking place in a clearing. Centered around a roaring campfire on this moonlit night are two tents... parked nearby is an old beat up van, and sitting around the fire are four teenagers. The dark haired boy sports an everpresent grin and heavy lidded eyes... he wears clothes that look off the rack of his local thrift store, and he currently holds a joint in his fingers as he watches one of the girls, a petite blonde haired girl who could be considered cute if it weren't for the bags beneath her eyes dance topless on the other side of the fire. The blonde haired boy seems dressed nicer than one in this crowd should be dressed, yet somehow he still fits in. He sips at a bottle of beer and laughs, his arm around the shoulders of the brunette girl... a girl who despite it all doesn't seem to fit in at all. She seems too nice, too girl next door. The blonde boy speaks.

Jason: "Ha! Steve your chick always takes her gear off when she's baked!"

*The dark haired boy laughs, maybe a little too hard*

Steve: "Heh, I know! Look at her man, she's so wasted! This stuff is -prime-!"

*The blonde girl scoffs and points at them*

Amy: "Yeah, uh huh... I'm not nearly wasted enough, you jerks..."

*She walks around the fire and grabs the joint from Steve's hand*

Amy: "Gimme that!"

*She takes a deep drag, tries to hold it in, coughs and starts laughing, handing it back to Steve*

Amy: "Nice. Hey, pass some of that to Tandy"

*The brunette girl holds up her hand*

Tandy: "Oh, no thank you..."

*The blonde boy laughs*

Jason: "Aww don't pressure her, guys... just means more for us! Woo!"

*The other two join in on the "wooing" and Steve hands the joint to Jason, who takes a hit and passes it back. He exhales away from his girlfriend, who smiles a bit*

Tandy: "Jason, thanks for taking me away for the weekend. It's nice to get away from my dad and his stupid rules".

*Jason smirks*

Jason: "Yeah, he can be a real jerk sometimes... I know he hates me, but baby, you're mine and he's gonna have to get used to that".

*She smiles and the two of them kiss. The moment is ruined however by Steve, who hollars out*

Steve: "Jason! Toss me another beer, dude!"

*Jason frowns a touch as he reaches back into the cooler*

Jason: "$#!&. We're out, man. I gotta run into town and grab another case."

*He kisses Tandy lightly and grins*

Jason: "I won't be long, babe..."

*Steve smirks and loudly yells*

Steve: "Hurry back, dude... my buzz is lowering itshelf. I need more godly nectar!"

*Tandy watches as her boyfriend gets into the van and pulls off... sighing a bit, wondering if she should have offered to go along. She looks over at Steve and Amy, who are now in the process of making out. 'great', she thinks*

*Fade out*





Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/27/2008 10:34AM by Punstarr.

I think you posted this one once before, not sure in what other thread though.

"A shared universe, like any fictional construct, hinges on suspension of disbelief. When continuity is tossed away, it tatters the construct. Undermines it."

-- Peter David

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((Yeah this isn't my own writing... but I did take the comic and transfer it to cutscene format, which was pretty tedious... my players had never read the comics, so the looks on their faces were priceless, hehe))

Fade in... the scene is a sleepy little New England American town... Stamford, Connecticut. The tranquility of this suburban neighborhood is about to be interrupted, however. It's a neighborhood like many others... homes lining the streets, freshly mowed lawns and SUVs. Parked on one street in particular is a televising van with the "New Warriors" logo professionally painted on the sides and front. Down the street, crouched behind some bushes are the New Warriors themselves... once a young and upcoming team of super heroes, now the stars of their own super hero reality TV show. They are Speedball, a very young blonde man with the power to create a kinetic field around himself... Night Thrasher, a man with no powers who relies on superb physical skill and high tech gadgets... Namorita, the cousin of the famous Atlantean Namor, who's ability to fly is exceeded only by her resilience and strength. Her blue skin and white hair marks her Atlantean heritage... Finally, there is Microbe, a rotund man with the ability to control microscopic organisms. Surrounding them are their film crew: a cameraman, sound operator and a makeup technician. The Warriors are in constant contact with the exec and technician back at the MRVL Network via earpieces and subvocal microphones.

*The executive speaks to the New Warriors from the studio*

Executive: "Okay, how many super villains are we talking here, Speedball?"

*Speedball crouches lower to avoid being seen*

Speedball: "Three. No, wait. I think I see Coldheart in the backyard emptying the trash. That's four of em in total, and all four are on the FBI's most wanted list, right?"

*The technician punches the data into the computer in front of him and the exec looks at the results carefully*

Executive: "Cobalt Man, Coldheart, Speedfreek, Nitro... yep, they all broke out of Riker's three months back, and all of them have records as long as your arm. Coldheart fought Spider-Man a couple of times and--get this--Speedfreak almost took down the Hulk."

*Back in Stamford, Night Thrasher raises a brow*

Night Thrasher: "He what?!"

*Microbe shakes his head*

Microbe: "These guys are totally out of our league, man. No way we should be going in there."

*Speedball balks at that*

Speedball: "But think about the ratings, Microbe. This could be the best episode of the entire season. Six months we've been driving around the midwest looking for goofballs to fight, and the best we've managed so far was a bum with a spray can and a wooden leg. This could be the episode that really puts New Warriors on the map, dude. We beat these guys and people stop @#$%& about Nova leaving the show to go back into space."

*Namorita nods*

Namorita: "So what's the plan?"

*Speedball smirks*

Speedball: "The plan is you spend five more minutes in makeup, Namorita. You think people wanna see that great big ugly zit on your chin?"

*She turns and the makeup guy applies some blue powder to her face... Speedball starts back up*

Speedball: "Then we--"

*Night Thrasher interrupts him, watching the house through high tech binoculars*

Night Thrasher: "Uh oh."

*Microbe sweats a little*

Microbe: "Whassup?"

*Behind the house, a woman with dark hair in a blue shirt and jogging pants looks very carefully at the bush... and spots the New Warriors! She runs into the house as Night Thrasher says "we've been marked"... she screams to her fellow super villains who had been lounging around the house, "EVERYONE IN COSTUME! IT'S A RAID!" Speedball sighs and yells out "GO!!!", and the New Warriors leap into action as the cameras roll. Speedball crashes through a window to slam into a surprised Speedfreek, sending them both sprawling out into the driveway*

Speedball: "I've heard that clothes make the man, Speedfreek... and in your case it's totally true!"

*As he speaks, he punches Speedfreek hard, his kinetic field adding to the damage dealt. The nearby cameraman fiddles with the camera*

Cameraman: "Sound was off for a second there, bud. Any chance of that last part again?"

*Speedball, loving the limelight, smirks as he back kicks Speedfreek*

Speedball: "Sure thing... and in YOUR case it's TOTALLY TRUE, chuckles!"

*Elsewhere, in the backyard, Coldheart faces off against Night Thrasher and Namorita. She now wields two swords, each crackling with deadly energy*

Coldheart: Wait a minute. I know you guys. You're those idiots from that reality show. I'm not getting taken down by Goldfish Girl and the Bondage Queen."

*Namorita darts in and delivers a wicked punch to Coldheart's jaw*

Namorita: "Beg to differ, coldheart."

*Night Thrasher follows that up with a brutal kick to Coldheart's stomach that sends her tumbling back into unconsciousness, her swords dropping to the grassy ground*

Night Thrasher: "Could we cut out the part where she called me the Bondage Queen?"

*Microbe chuckles, the armored form of Cobalty Man rusted and helpless beneath him*

Microbe: Oh, yeah. Because Night Thrasher sounds SO much straighter. Got my bacterial beaties rusting Cobalt Man if anyone wants to track down that old Captain Marvel villain."

*Namorita takes to the sky*

Namorita: "Not to worry, Microbe... I'm on it."

*From the sky, she spots the fleeing Nitro as he begins to run down the street past a school bus in front of Stamford Elementary School... within 30 feet, many children are playing in the field, recess in session. Namorita swoops down, slamming Nitro into the side of the schoolbus, the crashing sound heard for blocks. Several kids run over to see what's going on. Namorita clenches her fists*

Namorita: "On your feet, Nitro... and don't try any of your stupid explosions because that's only going to make me hit you harder."

*Nitro glances up at her, wiping a bit of blood off his lip*

Nitro: "Namorita, right? You the Sub Mariner's cousin or something? Well, I'm afraid we're not the bargain basement losers you guys are used to, baby..."

*He clenches his own fists as his eyes begin to glow*

Nitro: "You're playing with the big boys now."

*Before the Altantean girl can react, Nitro explodes in a MASSIVE explosion... it envelops the school bus. Namorita dies instantly. It envelops the school yard. Hundreds of children are vaporized. It envelops the houses for blocks. The New Warriors die. The other villains die. Numerous people at home die. It envelops the school itself. More children and teachers die. It's a massacre.*

*Fade out... fade in as the scene unfolds. The remains of Stamford elementary are but a charred mess of debris and death. Despite the presence of numerous superheroes from the X-Men and the Avengers, they still haven't managed to clean all the charred skeletons from the area. Precidence goes to finding survivors. Captain America stands with Iron Man as they sadly survey the area*

Iron Man: "I'm told they've got a lead on Nitro. Word is he sneaked out of town in the back of a pickup truck."

*Captain America frowns*

Captain America: "Does it matter? All these children, Tony. The F.E.M.A. chief said there could be eight or nine hundred casualties. All dead for a stupid reality TV show."

*Iron Man nods solemnly*

Iron Man: "They should have called us, Cap. Speedball KNEW the New Warriors were out of their league. The whole country saw the tape where they said they were only chasing ratings."

*Nearby, a firefighter exclaims*

Firefighter: "Marvel Girl! Cyclops! We need some help over here. Motion detectors are picking something up twenty feet down, but we haven't got our diggers yet."

*Marvel Girl, aka Rachel Summers turns, nodding and concentrates... the rubble begins to shake. The firefighter yells out*

Firefighter: "Everybody back. Clear a little space, huh?"

*Cyclops frowns a touch as the rubble begins to levitate via Rachel's telekinesis*

Cyclops: "Can you handle this on your own, Rachel?"

*The rubble clears away to reveal 5 survivors; a teacher and 4 kids. Rachel sighs inwardly*

Marvel Girl: "I can handle it, Scott."

*The firefighters rush in to help the survivors*

Firefighter: "Five more survivors over by the school's north side. Bring blankets and a defibrillator."

*Nearby, Goliath and Ms Marvel help to move debris out of the way. He looks to Ms Marvel*

Goliath: "It won't just be mutants they're watching after this one, Ms Marvel. This is the straw that broke the camel's back. You mark my words."

*Ms Marvel tosses a heavy piece of debris onto a pile and tilts her head*

Ms Marvel: "You think?"

*Goliath shakes his massive head*

Goliath: "Are you kidding me? After Philly getting bombed, the Hulk trashing Vegas... Wolverine saying he was gonna kill the president? This is the start of the witch hunts, honey. They'll be coming after us with torches and pitchforks."

*Ms Marvel sighs sadly*

Ms Marvel: "Yeah, well. Maybe they're right this time, Goliath... who the hell can justify THIS?"

*Fade out*

Fade in... Stark Tower, the 50-some story skyscraper in lower Manhattan, home to Billionaire industrialist Tony Stark, who has recently revealed himself to the public to be the golden armored Avenger known as Iron Man! Iron Man now stands in his office, looking out a large window, surveying the city... after a moment the doors to the office open and in steps two individuals; a man and a woman, both in costumes which mark them as superheroes. The woman stands about 5'9" tall with a slim but athletic build. Her long blonde hair spills around her shoulders, and her blue eyes are obscured by the eyemask she wears. Her costume resembles a leotard at first glance, the color a dark blue... matching thigh high boots and gloves which end mid bicep can be seen as well, a yellow lightning bolt on her chest and a red sash around her hips. The man stands about 6'4" tall and sports a muscular build. His black hair is combed perfectly and stylishly, his eyes a solid glowing red. His costume is in essence a dark blue bodysuit with a stylized red "W" on the chest. Iron Man turns as they enter.

Iron Man: "Carol... Simon... good morning".

*Carol, aka Miss Marvel nods to Iron Man with a smile as Simon, aka Wonderman follows her*

Miss Marvel: "Good morning, Tony... I assume this isn't a social call".

*Wonderman stretches a bit*

Wonderman: "Yeah... your priority signal woke me up. What's up?"

*Iron Man pauses a moment before addressing the two Avengers standing before him*

Iron Man: "I have something I need the two of you to do... it could be a problem or it could be a boon. Are either of you familiar with the Atlantic City Defenders?"

*Wonderman raises a brow*

Wonderman: "Yeah, I've heard of em... they've been all over the news lately. Stopped some villains down in Atlantic City as I recall... Rhino, Green Goblin... Juggernaut..."

*Ms Marvel blinks*

Ms Marvel: "Those guys took down the Juggernaut? Wow".

*Iron Man nods*

Iron Man: "With everything that's happened and with everything that's about to happen... I'd like for the two of you to go down there and speak with them... find out where they're going to stand when the registration act passes".

*Miss Marvel shakes her head*

Miss Marvel: "Tony, is that wise? Should we be focusing our efforts elsewhere so soon after Captain America's disappearance?"

*Iron Man interjects*

Iron Man: "We should be focusing our efforts in this way -especially- because of Steve. He's wrong this time, Carol and I want to get to those who may be on the fence before he has a chance to talk to them. Cap has an awesome charisma, and he may confuse others to what's going on if he gets to them first".

*Miss Marvel smirks*

Miss Marvel: "You have just as awesome a charisma, Tony... some might say the same holds true to you"

*Iron Man tilts his head*

Iron Man: "Carol, I hope that was a joke... because if not--"

*Miss Marvel shakes her head*

Miss Marvel: "Just playing Devil's advocate, Tony... you know I feel strongly about this Registration Act".

*Iron Man nods*

Iron Man: "We don't need that right now though, Carol. We need more allies and we need to find Captain America. Just go down to Atlantic City and talk to the Atlantic City Defenders. There's a dossier on the team via S.H.I.E.L.D. on my desk. If you require backup, let me know on the Avengers priority commlink. Above all, be careful. Superheroes aren't very popular right now. Hopefully when the act passes tonight that will change, but right now it's dangerous".

*Wonderman nods to Iron Man*

Wonderman: "We got this covered, Iron Man... it's as good as done!"

*Miss Marvel nods slowly*

Miss Marvel: "We'll do it, Tony... where will you be?"

*Tony smiles behind his faceplate*

Iron Man: "I'll be preparing for a press conference in the morning".

Fade out...

Fade in... the scene is a posh penthouse in Manhattan... spacious and tinged with high tech luxuries. A man in a suit of gold and red power armor sits reclined slightly in a chair that probably cost more than a semester's tuition at Harvard, his helmet sitting on the desk beside him. Tony Stark sits and occasionally sips some hot liquid from a cup as he browses through some electronic dossiers on the wall screen. From the next room, a middle aged man wearing an English Butler's uniform enters, carrying a silver tray with a silver pitcher and some sandwiches on it. He stops just short of Mr Stark and speaks up.

Jarvis: "I took the liberty of making you something to eat, sir..."

*Tony stares at the screen and just nods*

Tony: "Yes, thank you Jarvis..."

*Jarvis stands there a moment before speaking again, glancing toward the screen... he knows Mr Stark well enough to know when he's ultra focused*

Jarvis: "Having some troubles, sir?"

*Tony sighs a bit and rubs his temples, but not in annoyance with his friend and butler*

Tony: "You could say that. Look. These are the superhumans who call themselves the Atlantic City Defenders..."

*He clicks a remote and the screen pans out to show pictures and names of all the members of the famous superhero team*

Tony: "They've done a lot for their city and country, but unfortunately they threw in their lot with Captain America. Every superhuman he recruits makes him more dangerous, and these guys aren't exactly bush leaguers".

*Jarvis nods solemnly. He knows the troubles with Tony and Steve have been especially stressful on his friend and employer of late, what with the Superhuman Registration Act and all. Tony clicks the remote again, and the dossier for Heat Wave comes up on display*

Tony: "Name: Heat Wave... real name: Kevin Marshal... Powers: Heat Generation and Flight. Threat level: 4. Status: Unregistered Superhuman currently at large. Now here's a guy I just don't get. He had nothing to lose by registering, yet he chose to go along with his teammates in spurning the law... and a police officer to boot. I'm sure a lot of people are shamed by his actions. I understand he has a brother with cold generation powers on the villain side... we'll be on the lookout for the brother and bring him in if needs be."

*He clicks the remote again and the Jade Valkyrie's dossier comes up. Tony growls a bit*

Tony: "Name: Jade Valkyrie... real name: Unknown. All her powers seem to stem from a suit of powered armor similar to mine... perhaps too similar. I wonder if she's using tech stolen from me. Threat level: 5. Status: Unregistered Superhuman currently at large. I dislike having enemies that I know nothing about... but try as I might, my satellites can't seem to track her. More reason to suspect she's using Stark tech".

*He clicks the remote again. This time, the dossier of Rockslide comes up as Jarvis watches with interest.*

Tony: "Name: Rockslide... real name: Karl Bergstein. Powers: Mineral Manipulation, Mineral Dermal Sheath, Superhuman Strength and Endurance, Class 10, and Regeneration while in contact with the earth. Threat level: 4. Status: Unregistered Superhuman currently at large. Apparently he's a former boxer from Germany... I'm still getting more intelligence on him, but it seems some incident happened and he fled to the USA".

*Once more he clicks the remote. This time the dossier of Phantasm flickers onto the screen*

Tony: "Name: Phantasm... real name: . Powers: Telepathy and Telekineses. Flight. Subject claims to have the ability to warp reality, but readings indicate high levels of psionic energy during these instances, leading us to surmise that these are telepathic illusions of some sort. Threat level: 5. Status: Unregistered Superhuman Minor currently at large. Born in China, Phantasm was taken to America for school several years ago. Now he attempts to illegally fight crime despite his very young age along with his compatriots. I don't believe I like the idea of one so young risking himself as his team is allowing him to do. Had he waited several more years, he could have been properly trained in my Initiative plan and made something of himself. As it stands, he's sadly just another lawbreaker".

*Again, he clicks the remote and an image of Ultimate appears*

Tony: "Name: Ultimate... real name: Robert Strauss... Powers: According to Dr Strange, Ultimate has been magically enhanced to become humanity's 'avatar', and blessed with peak human ability and unparalelled fighting skill. I'm not so sure I believe the 'avatar' part, though... surely a true avatar of humanity would have made the right choice and not the wrong one. Threat level: 4. Status: Unregistered Superhuman currently at large. Perhaps we should let our Thor clone handle him should we encounter him in battle".

*One last time, he clicks the remote, and a dossier for Terminal Velocity appears*

Tony: "Finally we have this newcomer... I'm not sure what happened to Aegis. Name: Terminal Velocity... real name: Unknown, yet again... I hate that. Powers: Hyper Speed and Superhuman Endurance. Threat level: 4. Status: Unregistered Superhuman currently at large. Not much is known about this one other than that he's a recent addition to the team and likely joined up during the Tinselton incident".

*He rubs his temples again and sighs*

Tony: "Why, Jarvis? Why can't people see how necessary this all is for our future? Why are people so god damned stubborn?!"

*Angrily, he throws the remote at the screen, which shatters on impact as the remote embeds itself into the glass. Jarvis looks down at his friend and smiles*

Jarvis: "They'll come around, sir... in the end they have little choice".

*Tony looks up at his friend forlorn... he sighs once more and nods with a small smile*

Tony: "Thank you, Jarvis... I think I will take one of those sandwiches after all".

Fade out...

I did indeed, but now I wanted to share the rest of them as well in their own thread.

*nods* Okay, just curious. Nicely written.

"A shared universe, like any fictional construct, hinges on suspension of disbelief. When continuity is tossed away, it tatters the construct. Undermines it."

-- Peter David

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Nightmask Character Sheet

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Paragon Character Sheet

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Complete list of my characters various forum URLs, over 30 to enjoy!

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Godiva Character Sheet

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Seraphim Character Sheet

[www.furaffinity.net] Art by Marvel Comic's artist Rusty Haller!

[www.furaffinity.net] Artist/writer/Creator of The Extinctioners Independent super-hero comic!

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Sappho Character Sheet

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Cornucopia Character Sheet

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Nightmares of Futures Past Ongoing Story

[www.classicmarvel.com] - There is no such thing as too powerful Forum Thread

Thanks man. :)

None are so fearsome and dangerous than those so certain of their rightness that none may disagree with them.

"A shared universe, like any fictional construct, hinges on suspension of disbelief. When continuity is tossed away, it tatters the construct. Undermines it."

-- Peter David

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Nightmask Character Sheet

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Paragon Character Sheet

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Complete list of my characters various forum URLs, over 30 to enjoy!

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Godiva Character Sheet

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Seraphim Character Sheet

[www.furaffinity.net] Art by Marvel Comic's artist Rusty Haller!

[www.furaffinity.net] Artist/writer/Creator of The Extinctioners Independent super-hero comic!

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Sappho Character Sheet

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Cornucopia Character Sheet

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Nightmares of Futures Past Ongoing Story

[www.classicmarvel.com] - There is no such thing as too powerful Forum Thread

You really do have Stark down to a T in this, from his 'well he must not be humanity's avatar because he didn't choose my side' to the 'you can't fight crime legally unless you're serving me' thinking. Such a sad, sad world the Marvel universe is anymore.

"A shared universe, like any fictional construct, hinges on suspension of disbelief. When continuity is tossed away, it tatters the construct. Undermines it."

-- Peter David

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Nightmask Character Sheet

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Paragon Character Sheet

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Complete list of my characters various forum URLs, over 30 to enjoy!

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Godiva Character Sheet

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Seraphim Character Sheet

[www.furaffinity.net] Art by Marvel Comic's artist Rusty Haller!

[www.furaffinity.net] Artist/writer/Creator of The Extinctioners Independent super-hero comic!

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Sappho Character Sheet

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Cornucopia Character Sheet

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Nightmares of Futures Past Ongoing Story

[www.classicmarvel.com] - There is no such thing as too powerful Forum Thread