First Day on the Job

## Premise

It’s now been a few days since our players were splashed with strange goop. Let’s check in and see how they’re handling that, shall we? And maybe they can find a way to put their new powers to good use…

## Cast

* Zen (DM)
* Kat Afka (Lordlyhour)
* Nikola N. Change (Authorticity)
* Tailwind (Tallestnull)
* Shaun (Verl)
* Brittney Megan Bronson (Tala)

## Plot Summary

It's been a few days since Superhero Fast-Track, and the game starts by exploring how the five teens have been coping since the last game. Kat has been accidentally dissolving into smoke on occasion and dropping stuff ala early Danny Phantom. Nikola has been volunteering at a local animal shelter and keeping mostly to themself as they wait to see what else will come of the events in Endsville. Shaun is deep in denial and trying to pretend that everything is normal and fine. Tailwind has been performing various experiments on the jar of goo they retrieved from the lab at the expense of their sleep, and accidentally brought a stick to life as a stick bug with it. Brittney has actually begun using her psychic powers intentionally to read the minds of her fellow students, and has been avoiding the other four.

Nikola seeks out everyone but Brittney to check in on them. Nikola tells the others he can read minds now, and Kat has him read a number from his mind to prove it. Kat demonstrates turning into smoke and lets a rock drop through his hand. Tailwind tells the others about the stick bug they accidentally made, and the others want to see it. The four decide to go to the junkyard to see the stick bug and try to figure things out, and Kat says they should invite Brittney. Tailwind sighs, and Nikola is hesitant because his psychic powers interact negatively with Brittney's, resulting in pain on Nikola's side as Brittney's thoughts sound like screaming/microphone feedback with heavy static. Nikola does offer to talk to Brittney and try to convince her to come along, and Tailwind proposes the idea of stealing something from Brittney's locker to force her to come. Shaun supports the idea of stealing from Brittney, but Kat and Nikola protest.

The group splits into two groups: Nikola and Shaun go to talk to Brittney and try to persuade her to come to the junkyard, while Tailwind and Kat go to break into her locker and look for something to hold for ransom. Brittney rebuffs Nikola's invitation and Nikola attempts to read deeper into Brittney's mind, but Brittney makes the Wisdom save and Nikola only hears static. Brittney tries to force Nikola to leave using Suggestion, but Nikola makes the Wisdom save and isn't swayed. Nikola tries to convince Brittney to join them by offering to help her learn more about her powers and saying she's welcome in the group, and Shaun makes the argument that Brittney is more likely to be found out if the others can't cover for her when her powers slip up. Brittney shoots down both arguments and gets ready to go to her locker.

Meanwhile, Kat opens Brittney's locker. Her locker is fairly empty, with just textbooks and a letterman jacket, but Tailwind finds an old dog collar, from Brittney's childhood pet dog that died. Kat recognizes the dog collar and hands it to Tailwind, who balks at the idea of using such a sentimental item. Nikola and Shaun make a last-ditch effort to persuade Brittney before it comes to using the dog collar, and says that "we actually like you" and allows Brittney to read their mind to see that they're being genuine. This convinces Brittney, and Nikola telepathically tells Kat and Tailwind to drop the locker plan. Tailwind puts the dog collar back in Brittney's locker over the letterman jacket and closes the locker. Brittney retrieves her books and doesn't realize that Tailwind and Kat were looking in her locker, but she spots the dog collar and casually throws it away.

The five leave the school and start heading to the junkyard, but on the walk, Nikola, Brittney, and Tailwind notice police cars driving towards downtown, and one police car getting thrown into the air. The group decide to head for the source disturbance, all of them reluctant except for Tailwind, who runs ahead. Kat runs after Tailwind, Shaun tries to sneak off towards the junkyard, and Nikola suggests that they disguise themselves before approaching the scene. Nikola puts on a black cloak their grandma made, and Brittney puts on a letterman jacket and ties her hair up. As Brittney catches up to Kat, she pulls out a mask and throws it to Kat to wear as a disguise. Meanwhile, Tailwind went to a sport shop and stole some equipment to prepare for a fight.

The five teens arrive at the scene, which has been blocked off by the police. They see a white and green slime monster tearing apart buildings and throwing cars. Kat parkours over the police barricade to strike the slime with his katana and deals some decent damage against the slime, but the police robots try to force him back behind the barricade again. Brittney uses magic to convince the police bot that they're allowed to be there and the barricade is pulled aside. Brittney, Tailwind, and Kat all fail to hit the slime, and the slime fails to hit Kat. Tailwind notices that the slime has a load of paper mixed into its body, and the paper is covered in academic writing. Nikola hits the slime with Mind Spike, and Shaun (now in slime form) hits the hostile slime with his claws. Brittney hits the slime with Dissonant Whispers, scaring it to scale a nearby wall, and Tailwind manages an attack of opportunity on it that is not very effective.

Tailwind fails to hit the slime with Firebolt, Kat fails to shoot the slime with an arrow, and the slime fails to whack Tailwind with a tendril. Nikola hits the slime with Dissonant Whispers, and Shaun finishes it off with his claws. The slime monster slinks away down a storm drain. Tailwind picks up as many of the leftover papers from the slime monster as they can, which the others help with. Brittney reminds the group they need to leave, as the police are still there, and Nikola positions themself between the teens and the police and accidentally scares a police robot, which upsets them. Kat covers the area in a fog cloud to give everyone a bonus to stealth as they try to leave without the police getting involved. Everyone rolls very well on stealth except Shaun, so Nikola offers to carry Shaun in the bucket again and he accepts. The group make it back to the junkyard without incident.

Tailwind invites the group into a small side building that serves as their workshop and shows them the stickbug. The group decides to name the stick after the mayor, despite Brittney's protest. The group start talking about the day's events, and Nikola brings up the topic of secrecy and who they want to tell about their powers. Nikola wants to tell their family, but Brittney is very against letting anyone into the loop, and Kat and Tailwind agree. The group decides to not tell anyone. Tailwind looks over the papers collected from the slime, which all mention "Catalyst-V".

## Notes

Nikola can't control their Detect Thoughts ability yet and is constantly reading the minds of everyone around them.

Nikola says that Kat and Brittney are alike as they're both forces of personality.

At one point Nikola asks Brittney if she likes the anime *Moon Marine* as a reference to Brittney's future official hero costume.

## Art Gallery

Title card for the gamePaper slime enemy, drawn by Mira