Laboratory of the Ivory Talons, Chapter 7: Perfect Timing Report
General Summary
Friday, September 12, 2009, 3:00 am - Manhattan, NY
Botanical Research Lab of Leopardworks Savannah, Ltd in the outskirts of New York City
The team met Dr. Isley, aka the Gotham City eco-terrorist Poison Ivy, at the research lab. One look at the wounds on Mr. Freeze, and on hearing the story from the Knights Vigilant she led them all inside the greenhouse.
Dr. Isley treated Mr. Freeze's wounds while hearing about the troubles in Central Park with the Clock King and the hawk troopers. Following that, the team asked Dr. Isley for her help. They had the mysterious fluid created by Dr. Killian, the Grail Industries research notes on the company's new pharmaceutical, a hard drive full of notes and Dr. Killian's tablet. Along with that, they had Dr. Killian himself as a captive.
Previous attempts by the team to decipher the research notes came to a dead end. Dr. Killian's elixirs? They had no equipment to even start to break that down to identify it. Yet, Dr. Isley did. They presented theories, suspicions, and broached the fact that they needed help from someone with the skills and experience to help them unravel this mystery. After some thought, she agreed.
Dr. Isley asked the Knights Vigilant details about the Clock King and what they found when confronting the Clock King, all the while she reviewed the research notes and broke down one of Dr Killian's samples. Dr. Isley recognized the compounds in the formula as coming from a rare species of plant, the Crystal Jade Vine, known for its mutagenic properties. In fact, she had one in the greenhouse! Yet, she said the plant wasn't native to North America and should never be outside a greenhouse. The Crystal Jade Vine was technically an invasive species. It's natural environment was in regions around the Himalayas and southeast asia. Dr. Isley felt that was the healthy balance that should be maintained.
As for why Dr. Killian made it? Sahara provided that answer. Leaning on the time that he had spent with Fel Kur'Talak, Sahara had been exposed to the thanagarian language. Being a fast study, Sahara knew enough to translate the contents of the datapad, uncovering that Dr. Killian had plans to transform Manhattan into a 'new Thanagar'. It was an alien invasion... after a fashion.
But to Dr. Isley? It was ecological disaster in the making. But nothing explained where he was going to start this problem. Dr. Isley knew of a way.
Sending the heroes to the far side of the room, she used her powers to influence Dr. Killian's mind. He resisted at first but then gave in and answered the group's questions. They knew where he was to strike:
The Delaware Aqueduct! Specifically, the plan was to take place exactly in thirty minutes from that moment!
Using the aqueduct, he would be able to transmit his mutagen across the city. Worse yet, Some of his formula was already there. Getting a neutralizing compound from Dr. Isley, the Knights Vigilant raced out to their vehicle. Dropping off Dr. Killian and evidence with the police, they flew to the aqueduct.
The aqueduct pumping and monitoring station was, above the ground, a two story building with a low roof. Offices were on the second floor, access to the underground pumping mechanism and pipes was on the first.
None of the night shift security were on duty when they arrived. Suspicious, Moon Knight used his remote drones and discovered that four hawk troopers and one combat android was inside. They had already gained access to the pipeline and were preparing to dump the chemical in New York's water supply. Splitting up, Moon Knight and Taki slipped in through the front. Statesman and Sahara eased in from the second floor offices. They got the jump on the hawk troopers.
The fight was on. Having surprise on their side, Moon Knight and Taki distracted the troopers while Statesman and Sahara slipped down to dismantle the android and steal Dr. Killian's formula. Yet, when the plan was about to succeed, the Crypt Carnival arrived to ambush both the Knights Vigilant and the hawk troopers! With them came the Clock King!
Still bent on his revenge against Grail Industries, Clock King directed the Carnies to get Dr. Killian's formula. Failing that, he would use his own version on the water supply. Either way, he would forcibly 'cure' people that might have to suffer being an 'eternal patient' paying for Grail Industries 'cure'. Clock King attacked Moon Knight and Taki, leaving the Crypt Carnival to create chaos among Statesman, Sahara, and the hawk troopers.
However, Statesman did manage to escape with the majority of the hawk trooper's formula. At the same time, Sahara gathered the formula vials brought by the Crypt Carnival. But the fight came at a high cost. Taki used every amount of strength to help Moon Knight fight off the Clock King, a Crypt Carnie named Ghost Jackal and a hawk trooper captain named Whipcord. Moon Knight was able to finish off Whipcord. However, once Sahara recovered the last of the mutagenic formula, both Clock King and Ghost Jackal fled the area.
Setting off the alarm, and collecting samples of equipment and anything that could help them against the hawk troopers or the Crypt Carnival, the Knights Vigilant carried off the formula to Dr. Isley for safe disposal.
Battered, exhausted, the team helped Mr. Freeze get transportation back to Gotham City. Then they returned to their hidden headquarters under the youth center at North Central Park.
... only to discover something had happened in their absence!
Mouse Force, their diminutive mouse allies, had been mutated! Before, the super intelligent mice, were slightly larger than usual mice but still the size of rodents. Now? Each member was a five to five and a half foot tall mouse! The story was scattered. There was an orange mutagen involved that sounded very similar to Dr. Killian's formula. The person responsible for Mouse Force being doused with the chemical?
The Knights Vigilant's old nemsis...
Dr. Overmind!
But that is another story... This is Not Stan Lee saying...EXCELSIOR!
Rewards Granted
The team took samples of Ivory Talons and Crypt Carnival equipment to hand to their team's inventor, Tesla Coil! All in hopes that Tesla would discover or invent countermeasures to the more dangerous devices.
Moon Knight : 169
Taki : 170
Sahara : 167
Statesman ( aka Trickshot ) : 167
Missions/Quests Completed
The heroes manages to track down the origin of the Golden Lotus mutagenic powder...
Find out why Clock King was after it...
Discover what the Clock King had against Grail Industries...
Then track down the conspirators of Dr. Killian, the Ivory Talons, and stop Killian's actual plan...
Which made for a busy night!
Character(s) interacted with
Dr. Victor Fries ( "Mr. Freeze" ) - renown criminal from Gotham City.
A quartet of what may be hawk-humanoid - perhaps even thanagarian - troopers. One of which was Dr. Killian! They were not alone! With them was a trio of large hawk-themed robots, each on at least twelve feet tall and armed with advanced weaponry.
From the EditorA surprise appearance by the Crypt Carnival along with the Ghost Jackal!
With the Carnies came their current partner, the Clock King ... or is he infamous international weapons master known as The Taskmaster?
Then there is infamous eco-terrorist, Dr. Pamela Isley - also known as "Poison Ivy"!
Last, in guest appearances were ...
Loki!
Tesla Coil!
and the members of...
Comments