14971/Adaptation Part 2

Adaptation Part 2
Date of Scene:	22 April 2023
Location:	Lexcorp, Metropolis
Synopsis:	Summary needed
Cast of Characters:	Superman, Askante, Power Girl, Bizarro, Arana, Lex Luthor
Tinyplot:	Adaptation

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Superman has posed:
Lexcorp. Certain circles have rumors about Lexcorp. These rumors are hearsay, at best. They deal with all manner of things from Superheroes being on the payroll to weapons to the creation of monsters. Tonight, Lex is dealing with a horrid mixture of weapon and monster, depending on perspective.

In this early morning hours, Lexcorp finds itself to be the victim. Stories plunge through the rumor mill. Whispers, really. A couple of emergency calls about an accident near the location. Reports of strange sounds coming from the building. Basically, things worthy of a wellness check. However, these are stopped. The calls still go out.

Whether someone is listening to the police chatter, a fortunate visit to the area, maybe a lucky call from a contact in the area, but each hero finds their way here.

Upon stepping inside the lobby, people will be greeted by two things. First, the pile of dead bodies. A small squadron of Lex's private security lays dead upon the floor. The smell of gunfire fresh in the air. Going to the security desk shows a variety of chaos.

On one camera is a teenaged male. He wears a black t-shirt and dark blue cargo pants. Emblazon on the chest is a red symbol. It's an "S" trapped inside of a diamond (OOC: Conner Kent). A shock of raven hued locks cut in a tight formation.

Working with him is another younger looking hero. Feminine in form, wearing black with a giant spider that sprawls across the chest and stomach. The various legs of the spider trail down her sides, arms and legs. (OOC: Ana Corazon). Their hair is long, brown and kept up in a pony tail.

Together the pair are battling something that looks humanoid. A female that's entirely dark green. In her hands is one of the security guards firearms, similar to an FN P90 machine gun. They seem to be holding their own.

Another camera shows a form moving forward through rooms. It honestly looks like it could be an imitation iron man armor come to life. Like the female on the other camera, it's completely dark green. In their hands is a firearm. Any security member they come across is quickly gunned down.

And a series of cameras put together a separate threat. A third entity moves forward. This one -actually- looks like Iron Man, but with a lot of additives. First, it's an older looking armor. Second, is the high collared cape. The collar curves around and the cape extends downward. Third is the phasing. Yes, this thing is phasing through rooms. Sadly for any security members, they meet a swift end. The "Iron-Wizard" phases into the room, lets the guards shoot haplessly. When they need to reload, the being becomes corporeal and blasts each of them with energy. A moment later it resumes phasing. The fact it is going through rooms causes some difficulty to track.

There are two active threats. Where do the group of protagonists go?

Askante has posed:
Askante is not a native of this area. Truth is, it is not really a native of anywhere, but it travels. Oh, how it travels and ever with a purpose that it doesn't really question, but never quite knows in advance. This night, it just knew that it needed to be here. In this place. In this glass palace of steel, industry, invention and money. Perhaps it had been expecting there to be security on the door, or on the grounds, or anything that might stop it, because it arrived by a cluster of shadows coallescing -- the mind's eye wants to try and fathom what it sees, but the conscious awareness feeds the shape of a million tiny spiders rushing together, or snakes slithering into an amalgum. Of things that go bump in the night, crawl and terrify. And with its presence comes a sense of unease at first, or it would, if there was anyone that appeared to be alive in its vicinity. The creature looks about, assesses a lost cause when it sees it and scurries to the monitors with a leap and a land in a crouch atop the desk, black eyes looking from screen to screen, three arms holding fast to the surface whilst the fourth flicks 'twixt monitors.

"Not good, not good, not good..." the oddly musical voice muses, looking at both beings it can perceive, the duo tackling a third. It inhales slowly. "Bad, bad, oh what am I doing here? This is... no, hush. I'm here..." it taps the screen with the iron-man Strange and looks about in quick, sharp order to figure out if any others might be coming into the area.

Power Girl has posed:
If she likes it or not, lex Corp is close to star labs, and that's where she works quite often. They know who she is and what she's about. Hell she's trying to buy the company, but that's another story and time. Right now, she's zipped out and flys over a high speed in fact, there is a loud BOOM as he arrives in the scene.. She floats down frowning.. here eye's scan the camera and then she looks about with xray and sighs cause, knowing lex most of the place uses lead lining of course.


She frowns at the large person with 4 arms and looks like a lizard, her eye's glowing for a moment " Here to help or harm? " Her hands coming up with those red gloves ready to lay a beat down if she needs too.

Bizarro has posed:

Metropolis was not his place but it felt like it. Metropolis was not his home, he had no home... but it felt like it. Despite the golden city rejecting him and the truth he had so believed, it still Felt like home. So when he heard a sound, a sound that he somehow knew meant trouble in LexCorp, the fracture facsimile was compelled to help.

Imagine his horror when he arrived and found he was not the only one amongst the Red Caped crew to answer... Of course, it was expected, but still. His ashen features fell further when he laid eyes upon Askante, his slack jaw firming slightly as thet heavy brow furrowed with consideration. "Them am look as pretty as me." uttered the man of rusted steel.

Superman has posed:
The trio in the lobby stand there. Askante's senses do note a few things. While the "Iron-Wizard" can go through walls, they could too. There's a woman with a known history of being -in- the Superman-Family, Justice League and elsewhere. The other brandishes a backward kryptonian crest of home. All three of them -could- take the same path. It would just leave Lex Luthor a large repair bill. At least it could probably be covered by his insurance!

The trio stand there assessing each other. If any of them are paying attention to the cameras they can see the two unchecked entities are moving. Albeit, one is moving at a brisker pace. However, the action continues between the teen of steel and another capable hero. They seem to have the situation in hand for now. If their luck continues they may not need the help. Right now, it looks like they have the robot in some form of hold.

Askante has posed:
"Ohhh, people. In capes!" Askante says to itself in a little cheep of sound with a chitter underneath. It taps at the monitor with Iron-Strange on it. "Worse than the other. More danger. I uh... both?" It blinks a nictating membrane over black eyes and looks at Bizarro with absolutely no concept that he might be wierd - that would be the pot calling the kettle black, wouldn't it? -- A gesture is made with the one free hand at itself and the two becape'd ones, "Help" and at the screen "harm."

Looking back at the screen, it leans in closer. "Don't know where that is. Don't know this place. But I can get there. Can you get there? It knows where it's going..." taptap on the screen "...which is never good. You know how to get there?" It points at the screen, then looks back at the threat... and vanishes in another poof of skittering creepy things.

It will appear some distance back on the monitor, from the Iron-strange, crouched down in whatever cover is available. Maybe it's a relative of the Nightcrawler? Who knows.

Power Girl has posed:
She blinks when the lizard thing seems to speak like that but she gets what he's saying. He's on there side for now. That's a good thing.. She looks over at bizzaro and frowns she knows him after her. He's like her a clone, except he failed but regardless he is unpredictable and that makes him dangerous . " . She looks over, " I'm going to help, you can help or not help it's up to you "Not knowing her manner of talking might help make sense to him. She hasn't interacted with Bizzaro, only knowing what she was told.

d But yes, she doesn't care much for lex's building as she launches herself in a Direct line toward one of the creatures attacking people wanting to save lives.

Bizarro has posed:

Bizarro slouched in his dull, red boots. His arms hung limp at his sides as he turned his attention from It to Her. Pretty, Blonde; why couldn't he be pretty and blonde...? Well maybe not blonde, that might make some fellows in very shiny boots and fancy uniforms too happy. He frowned, looking to the heaps and heaps of bodies "Bizarro not save anyone." a lament or a vow as his own, tattered cape and ragged hair flaps in her jetwash.

She left a hole, straight and direct... He could use it. But he frowned, jealous. He didn't know why, he just felt it twist in his stomache. His jaw set and his eyes fit into a glower and he took off, faster than a speeding bullet with all the grace and care of a locomotive. Another hole pounded through the Lex Corp building... slightly larger than Power Girls and a little higher for some reason! He'd arrive a moment after here in a larger eruption of debris... because even monsters could be petty.

Arana has posed:
The girl on the screen looks kind of weird. There's clearly some level of distortion or interference, and she seems to bang on the side of the computer a few times. The image skips, and when it becomes visible again she's wearing something different. White tank top and insect-looking goggles, but still with the spider symbol on the center of the shirt. It's not exactly professional looking, but then she does look frazzled.

"Got a line out. Madre de dios, yikes already," her voice says, cutting in and out. "Lexcorp Tower location, someone..." static, she's still talking. "..espond? Emergency, this is so far over my head..."

With a hand up in her own hair, she seems to be ready to pull it right out by the roots. "Help?" she tries, hoping that someone's able to get the signal. At all. Not picky at this point.

Honestly she just hopes that someone's paying attention.

Lex Luthor has posed:
Team Luthor. Arrives.

The Elite Security Force of LexCorp (and specifically LexCorp Tower in this moment) seems to be coming from all directions. They are so much more well armed and well armored than the normal security guards that their arrival is something of a moment. They are carrying some laser cannons of some sort and it looks like they are ready to work alongside those that have come down to LexCorp Tower to assist with the issue that's presented itself.

They do hesitate for just a moment to get a lay of the land, survey the area, visualize the threats and other potential threats that may can end up in the crossfire. Either way, Team Luthor is here and getting into formation to prevent the threats from gaining more ground in the Tower. They should've been the first line of defense so now they'll have to be the last line.

Superman has posed:
Ask can follow as one person, followed by a second, barrel forward. Wall after wall crumbles against them. Each coming down with an audible, "SNAP!" Like the sound of a piece of wood being snabbed, the sound of metal bending and possibly rock coming down all mixing together. It's a bassy noise of destruction. And that's for -EACH- hole in -EVERY- wall. That's a lot of holes. It's an easy route with TWO paths.

Power Girl goes through wall after wall. All of it crumbling. She cathes up to the entity which stops. She'll fly through it, but stop in front of the entity. It will look the woman up and down. The slits in the armor-man like mask glow. Slowly, the chest starts to change. Gone is the center portion. Now there is a diamond. The cape loses the collar. In its place a medallion forms at a shoulder, it shortens a little. Power Girl would recognize a proxy of her cape anywhere.

Unfortunately, this moment the machine takes to look at Power Girl does give Bizarro a shot at it. The machine is looking at -her- and not -him- afterall.

Ana gets into the feed and she can see everything happening. It may take some time to track. Everything is new and overwhelming, but she presses some buttons and hears a crackling hiss, even in her room. The next words she speaks cut through the PA system. Now, she could speak to anyone. Tell them about the unit her and Superboy just took down. How they work and function.

Team Lex is there to get a read on the situation. All of it pretty easy. Three renegade machines in the sytem. One is down thanks to Superboy and Ana Corazon, a brief look at their security screen would show the Machine's current state. It's decapitated. They can see the dueling holes in the wall along with the opening salvo of an attack.

Askante has posed:
Askante watches and does so intently. Its eyes narrow upon the thing, ignoring the booming sounds of the collapse of civilized constructs all around it -- explosions and loud noises happen. It has heard them far too often. Almost to itself: "It is Protean..." and then it's moving, leaping to the wall and gaining hand holds; not sticky like Spiderman, but literally grabbing with the tips of claws and scurrying. It backflips, lands on a pile of rubble and zigzag darts /outside/ of the creature's field of vision, only to pick up a large clump of garbage and bean it for all its strength at the thing's audio sensor. It then moves, darts away; not faster than a speeding bullet, but quick, diving behind more debris, until it's close up to Bizarro. "One by one, they fall. It can be only one, you or her. Hit!" And skittering, it tries to get into vision of the robot and with arms flaring wide, it hisses LOUDLY, with spines all raising like a porcupine and up to its full attenuated height. It throws the nearest thing at hand that it has; a half eaten hotdog from its pocket, aiming for the robot's face. Get your eyes off of her, look at me!

In theory this is sound. In practice, this could mean running like a weasel out of a frying pan really quick.

Bizarro has posed:

He made the bigger hole, caused the larger disruption, yet still, she was the one that this strange contraption chose to emulate?!

Blondes really did have more fun.

His wretched, craggy features sour, harden. His mind works there just behind his farm-boy blue eyes. It doesn't work well but it works. Gears grind and groan against one another as they labor to produce an idea, a monumental effort.

The... thing that is Askante offers advice. Perhaps these are good words, concise and clear. A point to be made...

Bizarro's features speak deeply of a shallow understanding, his head bobbing in acknowledgement before following it up with an affirming grunt!

"Burn!" not a smouldering, seethed threat but rather a crudely barked command!

His head rocked back on his neck and then jutted forward, fixing the Iron Pretender a searing glare that could freeze a man in his steps. Literally! Those eyes as blue as a Kansas sky grow brighter, colder, shining. Two, blue streaks of light launch from Bizarro's eyes, frosting his brows. It's a long hard look that streaks across the flore, leaving a streak of rime of ice across the floor as he tries to anchor the stranger in place with glacial boots before trying to fully encase them in a block of ice.

Arana has posed:
No response over the comms makes Ana a sad girl. She turns, talking to someone else nearby, then returns to the speaker. Microphone. Whatever. "Look, if you're out there...what? Screen?"

There's a pause, and then she returns. "Okay I can see you now don't laugh at me. Don't let them stare at you, they copy your abilities! ...whoever you are."

Then her voice gets quieter, talking with her hand over the mike. "Why didn't you tell me we had visual? I sound like an idiot over here!" Not that that's anything new.

Mexican accent, btw. So, obviously not a Lexcorp hire.

Lex Luthor has posed:
Team Luthor's assessment is pretty damn quick. They know exactly what they are doing and they know their building. This is their home turf and right now they are following the orders of their field leader at the moment. He's pointing and sending a flood of Team Luthor soldiers in the direction of the machines that are still operational.

"EMP Rounds!" comes from the Team Luthor Field Leader as an order to those soldiers that are in pursuit. "Start there and escalate if needed!"

Team Luthor seems to be equipped with weaponry that may be able to try and help with this and thus they start taking aim in the machine directions to start firing EMP blasts in their directions.

If any property damaging heroes are in the way? Well. Tough. Also: Oops.

Team Luthor's Field Leader grabs a random Team Luthor Soldier, "Find out who's doing that and deal with it." He motions towards the voice coming over the PA system and said soldier is off in that direction, instead of towards the fight. Which is good because he didn't want to fight scary machine things anyway.

Superman has posed:
The machine gets pelted by the hot dog. A bit of mustard stains its face. Although the eyes begin to glow red and a quick "zap!" goes toward Ask. And this gives Bizarro what he needs. Ice starts to quickly form. All of it snaking upward. Encasing the entity before -too- long. Bizarro is the one to land the first attack and something. Although, a familiar bubbling and steam begins. Bizarro may have flashbacks to a different time this happened. At least it's moving slower there is an advantage here.

In this chaos, Ana is still free to observe everything and maybe the lack of pressure has her brain pondering something. And she can see the incoming threat. Luckily, she is there with someone Lex Luthor may not want to cross. Superboy is still around her for the moment.

Lex can see everything happening. The team members to run toward the now subdued target and begin to fire EMPs at solid ice. Sadly, the state of water can reduce these attacks. Bizarro has both stopped, and shielded, the entity from these attacks. They would need to escalate, whatever that means. Although, the others may need to worry about friendly fire.

Askante has posed:
"FISTS! FISTS! It is machine!!" Askante lands, scurries and crouches as it stares back, looking up and around then for the source of the other voice, ducking down again as EMP pulses fire, along with bits of debris. It looks up at the ceiling... "Well, that would work..." it pantomimes squish. Then something else makes it realize something. "Ohhh. No! More ice! MORE ICE! Make very very very icy!" It calls. "As much as you can!"

It casts about looking to what's going on, fixing on Power Girl with a thought. Fire and Ice. Opposites, that cannot exist at the same time. "Blond girl!" It motions punching with all four arms, then gets hit by directly by an EMP which does little in the scheme of things other than making it feel a bit woozy and it tumbles down to shake its head vigorously.

In a whisper, "Must help. Must..." but with a shake of its head to clear it and casts about for the human minds. Who is afraid here? Well, probably a good few! Let us borrow that... and it concentrates.

Bizarro has posed:

Memmories fresher and sharper than he'd like to admit bubble to the surface just as soon as Bizarro sees those bubbles start to form. He knew where this went. His jaw set and he resolved to discover a different ending to this string of events. Men enter the room through conventional means as pedestrian as doors. Were it not for the electric, frazzling sting of their EMP rounds that bit and crackled against him. Lifting a hand, Bizarro shielded at least his face from errant, free fire. His lips curl with displeasure and ire until he spots those tell-tale Ls upon their uniforms. The ire gives way to conflict and his expression thins for a moment.

It's enough to shake him from his current matter until Askante starts cheering for fists... and then not fists! Bizarro scowls. Too many people telling him what to do. He growls his frustration, raking thick finger back through thin hair. A EMP round prods him like a impotant hornet. "TELL BIZARRO WHAT TO DO!!" he bellows

Anger and frustration boil up and the frozen foe is the most convenient outlet for his boiling temper.

He's hovering very close to the assailing robot in a heart beat, roaring wordlessly, both fists raised over his head and then brought down in an artless but tremendously powerful blow.

Arana has posed:
Chewing on a lock of her hair a bit, Ana puts her feet up on Lex's nice upholstered chairs and thinks. She looks offscreen, then mouths something that the microphone doesn't pick up, then gets up and walks off.

For a moment, before she comes back and blurts out, "Bizarro, that your name? If you smash their eyes, you win. Also I heard one of them talking about...no, I can't. Who's at the door? Well tell them to wait!"

She comes back to the mike, even though you all heard that, and says, "Mr Luthor, your goon can have the room in a minute. I'm leaving. They're looking for their father. The 'bots. Their terminology, not mine. Do with that what you will."

Then she puts the mike down. Then picks it back up, and adds, "La Tormento Rabbia, signing off." A pause, as someone (probably Conner) talks at her, and she says, "No I'm not a nerd. Shut up! What, it's still on? What button? Wh.."

The line goes dead, which is probably for the best. She's not done a perfect job over there, but at least she didn't start offering to sell you anything. That's for her next podcast. When we have sponsors and junk.

Lex Luthor has posed:
Team Luthor are no fools. The Field Leader raises a fist to stop the EMP firing because there's not really anything happening. Before they actually start to change weapons, they all fall back and just kind of form a perimeter around the situation. They are all trained to contain so that is kind of what's happening.

Considering that Bizarro kind of has the machine under control, they might as well hold off on making things worse or breaking more of the tower. There's already enough damage being done by everyone else.

"Hold." the Team Luthor Field Leader remarks as they prepare to back up the others should things go awry.

The fledgling Team Luthor recruit that was sent on the wild goose chase just kind of flounders as he tries to figure out which room there was broadcasting coming from. Frustrated flail!

Superman has posed:
Askante's order do come about. All potentially valid ideas. However, she will need to scurry out of the way from that team just in case. Only when the order comes up can she -maybe- not worry about friendly fire.

Bizarro's confusion and anger, bubble. That bubbling sensationa nd the steam continue. With anger and fury, the hands raise and come down. "BOOM!" The entity cracks and smashes the head. A sea of metal and wire, the head dented and caved in beyond belief. Maybe it's the ice, maybe the anger, possibly both? Bizarro can see that he smashed it good. The body doesn't exactly slump because the ice holds it in place. However, the small bits of light tha can be seen from an eye does wink out.

Ana can see this before her talks happen. It confirms earlier suspicions about the heads being vital, similar to Zombies. Knowledge she can chew on and bring about to whomever might want to know. Along with the information Ana gleamed from her first encounter.

Seal Team Lex holds and they can see Bizarro there with a busted robot. Everyone's triumphant in the moment. There's no need to open fire unless Lex has other plans in mind.

And that threat is seemingly stopped.

Power Girl has posed:
In she comes yes she used a door this time as she flys in " Wow you Did Not Smash " She laughs trying to make a joke as she looks around " The third robot is still free and running around we need to track it.. " She jerks her thumb " It took off in that direction I figured we could catch up and get it .. We can leave it Lex loves damages " She smirks

Askante has posed:
Askante heaves several breaths as its head clears. It glances at the mess that is the robot, eyes flicking about then, over the situation overall. "Mmmmmyes, this is safer. I can see that... well done big man." It says this toward Bizarro, giving four thumbs right up, then looks warily at the men armed with their weapons... and holds all four hands up. "I'm with them..." it nods to the gen-you-whine superhero types, grins and skitters after Power girl. Hopefully things will follow. And Bizarros, too, that was a funky overhead haymaker.

Bizarro has posed:

Luthor's Monster breathed, his anger vented in a single, destructive act. Slow and heavy, he looked at the robot's battered hull, reaching out and feeling the weight of it's dented head in his hands. He is congratulated, praised, even by the Powered Girl. He did as he was told, coaxed, "Bizarro only know how to fix things..." he muttered to himself before turning a baleful eye to Lex's 'rescue' crew. Technoically, he was an uncontained 'asset'... He was also, very likely, above their pay grade.