Avatar creates a portal and the group jumps to the upstairs level where the second team of bad guys should be. We don’t hear anything, however. Proteus uses his mental powers to scout the area of stray thoughts, and senses people in the Electrical Engineering lab nearby. We rush to the lab door just in time to see it open, and a hand cart coming through being pushed by Shrew.

Gray Guardian throws up a force field around the door and Shew runs into it with the cart, completely unaware. Proteus also puts a barrier of crackling energy in front of the door. Cane charges in and smacks her. Gray Guardian moves in to attack as well.

Avatar creates a portal into the room and both he and Proteus step through. They see Vulture in that room and Proteus creates a “box” around him, trapping him. Vulture breaks through it; Avatar fires a power blast but it doesn’t have much effect. Vulture counter-attacks and knocks Avatar unconscious. Proteus attacks him back and defeats him. As they are fighting, a laser blast is heard nearby.

Cane, in his wolf form, sees a hole in the wall created by the laser blast and jumps through, seeing that FIST created it with his laser powers. He chases FIST up to the second level and beats him down. Gray Guardian finishes off Shrew.

The police come to collect the unconscious baddies, and accompanying Det. Broyko is a strange looking woman who seems to be part plant. She has brown skin and is somewhat leafy. She is certainly dressed like a superhero. The group collectively has impure thoughts about her. Broyko introduces her has Evergreen, one of the Crusaders.

Evergreen explains that all of the Crusaders are currently captured and being held hostage by the Crushers in the Crusaders’ own tower. They are looking for a way to get into the Crusaders’ computer system, TEACHER. Evergreen barely managed to get away.

The other group of Crushers is made up of THE MOCKER, an android with sonic abilities and a master of ventriloquism; MARIONETTE, a one-foot tall woman with mind control abilities; HORNET, a man with wings and sonic powers; SHOCKER, a Japanese man with lightning control and acid blood; STORM-LORD, a disinherited English noble who has invisibility and weather control; and THE MACE, a man with a large electrical mace.

Evergreen says that we will need to disable the security system at the tower so we are not attacked by the building’s defenses as we enter. Proteus points out that they will need to heal Avatar before any attempt is made since he would be able to teleport the group in.

It is now March 17th. We have been training and busting up criminals for the past few months and learning about the local superhero scene. There is one superhero team called THE CRUSADERS that Science Chimp seems to get along with. We are not sure how he knows them since he’s only mentioned them a couple of times, but they could potentially be a source of training for us. He describes them so we don’t accidentally start fighting if we meet them.

There is also currently a crime wave going through Milwaukee by a group called THE CRUSHERS. Science Chimp has to this point kept us away from them since he thinks they are too powerful for us. Unfortunately the Crusaders have been missing for the past few weeks with no signs of them returning. Science Chimp is afraid that with them gone, the Crushers may be operating unchecked.

A special police task force was recently created to minimalize the damage currently being caused by the Crushers. Detective Broyko is heading up the effort, and he has appealed to Science Chimp for aid in their endeavor.

Later that day, Science Chimp introduces a new person that will be joining our group, he introduces himself as HARRIS. He has gravity powers of some kind and is wearing a black outfit.

To meet with Detective Broyko, we use Avatar’s portal to travel to the Milwaukee Police Dept. Cane asks the person at the front desk to see him. Proteus uses his mental powers to read her mind and he finds that she thinks Cane is kind of cute. He turns and asks her to go out sometime. She gives her his phone number; Proteus ascertains that she is telling the truth.

Det. Broyko comes from the back and talks with us. He explains that the Crusaders haven’t been around lately and the Crushers have been running loose. They have been attacking several technology companies in the area — after the attacks a lot of experimental hardware and computer software were stolen. The police are not quite sure what they are planning, but they are suspecting what their next target will be. The company is Manning Enterprises, in Brookfield. They deal in manufacture of computer parts and some research. They have some government contracts. The police have already contacted JB Curtis, the facility manager at the company, and he has agreed to have us come into the facility and lie in wait for any attack. Minimal personnel will be at the site beside us, but a couple of SWAT teams will be on standby near the location to assist. We are given blueprints of the building as well.

Brokyo says that the Crushers is a large group, but lately only a few have been spotted at these crimes. FIST, an acronym for Flying Infantry Shock Trooper, is a man wearing power armor with destructive blasts. He is somewhat of a Robin Hood type villain, stealing from the rich and giving to the less fortunate. Next is the MERCURY MERCENARY, sometimes just referred to as Merc. He is a master of weapons and also has increased speed. Thirdly the SHREW, a previously semi-pro female boxer who is on “roids.” Fourth is Big Bill Buckford, THE BULL. He is enraged by the color red. Victor Tuttle, the VULTURE, has wings and talons. Lastly is TEMPER, who makes those he fights very angry.

The group goes to the warehouse and sets up shop. We paint a couple of crates red in order to enrage The Bull. We also procure several paintball guns from the police and load them with red paint. We wait, but we don’t have to wait long.

In a short while, as expected, we see The Bull in one of the parking lot cameras. Seconds later he smashes through the rear door, quite a ways from our current position. Several other members of his group follow behind. They split up and half of the group goes upstairs, the rest head for the server room. We wait and teleport behind them in one of the hallways, surprising them. Schwarz and Proteus open up with the paintball guns on Temper and Merc. Proteus then creates a barrier of crackling energy to seal them in.

Bull, predictably, gets very angry and punches Merc’s lights out. He turns and tries to attack Temper. Gray Guardian uses her force field to smash into Bull, but it doesn’t seem to do much damage. Avatar teleports behind them but his power blasts do not seem to do much with the force field in the way. Harris uses his gravity powers to make Bull very heavy, so he becomes extremely slow in the process. He pummels the walls of the invisible cage until he goes unconscious.

Toxin and his gang are hauled off to jail by the police. Cane shrinks back to his normal size and finds himself without clothing. He asks Science Chimp to design him a suit that can stretch to a larger size.

We take the Monkeymobile back to Science Chimp’s lair. The chimp offers to pay for a night on the town due to our victory.

Upon our return, Proteus does some research in Science Chimp’s library for a while, and the others rest and refresh themselves. Afterwards the group goes to Romine’s on the south side at the suggestion of Cane. Gray Guardian retracts her armor into a wristband, revealing herself to be a geeky college student. Proteus begins asking about group tactics, but Avatar says that they should try and enjoy themselves. They have dinner and play some pool.

On one of the large TVs the group sees there is a newsbreak announcing a hostage situation at the Mitchell Park Domes. An anonymous tip told police that a yearly event is being held there, and no superheroes have yet been seen at the scene. Proteus tells Avatar that he should create a portal to the location so we could respond quickly. Science Chimp radios us and says that this is most likely the work of HIGHWAYMAN, a brigand who steals from people while dressed in period renaissance garb. He also has a group of “Merry Men” who help him in his crimes.

Avatar creates a portal and the group warps through to the lawn of the Domes. There is certainly a media circus going on with cameras, cops and a news helicopter. We approach and are stopped by a policeman, who comments that we look like circus freaks, and that Cane just looks like he rolled out of bed a few minutes ago. Cane responds by turning into his 15-foot tall wolf form, scaring the pants off of one of the nearby cops. Avatar apologizes for his “furry friend” and says that they are indeed superheroes. He introduces himself as Avatar, Master of Magic. The cop laughs at him, but seems to take them a bit more seriously.

The cop explains that there are maybe 10 thugs in the building along with Highwayman, and possibly 25 civilians. The group devises a way to get inside and protect the civilians. Everyone except Cane teleports in at the back of the dome to approach them from a blind side. Cane busts through the front door, attempting to take out the two men who are guarding it, but he doesn’t exactly make it all the way through. Gray Guardian, Avatar and Proteus begin to attack. Soon all of the brigands are restrained and the cops come in with guns drawn. The police captain seems impressed with the performance of us since we are “rookies.”

It is Fall in the year 2007 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin but history is not our own. Since the mid-nineties there have been an influx of stange occurrences that have resulted in super-humans. The first known superhuman was a man who called himself OVERLORD, and became a super-villain leader of FIST (Fear, Insurrection, Sabotage & Terror). Someone soon rose to oppose him, a man who calls himself ICON, and has near god-like powers. The events of 9-11 never happened. The current President of the United States, the most popular man to ever hold the position, is himself a superhero. He revealed his powers when a sniper tried to assassinate him; the bullet simply bounced off and he leapt after the assassin, pummeling him.

The bulk of the superheroic happenings have been centered around the midwest. Our heroes currently reside in Milwaukee. At around the same time, they receive a strange email inviting them to a nearby home to increase the “size of their powers.”

For reasons only known to them, they all decide to show up, and are greeted by a butler named Wentworth. He asks us if we would like anything to drink.

The new arrivals are: PROTEUS, an older white man; AVATAR, a well-coiffed gentleman in a green suit and an ascot; GREY GUARDIAN, a woman in a slate gray power suit; CANE, appearing like a normal man but with a strange ferocity about him.

After bringing us our drinks, Wentworth leads all of us into a library with thousands of books. Sitting in front of a fire in an overstuffed chair, wearing a fez and monocle and smoking, is a chimp. Cane remarks, “It’s a monkey!” Proteus corrects him, saying that chimpanzees are apes and not monkeys.

The ape seems to appreciate Proteus’ correction says that he was called Bongo, but now has taken the name of SCIENCE CHIMP. He says that he wishes to create a super-team, since the human race has done him right in the past. He explains that he was rescued from his savage natural habitat and well cared for in a zoo, until a meteor struck the chimp house and gifted him with speech and higher understanding. It also affected two other simians, a gorilla called SILVERBACK and a spider monkey called SLINGER, whom he introduces from the next room. They have formed Science Chimp and the Simian Squad, a group to do good in the world, but wish to have assistance with their efforts.

Proteus and Avatar, themselves both able to use telepathy, are contacted by Science Chimp via mind link. Apparently he has the ability as well.

Science Chimp has made several inventions (he mentioned selling the idea for the iPod to Steve Jobs) and has amassed quite a bit of wealth under the company SimiaCorp. He wishes to help us with these resources to fight crime. Cane mentions that he is low on cash, having been laid off from the brewery. Science Chimp assures him that he will get all the resources he needs.

He mentions that we may be fighting against a man named TOXIN, who specializes in poisons and other formulas.

Avatar asks how he found us, and how he knows that he can trust each of us. Chimp says that he has vast resources, and how he found us will be revealed in time. He says that he does not trust us completely.

Science Chimp takes us down to his secret crime lab lair, where there are an impressive array of computers and monitors. He shows us each to our own rooms, and gives us a communicator to contact him or Wentworth at any time if we may need anything.

Avatar asks Gray Guardian where she got her suit. She says that it “found her,” and she is not sure who it was created by. She has only gotten in a few fights so far, and the suit hasn’t as of yet been damaged so she hasn’t needed to try and fix it. Avatar asks what happens if it runs out of batteries, or fuel. Gray Guardian is not sure.

Cane explains that he does not have a costume because he changes into a wolf when he gets angry. Avatar asks him if this makes him a real superhero, and Cane says that he did save a bus full of children once.

Science Chimp takes our heroes to the War Room, where he shows a 3D rendering of his factory where they are developing a reagent which can be used to calm riots or hostiles with mild hallucinations. Toxin is likely planning to bring his thugs to steal the formula.

He also tells us that Toxin is part of a group that calls itself the DEVASTATORS, that seems to have some sort of higher agenda. Theft and wanton destruction have been their modus operandi the past few years. Toxin himself is a homocidal maniac who cares nothing for the lives of others. He is not, however, terribly cunning. SPARK and CHARGE are a man and woman who both have electrical abilities; TORNADO who has wind generation; CRUSHER is a large brick; DEMO-MAN is a dwarf who wears a tactical vest and builds devices.

Science Chimp retires, and the rest of us decide to have dinner. Avatar offers to teleport everyone to Thailand for dinner. We do so, and during dinner we discuss the veracity of Chimp’s claims. We decide to wait things out and do what he says for the time being. We return and retire for the evening.

The next morning we have breakfast and then go to the warehouse to tour its layout. We stay in the security office and monitor the security cameras. We have Cane walk around the building in a lab coat, posing as a scientist. Presently we see several white vans show up in front of the building, and Toxin and his thugs jump out. Demo-Man is setting bombs at the front door, even though the glass doors are open.

Avatar teleports the group to the lobby, and Gray Guardian creates a force field in front of the door to protect the building from harm. Avatar pushes the bomb away with his telekinesis, and Proteus detonates it with his electrical powers. Toxin is unharmed but three of his henchmen are blown back. We continue with the battle, Avatar attacking with his power blasts and Proteus with his electrical powers. Shortly Cane comes through the doors, transformed into a 15 foot tall wolf, and attacks Toxin. Proteus traps Toxin and the remaining thug in a cube of lightning, effectively trapping them and ending the combat.