Chapter 1: Lighting Up the Darkness - Ghost

[Shurijo]

In an undisclosed secret underground compound somewhere in North America, begins Chapter One of the Mutants and Masterminds: Infinity Crisis campaigns. This thread is for the character Gregory Lewis Scott. Please do not post to this thread unless you are Tet'Nak or are instructed to do so later on.

One month ago, Earth, Timeline 314* (As recorded by Time Keepers)

Unknown to the public, a secret international agency seeks to protect humanity from the onslaught of mutations. Their task is to locate and detain mutants deemed threats by their superiors. This agency has existed in secrecy for over sixty years and has detained thousands of mutants, some of which are still alive within the enhanced detainment center. These agents do not perform threat analysis; their orders are passed down from a secret council along with detailed instructions on the targeted individual.

For years, the Agency has tried to take mutants and turn them into agents who capture other mutants. Over time, a handful accepted the challenge for either service to mankind or to prevent detainment. There are only a few squads with mutant teammates. Today will be the first time mutant squad members will outnumber non-mutants.

There are a few veterans on the Delta X (5) squad including Blitz, Claw, and Lieutenant Banks. The squad rookie is Gregory Lewis Scott, code named '˜The Ghost.' Over the last couple of years, the agency has greatly invested in Scott by providing ample time and research for him to better understand his powers. This mission will be Gregory's first mission with the agency.

Commander Oliver Morales stands in front of the mission briefing room and concludes the target briefing. "I've invested a lot in assembling Delta X and I truly believe that mutants and humans can live and work alongside each other. If your missions bring successes, then we might be able to convince the other regions to adopt more friendly relations with individuals such as yourselves."

"Your mission today is to track down and detain Neil Pantano. He is a young man living near Omaha, Nebraska. Current target assessment reports he has the ability to control electricity, so watch out '€" these kinds always seem to have some sort of blast attack."

Sitting across from Gregory is Blitz, The Claw, and their non-mutant squad leader Carly Banks. Blitz looks like he could be a professional linebacker, but underneath the muscle bound exterior lies hidden strength that could easily snap the neck of any football player regardless of their protection. The Claw, or Claws, sits scratching his neck. The fur covered mutant isn't wearing his standard issue uniform that's required when he leaves the headquarters that hides his fur from the public. He has often complained that the uniform is too restrictive and irritates his skin. Lastly, Lieutenant Carly Banks is what most would imagine seeing next to the definition of '˜femme fatal.' She's cruel and precise and has been on the Delta squad for a few years now. As a hunter, her squad has captured dozens of mutants. This is the first mission where she is the team leader.

As the briefing ends, Banks turns to the three mutants and says, "Suit up. We leave in five." A few moments later, she wanders over to speak with Morales about mission details.

Blitz looks over to Gregory and says, "First mission, huh? Well, don't screw this up. I don't want to get locked away like Steele."

"Steele? That's just a story. Don't believe him, kid. This is a good deal. We get to go outside, breathe some fresh air, find and capture some kid, then come home and watch some more television." Claw interjects himself into the conversation. "This mission is too easy. He's barely a threat to himself. I'm betting Morales picked this one just so he can get some kudos for setting us up. It'll be a while before we get some real action."

[TetNak]

Gregory Lewis Scott, or Ghost, seems downright tiny next to Blitz. He's probably five ten, a hundred and sixty soaking wet. He certainly isn't particularly strong, though, he is agile even though he does not look it really. His reddish-brown hair is parted on the side, young looking face peering from whomever is talking at the time.

"Don't worry," Ghost says to Blitz, "I don't plan on screwing anything up." He listens to Claw, "I guess they don't brief us with all the information they have, do they?"

[Shurijo]

Just as Blitz was about to reply to Ghost, Banks walks over to instruct the rookie. She eyes him for a moment and then speaks in a somewhat condescending tone, "I have the coordinates and the tracking beacon. If he moves from the last known position, then that's what Claws is for - he's a tracker. We get a general report of suspected abilities - sometimes the intell is wrong, but it's better than nothing. We also get any information from federal or state agencies."

Looking down at her touch pad, she continues, "This kid looks clean except for some traffic tickets."

Turning back to Gregory, she continues on, "Our job isn't to debrief them, it's just grab and go. Once we get him back to command, then they'll collect the rest of his information."

Claw sniffs the air for a minute and then nods to Blitz, "Come on, let's get dressed. What you waiting on, kid?"

The three head back to the mutant changing room and pull out their all-black uniforms. Claws' has a ski mask over his face to hide his additional hair, while Blitz and Ghost are issued goggles and a smaller mask.

As they get dressed, Blitz mentions. "Hey kid, if Banks throws a smoke grenade get out of the way of the smoke. It's some chemical that screws with us mutants. Somehow it makes us weaker so we can be overpowered."

"Yeah, last time I got a whiff of that, my hair started falling out," Claw adds. "It's nasty stuff."

[TetNak]

Ghost nods slowly, "I will be careful." He gets ready with the others, thinking it is somewhat comical in general. No one is going to see him, let alone identify him.

Once dressed he turns back and returns, "I'm ready." He looks over Banks thinking she definitely has a chip on her shoulder, and likely isn't a real 'fan' of mutants.

[Shurijo]

The team of four heads out to the hanger bay and hops into a small personal hover jet. The jet seats four and Banks takes the controls as the others climb into the seats. In a few minutes, the four are heading across the states enroute to Nebraska.

The flight takes an hour or so before they reach the outskirts of Omaha. The stealth hover jet is comfortable and contains some of the most technologically advanced controls and equipment that Gregory has ever seen, but he's not seen much in military and advanced technology, so it's difficult for him to know if this is just standard military craft or some new prototype.

As they approach, Claws looks up from one of the monitors saying, "Target is moving. Looks like he's going into a remote area. Farmland or something. That should make it easier to find him and less of a chance for public viewing."

The jet hovers for a moment before sitting down about 800 meters away from the target's location. Claws point to a barn just ahead of them, "In there."

Lieutenant Banks pulls out her assault rifle, checks the safety and ammo and then says, "Claws, take rookie. Blitz and I will go in the east entrance, you two cover the west in case he runs."

[TetNak]

Ghost nods, not saying anything, but wondering how Claw knows exactly where the target is. The man gives the Lieutenant a look through his goggles, secretly disapproving the need for a gun. His head turns slowly, look over to Claw, ready to follow his lead.

[Shurijo]

OOC

Claw was looking at a monitor on the jet, presumably it had a map or satellite imagery etc.

Claw and Ghost head off in their direction. As they circle around to the back side of the barn, Claw sniffs the air and pauses for a moment. "Something doesn't smell right, kid. Let's go."

Meanwhile, Blitz and Banks make their way to the front of the barn. The first rule instilled into agents is that step in subduing a mutant subject is to take away their advantages. The lieutenant moves up close to the barn door and then takes out her mutant power nullification grenade, also called "null bombs", "nullers," and other terms some of which used in the mutant community aren't as friendly as other terms. These grenades affects the mutants nervous system to close off the genetic anomalies that grants them their powers. The details on how it works is unknown to the agents much like many of their weapons and technologies given to them by their superiors.

The team is connected via commlinks and Claw makes his feeling known to the others, tapping the mic, he says, "Something's not right. Too many odd smells. It's like it's a tr--"

Before he could finish his sentence, Banks falls to her knees and drops the still sealed grenade. As the unopened grenade rolls to the side, Blitz steps in front of her and throws open the barn door right off its hinges, heaving it a few dozen feet away from the barn. The doors come crashing into the fields and the wood splinters and some pieces break and crack.

Claw turns to look at Ghost and then takes off running, hoping to get into the backside of the barn and take whoever is in there by surprise. Ghost standing beside Claw and knowing they team is under attack...

[TetNak]

Fear takes over Ghost now. His first mission and something went wrong, terribly wrong. He looks at Claw as he bolts forward, wondering what is going on in face of the danger they are likely in. Despite it all, he will move forward and help the others.

In that vain, he turns to the reason he has his namesake; ghost. He drifts away into nothingness. Not to be seen, not to be heard, and runs behind Claw toward the action.

Action

Invisibility

[Shurijo]

By the time Claw and Ghost arrive to the back of the barn, they can hear a conversation going on inside.

Lieutenant Banks is back on her feet and now standing in the center of the barn along with a few other people and the target, Neil Pantano who's playing with his electrical powers throwing a spark between his hands as if he was juggling.

Blitz stands at the front of the barn and looks as if he's in some form of shock or realization, "Hey, I know you. What did you do with her?"

"Well, I didn't know you cared so much, Blitz." Banks responds. She's now standing alongside Neil and the others. "I know about the other two, so why don't we just invite all of them in."

Claw looks over in the general direction of Ghost and says, "This is a bad idea, we should call in for back up."

Over the team's commlink, Banks tells them, "Area secure. There's nothing here. Meet me in the barn. Closing comm channel." They hear a squelch as Banks turns off the main responder that relays the comm links to the jet which sends it back to headquarters, effectively cutting off transmission with base.

[TetNak]

Claw can't see Ghost, but Ghost allows himself to be heard. "I agree. Maybe you should head back to the jet, I will sneak ahead, I should be able to do so without detection."