Shenanigans 3 (Part 2) by Morpheus

Dreamer wrote:

SPOILER ALERT
Below is a stream of conscious commentary I type up as I read the story. There will be details from the story included in it. If you have not read the story yet and don't wish to have details of it spoiled, read no further.

Shenanigans 3 Part 2 comments

Warning: Spoiler!

Dickenson Cottage, Wednesday late morning, Dec 19th, 2007

Traci Hoffman calls up her sister Holly, a member of the Liberty League in Lake Michigan known as Super Star, for advice on the horrible plan her group has.

“What do you do when someone on your group might be getting you all into trouble?” she asked.

“We had someone like that on my team,” Holly answered. “Adonis. We thought he was up to some pretty sketchy stuff, but we weren’t sure. I mean, we had suspicions but no real proof…”

Ignore things until the problem takes care of itself, that is horrible advice! Seesh, where did Traci get worse advice than that?

Whitman Cottage common room, Wednesday afternoon, Dec 19th, 2007

Stryff talks to Darqueheart and thinks Chris would be a doofus, boy will she be surprised.

“He has a reputation for being an idiot and jumping to conclusions,” Darqueheart corrected. “And he’s getting a LOT better about that stuff too. Honestly, I think he just wants to be a hero and tends to get carried away.”

Stryff nodded at that, then began to smirk in a way that concerned Darqueheart. “So, you’re planning on playing Catwoman to his Batman?”

Aww, Darqueheart really understands Chris. Stryff! No messing with Darqueheart like this, they just started dating and Chris really likes her. Chaos and entropic magic: I wonder if an impulse to spread chaos in the lives of those around her is included in that. And she is wrong, you can be a hero with those powers.

Though that last point is scarily true of their world, look at what happened to Imp when she first manifested due to her appearance. Bwahaha, she doesn't know who Imp is dating, when Stryff finds out I want to see her reaction. Mixed messages and pays to keep people guessing, when Stryff starts dating she is going to give her significant other a headache.

Wednesday late afternoon, Dec 19th, 2007

A cityscape for the arena match, concrete and glass city, new and modern. Alyss, Amy, Melissa, Sapphire, Monkeywrench, Chris, and Darqueheart are all there. No Clownzilla please, giant pies need a rest for at least six months after that big prank. Sapphire finds clowns creepy, oh boy.

Giant cat, oh, Amy got shrunk once by one of her mom's devises and faced one, didn't she? Male, 7' tall not including the helmet, power armor over most of his body in bright purple, wide leather belt, and furry cape, who is this guy? He certainly has a distinctive look. And an axe along with an ego, flying off saying they have to prove themselves worthy of facing him. Soylent Green, oh brother, what are the other clues that Aylss picked up, I've never seen the movie or read the book.

Oh god, the thugs they are facing, it is like out of the Streets of Rage video games. A pomegranate frag grenade and the old banana peel grenade, a dangerous combo from Monkeywrench. Sapphire's venom, you would need armor and not clothing it can seep through to protect from that.

“You get a tase,” she exclaimed. “And you get a tase… EVERYBODY GETS A TASE!”

I like Melissa, she's silly. Remind me to never get on Darqueheart's bad side, that is a scary spell. A cherry bomb, no, stick to your banana theme. Seesh, the thugs even appear like in Streets of Rage and try to surround you.

Ooo, the post-apocalypse theme for these minions, I wonder how much variety Imp put into these minions? Eep, those are weapons that tend to be rare in Beat-Em-Up video games. A PK punch from Chris didn't take down one of the chainsaw wielders, uh oh. Darn, the flamethrower ruining Alyss's dress! Oh good, a costume to wear underneath her manifested clothes in case of events like this, smart idea to make that in the costume shop. Ebidium bracelet thrown by Alyss, good thing these are just ANTs.

Chris was hurt by an attack, just how tough are these minions? Nice save by Darqueheart. Richocet grenade with 'look at me' enchantment, Amy just keeps coming up with great creations and combinations of devise and magic. Ribbon as the forward to smash through with Aegis and Sapphire to watch her back, Amy is a good leader.

“And what about me?” Melissa demanded excitedly.

Amy gave her an almost evil grin. “Get up to a little mischief. Hit them from behind and keep them distracted.”

Those poor ANTs and the poor techs who will have to clean up all this afterward. Coil gun, I wonder if Amy has been able to upgrade it in the short time since the combat finals. Every time they get freshmen in each year they should have a list of students to warn them not to mess with beyond the Ultraviolents, such as students who look younger than they are and are a high-level Exemplar.

Bwahaha, Melissa's antics when messing with the thugs are priceless. Covered in darkness and blind, Darqueheart's spells and her control continue to impress. This whole team could give even the Grunts a run for their money from their showing so far. For such a huge group of minions, Shenanigans took them down fast.

“If you’re going into a dangerous area,” Melissa explained, “you should do as much research as you can ahead of time. Be prepared and plan an escape route or three.”

Putting one of Imp's lessons to the test, good. Rats, Darqueheart's ability to blend into shadows is no use with all the light here. Scouts or wandering monsters, Imp does seem to have based this on at least a few video games.

10 minutes and Melissa is back. Handguns and radios along with being based in an office building, I got the game wrong earlier, this is Final Fight! She based this on Final Fight, I just know it. Good plan from Darqueheart and Alyss, divide and conquer, and make sure they can't call for backup. Yikes! Don't let Darqueheart and Porcelain team up for a house of horrors next Halloween, they would be too good at it.

Sometimes you forget Sapphire is an Exemplar 4 until you see her speed and strength in action. Darn, guards at the door have been alerted. Coil gun launches a grenade and they are out, Alyss smashes the door out of the way. Firing upon Alyss like that, these ANTs have no mercy even for someone who appears to be a little girl. Good thing she is bulletproof. *winces* Never anger Alyss, those thugs are out for good.

“Sorry we took so long,” Monkeywrench said as he came in behind Chris. “Traffic.”

“We took the wrong turn at Albuquerque,” Melissa announced as she suddenly appeared beside Monkeywrench.

Whateley needs to do a talent show and Monkeywrench needs to team up with Melissa to do a comedy act.

“Yes,” Darqueheart added wryly. “So, hide behind the tiny little girl.”

Ah, I see Darqueheart is experienced in the ways of snark-fu.

Ouch, Chris is going to need to go to Doyle after this or have a lot of bad bruises at the least. The coil gun is scary when used indoors, save the ammo for the final boss, Amy.

“A bananarang?” Melissa asked Monkeywrench. “Really?”

Monkeywrench shrugged. “It seemed like a good idea at the time.”

Stuff like this is why people question the sanity of all devisors. *eyes go wide* Now that was a brutal takedown on the next thug.

“This batch is coated with something I bought from Bunsen,” Amy said, gesturing to the thug who collapsed the rest of the way to the ground. “All it cost was two batches of brownies.”

“The special kind?” Melissa asked.

Amy chuckled as she shook her head. “Nope. Turns out, he just likes good brownies.”

If Bunsen's full codename isn't Bunsen Honeydew or his real last name isn't Honeydew I will be disappointed, I love the Muppets. 3rd door has a thug inside, jump, this is Final Fight alright. 5 floors, so not the skyscraper from Final Fight. Seriously, how did no one convince Darqueheart to help with a haunted house for Halloween? Those thugs must think they are in a horror movie when she uses that shadow magic tendril on them.

3 armed thugs on the roof, hhm, where is the final boss? Darqueheart and Amy's combination is powerful, no thug stands a chance. Ah, there is the final boss, Monkeywrench's bananarang just bounces off and leaves a scratch on his armor, uh oh. Itching powder and a smoke bomb, I hope the itching powder worked. Darn it! Steps out of the smoke cloud and very little of the itching powder got past the armor. This guy is going to be tough.

Alyss charged forward and punched the man, knocking him back several feet but not taking him down.

Just how powerful did Imp have the techs make this opponent? Napalm round followed by a grenade, I want a list of all the types of rounds she has for that coil gun. He hit the grenade with his axe and his armor is charred, but he is far from out, did Imp set them up with an opponent they can't beat?

Nice attacks by Sapphire, got him off his feet even if but for a moment. Great, fly 10 feet off the roof so they can't slip him up, cheap tactic against this group. Hehehe, throwing Chris at him was a distraction so Darqueheart could grab him with a shadow tendril. Cuts himself free, but Alyss is able to leap above him and slam him hard into the roof, this fight is brutal.

Sapphire gets his axe and tosses it off the roof only to barely avoid getting blasted by an energy beam from the boss. Monkeywrench with a new banana devise, a burst of liquid sprays all over the boss. And it starts to harden fast to trap him in place, now that is something the police would love to have if it could be made into regular tech and not a devise, a quick hardening foam.

Crud, this guy is already starting to break free and fires a beam at Monkeywrench, only for Chris to leap in the way and his PK shield to take the hit.

“Damn,” Chris grumbled. “I think I may have strained my shoulder a bit with that one…”

Better than if it penetrated, but he will need to go to Doyle for sure now. Amy has a finisher and Melissa...oh god, fart spray made by Trixie, that is a very painful distraction.

Oh, good grief, he said the line from Silence of the Lambs, too cheesy, Imp. Darqueheart distracts with her shadows again while Amy comes up behind him and hits the boss with an electromagnetic sphere from her energizer ability that fried the man in the armor. Boy, this team sure proved me wrong, they had what it took to take down a powerful foe with clever tactics and teamwork. Time for debriefing by Imp, I hope she goes easy on them, it was their first official match as a team.

Monkeywrench, the Pokemon jokes were old even in 2003. The Imp and Gunny Bardue, I wonder if Gunny will be nice for once.

Bardue snorted at that. “This might not have been one of our official matches, but it was still good training, and I aim to make sure you all get the most out of it.”

Always count on Gunny to make sure you get the most out of any training where he is involved. What song is Imp humming?

Go over the entire match, step-by-step, they are going to be here for hours! Wait a minute, I don't get what the One-Eyed, One-Horned, Flying Purple Eater has to do with the in-joke for the match, please explain.

Wednesday late afternoon, Dec 19th, 2007

Please do the right thing, Traci. If you have to say those things to yourself you know you aren't worrying for nothing, Traci.

“I’ll be damned if I ever take HER advice,” Traci announced with a dismissive snort. “I’d NEVER live it down.”

Yes, do the right thing, saving someone's life and stopping an evil scheme will make you more popular to those who find out than you realize.

Oh great, she goes to Kane Hall to report the planned murder and the officer is dismissive due to the amount of times it happens.

“Exquisite,” Traci started to explain, only to suddenly have another security officer immediately turn in her direction.

“Did you say Exquisite is involved?” the second security officer asked.

Not the first student to bring this to their attention, please let it be who I suspect. Samantha Everheart is in the room with Iron, yes, I knew he couldn't go through with it either.

Iron stared at her for a moment, then nodded with a grim expression. “Some lines,” he stated firmly, “should not be crossed.”

I'm so glad his silence was because he wanted to report it too like Traci, I hope these two become close out of this mess and maybe even end this feud with Shenanigans. Maybe not be friends, but at least not enemies anymore.

mhalpern wrote:

Dreamer you're overthinking the joke of the match, "It's people, Soylent Green is made from people" is the only line from that you have to know and the boss flies, had one eye, one horn and was purple. and the Fava Beans line comes from a certain movie.

Dreamer wrote:

mhalpern wrote:

Dreamer you're overthinking the joke of the match, "It's people, Soylent Green is made from people" is the only line from that you have to know and the boss flies, had one eye, one horn and was purple. and the Fava Beans line comes from a certain movie.

I knew about the Soylent Green part even if I hadn't seen the movie, I knew the Fava Beans line even though I've never seen that movie. But I forgot the villain's full appearance, I can't believe I missed that.