A New Chance

[dfpiii]

Professor Dark aka Paragon

Dark raises an eyebrow at the number, but continues to type.

"In that case finding you should be relatively easy. There are only a few thousand murders in the united states every year and most of them are caused by guns. I can code in an increasing level of efficiency as time goes on".

"As to who would hire you, I'm afraid I'm not from here and even if I were, it's not like academia and organised crime have a lot of cross-overs. I would imagine that finding out who you were would provide clues as to your previous taskmasters".

[dfpiii]

Professor Dark aka Paragon

Dark scratches his nose.

[evisiron]

Nosferatu

Nosferatu let his arm rest on the café table. While the conversation had not slowed down and there was still a drink left in his glass, it felt like it was taking a month for the waiter to return with the menus.

Reflecting on how strangely time seems to have flown recently, Nosferatu stared into his drink. Perhaps it was all another side effect of the explosion. After a moment he looks up again, still waiting for Judy to respond.

[Wiz]

Pulse Interrupted

Zig zagging his glider back to his home base, Pulse muses about his last encounter. "I remember, one of my teachers used to do that to us... let us know the rules, but not the consequences. He always made it seem that it was worth it not to break the rules. I wonder if that technique will work with my 'students' or if they will once again bow to the various pressures in their life that makes them seek crime." He yawns, "Wow, I'm actually feeling tired... finally. It is getting harder and harder to get sleep. Perhaps I should just turn in early and be fresh for tomorrow's meeting. I wonder how things will go..."

[Xerxes Shadow]

Joe celebrated in his head, not really knowing why. After hearing Zhang's reply, he lept into the air. I feel good! he thought. I also feel like a real test of my powers is in order... let's see who's in the sky.

((Open challenge to any and all fliers that want to fight!))

[Tar Palantir]

The Reaper

The Reaper took the small disk from Professor Dark. He then started to leave, but turned back, and said, "You have great power, Professor Dark. Use it carefully, for I will be watching." He then vanished into the darkness.

He made his way swiftly back to his home, pondering all that had happened. He was still not sure if he could trust Dark, but he was not afraid of him. Nor was he afraid of D-Train, or of any challenges yet to come. Once you overcome the fear of death, there is not much left to fear. The only thing he still feared were the faces, judging him, accusing him. If they should find him wanting, he did not know what would happen.

But that would be a struggle for a later day. He returned to his apartment and rested, preparing for the struggles of the next day: the supers meeting and the confrontation with D-Train.

[Wiz]

Pulse

The flying inventor dives a bit lower when he sees a familiar form doing a super leap into the air. "Greetings, Katana dude... how goes your search for fame without being arrested?"

[geez3r]

Gust

The dazed criminal finally takes note of you, as his head swings back into the upright position after having previously been utterly fascinated with the tarmac. His eyes are quite glazed over, and he appears to only moderately be aware of his surroundings. He tries in vain to meet you gaze, not because he lacks the will power, but because he lacks the power to keep his feet under him for more than 2 seconds. The smell of alcohol is quite strong.

It is in this moment that your mind finally makes the connection as to why he's been moving so weird, and it’s not due to just the alcohol: This guy's body isn't quite solid. It's like some sort of liquid pretending to be a solid. You're not sure if the alcohol is what's making him stagger or the fact that he's not on solid ground so to speak.

Just as your mind makes the connection, he opens his mouth and slurrs the following in your general direction "Hey-hey-hey-hey diddy ho. Maybe, juss maybe ey was talkin tur you, Mr. I - Wears - A - Dress - Inthemiddlesoftehnights *breath* andcrashes Mr. Nice guys cars.... Use gots a long name guy...."

Jason/Oblivion

Unless Gnome comes back, like now, I’ll take over.

So unless I am mistaken, the ball is in your court, and Gnome has just done a rather poor job of trying to get you to talk the siltation over.

Ryan Tran/Ace

{Note(s): Erica, the green one is a patient, not a nurse, you also gather what their names are based on a combination of name tags and the actual use of the names, and I’m going to say that enough time has passed where Jen can see again}

The various doctors and nurses all turn around from what they’re doing to give you a look that plainly says “That was the worst line we have ever heard.” Now that you are closer, you can get a good view of what has been occurring. The nurse Jen, who is moving quite a bit faster than you thought was physically possible bears obvious signs of someone who was just scared out of their minds. As you watch the scene, you can see Jen take several deep breaths and visibly calm down, though she is still unquestionably still very shaken up.

Erica also bears a few signs of the struggle. Around the area where Jen had clutched Erica, Erica’s bark-like skin has been rubbed raw, as if you took a power-sander to a tree, and even some sap like substance can be seen dripping from those wounds.

As the other medical staff offers words of comfort, begin treating Erica’s wounds, etc. one of the nurses turns to you as says “One of the mutants from the hospital used a power on Jen so she couldn’t see, and it spooked her really bad. The guy ran off that way and another guy gave chase. I do hope everything is alright…”

Dr. Harold Smith a.k.a. Pulse

You hear the simultaneous gulping of many mooks.

Gerard/ Muse

{I want to see where you take this.}

Legion

The door is pretty much barricaded shut, but none of the guards dare to move out or shoot at you. The guard clone is still alive, quite heavily wounded, but alive. You get into the van, dump your stuff, etc. without further incident. However, as you pull up to the front of the bank, it might be your imagination, but you swear you can hear sirens in the distance.

Murky

A few tense moments seem to hang in the air like a dense fog as a dull thud can be heard from the floor above. Another moment passes and another thud lands. Another moment and another step. Another moment and another step. Another moment and another – “D*mnit man! Get down here already!” shouts one of the guys towards the trap door, while his partner takes a shot “at you” you had you been like a foot to the left; there’s now a nice hole in the wall by the way. As you tear your eyes away from the gun that just fired at you, your eyes find their way to a more dangerous target. At the top of the trap door, the giant is crouching down and methodically putting you in his sights, a sadistic smile curling his lips.

Reaper and Paragon

{Assuming you aren’t hacking directly into the FBI mainframe, we’ll just go ahead and assume that works.}


Judy/Nos/Zeus

{I hope you guys can handle this yourselves because I personally can’t keep a straight face anytime I try and visualize the scene.}

And there was much rejoicing

[Xerxes Shadow]

Joe practically shudders. "Please don't call me 'dude.' I have a genius-level IQ, as far as I can tell. Secondly, want to spar? I was looking for a test of powers, and I figured it'd be better to not make you an enemy by hitting you in the face without warning." All this is said between jumps; Joe attempts to grab onto the glider.

Tumble check: [roll0]

[Wiz]

Pulse

Raising a brow, Pulse, pulls his glider up somewhat, trying to avoid the pseudo samurai's grasp. "Sparring might be nice, and Yes, I would prefer warning... and for a genius I.Q. I find it hard to believe you're grabbing at my glider on a blind assumption." He frowns under his mask, "Why don't we get introduced first... you can call me Pulse."

[MountainKing]

Bmeep. Bmeep. Bmeep. Bmeep.

...

... ...


Bmeep. Bmeep. Bmeep. Bmeep.

I... am I?

In a hospital? How did I get here?

Bmeep. Bmeep. Bmeep. Bmeep.

"Mr. Laarson?"

A nurse; delightful.

"Uh... Mr. Laarson? Y-you're awake?"

Muse turned to consider the nurse, which seemed to only make her only more uncomfortable. Slowly, he reached up, fingertips brushing over the bandages on his face.

"There was an accident, Mr. Laarson... you were found near the site of a chemical explosion," the woman seemed to brighten, but Gerard only continued to stare; she was a terrible actor, "But, don't worry! You've suffered mostly minor cuts and abrasions; there were a few severe lacerations on your face, but no muscle tissue was seriously damage, so once the doctor clears you after checking for a concussion, we'll be able to release you right away!"

"...good." The nurse smiled nervously, even though she had taken a half step back upon hearing Gerard's voice; an observer might think she had been struck.

"I-I'll go let the doctor know that you're awake and we'll see about getting you back on your feet..."

"...good." The nurse bit her lip, then turned and beat a hasty retreat, not slowing until she was well into the hallway. Gerard could hear the staccato beat of her heels clicking on the tile floor.

Interesting choice of footwear, miss. Gerard turned to a mirror, finding himself staring at bandage-work that covered half his face, but did not cover his eye. Gerard flexed his hands and legs experimentally before sitting upright, waiting patiently for the doctor to arrive. He'd never seen someone who seemed genuinely unnerved to meet him before... not a complete stranger...

--------------

Experimentation is the single most crucial part of being an actor. Without it, one would never know how a role suited them, would never find new ways to present the same feeling, or to perhaps present a more powerful interpretation of that feeling. The mannerisms of the character would never come to life... the actor would never know what it meant to be that character, not in any real sense. Nothing corporeal, nothing tangible, would be at the actor's beck and call.

So Gerard had experimented... from the moment he had inadvertently inflicted his new power upon Orpheus... no, from the moment he had noticed the severe unease his presence seemed to impress upon the nurse, and subsequently the doctor, and everyone nearby as he left the hospital, Gerard had experimented. After hurting Orpheus, Gerard had turned to more suitable subjects; stray cats, the homeless. He had discovered by sheer accident that his power could affect others in his sight, not just those he touched; the woman he had inadvertently targeted had nearly been struck by a bus.

He discovered the other half of his power by sheer instinct... and had thus escaped a potentially painful beating at the hands of a rather angry (and remarkably robust) member of Rainport's homeless community. Striking the man blind, Gerard had been stunned that he had found another interesting new thing to try out... and immediately turned and ran, in order to do so in a new locale.

His practicing had occurred over the course of the period of time spanning his release from the hospital, to some hours before he had turned the full brunt of his abilities on his former landlord. Now, Gerard had become his role; he had become Muse, and the thought of it was intoxicating and heady. Idly stroking Orpheus' back, he sat in contemplation; he was not quite sure what to do from where he was... he knew only one thing.

He was sickened by this... this Professor. He struck Muse as the kind of man who thou- no, believed that he knew all of the answers, and this belief filled him with endless quantities of wind, and more importantly... aspirations. Life was not about living out your dreams; dreams were meant only to be crushed, and so, Muse intended to snuff out this light shining in the darkness.

He needed to get to this accursed wretch, this belligerent upstart who had decided they would stand against the harsh reality of life.

Muse was that reality...

Muse would bring that reality crashing down upon Professor Lachlan Dark.

I... won't take this far, as I am bound by the rule of three; I must reserve one quarter of the day for rest and light activity, as Muse has been a busy little bee.

[The_Snark]

Judy

"Glad to hear it. I'm not the one with the mask and pseudonym, after all." It came out a little sharper than she'd intended, but she was a little nettled at the implication that she was trying to keep herself apart from everything. Isn't that exactly what you're doing? a particularly treacherous thought asked. Trying to ignore all of this so that it doesn't change your life?

No, she told herself firmly. I'm trying to find out what happened, and I'm worried about what might happen because of that, but if I'd wanted to keep the peace, I'd have joined the police. I'm not going to let what's happened make all my choices for me.

She doesn't apologize for sounding snappish, but she does drop her gaze to the table for a second or so afterwards, still fiddling with her spoon, and the irritation is gone when she continues. "Look, it's not that I mistrust you, in particular. I just haven't told anybody about it yet. I don't really intend to do anything with them, and it'd feel odd to talk about them." She changes the subject, both because this one is making her uncomfortable and to satisfy her own curiousity. "And while I'm on the subject, why is it that you two have decided to do... whatever it is you're doing? You have costumes, so clearly the fire wasn't just a one-time thing."

[evisiron]

Nosferatu

Nosferatu raises an eyebrow slightly at the sharp comment.

"Assuming of course that that is your normal form, and that is your real name. For all I know you can shapeshift, and so would be extremely reluctant to mention the powers. Whats better than the element of surprise, eh? But you are right, some random person who dropped from the sky is probably not the best person to mention life changing effects to."

His voice still growled with the deep almost daemonic rumble, but from the tone it could be told that he was willing to let the topic drop.

"Hmm. Who knows? It just seemed to be a natural progression of steps. When gaining powers the gut reaction was to test them, and a costume was prudent in case some mutate hatred storm kicks up later. As for the sword... not everyone who is given great powers wants the great responsibility. And there is little better than a decent blade for self defense.
And helping with the fire... it just seemed like the right thing to do at the time."

[ChronicLunacy]

Kid Zeus

"Why did I decide to put the costume on and help people?" Kid Zeus looked a little taken aback when it was his turn to speak. "You're kidding, right? I mean, I guess it really is just me but what American child did not want to be Spider-Man or Captain America when they grew up? I know it's a lot more complicated than that, but it's not every day you get to save the world, you know? We got these powers for a reason, and it'd just be a sad waste of talent not to use them for the benefit of mankind...err...Rainport." he grinned sheepishly. "I guess I'm just thinking too far ahead." he admitted, scratching the back of his masked head.

"Anyway, the costume, aside from making me look bad *ss, protects my family from the shady characters that might come looking for a little payback. I, uh..." he sobered up suddenly, "Let's just say my family's lost a lot to crime. I don't want them losing any more because of me. The costume is the barrier against them getting involved while giving me a chance to even the score a little." he said, his eyes narrowing with a righteous anger and pure energy sizzling out the sides. A tiny snap bolt of electricity zapped from his hand where it lay balled into a fist on the table to the metal cutlery, causing the forks and knives to rattle.

[The_Snark]

Judy

Judy nods, feeling some of her fears about some sort of madness lurking in the chemical start to ease away. They did have some sort of reason for doing what they did, at least. "I get that. But me, if I'd wanted to put my life on the line to help stop crime, I'd have joined the police. I didn't; I chose something else instead." She certainly had, not that she'd chosen well. She wondered what her life would have been like if she'd joined the police, either before or during college, rather than turning to petty crime to get her through it. Might've been better; maybe she wouldn't be in this situation today. Then again, maybe she'd be dead. Especially since police work was a good bit more hazardous in Rainport nowadays. Snap out of it, girl, now's not the time to be brooding on the past.

"And I don't really think I should change that decision, just because of this. It was kind of nice to see how many people were helping at the fire, but it's also kind of depressing. Most of those people helped because they could. Because it was easy. But I don't think any of them actually wanted to help enough to go out and be a fireman. You know?"

[ChronicLunacy]

Kid Zeus

"Hey, I don't know about those other guys at the fire but I've wanted to be a police officer ever since my d-aaaahh I mean, ever since I saw NYPD Blue back in the 90's." Kid Zeus backpedaled. He really had to get a handle on not giving away personal details about his life or he was going to get someone close to him in trouble. He coughed and took a sip of his water. His eyes seemed to settle down, but never stopped glowing that brilliant bluish-white. "My point is, I'm not just doing this for kicks. And I don't think you should make snap judgements about the others either. How could you know their motivations? I say we give them the benefit of the doubt."

[evisiron]

Nosferatu

Nosferatu smiled under his mask at the backpedaling Kid Zeus. If he had seen this in a comic book, there would surely have been comments of ‘rookie mistakes’. Of course, in the real world Nosferatu was just as green. Still, this Kid has passion and seemed to be on the same vague comic book hero wavelength he had in mind. Perhaps there was potential for some kind of alliance there. It would be good to talk to someone who was not holding stuff back or planning mutate experiments.

"Yeah, I have to agree with Zeus here. It could be that every person at that fire was already a fireman, but didn't have their gear on at the time.
As for my motivations, I am willing to admit that without these powers I probably would not have been at that fire. It would even be kind of unlikely that I would become a fireman, since I did not have a natural aptitude for it. There would be people out there who could do it better than me but that does not mean I don't want to help people. My thoughts have considered medical research and pharmaceuticals before. Its not pulling people from a blaze, but I would be at that than at the fire, in the same way a potential fireman would not fare so well helping people medically.
Of course, now I do have these powers, so I will help people like that. Yes, it is 'easy'. The chance I could die is much less than that of 'normal people'. But if I help, fewer will be hurt and fewer people risk their lives to help others.
Do you really believe people should have decided against helping just because it was easier now?"

“By the way, kid Zeus, I-“

A waiter finally steps up to the table again, still holding his composure.
“Are you ready to order?”

“Uh, sure. I will have a burger. Just make sure there is no salad or vegetables…okay?”

Nosferatu looks ready to continue talking, but the waiter is still hovering and waiting for food orders from the others at the table.

Did we ever state how the seating end up? I was curious to see if KZ would jump to sit beside Judy or not. :smallwink:

[Xerxes Shadow]

((*fall-smack.*))

"I'm trying to grab the glider so that I can say all this at once, instead of between jumps... actually, if you could go down to that rooftop there..."

[Wiz]

Pulse

The glider-rider nods and tilts his craft to the side, circling tightly as he descends to the roof. He steps off the craft and looks at you. "So, how have you been since that day we first met?"

[Xerxes Shadow]

"Well... I teamed up with the Reaper and another martial-arts kind of mutate to take down a mob boss. It's going down tommorrow."

[Wiz]

Pulse

The inventor nods, "I know... I was invited along as well. Personally, I think it is a mistake right now. But I've gone over that with the Reaper, and he's not interested in my arguments."

[Xerxes Shadow]

"Nor am I." Joe gets into a martial arts "ready" stance with a flourish. "Now to quote an old gaming adage... let's roll for initiative. And let's try to keep us both alive."

Initiative for teh sparzors: [roll0]

[The_Snark]

Judy

Judy glances at the waiter. Poor guy's probably bewildered out of his mind. Should leave a good tip. Damnit, I'm probably going to be footing the bill today, unless these guys have their wallets in their costumes... then again, I did suggest it.

She orders a plate of pasta and a sandwich, waiting for the waiter to leave before she spoke again, quietly. "I don't mean to say you shouldn't be helping people, of course. Maybe you're right, and I'm being pessimistic about it. It sounds like both of you have at least thought this out some." More than she'd have guessed back when the two were joking around on the street, making references to super heroes. Even the fact that they referred to their abilities as powers was telling.

"But there's a big difference between wanting to help other people, and being willing to go out and fight—and risk your life—to do it. That's a pretty major career change from being a doctor, although maybe not a policeman, and I frankly don't think I'd want to make that sort of life-changing decision in two days." She takes a drink of water, wishing she'd ordered something a little stronger. Then again, the Kid looked and sounded pretty young; it was harder to tell with the other, since his voice certainly didn't sound young, but he did act like it. Young at heart, anyway, to quote an old author. "I don't think I would want to make that decision at all."

No, I don't think we ever worked out seating. Judy would have sat across from Nosferatu, I imagine, or vice versa, and then the Kid would have picked a side. Not that she's doing anything to particularly endear herself to him...

[dfpiii]

Professor Dark

The Professor bids goodnight to his second guest of the evening. And the third person just today who had presumed to challenge his authority. Clearly he was being much too nice to people.

But he was secure for now. He had reviewed extensive footage of the performance of the other mutants - from a dozen different angles. None of them could touch him - he was confident of that. Though of course there remained the possibility of unknown mutants, but he was not apprehensive.

He was not, however, without problems.

His body had reached some practical maximum of power storage and was venting energy into the air like a lightshow. He was quite literally creating energy - new energy - a physical impossibility which contradicted everything he taught. Energy could not be created or destroyed but was only transformed.

While this opened up new vistas that Dark only could explore, it did also make him somewhat more obvious than he would choose to be. What he needed was... an old man's underwear.

***

In the basement of the house called Apollo, Paragon stood in full magnificence. The black armour gleamed and from between the joints there escaped the slightest red glow.

He placed the helmet on his head; he had made certain adaptations to the interior to accommodate his changes. The eye sockets and the mouth grill shone with crimson radiance like the door of a furnace and Paragon appeared like a dark machine, crafted by volcanic light and fueled by fire.

And in his heart, which seemed almost never to beat, he understood the lustrous power of evil.

So he stepped out into the night.

((Paragon flying on Patrol))

[kpenguin]

Ryan Tran/Ace

Awesome! Looks like there's gonna be a fight... and I want in!

Ryan frowned and put on a worried face.

"Oh dear. That sounds like trouble. Did you see where they went?"

[evisiron]

Nosferatu

"Go out and fight for it? My, you have a violent mind to consider that first"
says Nosferatu, his voiced raised to poke fun at the comment, the sword still resting on his back.

"But I see what you are getting at. I am still hoping that there aren't any aspiring super villains out there, and these powers can be used to help people with natural disasters and other relatively 'mundane' events. Thats a bit of a longshot though.
Still, at the moment its not quite a 'life changing decision' as 'life changing event I am making the best of'. But we we shall see what the future holds."

[ChronicLunacy]

Kid Zeus

Kid Zeus had lapsed into silence as he pulled a few dollar bills and some change from a his "utility belt" and started counting it all out and comparing it to the menu prices. Obviously his parents weren't wealthy billionaires. So much for that superhero stereotype. He fished a couple pennies and another dollar from his boot before ordering a triple-decker club sandwich with fries. ($7.99!) He figured he had just enough left to put in for a small tip. Though if the waiter bothered to snap a few photos on his camera phone, he could probably sell them to news outlets or eBay for much, much more...so KZ considered it fair.

"It's not like there really was a decision for me. I just think it'd be irresponsible NOT to help people with these new abilities. I mean, sure I could provide my parents with free power, and I'll never have to bother with buying batteries again, but there's so much more to do, you know? I mean...just think. When the government puts down a definitive policy on us, we could go to other countries maybe. I mean, by myself I could probably provide power to a third-world country for a month with just a little zap. If they could store up the electricity my body produces in a big battery or something I could help solve the world's energy crisis. I mean- ya, that's really boring, but it's just one thought. I mean, did you see that Inferno guy? Who knows, he might be able to stop an erupting volcano if he put his mind to it. The possibilities are limitless."

"As far as supervillains go, I guess we would be the only ones capable of doing something about it, right? So there it is again. 'With great power comes great responsibility.' Thankyou, Uncle Ben." Kid Zeus grinned. He may have seemed young, but there was more thought behind what he was doing than an attempt at playing superhero. He was still naive about it, but in a way it was refreshing to see someone want to do right for right's sake. It was almost Arturian in a way.

[The_Snark]

Judy

"You're wearing a sword," Judy says flatly at Nosferatu's attempt at humor. "If you don't ever intend to fight with it, that's going to get you into a lot of trouble someday when somebody assumes you will."

She listens to Kid Zeus, nodding reluctantly. "Not a lot I can say about that, except that if you didn't want to spend the rest of your life as a power generator, it seems a little unfair that now you feel obligated to because you're the only one who can. I think we're looking at this in different ways; you two see it as an opportunity, and I..."

She shrugs, and gives both of them a long, slow look before deciding to broach the topic that's haunted the back of her thoughts for the past two days. "Do you wonder sometimes how much this has changed you? Whether it's changed who you are? That psycho who attacked the Mayor on TV—who's to say he was like that the day before? All of us have new instincts; you didn't even realize you were using them to sniff out who I was. That means something in that chemical altered our brain as well as our body... and our bodies were altered in ways conventional science didn't even know were possible. I'm not a biologist, but I don't think it's possible to make that sort of alteration without changing other parts of your mind. Especially not by accident."

[Wiz]

Pulse

The costumed inventor raises a hand and a finger on the hand. "Before we begin... first... what shall I call you. If not Katana dude. Secondly, what rules shall we put forth on this... seriously, my guns and devices can be lethal, but I'm not that physically endowed. I didn't come down just to throw fists at each other. He glances around,
"Third, well... we're on a rooftop, so I suppose that most bystanders would be safe but that comes back to my second point again. What rules?"

[Xerxes Shadow]

"Just call me Katana, or Jason if you want. As for the ground rules... that is a problem. Perhaps we should simply do our best to keep it nonlethal? I will not use my swords, and please aim for my arms. I can heal myself and possibly you if I must."

((Joe doesn't know his healing touch is now fast healing. Sucker. Let's both use the -4 penalty for nonlethal damage.))

[ChronicLunacy]

Kid Zeus

At the mention of the Reaper, KZ's hand tightens slightly on the glass of water he was holding. As he does so, the water inside the glass begins to bubble slightly as if carbonated and little arcs of energy fizz around, pinging the glass audibly. "That guy was a psycho before, during, and after his transformation into supernutjob. We heard it from his own mouth." he said through clenched teeth, still wondering how the government could let a killer like that out of his cage, even if it was to do some good.

"As for me, I don't think my mind's changed much at all. I mean sure, I have to cope with the changes, but I don't feel different. I'm acting the same as I've always acted. It's just that my...emotions tend to be visible from time to time." he grinned sheepishly, nodding at the glass in his hand as he set it back down on the table.

[Wiz]

Pulse

The inventor doesn't touch his guns, but reaches into a pocket and pulls out a couple of ball bearings that he clicks and rotates in his right hand like a pair of undersized benwa balls. "So, we limit to fisticuffs and other nonlethal forms... I don't heal rapidly, as far as I know. If one of us calls uncle, it's over, okay?"

[evisiron]

Nosferatu


Nosferatu listened to Kid Zeus speaking of helping entire third world countries, and considered what he was doing. A proper plan had not been formed yet in his mind, he was living from day to day as things developed. And yet this 'kid' was planning to save the world. It inspired mixed feelings of both awe and worry for this youngster.

Before Nosferatu could reply though, Judy had cut in and raised an interesting question, and so he turned to speak to her.

"First of all, few people who carry a weapon 'intend' to use it. I am willing to run the risk of the trouble carrying it will bring as opposed to being caught needing it but not having it.
As for the mind thing... almost any event can change people. A car crash, a year in university, losing an arm: Any of these things can alter your mind. I am sure gaining super powers would count as a pretty life changing event.
Oh, incidentally they released the info on the Reaper. He was a serial killer before hand. However, now it seems that he is repenting, so not all change is necessarily bad. But idea that the changes were not by accident... that is more worrying."

Nosferatu turned to speak to Kid Zeus.

"By the way, I am impressed by your noble ideals. I also think great things can come of this, like if my regenerative abilities could be applied to medical science. But we have to start small. Lets see if the city can avoid turning into a fearful mob or the government trying to weaponize us before we step forward to save the world, okay?."

[Xerxes Shadow]

"All right. And I won't use the shotgun inside my coat I didn't tell you about." He grins wolfishly. "Let's do it!"

[blennus]

“The Man”

He was getting bored, ten minutes of waiting for the nurse seemed more like ten weeks. When he was just about to give up and leave, the door opened.
Helloooooooo, Nurse! I’m glad I waited. Let’s see if we can take this anywhere. He looked her up and down and gave a grin and nod of approval. Finally he had found a woman worthy of his sexy awesomeness; perfect proportions all round with nice curves, and a face to match. He saw her checking him out as well and decided it was time to make his move, as his background music suddenly went all soft and sexy.

“Ayyyyyyy. See anything you like?” He wagged his eyebrows, as he ran his hand through his hair.

Summary: Seduction 101. Please take notes. :smallbiggrin:

Activate Aura of Charm (Attraction)
Perform (Act): [roll0]
Will DC 27
PP expended 4pp + 2pp/round

[Wiz]

Pulse

The inventor nods, "As you say."



Initiative 1d20 + Bonus +4
[roll0]

"Throw" two ball bearings (assuming I win initiative, which is not certain)

Attack 1d20 + Bonus +12 (twice)
[roll1]
[roll2]

[Tar Palantir]

The Reaper

The Reaper rose from his silent rest, a tiny crack in the window coverings revealing it to be midday. He pauses for a moment. This was the first day of his penance, the first of forty years to follow. When he was done, he would be able to rest easy, knowing that his crimes were paid for, and the deaths of all those innocents were not in vain.

He moved silently along the street, sticking to the shadows and remaining concealed from mundane passerby. He eventually arrived at the police station, and entered, walking over to the mutant registration counter. He was careful to stay in the glare of the bright flourescent lights. They made him uncomfortable and light headed, but they would make those around him more comfortable. When asked, he answers the registration questions.

Will you be using your powers while costumed or in a civilian identity?
Costumed, I suppose, if my flesh can now be considered a costume.

What is your name and/or alias?
I am known as the Reaper.

What are your powers?
I have the power to merge with shadows, I can see in the dark, I can cause fear with a touch or a glance, and I have razor sharp claws on my hands. That just about covers it.

What do you plan on doing with your powers?
I plan on serving the police and government in order to atone for my crimes, in whatever capacity they see best.

Do you have any police, military and/or medical training?
No.

Do you have a criminal record?
Yes, I am guilty of four hundred and seventy two counts of murder, split between first and second degree.

Are you interested in receiving Police training?
Not at the time, though I may desire more specialized training at a later date.

[harmonictempest]

Gust

The streetlights seemed to shrink the scene then, and for a moment Robert saw his vision of heroics crushed to a tawdry apprehension of a drunk driver. It was then, however, that his eyes caught the man's barely-solid form, and his pulse quickened again. His thoughts flickered back to his musings of only a few minutes prior (though it already felt like months ago), and he frowned at this confirmation of those who would use their new power for only personal gain and pleasure.

Was he then some counterpart to them? Bombastic heroism had appealed to him in imagination only; he was far too aware of his own uncertainty in social situations to realistically believe himself as some wise-cracking dispenser of justice. Gritting his teeth, he stood a little straighter - this was not his strongest suit, but it might yet be his finest hour. He had chosen to make a stand and a difference, and if not now, then he never would.

"Turn around and put your hands on the car. Just because you have some power now does not make you exempt from the law." His moment of uncertainty past, his voice again betrays as much authority as he is capable of projecting, and he braces, readying a counterblow should the man assault him, half hoping he'll be listened to, half hoping for a fight.

Man, why couldn't I just fight a punk in an alley without having to worry about saying stuff? :smalltongue:

[The_Snark]

Judy

"Serial killer repenting, huh?" From the look on her face, Judy does not find this reassuring. "If he's genuine, that..." She doesn't need to finish her thought. If somehow, a career killer really had had a change of heart within two days of being exposed to whatever mix of chemicals had hit him, that spoke rather strongly in favor of her guesses. She thought it was probably pretty safe to say everyone's brain structure had had to change at least a little bit. Kid Zeus had to have some way to regulate the energy in his body; Nosferatu had found his new ability to see traces of the chemical so intuitive he hadn't even realized it was new. Both of them needed the instincts for flight, as well. Alex had used his new limbs like he'd been doing it all his life, and she... well, she truly had no idea how it had changed her, and maybe that was why it scared her.

But maybe it's subconscious for them; neither of them seems to have felt anything. Maybe that's just me... in which case, I guess I should stop trying to get them worried about it; it's not like it's doing me any good. They're not quite as naive as I'd taken them for from the costumes—both of them have actually thought this out at least a little bit. Even so, they're still treating this like... a comic book. In between talking about how it might apply to medicine or the power crisis, they're discussing ~supervillains~ of all things... and their first instinct was to get a costume and hit the streets. However much serious thought they've given this, they're still letting comic book examples guide them; if there had never been such a thing as a superhero comic, or if they'd died in the 40s, I bet there'd hardly be anyone out there in a getup.

"Maybe it's only some people," she shrugs, dropping the subject of chemical-induced brain alterations. It's great that the two of you are busy thinking of what you can do with your abilities, but I can't think of anything mine can do except complicate my life. I don't much care for the idea of throwing what I've worked towards just because something else is easier to do now." Not that she had much, but that was the point. Theft had paid better than her day job, and certainly better than her fledgling investigation business, but it wasn't always about what was easiest. She was proud of the fact that she'd managed to stay away from that temptation, working long hours and trying to establish herself on her own time, and she was damned if she was going to just give up on that. Perhaps it was simple stubbornness; but if she hadn't been stubborn, she'd have resorted to living with her mother's help a long time ago. She never had.

She didn't know if that was even still an option anymore.

She hadn't spoken with her mother in almost a year.

[evisiron]

Nosferatu

Looking thoughtful, Nosferatu replies.


"Yeah, thats always possible. I guess we will have to wait and see. Though I truly hope you are wrong about the potential mind affecting properties of the chemical. With these new abilities I fear there is a fair bit of damage I could do. And if it happens to everyone affected..."

Nosferatu shakes his head, as if to shift a terrible image of carnage and warfare.

"...Lets just hope that is not the case for now. I am sure investigations will be carried out soon.
And as for the change in our lives, some may see it as embracing a new route as opposed to casting away the old. And besides, you are sitting in a restaurant enjoying a nice meal with people only staring at the two guys in costume accompanying you. How complicating could your powers be?"

Nosferatu ends with a shrug. He had images of those being held in the hospital, or freakish mutates driven into the sewer. And yet this women was sitting comfortably in broad daylight complaining about how her powers could only complicate things, and on top of that she was refusing to tell anyone who might be able to help her what they were doing. Perhaps she was just that kind of person.

[ChronicLunacy]

Kid Zeus

"Yeah, but-" Kid Zeus had to stop short as the waiter hurried back with their order. That had been quick, he mused. Maybe they wanted to thank the costumed avengers for saving people in that fire the other day...or maybe they just wanted the wierdos gone quickly before they decided to blow up the joint. Either way, KZ had a delicious sandwich in front of him and he threw a couple fries down his gullet before continuing.

Gesticulating with the next french fry destined to follow the others, he asked, "Don't you want to do anything with them? I mean, are you just planning on living a nice, normal, boring life like EVERYONE else? What's the point?" He took a bite, cutting the fry in half. "I know it's a hard question, but still. What's the point in having these abilities? Why did we get them? Was it really just a freak accident? Is that all we are?" He ate the rest of the fry, looking pensive. "I like to think not. I kind of expect there to be more...something...I dunno...cosmic. An act of god or gods...something."

[evisiron]

Nosferatu

Nosferatu thanked the waiter as the burger was set down before scanning the meal discretely for vegetables, and finding none. He pauses for a second to consider why he did that before returning his attention to Kid Zeus.


"Hmm. I am still leaning with the 'Freak accident' or 'corporate scheme' options. I really don't think there is anything god given about these powers. Are you a religious person, Kid Zeus?"

Nosferatu lets the question hang in the air while he drags his facemask down to neck level. He seems unworried about being identified with his face so distorted, but is still quick to take a large bite from his burger and drag the mask up again. For the briefest of seconds, his large curved fangs can be seen. While he possesses the traditionally large vampire fangs, it appears the smaller teeth are also pointed.
With the mask back up, he chews slowly on his mouthfull.

[ChronicLunacy]

Kid Zeus

Kid Zeus let his fry fall to his plate when Nosferatu asked the question. He got this far away look for a few seconds before taking a deep breath. "No. I stopped believing in that stuff a few years back. I picked the name based on the power set. Heh. What I meant was more, I dunno...spiritual than religious. Destiny maybe? I just don't like the thought of being a freak accident. I don't want to think of myself or be thought of as a freak. Do you? It would make me feel better if there was a reason behind what happened to us, that's all."

[evisiron]

Nosferatu

Nosferatu chews thoughtfully, swallows, then answers.

"Ah, now there is an idea. A select few destined for greater things and given the means through a supposedly accidental event. Is it possible that fate has had a hand to play in this?
Heh. Its interesting to think that we are more willing to accept the invisible hand of fate over modern religion. An abstract concept over a book. ... Eh, works for me.
As for being a 'freak', I don't mind the idea. The assumption that there is a higher power governing it would mean there is something I am indebted to, and I don't feel like becoming a minion. Although I will say this: We each make our own destiny. It is our choices and actions that will decide how we are remembered as we rot in the ground. Even if we have not been given these powers 'for a reason', thats not a reason avoid using them to help people."

Despite his student lingo, the dark gravelly texture of his voice lends weight to the supposedly wisdom laden words of the last sentences.
He does not take a second bite of his food.

"By the way, thats a good choice for a name. Its a shame everyone will just end up calling you 'Sparky'"

Nosferatu gives the Kid a consolatory pat on the shoulder, smiling under his mask. A small spark of static leaps up at his hand after the pat, but seems to stop and fizzle before striking the hand.

[The_Snark]

Judy

Judy snorts at Nosferatu's earlier question. F***, kid, you try having to deal with a food bill that's gone up by five. That's a bit more personal information than she wants to give out right now, though, both on how she'd changed and who she was, and she remains silent as they cross into quasi-religious matters as well. She knew perfectly well the blast had been an accident, but she could hardly tell them that. Not if she was going to help keep Nerros's secrets. Nerros; no, she didn't have much right to complain next to him. He couldn't ever go out in daylight again. The blast had complicated her life; it had destroyed his.

She takes the opportunity to start eating as the food comes, beginning with her sandwich. She doesn't eat sloppily or take particularly large bites, but the sandwich is nevertheless vanishing fast. The excuse not to talk is welcome; it's hard to argue against idealism like that. What was she supposed to say, that she didn't want to help people? That she'd always aimed more at being able to support herself without leeching off other people than at actually giving something back? She couldn't make a difference on a minimum-wage job, so she hadn't thought about it. Not that anything's changed much. What am I supposed to do, work three jobs at the same time to help people? Join the police and save them the cost of a couple walkie-talkies? Sharing her specific powers with them to explain why she didn't have much more to help with than she had before was out of the question.

So she takes refuge in silence, busying herself with the food.

[evisiron]

Nosferatu

Nosferatu looks around the table over the silence while the others eat. His appetite is not nearly the same, and it almost feels as if his stomach has lost some of its elastic nature. Once again he reflects on how his body is changing. While there is nothing major that has altered him enough to cause difficulties, it was still a cause for concern. Sure, for now he is more resilient and stronger, but would good would that be if he had grown into a tree by the end of the week?
Shaking the dark thoughts from his head, he turned his attention back on his fellow diners. Sitting before him were two opposite extreme reactions to the explosion. One was bursting with idealism and already prepared to help everyone he could. The other had pulled back into her social armour, blocking others from helping and staying to her self even when sitting mere feet from her were people who were going through nearly the same thing.
While thinking, Judy’s sandwich was devoured at a surprising rate. Picking up his knife, Nosferatu sliced a clean cut through the burger leaving one half untouched and slid the plate into the middle of the table beside her pasta.

“If either of you are still hungry by the time you finish, I have half a meal I won’t be able to eat”

Of course, from what he had seen he did not expect Judy to accept. She seemed the kind that would turn down even such a minor offer even if she had not eaten in a week, and Kid Zeus had barely started eating between words so did not seem possessed of such an appetite.

[ChronicLunacy]

Kid Zeus

Without the talk to distract him, Kid Zeus wolfed down his sandwich in short order just like any other teenager would have. He thought about what Nosferatu had said and eventually decided that being an accident wasn't so bad of a start. Spider-Man was an accident, right? Look how he turned out! It could have been worse anyway. One look at Nosferatu's deformed features and he figured that he'd gotten the longer end of the stick in that department. Imagine! Trying to let his mom know what had happened looking like a monster! His sister would have just tried to hit him with the broom. He'd heard of the unfortunates down at the hospital as well, shaped so horribly, their forms wrenched around so much that they were hardly human at all anymore.

He'd definitely gotten the longer end of the stick.

Reaching into his pocket again, Kid Zeus tossed a five, a few ones, and a smattering of change onto the table, slapping his hand down on an errant quarter. "I wonder if I have time to finish that patrol before I have to be home." he wondered aloud. "Keeping a secret identity is harder work than they lead you to believe, you know." he added as he wiped at the edges of his mask where it opened for his mouth and lower jaw.

[evisiron]

Nosferatu

Reaching into his deep pockets, Nosferatu pulls a matt black wallet from his pocket and pulls a $20 note from its depths before setting them on the table.

"That should cover my food, plus a decent tip. I know the staff has earned it tonight.
As for this meeting, it does seem to be getting into the evening and the table has seen a decent bout of silence. Perhaps it is time to go."

Pulling another small paper note from his wallet, he hands it to Judy.

"This is my cell number. Give me a call if you need to talk to a familiar mutate or end up in trouble if the world does turn sour. Remember, the meeting is on tomorrow at noon if you change your mind, though if you have plans, don't worry. No one can be in two places at once."

Nosferatu then turns to Kid Zeus.


"I was also considering some light 'patrolling' before heading off into the night. Two mutates are better than one if you feel like teaming up.
You have only begun to discover your power. Join me, and I will complete your training. With our combined strength, we can end this destructive conflict and bring order to the galaxy.
Or something like that."

Nosferatu smiles at both the idea and how much easier it is to quote Vader with a deep smoldering voice.

[ChronicLunacy]

Kid Zeus

"God...you're such a nerd, Nos." Kid Zeus lamented, shaking his head. He stood, sliding easily out of the booth in order to let Judy out behind him. "Uh, I'd rather not give out my cell phone, seeing as it still has my name attached to it, but if you ever see me flying over or you see a lightning storm in the middle of downtown just give me a wave okay?" he said to Judy with a genuine smile. "Come on, Nossie, let's go catch some bad guys." he said, stretching his arms back and then planting them on his hips in the definitive superhero pose. He gave a self-deprecating chuckle and headed towards the door.

[The_Snark]

Judy

"'On't ee at muh," Judy protests through closed lips with a mouthful of food as Nosferatu slides part of the hamburger over, gesturing to the still nearly-full plate of pasta. Hard to tell whether she looks indignant or amused; a bit of both, really.

She eats pretty quickly, and is mostly finished by the time they rise. "Need to get yourself a business card," she says, managing a wry grin. No need to let them go off remembering her as completely negative; she'd already rather strangled the conversation. She still felt like they were treating this too much like a game; but then, maybe it somehow didn't feel as life-altering to them. To her, nothing was going to be the same again; to them, it was a chance to live out fantasies for a while. She didn't think it was going to end well, but who was she to say?

She leaves the remainder of her bill on the table. "I probably won't be there, but I might call later to ask how it went. I don't much like the idea of running around the streets looking for a fight myself, but the whole affair is my business whether I want it to be or not." Funny that he should mention it... She did have work at that hour, as it happened, but being in two places at once wouldn't be a problem if she did decide to go. She just wasn't sure she did. It'd mean wearing a mask or disguise, for one thing; and she didn't know if she wanted to risk exposure if someone there could pick up her thoughts. "See you round, sometime."

She waits for them to get part of the way out, casually glancing about to see whether any of the few people who'd been able to get a look at their booth were holding camera phones.

Spot check to see whether anybody's been snooping on them. Modifier is +11; I'll let you roll the dice, geez3r.

Oh, and a Bluff check to conceal that she's doing that; Judy will take 10 on that for 21.

[evisiron]

Nosferatu

Nosferatu smiles at the suggestion of business cards.

"Heh, I might just do that. Well, farewell. For now at least.
And Zeus, I will have to reply to that with the ancient wisdom of 'Takes one to know one'."

Nosferatu heads out into the even alongside Kid Zeus before lifting effortless into the sky, and watches as Judy heads out.

"Hey Sparky, you can fly, right?"

This will be the official start of patrolling, so geez3r: While we are talking while patrolling feel free to toss a random encounter at us in the next update if it 'fits' easily enough.

[ChronicLunacy]

Kid Zeus

"Can I fly?" Kid Zeus grinned at the question. "Watch and learn, Fang-Face." he teased as his eyes started to glow slightly brighter, little bolts of lightning shooting out to strike nearby metal objects until they seemed to wrap around him in a kind of aura. He deftly rose into the sky with his elbows tucked into his sides but his forearms held perpendicular to his body with his palms up. The lightning bolts seemed to anchor him to the nearest power lines, but he didn't seem to need them to support himself. "God, I love this job." he said, his grin growing wider as people pointed and took pictures at his impressive display from the ground. He gave them a wave before he and Nosferatu flew off.

[evisiron]

Nosferatu

"Huh, well thats okay if you want to go crazy with the special effects. I am sure the light show will not impair you ability to catch criminals at all."

Says Nosferatu, his daemonic voice dripping with sarcasm.

"And yeah, the flight is fun. Its amazing that stuff like this could actually come true..."

With a thrill filled burst, Nosferatu soars into the air a hurltes down the street, yelling over his sholder.

"Say, how fast can yours go? Let me set the pace!"

Sweeping a little higher, Nosferatu glides down the street at around 30mph.

[ChronicLunacy]

Kid Zeus

The super-powered teenager easily kept pace with Nosferatu as they both glided down the street between the buildings, drawing stares and pointing fingers as they passed the earthbound masses. Kid Zeus reveled in the sheer joy of flying. How he could have lived without it to that point he couldn't possibly fathom since the change that had allowed him to defy gravity. He put his hands behind his head and turned over onto his back as he shot a challenging look over at Nosferatu. "Huh...is that it?" he grinned, flying higher and faster for a moment before rolling himself right side up as he came down on Nosferatu's other side. "I could fly circles around you at this speed."

[evisiron]

Nosferatu

"Bah. It seems all fliers are not created equal. Looks like you will have to check your speed a bit if we are working together"

Nosferatu snaps his fingers in mock annoyance.

"Though if it came down to a straight fight, I am pretty sure I could knock you out. Of course, I would have to catch you first...
Hmm, despite the inherent danger I am actually hoping that we run into some trouble tonight. I have not had a chance to combat test my powers yet, am I am curious to see if these lightning powers of yours are all they are cracked up to be. Actually, I am not sure you fully exaplined your unique gifts...
I am guessing lightning bolts as a minimum, but can you do any other cool stuff?"

Nosferatu had forgotten about asking before due to the interruption by Judy, and now his curiosity was re-awakened. It still bugged him that he never found out what her power was. That strange drawn out 'flavour' would be stuck in his brain for days, like a riddle with no one to answer it.

[Wiz]

Excerpt from the research journal of Dr. Harold Smith...

Analysis of subject, code name: EMP

The subject appears to have undergone a post-natal alteration of his genetic code in all the cells of his body simultaneously. The origin of this mutation is uncertain at this point, however, the most likely speculation is exposure to a nanomachine created for precisely this kind of genetic alteration (see file marked Balchem Incident). The mutation has granted several abilities, but all of these seem to be related to one central change, which is the ability of the brain of this subject to sense and interact with local electromagnetic fields. The most obvious result of this change has been a heightening of all of the subject's mental faculties to an unprecidented level.

The ability of the subject's brain to directly sense electromagnetic fields grants him a unique spatial awareness of his surroundings, and the ability to react to incoming threats with astounding alacrity. By manipulating local electromagnetic fields, the subject is also able to impart a sort of magnetic levitation in any object made primarily of ferromagnetic or paramagnetic metals. Why the subject does not seem to be able to influence paramagnetic substances outside the range of the metallic elements is uncertain at this time. It is possible that since the power is mentally controlled, that this curious factor is caused by some form of psychological limitation.

The subject also generates a magnetic field around his own body, which causes full or partial deflection of metallic objects that are moving under a set threshold of force. What this combination of mass or velocity is, has yet to be measured; however, it apparently falls just within the range of force the subject can himself impart to such objects via magnetic levitation. This body-tight field effectively renders the subject immune to low-caliber bullet fire. In addition, by manipulating this field in conjunction with surrounding fields, the subject is able to levitate himself with a high degree of precision, even without a large quantity of metal on his person. Other uses of this body-tight field seem likely, especially as the subject has, since the incident, significantly increased the number of ferromagnetic containing proteins in his cellular membranes. Eventual enhancement of the subjects physical capabilities seems likely, though to what extent is only a matter of speculation at this point.

The latest development in the subject's abilities relates to the subject being able to use electromagnetic sensitivity to act as a terminal emulator for a nearby computer system. This ability to "distance operate" computers is useful, as the subject's electromagnetic signature seems to distress electronic circutry and magnetic memory systems (see Side Effects).

Side Effects of this mutation seem to stem primarily with the accellerated activity of the brain. Since over one-third of a normal human's metabolic energy goes to operating the sodium-potassium pumps in brain and nerve cells that reset those tissues for propogation of an electrical signal; a multiplication of brain activity has resulted in a corresponding increase in metabolism. The subject must consume large quantities of food on a regular basis in order to maintain normal functions. Similarly, this heightened activity in the brain results in faster blood flow to that organ, and a correspondingly dramatic increase in heat loss through the head. The subject must maintain himself for several hours every day in an environment with high ambient temperature or suffer from serious core-temperature reduction. Finally, the subject's body-tight magnetic field yields a severe magnetic signature which can interefere with electronic devices and possibly might set off sensitive instruments such as metal detectors and anti-theft devices in most common stores.

[ChronicLunacy]

Kid Zeus

"Well, I haven't really had the opportunity to test myself out in a fight, but between the fire and patrolling I've got a pretty good handle on the flying. I think it's actually a side-effect of my lightning powers, some sort of magnetic field that keeps me up, since I can sort of feel it pressing against the earth, like when you hold two magnets against each other on the opposite sides? Anyway, for some reason I'm just spontaneously producing electricity from my body and conducting it. I can grab a power line and it would just run right through me. It might even add to what I've already got." he said, looking pensive again. "I think it's got something to do with the explosion. I was riding my bike back from school when it happened and BOOM, I got knocked back into this transformer station. I blacked out for awhile and when I came to I was pretty dazed, so I just went home. After frying the TV and the microwave I started to realize what had happened." he said, looking up. He supposed everyone had had a similar experience, either when they zapped someone or they just looked into a mirror.

"Um...I've tried blasting a few things, and I can do that pretty well. Just depends on how much juice I put into it. I can also just call it up and surround myself with it for a pretty dazzling lightshow. Pretty much, you name it I can do it when it comes to lightning and electricity. I'm still working on the thunder part. I think in the future I might be able to create a lightning bolt big enough to burn enough air that it slaps back into the vacuum and BOOM. I've been learning about it in school, about how thunder works, I mean. I just haven't quite gotten the hang of it yet. I feel like there's room to grow, though. Like I'm getting stronger." he said as they flew, clenching and unclenching his fists in front of him and calling forth a small bit of ball lightning each time he opened them. The lightning shined brightly, then fizzled out when he clenched his fist again and then reappeared in the other hand as he alternated.

"What about you? I've told you pretty much everything I know. So, spill it. What's with the vampire bit?"

[evisiron]

Nosferatu

"Thats some pretty impressive stuff. None of mine is quite as flashy as all that. As I mentioned in the restaurant, its mainly increased my physical attributes and some other stuff like flight and an accelerated healing rate and heightened senses. As for why... I don't know. One possibility I have heard mentioned aloud is that the persons personality or subconscious may have determined their power.
Of course, there is another theory I am entertaining. Have you ever read a comic book called 'Freshmen'? The story follows a group of students who gain super powers, and their powers were determined by the last thought they had before some science experiment exploded. The comic was pretty weak, but the idea stuck with me. And I feel asleep after re-reading the Vampire: The Masquerade rulebook, then woke up to find I had some vampiric powers."

Nosferatu reaches into his pocket and pulls out the metal d10, and begins rolling it between his fingers.

"Yeah, I am more of a nerd than you know. Anyway, without the 'exploding into ash' in the sunlight and no appetite whatsoever for peoples blood, I am not sure how vampiric I am. Still, beats Stronger And Faster And Better Healing Than Normal Man as an identity.

And yeah, I also feel that there is also room to grow. But into what... I don't know. I could just become stronger physically or I could become some frenzied bulk of fang and claw. But man, I sure hope whatever happens my mind does not slip from my control. And what about everyone else? Could it be like levelling up in some tabletop game where we will all become stronger at a constant rate, eventually reaching some pinnacle of our abilities such as transforming into a being of pure electricity?
What if it does not stop? What if it gets to the point where there are a group of people who can rival nuclear weapons with their powers?

I guess at some point research will be done whenever things have calmed down a bit. Then we might find out."

Nosferatu's voice remains grim as he concludes the thoughts that have been plaguing his mind.

[geez3r]

Sorry for the delay, I got a sudden (albeit temporary) increase to my workload that killed off most of my free time, I’m essentially reading the thread as I respond.

Joe/Pulse

{Pulls out bag of popcorn.}

Muse

{*munch*}

Judy/Nos/Zeus At the dinner

As Judy looks around, most people seem to be leaving your group well enough alone; they aren’t ignoring the group that occasionally has a guy covered in lightning obviously, but not really excessive attention is being drawn. When the waiter comes back and sees the money on table they inform you that one of the other patrons has paid for your bill, and given quite a generous tip; the waiter seems quite happy with the last part. When Zeus and Nos stand up to leave a few people clap, and a few others raise glasses, but for the most part people have been, most people ignore Judy, sorry but a green vampire and a guy with glowing eyes are just far more entertaining than someone trying to covertly sneak away.

Zeus/Nos On patrol

As the pair of you rocket through the streets, it is not long until you venture upon something that is… interesting. You manage to keep enough wits about you at your speed to spot something hanging in between the buildings covering the entire road, a giant spider web. Just as you begin looking around for the maker, a car below you continues through the intersection, blissfully unaware of the danger ahead. It careens into the web and comes to a halt almost instantly as it starts but never finishes a forward flip, and the web is bound securely to the roof and hood of the car; and the dinner bell is rung.

From the top of the building on your right comes a singular, long, spindly leg onto the web. It is joined by another, and then another, until all 8 are revealed along with their owner. Whatever type of spider it was before hand it unknown now, even to the greatest biologist. Its body is easily 15 feet in length, and if it were to spread its legs out all the way, it would be at least a 30ft radius. Its entire body is a deep angry red, with odd bumps and a thick, nasty looking exoskeleton covering its frame. The standard pincers of a spider are gone and are replaced with a horrible, some might even say demonic, maw which is lined with sharp “teeth” that appear to be able to rend steel, and to complete the picture that inevitably cause you to need extensive counseling, it seems to secreting a thick foamy substance; completing its white eyes, that are alight with sadistic glee, as it slowly encroaches on its food.

Below you, terrified shrieks ring out, and the car shakes in the web, but the passengers are trapped like flies in a web.[/pun]

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1563271/

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1563285/

Damn, I wanted one of you fail, aw shucks.

For reference, the spider is 20ft ahead of you, 30ft up. The car is 40 feet to your left, 30ft down, and 20 feet ahead of you. Assume you’ve only been flying long enough to incur the activation cost. And I think I just lost the “nicest DM of the year” award. Sorry, but mooks were getting old. :smallgrin:

Professor Dark !PARAGON!

{It gives a twisted sense of pleasure contemplating what is going through dfpiii’s mind right now as he contemplates what horrors await him in his own little patrol. :evilgrin:}

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1563306/

As you fly through the sky, you see a few onlookers look up at you, and while none of them run or scream, none of them look like they want to cheer for you either. As you start piecing together various aspects of theoretical physics and create a few fractals based of Bach’s work, a thundering crash interrupts your thoughts. Changing course by 3 degrees while simultaneously taking the derivative of F#, to get a better you see a clash of the Titans, well one of them at least. Titan is currently in a slugfest with another person of roughly his own size in one of the larger “mini-parks” dotting Rainport.

The newcomer is about 25ft tall and looks like a collection of rocks, soil, and even some roots from the ground. As you watch the scene, the newcomer hits Titan in the chest with a pine tree turned club, as Titan counters with a textbook right hook.

Ace

As Jen is helped to her feet, Erica says “They went 3 blocks south, then…” Erica smells the wind before continuing “… then they went east for about a block and half, then they took a left by the like Chinese take out place there, and they kind started fighting in the alley. Try and stop them from like killing each other or something. Oh and can you like get me some Chinese food there? Hospital food is totally no so good.”

The Man
[/seriousness]


The nurse replies giggling “I might find [i]something I like, but your might have to bear with me, my examinations tend to be quite thorough. Now just sit back and relax, you’re in good hands.” She goes in for kiss, though a pair of somethings gets in the way first.

The Reaper

All of the police officers make it abundantly clear that they do not like you, even remotely. Anything and everything you know about hate and loathing, from body language, to tone, to just the general look in someone’s eyes, you are getting the full brunt of it from every officer. You even see a few itching to just take out their gun and shoot you there on the spot. But something is holding them at bay. In each of their eyes you see a tinge of fear. You know a lot about fear; you know enough to know that this fear, isn’t something you made or did. This is something deeper. Something or someone made sure everyone at the HQ is on their absolute best behavior when dealing with you.

Gust

The criminal has his entire upper body (head included) turn a full 180 degrees with his legs staying stationary, and his hands turn into giant mace like weapons. His arms extend the 15 or so feet back to the car, causing the new weapons to kind of splatter against the side of the car, causing 2 decent sized dents. As the splattered remnants of his hands start independently moving back to his own body, the criminal’s head rotates a further 180 degrees until he’s facing you again. “Like tat? Huh occifer?”

[evisiron]

Nosferatu

As Nosferatu finishes talking, he slows as he sees the horrific sight before him, gradually becoming worse in a predictable manner.
In his mind, his voice starts screaming in fear and he almost falters as his old self recoils in terror. However, this voice is quickly silenced by his own, 'new self' thoughts.


Okay, giant spider. People in danger, we have super powers, I have killed at least thirty in these in DnD. We can do this!

"Wish granted, right?! Hey, I will get up close, you blast it with lightning or something. I will leave room to aim. If I fall, distract it and fly up until the people in the car get away. Ready? Roll initiative!"

Nosferatu leaves a moment for Zeus to respond, then soars down straight onto the spider things thorax, drawing his katana en route. Planting his feet on the rough carapace, Nosferatu rams the sword into the joint between its body and head, not using all of his strength to ensure his hits the creature where it hurts.



Assuming surprise round since it does not seem to be looking at us.

To hit: 35, possible crit (Bah, and I decided against Power Attacking) (19+16) http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1563382/
Confirming Crit: 20 (4+16). Maybe, but likely not
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1563383/

Base Damage if hit: 23 (6+6+11)
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1563385/
Sneak Attack damage (3d6): 9 (5+1+3)

Total non crit damage if hit: 32
Total Crit Damage: 55

And Initiative for following rounds:
20 (13+7) http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1563390/

3PP spent to activate and maintain flight

Gah! Just realised during preview that I forgot to apply 'Charging' modifiers to the rolls. Geez3r, assume all To Hit rolls are +2 and I have -2 AC next round please.

[ChronicLunacy]

Kid Zeus
AC: 18
PP: 63/66
HP: 54/54

Kid Zeus pulled up, open-mouthed at the sight before him before Nosferatu galvanized him into action with his words. "I-is that a mutate?! It's...it's huge! How are..." he shook his head clear of the fear and shock that had immediately gripped it by thinking of his father, what the heroic police officer would have done. He thought about what he needed to do to live up to his dad's example, to make him proud, and the fear went away.

"No! Get those people out! I'll distract it until you're clear!" KZ yelled even as Nosferatu made his charge towards the thing without a moment's hesitation. He hoped that he'd been heard, but couldn't spare it another thought as he started his own attack. He flew up above the thing, his fists beginning to crackle with energy that built to a sizzling, strobing crescendo as he brought them together. "Flash-fried spider, comin' right up..." he said through gritted teeth. "NOS, GET CLEAR NOW!" he yelled.

Bringing both fists forward, Kid Zeus expelled a powerful bolt of lightning. There was no question as to how he'd earned his moniker when the resulting thunderclap echoed a thousand times all around them between the buildings. He targeted the creature's eyes...all of them, trying to blind it and limit its ability to fight back.

Not sure about the rules for called shots/targeting specific parts of the enemy, so I just made a normal roll for it.

Initiative (1d20+5=19) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1563408/)

Attack (1d20+9=22) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1563402/)
Action Point (1d6=5) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1563404/)
Adjusted Attack Roll: 27
Damage (7d6=27) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1563403/)

[evisiron]

Nosferatu

AC: 21
PP: 50/53
HP: 74/74

Nosferatu hears the call to get clear and kicks off the creatures back, pulling his sword with him as the energy arcs towards the arachnid.

"Woah!

We should try to kill this thing first, or at least draw its attention away. If it ignores us, then we go for the car. And keep an eye out for more of them!"

No game effect in this post, just fluff and banter between rounds

[harmonictempest]

Gust

Okay, I'm tired of messing around with drunk people who don't listen to me. Gust smash, and so forth.

Gust reacts instantly as the man smashes the stolen car. In that moment, his growing frustration built to a boil and the man in front of him suddenly represented every stupid, bull-headed, self-centered person Robert Blain had ever dealt with. People who just didn't feel like obeying rules, being considerate, or just generally giving a sh-t how they affected other people with their thoughtlessness. If this guy insisted on ignoring reasonable instructions, well, fine.

As the man's hands shaped themselves into giant clubs in his not altogether unexpected bit of childish humor, Gust was already moving. His face contracts for a brief moment, and everything changes. The wind whispering in his ear suddenly exploded into a new world of consciousness, and even though expecting it, Gust nearly staggers under the deluge of information. Every wisp of air that touches his body speaks a volume; the information is absorbed and used so fluently that the air around him nearly becomes visible, as red whorls of physical energy. Energy he was now a part of, fully connected to. He would have nearly staggered, that is, if he was capable of it any more. Every movement is now perfectly synchronized with the random gusts of wind surrounding him - moving between swirls of breeze in near-vacuum spots to move faster, moving with the small bursts of wind to lend an extra ounce of weight to some movements - but Gust is only marginally aware of these specific calculations. He knows only that he reaches out to the air around him, and it connects to him and fills him with power.

To those watching, Gust's movement becomes eerily and gloriously beautiful, a strange blend of unpredictable and perfectly harmonic. A video of the Russian National Ballet, played at ten times normal speed, would echo a shadow of the speed and grace which he now exhibits. It is literally unworldly.

If I win initiative:"No. Like this." Gust spins toward the drunk, then. As he completes the first half-turn, his back toward the man, his elbow flashes out, attempting to catch the man in the solar plexus. As the spin completes, his other hand darts forward, heel of the hand punching upward toward his jaw. Though his efforts clearly have little strength behind them, they unerringly strike toward poorly-defended spots, making up in nimbleness what they lack in physical oomph. Both fists seem to slow just before impact, as layers of air wrap around each fist, releasing a moment later in a small sonic boom.
The description in crunchier terms: Gust has a Dexterity score that is now officially "Extreme" according to the first page of the Phoenix .pdf. People watching have probably never even seen someone with half of Gust's Dex. (sheet updated appropriately)

While writing the "bull-headed" part, I had the strangest feeling of deja vu. I eventually realized the TOA used almost identical language right before he shifted. Apologies if it seems unoriginal as a result.

Activating Dexterity Surge (ability boost) in my surprise round.
Initiative (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1563454/) roll: 1d20+15 = 31.

If that lets me go first (and I really hope it does, or I'm in trouble), I full attack, dealing full Sonic Burst damage. If at any point in this encounter it becomes necessary, I'll auto-spend the AP to avoid killing him outright.


Attack 1 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1563456/): 1d20+21 = 28.
Damage 1 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1563457/): 3d8-1 + 6d6 = 36.
Attack 2 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1563460/): 1d20+16 = 34.
Damage 2 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1563461/): 3d8-1 + 6d6 = 26.

The d8s are my unarmed damage, and the d6s are sonic damage. Since the ability that gives my attack mod is over 24, the unarmed damage has knockback, and since I took knockback for the energy attack, the whole thing should have knockback, hopefully. Based on how we're standing, if he goes flying, it will be into the car, I believe.

PP: 3 to activate Dexterity Surge, 3 each for the sonic attacks. 9 spent this round.

[geez3r]

Nos/Zeus

Nosferatu flies forward at an astounding pace, and clocks the spider with a devastatingly powerful shot, you can even see some of its exoskeleton break off and fall to the ground as the spider reels from the blow in its web. The spider lunges to attack Nosferatu, but a powerful bolt of lightning catches it off guard, and it narrowly gets it's precious eyes out of the way, but its body is not so lucky. The burns are obvious even on its hardened exoskeleton. As the spider tries to regain its footing and hold on, the heroes continue their assault.



Yeah that was a surprise round and you guys beat it in initiative.

Zeus missed the eyes but still hit the critter.

Gust

{Ok, let's run a little demonstration here. I want you to go home and make yourself some jello, then once it's all cooled, set it out in the sun for about a hour or so. Then find the largest and most powerful industrial level fan you can. Throw the jello into the fan when its on its highest setting. Yeah, pretty much that.}

The street is lined with a fresh paste of villian goo, but as you watch, the goo pulls himself back together, though a bit slower than he previously did, no longer human in form. It has a tail much like that of a snake, but the upper body is more or less humanoid, though devoid of most defining characteristics, other than the fact that he is a bright fire engine red.

The splattering apparently sobered him up a bit, but its hard for him to talk in this form and his voice is a little garbled. "Ok, dat's it. No vun attacks SCHteven from behind und gets avay vith it."

A few more appendages burst from his chest, and all of them are tipped with a wide variety of maces, spikes, sharp points, and essentially everything designed to make people go die. Needless to say, they all swarm at you like a whirling macabre of death.

You may be incredibly nimble, but Steve here attacks from nearly every angle, and his arms change direction, and even weapons at the drop of a hat. However, it seems like he can't keep the weapons too sharp or solid, as many of them simply splatter.



http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1564002/
#1564002
I did not expect so many to hit you honestly.

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1564009/
#1564009
Oops, I added the wrong number to damage. Take 4 less from each hit.

[Tar Palantir]

The Reaper


Hope you don't mind a little assistance, Gust. Do you have Blind Fight, or anything else to help you out if I turned out the lights to assist you? If not, then try and lead him towards the alleyways, where I can help with safety and we can set up an easy flank. Also, geex3r, I'm taking off at full speed as soon as the real fighting starts, and running straightline through alleys to get there. If you think it takes more than two rounds, just say so. I'm assuming that the Reaper moves at the speed of plot, but if either you or Gust wants it to be otherwise, I can always edit the post.


The Reaper pratically smells the loathing coming off of these police officers, tinged by the bittersweet aroma of fear. For once, however the fear was not caused by him. While it was obvious that while the mayor's decision may not have been popular, none would dare disobey. It was better than he had hoped for, and far better than he had expected, but he could not deny that the police would not be as openly helpful to him as to the other costumed do-gooders crawling out of the woodwork.

After filing his registration, the Reaper heard activity on the police scanners. Two different incidents were being reported, a giant spider a couple blocks away, and some kind of shapechanging goo-person about the same distance away, but in the opposite direction. Listening for a brief moment allowed him to identify Nosferatu and the annoying lightning kid fighting the spider, and the wind user as fighting the blob. Deciding two on one was good enough odds, he decided to make for the blob with all due haste. Here was a cut-and-dry chance to prove himself to be reformed.

Staying in the shadows, he cut down a dark back alley and raced towards the sounds of battle as quickly as he could, probing while he ran into the new power still locked within his mind. As screams of terror reached his ears, a key turned in his mind, and he discovered the secret needed to unlock his new ability.

He arrived in time to see the human hurricane take a ferocious beating from a cyclone of reforming blades and spikes. He called out to the hard-pressed hero from the edge of the concealing darkness near the fight, "How much do you need your eyes? I can help, but only if you can fight blind. Either that, or get him closer to me." He then ducked into the darkness, wondering for a oment how he always got caught fighting in the daytime, when at night he was invincible. The irony of life.

[dfpiii]

Paragon

The smart thing to do, of course, would be to let them fight it out. He would gain a better understanding of both and the victor would be weakened and easier to beat. More cunning still would be to tip the balance and hold the favour as a marker. Yes, indeed; the opportunities were multiple and with little effort Paragon could seize any of them.

But let Professor Dark consider these implications. Within the steel skin of the Dark Lord he was a creature of action and power. The more glorious course would be to take on and defeat them both! Paragon acknowledged no better and would make these giants a step for his foot.

Paragon sweeps across the sky and descends towards the back of Titan to deliver a powerful concussive punch.

Combat - http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1564209/
Init - http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1564239/

((Any chance Paragon can estimate how much Titan weighs?))

[evisiron]

Nosferatu
(non surprise) Round 1

AC: 21
PP: 49/53
HP: 74/74


"Haha, I think I scored a crit!
And Zeus, you make a great bug zapper!"

Confident from the last attack, Nosferatu hovers in place and swings again for the open wound, this time putting much more force behind the blow.

Nosferatu power attacking for 7 while the creature is still flat footed from losing initiative, full attack action.

Attack one:
To hit: 18 http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1564279/
Damage if successful (including 3d6 Sneak attack): 34 http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1564283/

Attack Two:
To Hit: 7 http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1564286/
I doubt I need to roll damage for that...

1pp spent to keep in the air.

[Xerxes Shadow]

Joe drops into his most fearsome-looking stance and takes a deep breath, centering his body and calming his mind. He then launched himself at Pulse and threw a punch, tearing an ancient battle cry from his throat.

"Spooooooon!"

Initiative: [roll0]
Attack: [roll1]
Damage: [roll2]

Turn summary: Move to Pulse, attack once.

[Wiz]

Pulse

Katana move first and swings his fist at Pulse, failing to hit him. Pulse throws two ball bearings at Katana, one which collides with him painfully, the other misses and flies over his shoulder.

Katana takes 16 damage from the ball bearing as it smacks into him.

[Xerxes Shadow]

"Ow! Healing time." Katana grins wolfishly and concentrates on activating his powers. However, instead of a "healing touch," the pain simply began to subside. He could feel it sapping his energy, though; it would have to be quick.

Summary: Activate healing, attack again.
Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[Wiz]

Pulse

This time, Katana's blow connects with Pulse, staggering him back a bit. Pulse pulls out a device and depresses a button, causing lights to blink along it (move action). Seeming in response, the ball-bearing that hit Katana flies back to him, orbiting the device, the one that missed Katana...

Flank attack (no bonus because of ranged attack) - ball bearing coming back to hit Katana again from behind like a boomerang.

Attack Roll: 1d20+12: [roll0]
Damage (if hits): = 1d6 (sneak attack damage) + 16: [roll1]

[Xerxes Shadow]

"Give me that!" shouts Katana, grabbing at Pulse's arm.

Summary: Try to disarm Pulse and take the ball-bearing thingamabobber. Next turn: Beat him mercilessly with it!

Disarm attempt: [roll0]
I think you take a -4 penalty, since that's not a melee weapon. Or it could be considered light.

[ChronicLunacy]

Kid Zeus
AC: 18
PP: 62/66
HP: 54/54


Nosferatu flies forward at an astounding pace, and clocks the spider with a devastatingly powerful shot, you can even see some of its exoskeleton break off and fall to the ground as the spider reels from the blow in its web. The spider lunges to attack Nosferatu, but a powerful bolt of lightning catches it off guard, and it narrowly gets it's precious eyes out of the way, but its body is not so lucky. The burns are obvious even on its hardened exoskeleton. As the spider tries to regain its footing and hold on, the heroes continue their assault.


"Haha, I think I scored a crit!
And Zeus, you make a great bug zapper!"

Confident from the last attack, Nosferatu hovers in place and swings again for the open wound, this time putting much more force behind the blow.

Kid Zeus hovered a few feet to his left for a better angle as he wreathed his hands in crackling energy again. "Never did like spiders, you know. Got bit by a little one once and my whole leg swelled up. Consider this payback." he said grimly as that strobe effect started again, making it hard to look at him without shielding one's eyes. He gritted his teeth in effort for a moment before throwing his arms forward at the giant arachnid again. Another lightning bolt flashed in an instant from his outstretched arms, causing another thunderclap to shake the windows of all the nearby buildings and filling the air with the stench of burning ozone.


Attack:[roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[Wiz]

Pulse

After the returning ball bearing hits Katana from behind it popped over his head to join it's fellow in orbit around the device. Katana makes his grab for the tingamabob, and as Katana disarms the inventor, Pulse smiles, saying "It's all yours!" The two ball bearings seem to vibrate, almost in anger and both shoot toward Katana.

2 attack rolls: 1d20+7 [that's his normal +12-4(nonlethal)-2(rapid shot)+1(point blank range)]: 1)[roll0] 2)[roll1]

each one that hits will inflict 16 damage

[MountainKing]

Muse suddenly paused, mid-stroke upon Orpheus' neck, which caused the feline to move its head curiously, then leap from his owner's lap to the floor, in search of amusement. The gloved hand rose to Muse's mask, as he paused, the picture of a man in thought. In silence, he rose, and returned to his room, to don the outfit of Muse. The leather creaked softly as he strapped his long bladed dagger to his forearm, the pommel resting snug against the underside of his wrist.

Muse paused, catching himself in the mirror for a brief moment. Backlit as he was by the lamp in his living room, though both Thalia and Melpomene were distinguishable on his mask, only Thalia, muse of comedy, shone brightly in the reflection... Melpomene, muse of tragedy, was cast in shadow. Muse paused by the door of his apartment, before idly removing his mask and tucking it into his coat; it would not do if any night owls in his building, sparsely populated as it was, happened to see him as anyone other than Gerard.

A hand on the doorknob, Gerard prepared to leave, whereupon if he left the apartment, and subsequently the vicinity of his building, he would once again don his mask... and go out in search of amusement.

[Wiz]

Pulse

Pulse watches as the madly vibrating ball-bearings fly at Katana's head and miss. The device is still beeping and blinking in Katana's hand and Pulse glances behind Katana briefly before focusing on his opponent again.

[Thrall_Of_Ao]

Oblivion
Business District


Jason took a short step back as the thing did another flip, this time upward. How is he doing that? Eyes wide, Jason stepped back slowly. He stopped short and the edge of the alley, sensing the various activity behind him as to not get trampled by any busy-bodies. "Just.. Just tell me why you did chase me then... We can stop this and talk..."I'm just going to move back and use Diplomacy [roll0] to try and calm things down
Edit: Ouch...


Watching his prey’s slow retreat down the alley with his unblinking reflectionless ebon eyes, he considered this new riddle in light of the current situation, deciding upon a course of action and acting on it almost simultaneously.

What thin lies from a cringing beast…how did I ever believe that it could be reasoned with?

Leaping from the catwalk, he landed in a crouch before his retreating adversary, outside of his reach, he rose swiftly and with deadly grace to his full height, turning and looking down upon the wide-eyed upstart.

((He’ll be land positioned so as to make it impossible for Jason to escape without incurring an AOO. If this forces him to stand in the sidewalk, so be it))

“Your actions betray your true intentions and speak far louder than your weak words” said between clenched teeth, his words continuing to echo strangely. “It is far too late for negotiation…you…disappoint me”, he concluded, his dark voice brimming with cold contempt.

Raising his open hands, arms bent at the elbows, towards the boy as he spoke, the air seemed to darken around him, his exposed flesh writhing with the externalized darkness.

Acting on pure instinct and sensing the energy within his prey, he reached out to it…with his will alone.

It was then, as this slumbering aspect of his psyche awakened after years of dormancy, that his rational mind finally grasped what exactly it was that he had become, the exact term slowly crystallizing and rising to the surface of the churning sea of his frigid rage.

Suddenly, whipping out with brutal and inhuman efficiency, a mass of the ethereal tendrils that clung to his body shot toward his intended target, spinning a web of tangled darkness between Oblivion and his prey.

Now I understand…now they all will.

Ranged Touch attack (“Weapon” #3): [roll0], damage: [roll1]…don’t forget the save.

[Xerxes Shadow]

Joe swung at Pulse with the device itself, attempting to beat him down. And succeeding. Oh, the irony.

Summary: Beat Pulse with the device. And keep healing, I guess.
Attack- [roll0]
Damage- [roll1]

[Wiz]

Pulse

The largely metallic device strikes hard against Pulse, staggering the inventor backward. Predicably, the ball bearings are returning, homing in - to all appearances - on the abuser of the device.

2 flank attacks (no bonus because of ranged attacks):
1d20 + 7: ; 1d20 +7:
each attack that hits does 16 damage

[Wiz]

ooc: sorry for the double post... something went wonky with my second attack roll.

Pulse

The injured inventor rights himself and smiles with satisfaction as one of his ball bearings strikes Katana from behind, leaping over the martial artist to begin circling the device. "Typical, I suppose if you had a laser rifle you would also use it as a club?" Meanwhile, the other ball bearing, homing in, gleams in the fading light...

second try at rolling that die:
1d20+7: [roll0]

[Xerxes Shadow]

Katana ignored the inventor and rubbed the sore spot on the back of his head. This is getting annoying, he thought. Maybe if I turn off the contr- oh, that son-of-a-***** has powers, wouldn't he?! Crap. I'm still getting used to this whole 'other people can actually warp the fabric of time and space itself' idea. Telekinesis, maybe? I'd better take him out faster.

Then he dropped the facade of the "calm, collected martial artist" and launched into a flurry of painful-looking attacks.

Turn Summary: Double-attack Pulse!
Attack 1: [roll0]; Damage: [roll1]
Attack 2: [roll2]; Damage: [roll3]

[kpenguin]

Ace

"Much obliged miss..."

(OOC: I assume she gives me her name here)

"Down the alley, right? I'll check on them then. There's been too much violence here. I'll be sure to get you some food, babe."

With a quick wink, Ryan starts running south. As soon as he is out eyesight, he pulls out his black mask, puts it on, opens his jacket, and pulls out his gun.

Adrenaline started pumping into his body. He could feel the excitement of the imminent danger. This was going to be fun.

[Wiz]

Pulse

Pulse rocks back, taking another blow from Katana, he shakes his head, frowning under his mask. From wherever the device is... still in Katana's hand, or dropped... the orbiting ball bearings shoot toward Katana again at high speed.

Two attacks: 1d20+7: [roll0] ; 1d20+7 [roll1] ; each one that hits does 16 damage.

[blennus]

“The Man”

He leaned back teasingly as she went for the kiss causing her body to press up against his. That soft supple feeling that he had craved for so long would now be his. As she pressed up against him, the pleasant feeling he had anticipated felt different, almost as if her breasts were much harder than they appeared. Strange, was she so excited already? No, this was different. As she pressed harder to get in a kiss it was almost as if her breasts were boring into him. His chest started aching and the heaviness and pressure increased exponentially. As he tried to push her away his body convulsed as the pain his chest exploded violently.
“Raaaaaagh!” he yelled as he forced the startled nurse away.

Summary: Nurse’s implants trigger Bane Contact Toxicity.

Fortitude DC 30 Auto-failed. (Do I even get a save?)
Bane Poison damage received: [roll0] (assuming contact was held for 1 round)

[Wiz]

Pulse

The inventor sighs as the ball-bearings miss Katana again. "You seem a little, out of sorts, my friend. Something bothering you?" He shakes his head, slightly, keeping his eyes on Katana, though he glances briefly behind the martial artist for a moment. The device lies beeping and humming on the ground (I suppose). "I admire that healing factor of yours, I wonder if I could incorporate that into some kind of supertech device... a cellular regenerator."

[harmonictempest]

Gust

The fluff here seems to indicate that, though there were four attacks, there were many more appendages, and I'm rolling with that. If I'm mistaken, I'll edit.
In 2032, a bored lab technician would fiddle with some infrared goggles in his spare time, altering them to pick out differences in air density and speed instead of temperature. These devices would catch on quickly as a novelty item, and eventually spur a halfway popular bit of entertainment - such "air shows" were expensively to create, but immensely popular.

These devices did not currently exist - in fact, Gust might have been the only person on earth uniquely equipped to appreciate the aesthetics of the moment, and he was certainly paying little attention. But oh, what a show it would have been for anyone able to watch.

As Schteven's form explodes into multivariate pointy death, the cobweb of air strands around Gust tightens in anticipation. As each hammer or spike flies toward Gust, this invisible, twisted ball of yarn tightens around it, while other strands nudge Gust in the best possible direction. At every moment, new strands of air wisp out of the surroundings breezes and add to the tangle of atmospheric power enveloping the spindly figure. The net effect was incredible - through the entire storm of arms, only three reached Gust. Though the flying limbs had deadly force behind them, the first simply splattered on midair as it reached Gust, and the next two barely scratched him. As Gust watched this happen with nearly as much surprise as Schteven--
"How much do you need your eyes? I can help, but only if you can fight blind. Either that, or get him closer to me."
Gust didn't have much more than a moment to spare for a glance at the newcomer, but had immediately recognized the Reaper by his voice, and the part of him that was still quite frightened of this superpower business breathed a tiny inward sigh of relief at the backup. "I need my eyes as much as anyone. As for closer..."

Gust ignored the lack of immediately apparent outward damage and pressed even harder. The cobweb around, still as invisible as air ever is, tightened. Had any fortunate soul had the right pair of goggles, they would have seen the net of glowing red strands weave itself into a suit of full plate mail, complete with spiked gauntlet and six-foot greatsword. Gust steps to the side, responding to Schteven's gibe, "How about to your face, then?" He drives forward, opening every connection and letting power roar through him like a fire hose, ignoring the already-growing sensation of the drained exhaustion that would follow such reckless energy expenditure. He roars through gritted teeth as he strikes as quickly as he can, sacrificing accuracy to hit as fast as possible. He launches a spinning kick followed by a pair of punches, all aimed at giving his target as much momentum as possible in the Reaper's direction, each strike carrying the released pressure of years filled with insecurity and doubt. This time, the small sonic wakes tipping each striking hand and foot are slightly visible to the observant.
Heh...got carried away with the flavor text there. The "armor" and "cobweb" stuff is purely flavor to explain his high AC and DR at the moment.

I assume we're in adjacent squares. I should be able to 5-foot step to another square adjacent to Steve the Goo and opposite the Reaper and full attack from there, hoping to knock him toward the Reaper.

Full attack (using ITWF penalties):
Attacks are 34, 35, 29 and 23 (+21/+21/+16/+16 - I think I got the TWF penalties right)
Damage is 24, 30, 24, and 35 (each attack is 3d8-1 physical and 4d6 sonic)
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/search/204696/

HP 32/38
AC 40
PP 9 last round + 3 for Dex Surge + 1 for each attack = 17 at the end of this round.
2nd round of Dex Surge (important for fatigue duration later)

[geez3r]

Well, I think we can safely say that I do not know how to tell time. Sorry about the delay. Now continue your murderings of all my NPC's

Gust/Steve/Reaper

At this point, all of the police officers on seen are standing around dumbfounded at the display of power being shown here today. Heck, even people driving by are slowing way down to get a closer look, and one or two flat out stop in the middle of busy highway just to get a better look. The pair of you seem to be everywhere and nowhere at once. You blast apart one of his limbs only to have two more take its place, not counting the limb that begins reforming before it even hits the ground, and even once or twice manages to get an attack off while not attached to anything.

Just as the fight seems like it will drag on forever, you begin to notice Steve is getting sluggish. His attacks aren’t coming as rapidly, and the blows aren’t as solid. His breathing, if you can even call it that, is getting labored. In a split second where there is a lull in your attacks, Steve springs back with inhuman grace and speed, somewhat like a gelatinous slinky doing a back flip. ”Schrew dis!” Says Steve as he leaps away, extending one of his arms out and latching onto a building and going into a swing. However, unbeknownst to Steve, but knownst to us, Steve’s route takes him right into the waiting arms of the Reaper. Steve only notices his predicament mere seconds before he is with inches of Reaper.

{Reaper you’re up, and Steve is adjacent to you, essentially caught with his pants down.}

Paragon/Titan/Terra

Paragon swoops down at Titan as he blocks a left hook from the moving mountain, and connects with a sickenly powerful shot to the base of Titan's skull. Titan has to waste a few precious seconds to secure his footing, the rock giant takes advantage of the situation with a powerful uppercut, catching Titan under his chin, sending the giant reeling.

Titan regains his footing some 20 feet further away, which really isn't too far away considering how tall he is (30ft btw). While leaning on a nearby tree, he pants a little from exhaustion as the tree starts to groan under the strain of his weight. As the sweat drips from his face, you can see a glimmer of fear in his eyes.

As you and the MM watch the scene, it says to you in a rather deep and rumbling voice "Ummm… Thanks for the assist? I'm Terra, and you are?"

You are only able to deliver a quick response before another rumbling voice says "Alright enough of this. I don't give a d*** who the h*** you people think you are! I'm ENDING this right NOW-AAAAARRRRRRGGGHHHH!" As the bellow issues from Titan's lungs, birds, squirrels and all manner of creatures come to the conclusion that it’s probably not a good idea to hang around and split. Even as you watch, Titan’s frame starts expanding, again. A few previously unseen buckles and straps on his costume make their brief appearance before coming undone, and "new" fabric is released, only to to be readily used by his expanding body.

When all is said and done, Titan has lived up to his name sake, towering an impressive 60+ft in height, dwarfing many of the nearby buildings. A few ragged breaths escape from the fatigued Titan before he regains his composure and uproots a tree that looks to have been sitting in that plot of land for the past 100 years as easily as if had been a sapling planted the day before. Titan swings the tree in a massive downward arc, his target: Paragon.

Realizing the obvious danger, Paragon quickly side steps the blow, but his body is still pelted with the soil and rocks from the trees roots. As the tree connects with the ground, a thunderous thud can be heard, followed soon by the sound of several car alarms in the nearby area, and in 1 instance, the breaking of a window of a nearby building.

Terra seizes a nearby park bench and table, concrete and all, and hurls it at Titan, and as it glances the side of his thigh, it breaks sending all manner of debris crashing to the ground. Titan returns to a fighting stance, holding his bat at the ready to swat any annoying flies that get too close.


Titan Attack roll 1d20+20=22 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1571774/)


{Paragon's up, and yes anyone in the city at this point can look up and see Titan being Mr. Wrecking crew. Also, you can guess that he's “originally” at least 3000 lbs. maybe even 6000 lbs. from how deep his foot prints are, when his size increases all calculations you have essentially just go out the window because physics apparently no longer applies}

Nos/Zeus/Spider/A broken 4th wall

Nosferatu keeps up his assault, but he can't seem to land a solid hit with the spider's web still rocking from his last attack. Kid Zeus has similar luck as his lightning goes between the spider's legs and strikes a parking meter, causing it to bend and melt under the heat.

In the net, the spit around the spider's mouth foams, slathers and drips to the ground in one of the most disgusting displays you've seen. Just as you begin wondering what the heck it's going to do, it rears back and spits the disgusting slop at the two of you.

Caught unawares, the two of you have your limbs bound to you, and just as the reality of the situation begins to sink it, you feel a burning sensation on your body, and hear a sizzling sound. With a shock of horror and revolt you realize that this goop is trying to digest you.


http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1571801/
Congrats, you're both entangled. DC 20 Escape artist, DC 24 Strength check or deal 16 damage non-bludgeoning damage to escape. EA and Str check require standard action.

You guys also take 1d6=5 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1571828/) acid damage



Pulse/Joe

{Yay fisticuffs}

Muse
{Hrmm, now what hijinks shall Muse find himself encountering today?}

The cool night air is crisp and has just that feeling of peace as you roam the streets. As this is the seedier part of town, its not too surprising that many of the streets are pretty much empty. You round a corner and there is someone else on the same street as you, walking in the same direction as you, about 50ft ahead. He looks warily over his shoulder, and quickens his pace. He doesn’t get far however as a hand suddenly darts out of an alley way, and yanks him in. You hear the familiar sound of flesh giving way to steel, and a muffled scream. You see a small jet of warm red liquid sprays onto the concrete, in a display that can only be called unprofessional.

Oblivion/Jason/Ace

As Oblivion’s grasp tightens on Jason, he feels weakened as you feel invigorated by your attack. His eyes start to gloss over and his skin gets paler "NO! NO! Let go of me! Get off! Stop, please." As he weakens, he tries to counter attack.


http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1571834/
Failed Fort save

Touch attack http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1571856/
Roll a Fort save DC 12, if you pass nothing done


After this little scuffle, Ace shows up on the scene, about 50ft. away from these on goings.

EDIT: Whoops forgot someone

The Man/Top heavy plot device

Clearly not getting what the heck just happened, the nurse says "Shush, if they hear us we'll get in trouble. But if you can't bite your tongue, I'll be glad to do it for you." Giggling some more she advances again.

[Tar Palantir]

The Reaper

The Reaper almost grins as the foolish man-thing approaches, oblivious to his peril. Except, of course, that he has no mouth. He unleashes his power in a flurry of claws and wisps of shadow. He then vanishes into the darkness, depriving his foe of a chance to strike back.

As he does, he experiences a strange sense of ...peace. He is finally fighting for what is right, and so he can fight without guilt or grief. Only forty years left until his redemption. It did not seem like so long a time.


Full attack, with sneak attack on the first attack, and cause fear on any that hit (DC 19 Will negates). Then shadow meld as a free action. I'll spend an Action Point to avoid killing him, if necessary, but I think he can handle lethal damage.

[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]

[roll4]
[roll5]
[roll6]

[MountainKing]

"Indeed," Muse murmured; this would likely bear investigation... and if he was lucky, it would provide the opportunity he would need. Silently, Muse moved toward the alleyway, the fingers on his left hand twitching lightly, his wrist ready to flex hard, sending the dagger sliding out of its sheathe.

Move Silent check: [roll0]
Spot check: [roll1]
Listen check: [roll2]

Moving to entrance of alleyway, listening and watching for any new information on the situation.

[evisiron]

OOC:

Just to say, the To Hit roll is a 20 in total while my AC is 21. Is this a typo, or was it a touch attack or something odd?

Also, Nos has a Power Resistance that the spit would have to roll against to overcome. I will PM the Resistance score to geez3r

[Thrall_Of_Ao]

Oblivion
Business District

As the dark strands of his psychic will made manifest dug into the flesh of his prey, draining his power from him, they became tinted a dull orange, the color passing back through the strands into Draven's body, even as the strands withdrew themselves.

Not enough. Not nearly enough. I must have more...

As the new power flowed through him, he could almost hear the energy being asymilated into his own.

The dark network of energy upon his skin pulsing in time to his hearbeat as it roared in his ears, the pathetic mewling of his prey drowned out in the cacophony.

Suprisingly, the creature lashed out, stumbling forward and making a desperate swing, barely missing him as he exulted in his newly realized abilities.

"You shall pay pay for your insolence, curr", he growled through gritted teeth, his echoing voice resonating strangely off the the alley.

Reaching out, he grabbed for the boys neck, the twining strands undulating eagerly, his eyes remorseless as a moonless night and as cold as the depths of space.

Distantly, he sensed another presense moving towards, rather than rapidly away from, him. But, with his attention focused on silencing the pathetic whining of the creature before him, this detail did not yet register as out of place.

Grapple Attempt; Touch Attack: [roll0] (this is minus his str. bonus, due to Jason's "unbalancing opponent" feat)
If successful, Opposed Grapple Check: [roll1]
Unarmed strike Damage:[roll2] (assuming the afore mentioned feat works when he's lifted a foot off of the ground by his neck, which is exactly what Oblivion's attempting to do. Otherwise, +2 more pts. of damage)

I'll see how this goes before deciding if I want to full attack or take some other type of action.

[ChronicLunacy]

Kid Zeus
AC: 18
PP: 54/66
HP: 49/54

When the gooey strands held his limbs pinned to his body, Kid Zeus's face twisted into one of disgust. He struggled to free himself before the burning sensation of the acid registered and his "Eww..." turned swiftly into a scream of pain, his teeth setting themselves against it. Without even thinking, his body reacted to the bio-acid by bringing the tempest of electrical energy that resided within the teenage superhero to the surface. It exploded out of every pore and sizzled between every follicle of hair. His eyes began to glow brighter, then turned a blinding bright white even as light seemed to shine from his mouth as well. The disgusting goop began to sizzle and boil, small arcs of lightning jumping over it as light began to shine through the cracks. At the culmination of Kid Zeus's scream of pain, the light tore apart the webbing and exploded outward into a halo of lightning that completely surrounded the teen. You had to look hard to even see the glowing superhero within the ball of energy, his limbs spread wide.

"Alright, that's it. That was disgusting. No more mister nice thunder god." Kid Zeus said as he darted straight down at the giant arachnid, looking to land on its back where Nosferatu had stabbed it before and simply hang on. The energy field that surrounded him required only contact with the creature to lash out at it like a hungry predator, sizzling and cooking everything it touched.

Energy Blast (Aura) Damage: 7d6=30 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1573515/)

Requires contact. I just rolled the same for both burning away the bioacid and touching the spider, since it'd be the same energy expenditure, right? Every turn that KZ remains on the spider's back, the damage continues. What kind of attack (if any) should I be making to land on the creature's back? Also, I figured I could do all this in the same round. Correct me if I'm wrong and I'll stretch it out over two.

[dfpiii]

Paragon

The armoured terror lands neatly after delivering his attack, his armour still reverberating from the fury of the assault. The helmet turns and glowing red eyes fall, like spotlights, on the mound of earthen rock.

From inside the glowing metal, a voice echoes like a tolling bell in deep water; the primal and ubiquitous voice of nightmares: His Voice.

"I am Paragon".

The black figure senses the movement, anticipates it from a thousand clues like the assembly of a puzzle. And by the time the mighty tree lands, he is safely aside. He raises the black shield above his head to ward off the worst of the rocks and stones.

The red eyes stare up at the looming Titan and there can be no sign of fear in their pitiless depths.

"You compound your disadvantage," the voice says. "Allow me to educate you".

He leaps forward, his legs like pistons powering his armoured bulk; and though he seems tiny by comparison, so seem bullets. He weaves beneath the clumsy assults of his foe and aims his punch at the ankle of the giant.

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1574277/

[harmonictempest]

Gust

Victory. The word permeates Robert Blain like the ringing of a bell. But this isn't over yet. With a moment's slight hesitation, he decides against maintaining the mad rush of power flowing through him, and surrenders to its fatigue now in the hope that it will be shorter. The invisible nimbus surrounding him dissipates its energy in a moment, tossing him into the air with an audible whumph. Even the bystanders unable to see the tightly coiled spring of energized air around him (which appears red to Gust), noticed that the hum of power around the robed figure had burst like a compressed spring, sending its energy into the now-soaring figure.

As Gust takes to the air in pursuit of Schteven, he suddenly wobbles drunkenly and nearly rolls over. The aftermath of controlling such finely-tuned senses has left him unable to control his more normal excellent (though not superpowered) coordination. Mastering the worst of the coordination problems, he continues pursuit of Schteven, the wind about him picking up ominously as he does so.

Deactivating Dexterity Surge - Fatigue sets in now and lasts for two rounds (this one and the next). My Dex is now exactly one-tenth what it was before, due to the Fatigue drain. :P

Activating Flight, flying drunkenly (yay Dex penalty), and using a move action (60 ft) to pursue Steve the Goo. Using my standard action to begin activating Air Mastery, which will complete sometime during my next turn. Applauding Reaper's sneak attack (free action).

PP so far = 17. Plus 2 to activate Flight and 4 to activate Air Mastery = 23.
67/90 remaining.

[evisiron]

Nosferatu

Nosferatu flinches as the question of ‘Whats that spider up to?’ is quickly resolved by being hit by the webbing. Seeing it as ‘just web’ Nosferatu starts saying the first thing that comes into his head, as if humour would somehow deter from the terrifying nature of the event.

“Now, this is what I call a sticky situati-GRAHHH!!”

His words turn into a bark of pain as the acid material burns into his flesh. With a deep growl his eyes narrows while he concentrates, tucks his katana between himself and the webbing and cuts forward before slashing about himself to cut the stands apart.


Full attack action at -2 for webbing
35 Damage, so free!
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1576606/

With the webbing torn off, Nosferatu looks to Kid Zeus, who seems to have disposed of the webbing in a much more impressive display before leaping onto the spiders back opposite where Nosferatu was still hovering. With a small movement to ensure that the spider would have to divide its attention, he prepared to attack again.

Summary: Free self with sword then 5ft step to flank

[kpenguin]

Ryan Tran/Ace

This was bad.

Ryan had come with intention of helping out the older guy take down the kid who hurt that nurse. However, when he got to the fight, he saw instead a kid being attacked by some sort of... monster. Whether this was the man Erica descibed or a newcomer entirely, Ryan knew what he had to do.

Heroes don't let kids get killed in an alleyway, no matter what they've done. Above all else, Ryan wanted to prove to his brother, and to himself, that he could become a hero.

"Hey, beautiful! Lay off!"

Ryan quickly jogs twenty feet toward the fight, points his Colt Double Eagle at the beast, and fires.

OOC:

Hm... I think I have a surprise round here before Oblivion, but I'm not sure.
Rolling initiative: [roll0]
Attack (Gun): [roll1]
Damage: [roll2]

Using Grazing Shot to deal nonlethal damage

[blennus]

“The Man”

He jumped back “What the hell is wrong with you woman! You would use your super powered breasts to wreak havoc among men?! Yes, that’s right I’ve figured your number out! Obviously you too were affected by that blast, though you may try to hide it. Don’t put on that innocent act with me, I can tell what you’re really after, luring men to their doom with your looks. Oh the insidious snare you have laid. I shall see to it that you shall never know a man again!” he ended his declaration dramatically as he braced himself for an attack he was sure would follow.

Summary: Accuse her of having and using super powers to destroy men.

[Wiz]

Pulse

Pulse and Joe slowly circle each other, taking heavy breaths... both obviously having taken a more serious beating from their 'sparing' than either cared to admit. The beeping device on the ground seems to counterpoint the growing tension between the two men. Both seemed to realize that the final round was here and at the same time, both men begin to move. Pulse weakly shouts, "Fork!"

[Thrall_Of_Ao]

Oblivion
Business District

Looking up with his reflectionless black gaze as he lifted his struggling prey into the air with one arm, his understanding finally came full circle, his intellectual comprehension simultaneously occuring with it's physical realization.

The power...to control my own life force...and the ability to take it from others...

In seconds, the ebon network about his right hand extended and rapidly coleased into a serrated blade, extending in a viscious scything slash towards his hapless foe.

Distantly, on the now deserted street behind him, he sensed the approach of a lone entity, it's hand reaching under it's coat as it ran towards him.

First of all, please note- Last rolls were incorrect due to miscalculation.
Should be-
Melee Touch Attack (to initiate grapple):19
Unarmed Attack Damage:6

I'm willing to make those rolls again, but getting use to opponents feats that affect my rolls takes a little getting use to.

Now, for my current turn-
Using LL, Ranged Touch Attack (while grappling): [roll0] damage: [roll1] roll Fort.

[geez3r]

Gust/Reaper/Steve

As the Reaper's claws tear into Steve, he lets out a strained scream. His arm involuntary comes unattached from the rooftop he was swinging from, and he tumbles down the alleyway, careening into a dumpster, and splattering on it's side. He partially reforms, and begins crawling/oozing further down the alleyway, away from Reaper. "SCHtay - schtay avay. Get back. Monster!"

{Gust is up}

Muse

As you peer around the corner, the site of a mugging greets your eyes. There is a man, obviously already dead from massive stab wounds sprawled out on the ground. He is currently having his pockets rifled through by a man wearing a ski mask and obvious gang color that looks to be in good shape. There is a bloody knife on the ground next to the man. He does not appear to notice you.

Oblivion/Ace/Jason-ghosted

{Just for the sake of moving things forward, we'll say that Jason fails to stop you/ hit you, and you forced him to lose consciousness, because seriously, you've got this one in the bag.}

In short order, Oblivion squeezes the last bit of consciousness from Jason's frame and his body goes limp in Oblivion's hand.

Zeus/Nos

{Using an aura attack is actually twice as expensive as using a line. A line costs 2PP/die while an aura is 4, but an aura does not need an attack roll to hit, because it's mean to be used defensively. But, because there is such a size difference between the two of you, I'll allow it, that is of course if you don't want to burn all that PP necessary to do an aura of this magnitude. I'll let your ret-con your move if you want.}

1d20+25=26 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1585563/)

Fricken natural 1. I wanted to eats you.

Ah well, you 2 are up again.

The spider is quite angry at this point in time, and lashed out at Nosferatu with its toothy maw in an attempt to stop his assault. However part of its broken exoskeleton gets in the way, and it misses Nosferatu by mere inches.

Paragon/Terra/Titan

As Paragon charges Titan, the latter swings the giant tree again, in a potentially lethal golf game. Paragon however manages to dodge the assault, although the ground is now severely torn up from the giant's attacks. Paragon's attack connects with a resounding thwack. Titan cries out in pain, and takes a step back {you're still adjacent to him} and plays a desperate game of whack-a-mole with Paragon. Paragon dodges the first deadly downward arc, and does just as well with the follow up attack.

Terra rushes in to take advantage of Titan reeling, but she lacks Paragon's mobility and gets a full force blow to her side, sending her sailing. Her flying body breaks several large trees as if they were tooth picks before creating a nice sized crater upon impact. She does not get back up, but still appears to be capable of movement.


Semi-bad news, I doubled checked Titan's sheet and he has combat reflexes, so 2 AoO's, probably won't hit though

AoO 11d20+20=31 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1585576/)
AoO 21d20+20=32 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1585580/)

Attack 1 http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1585613/ miss
Attack 2 http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1585615/ miss

AoO vs Terra http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1585616/
damage http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1585617/ (deals damage as gargantuan great club)


The Man

"Wait-wait-wait. Are you saying that my boobs have super powers? I'm mean they're like totally fantastic, which they totally should be after how much I spent on them, but like they're not super or nothing. And why'd you get all freaked out and stuff? You aren't gay are you?" On top of all this, she has also inadvertently placed herself between you and the door.

Pulse/Joe


Fork
Spoon


____Fork
Spoon____


___________Fork.
Spoon.___________


_________________Fork!
Spoon!_________________


_____________________FORK
SPOON_____________________


_________________________FORK!
SPOON!________________________


BOOM


...


...


Double knock out.

======================================

About 3 or four minutes later, the pair of you begin to wake up with the most injured thing being your pride. You also notice a pair of rather amused looking birds sitting on a power line watching you.

Don't care if that even could happen, as far as I can tell, the both of you beat the snot out of each other and were more or less equal, and then you had to do and say fork. It had to be done.

[Wiz]

Pulse

Pulse rises and touches a hand to his head, "That was painful... well, I don't know if we proved anything by that, but it was... fun... sort of." He rises to his feat and goes over to pick up his now silent device and the two ball bearings sitting on the ground next to it. "Why don't we do this again a long time from now?" He feels his teeth, one of which feels rather loose, and shakes his head. Then stumbles over to his glider. "I'm glad the whole meeting thing is tomorrow... I haven't been tired much since this happened, but I am now." He looks over at Joe, "Hope to see you at the meeting..." He climbs on to his glider and flips the switch, sending the craft into the air, though it's owner's shakey stance makes it wobble more than just a little. Looking down at Katana as he rises into the air, noting the other is simply not speaking. He smiles, shrugs, and waves taking off in an easterly direction through the city.

ooc: Pulse plans to fly home, and I'm not sure how long it actually takes to heal non-lethal damage, but if he sees any of these other battles on the way out, and he feels up to helping, he will. Somehow it seems awfully likely that the Titan/Terra/Paragon battle would be exceedingly obvious to anyone up in the air.

[MountainKing]

"Sloppy. Allow me to inspire you." Muse stated flatly as he stepped around the corner, dagger sliding into his hand even as his other hand came up low, about waist level, clenched into a fist. He could feel his spite boiling, disgusted by the scene before him.

Draws his dagger as part of his move action; it's sheathed at his wrist, but Muse didn't take special care to conceal it, beyond hiding it with the sleeve of his coat. Manifest Cause Pain on the mugger, I think it's DC 18 Fort save, could be higher? Please check my sheet, it's linked in my sig. :smallfrown:

Ranged Touch Attack: [roll0]

[dfpiii]

Paragon

(It's a she? Blimey)

Paragon watches the trajectory of the earthen creature and makes a small calculation based on where he would end up. His conclusion is that it would be best not to get hit.

Paragon maintains pace with the giant. The tactic was as old as the field of giant-slaying itself; though of course it had never actually been used on anything bigger than a theory. Stick close to reduce the power and dexterity of a swing, concentrate your attacks on joints and tendons, let gravity do the rest.

The red sights of Paragon's vision beam fell onto the area that he would strike next - Titan's metatarcels. Wounding his ankle and his foot in vital areas would surely bring this beast down. He leaps - his fist thrums with deadly power - and he lands a brutal blow that rewards him with the grisly sound of cracking bone.

((Flavour liberties taken readers - may not actually do that much damage))

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1585768/

[ChronicLunacy]

Kid Zeus
AC: 18
PP: 54/66
HP: 49/54

KZ hung on as the spider shook and rolled like a huge, angry bull and tried to snap up Nosferatu. Energy leaking off of his body in a corona of blazing bluish-white light, he grit his teeth and tried another tactic. The hole that Nosferatu had made in the creature's shell looked inviting as he tried to plunge a hand beneath the armored carapace and reach its soft, squishy guts. If it wasn't big enough to force his hand through, he'd settle for getting his fingers in the crack, but either would end with the same result. He took that sizzling aura of destruction that he was channeling into the creature from his seat on it and poured it straight down his arm, through the crack, and tried to lance it straight through the creature. That light around him seemed to pulsate, then shoot like the muzzle flash from a firearm straight down his arm with a loud SHRRREEEEEZZZAAAAK!!!

Lightning Attack (Line)
Attack (Touch?): 1d20+9=23 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1586510/)
Damage: 7d6=26 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1586507/)

Don't need to spend as many PPs due to the wonder that is Reduced Power Drain.

[evisiron]

Nosferatu

AC: 21
PP: 47/53
HP: 69/74

Nosferatu lunges back, saved only by the fiends mangled carapace slowing it down. Its jaws snapped shut mere inches from the 'vampires' face with a fierce snap.

"Hey, it just tried to eat me! Do I look like a bloody fly to you?!"

Pausing for a second, Nosferatu looks at his black outfit as he hovers in the air.

"Okay, but still-" The comment is cut short as the spider tries to devour him once again.

"Okay. You wanna play that game? Try it again!"

Poised with sword ready and shifting into position, Nosferatu waits for the spider to open its mouth again so that he can try a move that he has seen work a hundred times before in the past. As the giant beast moves to strike, Nosferatu plunges his sword upwards, trying to piece into the things head and hopefully skewering the brain that housed its malicious consciousness.


5ft step if necessary to keep flanking then full attack into the creatures gaping maw!

Rolls: http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1586938/
Confirm crit? http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1586939/

1: to hit: 36
Crit Confirm: 28 (so assuming yeah :smallbiggrin:)
Damage: 49

2: To Hit: 27
Damage: 35

So, if AC is 27 or lower, 84 damage.
Geez3r, perhaps you could tell us what the AC to make posting easier now that we have fought a few rounds?

[Thrall_Of_Ao]

The great and powerful Geez3r has spoken.

Hence, I'm going with the idea, for continuity's sake and to speed things up, that Jason and Oblivion had several more rounds in the alley before Ace showed up and that Jason has almost no hope of escaping a grapple, due to a significantly lower grapple check and no ranks in escape artist.

I'd rather not do it this way, but it seems like the most viable option that still suspends my sense of disbelief.

If I need to change this, I'll be more than happy to do so.

I'll just roll attack and damage and assume that Jason fails all his saves

***Round 1

LL: [roll0]
[roll1]

PL: [roll2]
[roll3]

***Round 2

LL: [roll4]
[roll5]

PL: [roll6]
[roll7]

***Round 3

LL: [roll8]
[roll9]

PL: [roll10]
[roll11]


NOTE: If he appears to be about to die at any point during this, I'll spend an action point to prevent his demise.

Unlike some other characters, Draven has only one real way to test most of his powers. This kind of thing was an inevitable part of his road to discovery.

...ok, stop looking at me like that (http://ah.indolents.com/comic/40) BA.


Oblivion
Business District

He watched as the last of the poor creatures life and undeserved power became rightfully his.

Ignorant, stupid, selfish animal. What a waste. It is people like you who destroy existence, who cause and spread suffering with your thoughtless actions and heartless desires.

It is people like you who killed her.

Then, as the last slashing attack whipped out, the thought came to him from deep within.

But am I not doing the same...am I not becoming the same?

The attack changed, at the last possible second, blunting itself, the life-force torn from his body less livid and more diffuse.

His arm dropped slowly, the form within his grasp slumping to the pavement.
He looked down, realization, and then growing concern rising within him.

He's only a foolish boy. Accountable and deserving as he is of this, I can't be the one to decide if he deserves a second chance.
Perhaps...there's still hope for him.


He heard the roar of the report, and felt as the miniscule projectile moved through his perception towards him, the thick network coating his body bunching reflexively at the point of impact, the bullet ricochetting off and burying itself in the wall of the alley.

He hardly noticed the pain.

Looking up from the boy's still form, Oblivion turned, distorting and darkening the air as he moved, to face the new annoyance that deemed itself worthy to interfere in his existence.

His former litterally thrummed with power and vitality, the tendrils about his body thick and pulsing with a dull red light, his eyes glowing as if embers were set deep within them.

It uses firearms, just like the coward that killed her...

"I hate guns" he growled, his voice seeming to overlap and echo itself, in a way that could in no way be attribued to the alley walls.

Geez3r, just let one of us know who goes first. I think I do, but I'm not sure.

Just in case you want me/us to reroll initiative, here it is.

Init. [roll12]
and again, using combat nerves [roll13]

[Wiz]

Pulse

Rising up from the building and heading in a pattern that will eventually take him home, Pulse turns suddenly, hearing a lound noise. Looking in the distance he sees two giant figures battling with each other. He sighs, and hoping that he has enough left in him, turns the glider in that general direction, staying high, and hopefully out of immediate sight of the combatants, at least until he can take stock of the situation.

As he gets closer Pulse sees an armored figure he doesn't recognize striking Titan, promoting another flurry of growth and the rapid uprooting of a large tree. Titan whacks away at the minescule armored David, and only manages to knock the large soil and rock beast away. The armored figure dives in again striking Titan.

Great, now all I need is a who's who of Superheroes in Rainport and I'll know who's side I should be on. I suppose it ought to be Titan, since he's part of the crew that first stepped forward to assist the Mayor.

He whips out a little starfish-shaped device from his belt as he looks down from on high. At least dealing with Armor Boy will be relatively easy. He flips a switch on the device and drops it, so it falls, beeping and slowly spirals down, following the device as it seems to home in on Paragon. As he goes, he draws his guns, preparing for the worst.


Initiative Roll [roll0]

Magnetic Grapple (which hits as soon as he gets within 30' and coincides with the little beepy magnetic starfish clanking on to Paragon's armor - no attack of opportunity on magnetic grapple; +7 STR, +4 invisible grapple - if it succeeds I will hold Paragon immobile)

Attack Roll [roll1]

[harmonictempest]

Gust

The sparse, black-robed man is still flying like a drunken master, but continues to home in on the alley that Schteven has taken refuge in. His flight slowly steadies, the figure becoming ever more implacable as the comedic aspect of his flight fades.

He pauses, fifty feet above Schteven's now pitiful escape attempts. "You're done." The wind begins kicking up all around the sloshing figure, quickly growing to a roar as it creates a tornado around the hapless figure. The pressure and confusion of the day finally build to head, and Gust suddenly throws his head back, robe rippling in perfect sychrony with the wind-- Shreds of meaning coalesce to critical mass - in a sunburst!!

Confused angels
In dark colors of victory
contrast the bright evil they face

Wisdom breaks
like late morning over the horizon
Later than hoped, but still welcome

Gray
polytonous clashes with black
in a world without white

Cosmic levers
Balancing worlds on each hand
Out of joint, cry for a single weight

Crystal shards
swirling together in harmonic tempest
spell an answer in the world devoid of meaning

JUSTICE

His head snaps back down toward the dissonant note crawling below him, his face certain and focused. "If Mr. Schteve does not want to give up, I'd be honored if you'd show him how frightening resistance can be, Reaper."

At the end of this turn, Dex fatigue wears off. Air Mastery fully activated - Schteven has a 10-foot cube free, with a five-foot wall of tornado enclosing it.

HP: 32/38
PP: Using 4 this round to maintain Flight and Air Mastery. 63/90 remaining.

[Tar Palantir]

The Reaper

The Reaper circles just outside of the whirling wall of wind creating by his cyclonian companion. He summons his powers to the edge of his mind, ready to use them at a moment's thought. He then says, "It would seem that you are the monster here. Cease your attacks, and you will be taken into police custody and charged lawfully for your crimes, including the damage you have caused here. Resist..." He lets the thought hang in the air for a moment, and then says, "And you will be given to me, your judge, jury, and executioner. Choose wisely, and no more blood will be spilled this day. Choose poorly, and I will be certain that it is your blood that stains the ground, and no other's. Choose." He holds himself on the edge of readiness, hoping he will surrender but preparing himself for the alternative.


Ready an action to use Cause Fear as a ranged touch attack if he manages to leave Gust's vortex. DC 19 Will save or become frightened (as I assume from his actions he failed the first save).

[roll0]

[Thrall_Of_Ao]

Oblivion
Business District

Sinking into a crouch, coiling himself and preparing to spring upon this new adversary, all his instincts commanding him to eliminate the threat before it gained any advantage, a thought intterupted his impending assault.

He's not the killer. He's foolhearty, wearing a mask and using a gun like he's some kind of bank robber, but he's just trying to help the kid.
...But that gun. That gun.

"I'm suprised you assumed I would understand you at all", he growled.

Moving in a blurr, stopping a few feet in front of the man, his hand whipped out, grasping at the firearm pointed at him, and attempting to wrench it from his grasp.

disarm check (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/specialAttacks.htm#disarm) (no AOO, -4 to attack due to unarmed being considered a light weapon): [roll0]

Need an opposed melee attack roll from Ace at -8 (Light & improvised weapon, unless Ace has other melee attack options available...) .

((If the disarm succeeds and Ace doesn't do anything really suprising))


Tossing the gun into the nearest storm drain, he stands casually before the man with his arms crossed, staring him directly in the eyes with a look of obvious disdain.

"The boy is alive, and you are obviously very confused...I'll warn you only once. Stand down now or I'll be forced to take away more than just your gun".


((Otherwise))

second attack, making a Grapple check: [roll1] to pick up Ace by his shirt.

"I'll only warn you once. Lose the gun or suffer the consequences for your foolish assumptions".

[geez3r]

Muse/Mugger

{It's actually DC 23 Fort save. 10 + 1/2 level (3) + Cha Mod + feats, but you missed.}

"Inspire me? Well, if you wanted to inspire me to stab you in the face and loot your corpse, then well done, sir." The mugger calmly stands to his full height, which is only about 5'6" or so, and draws another knife from his person. You can see the glint of a few more metal objects lining his jacket as he stands, but you don't get a good look at what they are, but you could guess that they're either more knifes, or loot. With a well practiced flick of the wrist, the knife goes flying towards you. "Catch." The knife leaves a superficial cut on your cheek. "Hmm. I'm out of practice. I might need some more of your inspiration after all." says the mugger with an obvious smirk under his mask, and he is already fingering a new knife in his hands.


Mugger Attack roll (1d20+9=12) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1595598/)


Paragon/Titan/Terra

Titan cries out in pain once more as Paragon's fist connects with his ankle. His knee almost buckles under the pain caused by a man 1/10th his size, but he manages to stay standing, audibly grinding his teeth. "Alright! Enough of this. No more playing fair!" Titan turns around and runs to a near by building. He leaps into the air, and begins to shrink down to normal size. When he lands on top of the roof of a nearby building, he's probably only about 10ft tall. However, he pushes off the roof with herculean strength, vaulting himself through the air in an arc back the way he came. As he sails through the air, he begins to increase his size until he is back to his full size as his body becomes parallel to the ground. It is at about this time that you realize his plan; Titan just did a moonsault with the intention of crushing you.

Titan lands with literally earth shaking force. The windows in all the nearby buildings immediately shatter. The shockwave puts huge cracks in the concrete wall of the buildings. All the surrounding cars bounce off the tarmac, and an orchestra of car alarms can be heard for miles. Screams of families shaken from the sleep pierce the night. Alarms are sounded all throughout the city. The seismagraphs measure a 5.0*. But what of Paragon?

At the epicenter of the "quake" Titan lies {prone} on the ground, and a groan issues from his massive body. The ground is all torn up, and dust is everywhere. No one can see whether or not the lone man in armor survived the attack. Is he alive? Is he dead? Is is stuck, struggling for his very life under the bulk of a giant? No one knows.....

****

In an unknown location, and single figure sits in an armchair behind a desk, with his fingers intertwined. A single ray of moonlight enters through a window to illuminate the desk. On it, there are dominoes, dozens of dominoes. Each of them unremarkable and the same as each of the other ones. Except for one. In the middle of a desk is a single dominoe teetering back and forth seemingly of its own accord. "Don't disappoint me now Professor."


Alright, I'm going to essentially do this as how a dragon's crush attack would work, though a few tweaks need to be made. A standard dragon of Titan's size would deal 4d6+1.5 Str damage, but Titan has the Increased Density flaw on his damage reduction, so I'm gonna rule that it does ummm 5d6 odds, 6d6 evens . 5d6 odds, 6d6 evens (1d20=6) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1595629/) Evens it is, sorry. Make a Reflex save DC = 25 (10+ Con mod +1/2 levels) for half of this damage: Titan Moonsault (6d6+21=40) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1595632/). If you fail that reflex save, you are automatically pinned. To go to the grappling phase, you'll have to beat Titan's grapple check of Grapple check (1d20+24=42) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1595659/) which is probably not going to happen. To make you feel a little better, I think I'll skip the knockback rules in this case because there wasn't really an attack roll.

*I have no idea how powerful that really is and I don't feel like going to wiki right now



Zeus/Nos/Spider

Trying to bite Nosferatu turned out to be a grave miscalculation as Nosferatu clenches his sword tightly and buries its steel deep within the Spider's flesh. The Spider lets out a pained screech, but Nosferatu isn't done yet as he yanks out his sword out of the side of the Spider. But it isn't over yet. Zeus sees an opening in the Spider's exoskeleton and takes full advantage. He plunges his hand deep into the spider's flesh, and feels a beat of the spider's heart before raw lightning courses down his arm directly into the spider's innards. A white blue, and unearthly glow issues from evey gap in its armor and its own grizzled maw before letting out one last scream as it explodes. A raw, nasty, green, and sticky fluid coats the entire block. Nos and Zeus are thrown back by the explosion and hit the sides of 2 different buildings, absolutely coated in the stuff. They slowly ooze their way down the wall, unhurt, but throughouly disgusted. Once they regain their composure, they see the one thing that could possibly make this situation even worse; a news van is headed their way.

{It's AC is 26, not that it particularly matters at this point}

Gust/Reaper/Steve

Steve looks absolutely terrified. He looks nervously around to see if there is any means of escape. Seeing none he curls up into a fetal position, with his hands over his face. He makes a weird garbled noise, and it takes you a moment to realize that he's crying. His body changes yet again, it loses the red coloration and turns into a human form, complete with clothes. Unlike his earlier form, this one seems far more solid, as if this one isn't an act. He lifts his face up to look at the pair of you and says "I'll go with you, but please don't tell my mom." His tear stained face looks no older than 16.

Any check you make will tell you he's being serious.

[ChronicLunacy]

Kid Zeus

KZ hit the wall of the building, between two windows, with a wet splat and a grunt of pain as the air rushed out of his lungs. Fortunately, the spider guts all over him seemed to cushion his fall as he slid to the ground. After a moment he got back up on wobbly knees, spitting slime out of his mouth. It was incredibly gross, but fortunately also easily fixed. His skin glowed and crackled and the excess goop seemed to evaporate after a few moments. "Yuck..." he said, cracking his neck as he walked towards the car that had been stuck in the web. He noticed the news van, but ignored it for the moment. He had a job to finish first. Publicity didn't interest him.

[Wiz]

Pulse

The inventor flies away in a zigzag pattern, heading toward home. Taking a careful approach he eventually returns home. Entering his home where he keeps the heat turned up, Harold sighs in pleasure. He strips out of his costume and makeup, carefully examining the bruises across his body. He goes and takes a hot shower, then prepares a large meal for himself. As 10 o'clock rolls around, he turns on the news, but doesn't listen long before turning the sound way down and preparing for sleep. For the first time in several days, he actually manages to get a deep sleep, though he's woken briefly about 1 o'clock by some kind of earth tremor. He goes back to sleep quickly and the hours pass unnoticed.

[dfpiii]

Paragon

((Placeholder. However, the reflex save was successful thanks to the use of an action point. http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1595845/ However again, the attack roll that I did to follow up came up a 1, so I'm not capitalising much on the situation))

The debris dust settles like the patter of soft rain on the ground, on the fallen Titan and on the black armour of the warrior, surrounding him in a cloud of dark.

"LO!"

The sound is ringing, furious and triumphant. Fearless. Bestial.

With a single leap he clears the distance between where he stood and the giant, his steel fist hammers into the ground by Titan's neck with massive force.

They are eye-to-eye in the intimate silence that exists in the whirlwind of car alarms and screams.

"Brave warrior," says the booming voice of Paragon. "You are beaten. Quit the field with your honour, or stay and lose your life". Nothing about the armoured figure stirs; and it may as well be a statue that awaits the giant's decision.

[evisiron]

Nosferatu

Nosferatu stands up amongst the disgusting goop and looks around. The area is covered with the stuff, but no-one seems injured and Kid Zeus is pulling himself out of a similar mess.

There is a minor pause.

"YaaaaaaaHOOOOOOO!"

The cheer of exhilaration sounds strange in the rumbling daemonic tones, but it matters little. They had not only survived, they had WON! Despite the injuries, despite the goo and despite everything else Nos felt better than he had ever felt before.

Practically running back to where they were, Nos spots Zeus cleaning himself up in his own unique manner and heads over to meet them at the car.

"We are VICTORIOUS!"

The cheer is backed up by a hand in the air inviting a high five, and slop splashes off.

"Hmm. Any chance you can give me a similar cleaning job without frying me? I would rather get this goop off, but not if I will end up like that spider.

And damn good job by the way. You can really pump out some juice when you need to. Of course, nothing beats a piece of metal through the brain..."

Nosferatu ends on a humorous note, and watches out for the expected dig in the arm as he heads over to the web and starts work on freeing the car. With the web being so sticky, he is careful to slice at smaller strands before pulling at the main structure while Zeus works his usual magic with small arcs of energy away from the car.

So CL, does Nos get the cleaning service and a high five? :smallbiggrin:

[ChronicLunacy]

Kid Zeus

Kid Zeus submits to the high five with a grin, but flicks the goop off of his hand afterward. "Sorry, bro, but I'm immune to my own electricity. That's the only reason why I was able to burn that stuff off. If I tried it on you I think I'd just turn you into a lightbulb." At first he tried cutting some of the larger strands with tight bolts of electricity, but instead settled for trying to open the doors and get the people out of the car, since he still wasn't sure if the web was a conductor or not. He didn't want to accidentally fry the people inside right as the news van screeched to a halt. "Come on down now, guys, it's safe. I can carry one of you down at a time if you need some help."

[evisiron]

Nosferatu

"You don't have a 'low' setting on that thing? That sucks. You might want to bring it back and get a refund"

His words are followed by scraping as much goo off himself as he can. He is still damp looking, but has lost that green tinge. He looks beaten and bruised with his armour showing through tears in his costume fabric and mangled flesh still sitting on the surface where the acidic webbing had touched it.

Now that he was not covered in gunk, he went to help the people from the car. He only smiles and offers a hand, not wanting to worry them with his deep unnatural voice. Should they accept, he can carry several to the ground at a time.

As they are being returned to the pavement, the news van can be seen heading towards them. There is a spark of worry. Nos had read enough Spiderman comics to know that media attention is not always a good thing. Then again, with a giant freakish spider lying dead and multiple witnesses, how could this be misinterpreted?
Of course it could be said that this was a stunt, or that the mutates controlled the creature, but that was unlikely even for the worst station.

"So Kid Zeus, shall we stick around to make sure they get the events straight or disappear into the evening sky without a trace? I think a little positive media might be a good idea. It would save us wearing the bright yellow badges with 'Good Guy' written on it."

[MountainKing]

Bah!

"Philistine," Muse growled, "Do you really possess such idiocy? Such," Muse smirked beneath his mask, "luck?" With that Muse focused on his prey a little harder this time, and once more lashed out at the man with his hostile mind.

Same song, different verse, plus a guitar solo at the end!
Ranged Attack roll: [roll0]

BUT! We'll be spending an action point to add 1d6 to my result:
[roll1]

EDIT: ...I hate you, GitP Dice Roller. I hate you so very much. :smallfurious:
EDIT 2: Please don't forget my damage reduction 4, geez3r... looks like I'll be needing it...

[Tar Palantir]

The Reaper

The Reaper would frown, if he had a mouth. It seemed this was more the case of panicked youth with strange powers than malicious psychopath trying to fill the recently vacated Most Unpopular Mutant position. The Reaper's eyes appear far less frightening as he says, "It's quite alright. I just didn't wanted anyone getting hurt. You have powerful gifts, young man. You'll have to be more careful how you use them. My advice," he adds, in something of a genial whisper, "is stick with the good guys. There'll be plenty of people to watch out for you and keep you safe. And don't worry, I'll make sure you don't get in trouble." He says all of this in a soothing, comforting tone, to try and get the kid to calm down and relax.

He then says quietly to his ally, "Would you mind taking over? I have a feeling you'd be better at comforting him than me. I'll try and talk to the cops, see if I can convince them to let him off with a warning or something. This isn't some new me here, he's just a scared kid."

[harmonictempest]

"Would you mind taking over? I have a feeling you'd be better at comforting him than me."

((You're talking to one of the lowest Cha players in the game - least, he used to be. Ah...well, let's assume that the Comfort Other skill can use any mental attribute as its modifier, shall we?))

Gust

The tornado swiftly turns to a gentle wind, which lingers a moment before dissipating into the usual breeze that surrounds Gust. Gust descends slowly to the ground, and steps closer to Steve, his voice suddenly much softer than it was a moment before. "I...apologize. I thought you were much older. I would not have been so harsh had I known your age." This is not the way to go about it. Rather abruptly, he sits, cross-legged, next to Steve; the robe rides up slightly when he does, revealing the cuffs of ordinary jeans. He looks briefly but searchingly at Steve, reading his face and putting it with what he's seen of the mutate so far.

"You're supposed to be scared of your new powers. Fearful of their responsibility, careful in their use. That's what the movies show, anyway. But instead, they're simply the coolest thing that's ever happened to you. The rush is unbelievable, the freedom breathtaking. They're the opposite of everything your stupid, boring life has been so far. You get caught up in the dream of it, the myth of yourself. Who could stop you now; who would even know it was you?" Gust's voice is slow, speculative. It's not even entirely clear that he's talking about Steve, rather than himself.

"And then, the euphoria comes crashing down in an instant, and your dreams of invincibility and total freedom pop like bubbles. Suddenly, you have to wonder what Mom will think. Sucks, huh?" Gust pauses, remembering that teenagers hate adults trying to understand them.

"Of course, that may not be exactly what you're feeling. Still, all of us are going through something at least a little similar. After all, we're all brand-new at this, and it takes some getting used to. I really don't think your mom has to hear about this - I think you'll have a better handle on it next time Schteve goes out for an evening." After a pause he adds with a small chuckle, "Besides, you'd have a rematch on your hands pretty quick if you went for another joyride like that, from someone else if not me. Would you believe that was my first real fight?"

Still watching Steve's face, he adds "In any case, you'll need to get home. Our shadowy friend went to speak with the cops for a moment, then we should be free to go. If you're interested in trying more useful applications of your powers, there's a group of us meeting tomorrow. I can tell you where, but it's a pretty secret meeting, so you'll have to keep it a secret - this is for supers only. No media, and all that. Just us new guys, figuring out what to do with ourselves."

Supers. The word rolls so strangely off the tongue.

I think it's worth mentioning that (iirc), before this post, the most Gust/Robert Blain has spoken out loud so far at one time is a sentence. Seems weird after how much text I've colored blue. :smalltongue:

[Tar Palantir]

((I'd figured you'd handle it better than me, seeing as how I just threatened to eviscerate him. Charisma applies to Intimidate checks too, you know.))

The Reaper

The Reaper, seeing that Gust has things under control, walks towards the openly freaked out and more than a little frightened police officers. He raises his hands as a gesture of peace, but still sees more than a few guns trained on him. You can't have everything.

Ignoring this, he says, "We have the situation under control. He's just some freaked out kid who's scared we'll tell his mother. We can handle it from here." He says all this in an amicable enough voice, but his point was clear: this is our show, because you can't handle it without us.

[ChronicLunacy]

Kid Zeus

I'm assuming whoever is in the car relents to being carried down, but if they don't I can edit this part out.


"You don't have a 'low' setting on that thing? That sucks. You might want to bring it back and get a refund"

"I do, it's just that in order to burn it off you I'd have to turn it up to a certain level. Hm...maybe if I...Once we're done here I'll see about it." he said, looking thoughtful. He took a young child from the car under each arm and grinned at their reactions to flying. He'd reacted much the same way the first time he'd defied gravity. He made sure to land in full view of the news van so he might be interpreted in a good way. Again, it wasn't that he wanted publicity, it was so all of the new supers with good intentions might be cast in a positive light. One of them saving a couple kids probably was about he best they could do at that point. He looked back to see the stronger Nosferatu bringing the adults down.


"So Kid Zeus, shall we stick around to make sure they get the events straight or disappear into the evening sky without a trace? I think a little positive media might be a good idea. It would save us wearing the bright yellow badges with 'Good Guy' written on it."

Kid Zeus looked at the news crew as they rushed towards the two superheroes and the stunned family for an interview and crossed his arms over his chest. "You're probably right. I've read Spider-Man comics, too. We should try to put a good face on this whole super thing...eh...so to speak." he grinned back, getting in his own little jibe at Nossie's expense. "Maybe I should do the talking." He adjusted his mask self-consciously and wondered if he was about to blow his secret identity out of the water. "Oh, almost forgot-"

Creating a sizzling halo around his hands, he passed them over Nosferatu's costume, flash-drying it without bringing the energy into contact with the plant vampire's skin. It only took him a moment. "There you go, fang face. You're ready for your close-up." he grinned.

[kpenguin]

Oblivion
Business District


Tossing the gun into the nearest storm drain, he stands casually before the man with his arms crossed, staring him directly in the eyes with a look of obvious disdain.

"The boy is alive, and you are obviously very confused...I'll warn you only once. Stand down now or I'll be forced to take away more than just your gun".


OOC: If you don't mind, I think I won't bother with the attack roll. Ace has little to no chance of beating a 25 with a -8 penalty, even with all the luck in the world on his side. Anyway...

Ace/Ryan Tran

Ace tenses up as his mind is torn in thought. Half of him wants to try and beat this guy. He seems like a perfectly good way to get the ol' blood pumping and put his newfound powers to the extreme. The other half wants to back down. After all, the guy doesn't exactly look like a push-over and he took down that kid pretty quickly. Plus, he was offering him a chance to back down...

Ace relaxes a bit. The more rational side of his mind has won... for now...

He holds his hands up in the air in a non-threatening manner.

"Alright, alright. No need to have a cow, beautiful. You don't like guns? Fine, let's not have guns.

I assume you're the fella who went after the kid after he blinded the nurse? You went a bit of over the edge there, don't you think?"

[evisiron]

OOC: I was considering that it is probably easiest if we do the bulk of the talking for the reporter. If I remember correctly Dfpiii spoke for the talk show host and it went pretty okay, so we should be fine. And of course geez3r can slip in anything specific he wanted to ask or say without any trouble and if worst comes to worst, we can recon/delete our parts.

Sound okay?

Nosferatu

Having set down the adults, Nosferatu stood still to get a quick electro-clean. The energy flickers over him without touching the flesh itself, a demonstration of pure skill of Zeus' part.

"Hmm. We can see how the talking goes, but my guess is you are more approachable. Oh, and lets keep this a bit more serious. The last thing we need is to be known as Sparky and Fang-face for the rest of our super careers."

The people in the car still seemed to be standing in shocked silence as the news van approached, staring around to see the gutted remains of the spider that had only moments ago been planning to devour them.

The camera man could around be seen hanging out of the side of the van, capturing the scene on tape even before the van came to a stop. With a screech it pulled to a stop, and the bold Channel 6 logo can be seen on the side. Within moments a news crew had piled out and assembled its gear before rushing over. Several men operated the cameras and sound equipment while a women with adjusted her straight black hair before appearing on screen. Within seconds she started speaking.

"...reporting from South Street, where a giant insect, perhaps a result of the recent chemical spill, has attacked passing drivers. The scene appears to have been resolved, with two mysterious figures standing apart from the crowd"


The camera man pans the shot to cover the huge carcass slumped on the street, the web with the car and the rescued passengers before resting on Kid Zeus and Nosferatu.

The reported heads towards the two, takes a look at the abnormal face of the figure in black, and so turns to Kid Zeus.

"An earlier view showed the two of you caked in what appeared to be green blood. Did you in fact slay this beast?"

[ChronicLunacy]

Kid Zeus

"Uh, ma'am, I wouldn't keep that microphone so close if I were you." Kid Zeus said just before his presence reacted with the electricity flowing through the device she shoved into his face and it immediately shorted out with a brief pop and sizzle. Kid Zeus had the grace to look sheepish as he explained. "Sorry...took the DVD player, the stereo, and the washing machine before I figured that one out. Electronic devices and me don't really get along too well since this all started, so if you keep the boom mic high and the camera a little farther away it should be alright."

"Anyway, yeah. I'm Kid Zeus and we um, have everything under control here, ma'am. The spider was attacking passing cars, but Nosferatu and I took care of it." he explained, lifting a hand up so that they could see electricity sizzling on the top digit of his index finger. He smiled, trying to look friendly and "superheroic". "We don't know where it came from, but we felt we had to protect these people. We're registered with the police department and do this of our own free will. We're not seeking any rewards, either. I know I feel that it's my duty, seeing as I've got these powers now I might as well do something to help people with them." he grinned. "Oh, and before you ask, the masks are so criminals or possible super bad guys can't go after our families and loved ones. It's not because of something sinister.

Uh...yeah, that about covers it. he thought. Hope I didn't miss anything or make an ass out of myself, but if I remember my Spider-Man, those were the main points he had to contend with, right? Right. Man, I sound like Captain America. Eat your vegetables, children!

[evisiron]

Nosferatu

Nosferatu stood and sheathed his blade as Kid Zeus spoke, nodding occasionally and shaking his head as the microphone started to smoke. The entire crew took a collective step back and the women was supplied with a back up mic, and ended up slightly closer to Nosferatu. When the Kid had finished she turned to Nosferatu.

"So, "Nosferatu", how would you describe what happened?"

"Well, as Kid Zeus said-" the crew took a step back at the growling voice about the same time the family in the car stepped over to chip in their view for TV with one of the children cutting in first.
"SCARY MAN AND SHINY MAN KILLED THE BIG BUG!!"
"Yeah! He was all like Pwwwweeewww! and he was like Slice slice, heeyaah!"
"Well-"
"The children seem to be right about that. We had been driving and ended up in this monstrous web. Within a moment that gargantuan spider creature had scuttled towards us as if we were a fly stuck in a web. Thankfully these two brave figures were able to step in before it reached us. They saved our liv-"
"AND JEFF WAS LIKE "DONT EAT ME MISTER SPIDER! PLLLEEEASSSEEE!" HE TOTALLY CRIED!"
Nosferatu sighed, resigned to the fate of not getting a word in for the moment.
"Shut up butt-face!"
"HAHA!"
"Shuttup!"
"Kids! Calm down! They are a bit excited, which is understandable. We have been through a lot"
The mother turn to the heroes. "And thankyou. If you were not there..."
Her voice chokes off at the thought, and she lapses into silence.

[Thrall_Of_Ao]

Oblivion
Business District

"We're not 'doing' guns? You make it sound like it was your idea", he muttered as the man spoke, a look of irritation and disgust slowly emerging and hovering on Oblivions face as he listened to the man speak.

That name again, calling me that name. Because he's scared, because he can't accept the fact that what I am doesn't make me evil, but only what I do. Because he can't imagine that a kid could be, and could do, far more evil than I ever will, just because I look different.

His face smooths out and he drops his arms to his side.

I won't let him, that kid, or anyone else control me. I knew that this would happen, and it's nothing new. Ignorance and fear, a most dangerous concoction, but older than history itself.
Yet...he doesn't seem as afraid as most...I wonder.

His eye's brightened momentarily as he gave the man a once over, the ember-red light in them seeming to fluctuate briefly before almost dissapear completely.

Use Power Detection for 1 round on Ace.

Then, looking Ace steadily in the eyes, he said "He got what he deserved. He was a danger to himself and others, and he couldn't be reasoned with.
I hope you realize, as well, that I have every right to do exactly the same thing to you. Consider yourself lucky.

So, what were you planning on doing if he didn't cooperate...shoot him? He's lucky I found him first.

Look, discharging a firearm in public is blatantly illegal. Particularly when you're shooting another human being with legal rights in the back. You're not fighting crime, you're commiting it"

Turning around, keepings his senses trained on the masked man the entire time, he began walking back towards the young boys unconscious form, expecting, and almost hoping, that the masked gunman would do something rash.

Speaking without turning around, but loudly enough to be heard, he said,"Things aren't always what they seem...You'd do well to keep that in mind in the future".

I realized who Draven's voice sounds like, and it's not James Earl Jones!

It's another great man of Sci-Fi: Michael Dorn, a.k.a. Worf! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worf)

Except without making every statement sound like it should have an exclamation point at the end of it. Oblivion just has an added edge of cold, calculating alien menace.

[kpenguin]

Ace/Ryan Tran

Ace stood there, a bit shocked. On any other day, any other day, Ryan Tran would have laughed off such a lecture. On any other day, Ryan Tran would have just went ahead and tried to pound this ugly man attempting to lecture him. Any other day, Ryan Tran would have tried to ignore the growing pang of guilt in his heart.

His life had been often filled with reckless behavior that endangered not only himself but others. Worse, Ryan often didn't care about the danger. As long as he got his thrills, it didn't matter the consequences. It was this type of action that his brother had tried to steer him away from.

Oh god, Eric. What would he think of me now. I tried to be a hero and I've turned into the villain... all because I went ahead without thinking... again. DAMN IT!

Ace looked at the storm drain where his gun lay and then looked at his hands. Disgust. Just... disgust. Disgust at himself. Disgust at what he did. Disgust at letting his brother down... again.

No more. He would try to make it right. Looking at the crea- no, not a creature, a man. A noble man at that. A better man than he. Looking at the man, he began to speak, his words without the arrogant facade earlier.

"Look, beauti- sir... I just... I came here because a kid sent a nurse into a friggin' panic attack with every intention of helping the fellow who went after him... oh god, that was you wasn't it.... god, I'm an idiot...

When I saw you attacking him... when I saw you subduing some punk... I guess... I over reacted... I mean with the way you looked... you coulda snapped him like a twig if you wanted to, couldn't you...

There's no excuse for what I've done... and I..."

Ace mumbles an apology. As much as he loves his brother, his pride won't let him voice fault to a stranger. Ace walks over to the man, careful to walk slowly and making no sudden movements.

"I suppose we... I mean if don't want me involved I would understand... then you should... take the kid to the hospital..."

[ChronicLunacy]

Kid Zeus


"Kids! Calm down! They are a bit excited, which is understandable. We have been through a lot"
The mother turn to the heroes. "And thankyou. If you were not there..."
Her voice chokes off at the thought, and she lapses into silence.

Kid Zeus had to hide a smile at the antics of the children before the show of emotion from the mother caught him completely off guard. He hadn't really even thought about getting that kind of a thank you from someone he'd saved. In the comic books the victims just laughed and waved as the superhero flew away, but these people had really just come face to face with their own mortality...and he and Nosferatu had saved them. He did let a warm grin spread over his features at that point as he took the mother's hand. "You can count on us, ma'am. I promise." He gave her hand a gentle squeeze, then reached down and ruffled the kids' hair, giving them both a bare hint of a static electric pop. Their hair stood on end when he let go and began to rise into the air.

You know, this stuff is pretty cool.

[geez3r]

Muse/ Mugger

You attack goes wide yet again, and the mugger unsure why you haven't closed the distance to stab him with that knife of yours hesitates about moving forward himself and decides to hang back and hurl another knife. There's good news and bad news. The good news: his new attack is only a little more accurate than his last one; the bad news: his last attack bearly missed.

Mugger throwing knife #2 (1d20+9=15) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1600740/)
mugger damage roll (1d4+5=8) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1600744/) (this is base damage, factor in DR seperately)



Paragon/Titan

Titan slowly raises his head off the ground. He blinks slowly a few times, and then coughs up some blood. His head slumps back down to the ground as he returns to his normal size form, unconscious.

Gust/Reaper/ STEVE not SCHTEVE
{SCHTEVE was him saying STEVE while not having lips, or at least me attempting to demonstrate it as such}

Steve's sobbing slowly subsides as Gust goes on. He's wiping tears from his face as Gust finishes up his first part, and when he mentions the bit about what Mom would think, Gust sees him crack a small smile. When you mention the meeting, in a hoarse, but still pre-teen voice "Thanks, but I've got school tomorrow, and my mom's probably already worried sick about me as it is. She won't let me out of her sight for a week after my little disappearing act."

Standing up, Steve dusts himself off a bit. "Thanks for doing all of this for me. I'll have you pay you back someday, and I won't take no for an answer. Alright, let's go." he starts walking back towards the street.

***

About 20-some odd feet away, several cops are staring down Reaper, some with guns drawn. It's obvious that they really don't like this whole situation, but none are able to muster the courage to take the first step.

When Steve and Gust emerge from further down the alley, the officers quickly holster their guns and their expressions soften. One of the officers steps forward saying "Come on kid, let's take you home. Turning to Gust he says with a tip of his hat "Thanks for the assist."

{Exchange some final words and then call it a night.}

[MountainKing]

The twirling blade struck Muse's chest with a thud... but barely pierced his flesh. For a moment, Muse looks down quizzically; he had felt the knife strike home, and yet... well... he wasn't exactly dead. The masked face lifted to gaze upon the thug slowly, a throaty chuckle rising slowly into the night air.

"Did... did you think that would... kill me?" The chuckle swelled, then grew into full throated laughter, even as with his free hand Muse wrapped his fingers around the knife's handle. Jerking slightly from the motion, Muse tore the knife from his toughened flesh, the blade carrying the barest hint of blood on it.

"Tit for tat, mister hero... tit for tat..." With that, Muse rushed forward, with the intention of slicing his opponent in return for his previous attacks.

Attack roll: [roll0]
Crit confirm (if needed): [roll1]
Damage: [roll2]

[Thrall_Of_Ao]

Oblivion
Business District

He continued looking down at the boy, the falthering speech of the masked interloper buzzing in his ear.

He tilted his head quizically to the side for a moment.

Had my response been too harsh?

The entire exchange seemed almost to blur together in his memory, so much born of pure instinct, rather than calculated thought.

Noticing the lull in the words of the man he said, glancing over at him distractedly, "Don't beat yourself up and don't kill yourself apologizing. Right now is all that really matters, and right now I have better things to be doing than carting around this misguided...youth"

"Personally, I think this kid has seen enough of hospitals.
Personally, I think a few hours in a cell would do him some good.
...But if you think he's already had enough, that's your call.
He's all yours.

If you want to be more than just another statistic in this whole mess, then leave a message at the Hospital with the details of when and where you'd like to meet, by no later than tonight. I'll get the message. Same offer goes for him". he added, gesturing with his head at the boy as he turned way from his crumpled, still form.

Then, walking to the edge of the alley, his back still to Ace, he paused for only a moment to hear any last words, evidently prepared to rapidly leave the scene.

[dfpiii]

Paragon

It is a Dark shade that cuts the ruin of midnight. He is deeper than his surroundings: heavier than the reality that he abuts: an ink seeping through a pale water colour. He is both. More and less real. Vision and nightmare. He is the ultimate expression of humanity.

Brilliance.

And fury.

A Paragon.

Dust settles around him and the city lights return like stars from behind clouds and the universe opens its eyes, beholding the wreck of the Titan. A Biblical negative; where evil stands triumphant.

But not yet a confirmed evil, because the history which shall give all these things their proper names is yet to be written. He stands at the monofilament cutting edge of the present and if he sees order in the madness of possible worlds collapsing down and down into the past then he does not speak of it.

The only sound in the stillness of the night is the drawing of the sword. A blade of crude metal whose secrets are laid bare to him; still it is a symbol and it is the symbol which matters. The armour. The sword. The sign.

Like a barber surgeon, wielding the blade like a cut-throat razor, he cuts three marks into the cheek of the fallen giant. Together they make the mark of a simple, precise, elegant P.

He sheaths the blade and turns from the scarlet sign to the earthen creature. He walks unhurried; he does not care for those who may look on any more than a man pays heed to ants.

"We shall have words, you and I," the voice says. It is not a question or an invitation - the voice produces no inflections, no changes of timbre. He stretches out one gauntlet over the creature and a red light, like fire, falls upon it. Slowly, the wounds done by the attacks of Titan are undone - though not entirely. Lessons, after all, are best learnt when reflected upon.

"You have a telephone number - give it to me - then flee this scene and await me on the morrow. I shall put you to mighty purpose".

Pausing a moment the armoured figure then takes several long strides and catapults himself skywards with a great leap. He hurtles into the night and, taking oblique paths, comes to find himself back in the basement of the house called Apollo.

[Tar Palantir]

The Reaper

The Reaper stands motionless for a time, watching the boy disappear into the night, to sleep once more in the safety of his own house. He hovers back a ways, a shadow in the air beside the more personable wind warrior. He then whispers to Gust, "I'll see you at the meeting tomorrow," before disappearing into the shadows. The night had been a success. He had acted, and the city of Rainport was better for it.

After a time of travel in the embrace of the shadows, the Reaper emerged back in his apartment. The next day would hold many challenges: the supers meeting, the raid on D-Train, and any random occurences that would require his attention. He would need his strength. And so he rested, and in his waking sleep he was not haunted by the faces of his victims, for the first time since the change. Before that, he could not remember.

[harmonictempest]

Gust/Robert Blain

Tomorrow? It seemed like weeks had gone by since those blithe plans on the rooftop. Gust nodded briefly, and watched without surprise as the grim figure turned sideways into a shadow and disappeared. But shouldn't I be surprised? Shouldn't I be terrified? Humans weren't meant to float a hundred feet above buildings, and teleport through shadows, and survive forces that can crush a Mack truck. He remembers his words to Steve, more appropriate than he'd guessed at the time.

"You're supposed to be scared of your new powers. Fearful of their responsibility and danger, careful in their use. That's what the movies show, anyway. But instead, they're simply the coolest thing that's ever happened to you. The rush is unbelievable, the freedom breathtaking. They're the opposite of everything your stupid, boring life has been so far. You get caught up in the dream of it, the myth of yourself.
And so we all stand as authors, unconsciously writing the myths of ourselves. He watches as the cops take Steve by the hand, not ungently, and walk him toward the patrol car. One of the officers says something to Steve and ruffles his hair, and Steve smiles tentatively, clearly excited by the opportunity to ride in a cop car. The scene is mundane, normal now. Steve shoots a quick glance back at Gust. And now, you get the chance to write the legend of you. What a terrifying prospect.

He stands there a moment longer, dark robe billowing slowly in the breeze, hands unconsciously relaxed at his sides. Then he lifts off into the air, almost immediately becoming invisible against the night sky. As he floats slowly over the city, the winds bring him a myriad of tales, minor everyday happenings. A couple walks home from a movie, hand in hand, speaking softly. A young man stands in a park and stares at the stars. A businessman slams the window of the office where he is working late. And then the less mundane: scorch marks on the pavement, suspiciously uprooted trees (one of which he guiltily recognizes as his own handiwork), and a few caved-in building fronts. And Gust turns over the strangeness of it all as he flies, headed nowhere in particular.

People do the strangest, most absurd, pointless things. They study majors, take jobs, and fill roles they ultimately do not want in the least, because it is what is supposed to make them happy. Most do so little of what they actually want on a given day, it's embarrassing. I should know, having been there for most of my life. And then, a accident - an event, rather, like this happens, and people get what they've always wanted, for unmistakably, that's what these chemicals have done. And without mask or inhibition, these people act freely now; those who wanted to be larger than life, or be a part of the heroism they've read about on glossy pages, or even those who wanted the joyride of a lifetime. If there weren't already enough books out there to show it, this would prove beyond a doubt how dangerous getting your wishes can be, and how hard it was to know for what to wish.

Wishes writ large
A thousand competing authors
History is written by the victor

He sees in the distance two figures sparring, one gliding somehow, and the other bouncing like a bug from rooftop to rooftop. The distance is too great to make out anything more, and he does not attempt to close it. He soars higher, and flying on his back again, contemplates the stars for some time. It would be arrogant to set himself too far apart from those he observed. After all, he was not reacting so differently to them. He, too, had found a sparring partner to test himself against - a test he was still surprised to have passed so well. Remembering the fight, and the various sharp implements that had done so little harm to him, he shivers for more than one reason. There were questions there to be answered, but not now. For now, it was enough to float, and enjoy the comfort and validation that he had not folded under fire.

They say no one can predict their reaction the first time they had come under fire, and true it was. Gust never could have imagined standing so firmly under the prospect of such physical pain, gritting his teeth in a surge of adrenaline. In fact, he never could have imagined the last few days at all, or the feelings of wellbeing, purpose, and above all, simple competence that had come with them. It was as if some bonds had unfrozen, freeing him to goals and pursuits that he'd long known were within his grasp, but had eluded him. That slippery, maddening frustration was gone, taking with it the mindless, impotent rage against a world that didn't care if you were really a nice guy, but only cared about results. But that was gone now, GONE. The word is filled with bubbling, sparking power, and Gust wants to dance and laugh and sing and do backflips all at once. Instead, he flips over and goes pedal to the metal, letting out every ounce of speed his newfound flight possesses, quickly matching the speed of the fastest of racecars. In jubilant burning of energy, he laps the city once, then again, until he is tired, and his exuberant energy is replaced by a heady calm.

Turning to fly home, he feels the shake, along with the rest of the city, and when he turns, sees Titan's head grow above the nearby buildings. Intrigued, he flies casually over, hovering well above the fight between the two behemoths and the smaller, armored figure. Nearly invisible in his dark robes against the night, he watches as the battle concludes, the relatively tiny figure standing miraculously unharmed. Betraying some of his curiosity, he floats a little lower, peering carefully at all three figures before rising back up and flying off. After he reaches some distance from the scene, he turns and flies home.

After changing back into Robert, and into his pajamas, he watches the late-night news while wolfing down the leftovers from dinner. Seeing nothing but more self-proclaimed experts throwing out useless opinions on the topic nobody could tear themselves away from, he soon turned it off and headed to bed. As he put his plate in the sink, he saw the steak knife on the counter. Remembering his resolution from earlier, he began to tremble, instinctively changing back to Gust in a gust that spread napkins all over the floor. Staring blankly ahead, he carried the knife to the couch, already breathing hard. Gazing at the knife in his hand, he closed his eyes and tried to ignore the persistent sound of sirens drifting across his consciousness, resolving to test his earlier theory.

Opening them again, now shaking nearly uncontrollably, he gritted his teeth to stop them from chattering and swung the knife toward the perfectly smooth skin of Gust's arm with enough force to kill a weak insect. A light gust of wind pushed it away before it reached its target. Eyes wide, Gust tried again, this time with greater force. His memories from the battle had not lied: every time he swung the knife, a strong wind kicked up along the surface of his skin at the last moment, deflecting the blade. Sobbing openly now, he struck blindly over and over, every blow missing completely, no longer seeing the apartment, but hearing the sirens, and the calm voices of the paramedics, and Cathy's voice (Cathy!), telling him everything would be okay, would be all right. Finally, his arm stopped swinging, and the knife dropped on the carpet. Gust buried his face in his hands, and his weeping slowly subsided. When he raised his face again, he was calm. Ignoring the knife now, he changed to Robert, rose and walked to the window, opening the curtains. Moonlight illuminated the apartment, washing over the modest furniture, the television, the tear stains on his cheeks, and the pair of thin scars on Robert's wrists, as he recalls his exuberant lap of the city.

We are the myth weavers; we are the authors of legends. I sing the song of myself; I write my own legend. And today, I am free.

He went to bed, and slept as soundly as he ever had.

I've been waiting to write that for four months. I feel like that should be the season 1 finale or something - all the characters are having these wrap-up moments as we prepare for the next day. Also, that was incredibly fun, and draining, to write.

That should do it today for Gust - ready to move into the new system tomorrow.

[evisiron]

Nosferatu

Nosferatu stood aside as the crowd spoke for him. He considered speaking again, but Kid Zeus had covered the main points they wanted to get across so neatly, and a little mystery was good. Plus neither of them had screwed it up…
With a raised voice, Nosferatu left his last words on the scene.

“Give us a shout if another giant creature attacks this fair city, or another threat raises it head. We are here to help.”

With that, Nosferatu lifted into the sky, and hovered in case Kid Zeus wanted to follow his example.

OOC: Any other IC conversation at this point could be done in the Alt thread

---

Nosferatu flew across the city rooftops after saying farewell to his ally. He reflected upon their victory this day and whether such events would continue to unfold. Ah, to look forward to a new day and the potential mad scientist it could bring.
A spiraling route took him near to his flat, and he stopped several blocks away to hide away and watch for pursuers. With none forthcoming, he changed back into his natural form and walked the rest of the way to his flat. No-one was in the building and he reached his room with no-one seeing the torn, acid damaged and singed clothing. Slumping into his chair, he forced the air through his lungs to breathe a sigh of relief. Being a hero was exhausting.

Of course, it was too early in the evening to sleep yet, so after a shower and fresh change of clothes, Nosferatu pooped in the most recent Guitar Hero game and played away. Unfortunately, with his heightened reflexes and dexterity he easily beat even the hardest settings. With a strangely smug disappointment he set down the controller and looked around. And angle of the binder containing his homework loomed from his desk like an oppressive obelisk.

“Better now than too late I guess”

His brain worked at the normal pace and he trudged through the calculations with a downcast face. His mind wandered, and he later snapped out of it to see his calculation page covered in doodles of spiders and vampires. With a groan he pulled out a fresh page and worked again.

Within an hour and a half he was done and sleep seemed a much more acceptable option now. Crawling into bed, he closed his eyes and fell into a perfectly still slumber.

[kpenguin]

Ryan Tran/Ace

Ace bends down to pick up the the kid lying unconscious on the ground. He keeps his eyes on the mysterious stranger's back.

"Could I have a name then, sir?"

For some unfathomable reason, Ace felt the need to add small quip.

"Or are we going to do the whole 'My name is not important' shtick?"

Inwardly, Ace cringed. Though he knows how absolutely immature and inappropriate that was, he couldn't resist the impulse to add in a little joke.

It helped steady his nerves, perhaps.

[geez3r]

Muse/ Mugger

Your lunge takes the mugger by surprise, not to mention the fact that you tore a knife out of your body with hardly a thought. The result is a particularly painful looking slash across his chest, though not a very deep cut, just long. Gritting his teeth and acting quickly, the mugger adapts a more defensive stance and lashes out at you with a swing of his knife. This one hits harder than his last one, but your flesh seems as resiliant as ever, though basic instinct tells you that adds up, you know. (http://fanboys-online.com/index.php?comic=274)


mugger melee attack roll (1d20+7=20) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1604501/)
mug. melee damage roll (1d4+5=9) (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1604504/)


Paragon/ Terra

As you near Terra, she tenses up, as if expecting attacking, but realizing your motives, relaxes. She too reduces her size like Titan, but her transformation is more or less "dropping" the excess soil she had collected around her, but the soil seemingly rejoins the ground around her of its own accord, without disturbing the grass. Her natural form, or at least the form she presents herself to you now, is akin to that of an 8ft tall statue of an amazon, with many of the features blurred, and yet still distinct in their own way.

At the words of your demand, she looks at you as if sizing you up. Coming to a decision she says "(723) 782 5231. Don't keep me waiting." She then sinks into the ground and disappears from sight, again without disturbing the grass.

[MountainKing]

Haha, I actually have that bookmarked... I'm such a geek... Also, Muse really isn't taking a lot of damage... what with DR 4... at least for now...

Muse barely gave his wound any thought, as he spoke in a sotto-voce.

"You can't hurt me, little boy... run home, to mother dearest, lest your sleep be naught but empty dreams..." Twisting sharply, Muse made as if to strike again with his dagger, before suddenly thrusting in low with the blade he had pulled from his chest.

Feint, then attack for max damage! Or, for however much I roll for!
Bluff check: [roll0]
Attack roll: [roll1]
Crit Confirm: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3]
Sneak Attack!: [roll4]

[geez3r]

Muse/Mugger

The mugger is thrown off guard by your feint, and you add a second slash across his chest. The mugger then decides that it is probably a good idea to run, and does so. He backs away from you warily, and when he gets enough distance between the two of you, he turns tail and runs down the alley. The wounds appear to be slowing him down a smidge though, and if you really wanted to, it looks like you could probably catch up with him.

[Thrall_Of_Ao]

Oblivion
Return, part 1


Ryan Tran/Ace

Ace bends down to pick up the the kid lying unconscious on the ground. He keeps his eyes on the mysterious stranger's back.

"Could I have a name then, sir?"

For some unfathomable reason, Ace felt the need to add small quip.

"Or are we going to do the whole 'My name is not important' shtick?"

Inwardly, Ace cringed. Though he knows how absolutely immature and inappropriate that was, he couldn't resist the impulse to add in a little joke.

It helped steady his nerves, perhaps.


As he lifted his foot to take his first step in his long walk back to the hospital, the meddling masked man piped up again, his voice laden with sarcasm.

He turned his head slowly, looking over his shoulder sideways at the man, his shoulder length raven black hair shifting slightly in a light breeze coming down the street.

His midnight eyes, the redish tint almost entirely gone, bore into the stranger for a long moment.

The temptation to rip the gunman's strange, ever shifting, energy out of him and make it his own was strong, the urge to make him know what it felt like to be...empty...

Something's not right. I have to get out of here, clear my head before...what?

The urge was strong, but with some small effort, he resisted it, focusing on the question at hand.

Of course, psudonyms, how could I have forgotten...but, I seem to have already invented one...the darkness within me has...the

"Oblivion", he growled, half turning to leave before turning around fiercely to face the man, his expression a mix of irritation and condescention, saying,,"I suppose then that your name's the one that's not important...but somehow I'm not suprised...see you around" and with that he left, moving with a preternatural speed and grace across the pavement towards the shelter of the warren of dark alleys that would return him to the hospital.

He pressed his eyes shut as he ran, his movements guided subconsciously by his extrasensory perception, a flashback of his dream from the night before hitting him full force, a vision of that impenetrable blackness swallowing him whole...

Running full out, not even aware of the blur of buildings flying by him, only of the cold emptyness as it pulled him into it's crushing, frigid embrace, his scream of horror frozen in his throat, permeated to the bone by the merciless creeping emptiness, it's touch so alien, yet so familiar...

Lonliness

With an agonized cry he lept two stories effortlessly, tumbling through the air, and smashing through a window, the razor sharp shards of glass merely slicing small trickles from the black energy entwining his form, the dull red light winking out as the black energy spilled to the floor evaporated in moments.

Unbeknownst to him, having subconsciously guided himself into a small block of abandoned buildings slated for demolition, this level of the building was not entirely abandoned.

As he crouched on the floor, shuddering, as the vortex of confused emotion howled through him, it began to coalease, becoming a singularity, one single driving motivation, blocking out all others.

Ok, I'm running out of time and juice, I'll have to post part 2 later on.

Geez3r, if you want to put something here that'll motivate, wrap-up, or otherwise help continued efforts out, feel free to do so.
Regardless, I'll wrap this day up with (hopefully) my closing vignette and last actions of the day, finally closing the gap between Tasha's and my time-line (and giving me the greenlight to turn off the "potential time-paradox" warning siren...it was starting to give me a headach :smallsmile:).

[MountainKing]

Muse paused then, his thirst to rectify his opponent's error unquenched, then thrust the daggers outward, directing them at his opponent. With a shiver of cold, hateful glee, Muse lashed out at his fleeing opponent with his spiteful mind one final time...

Le sigh... ranged touch attack roll: [roll0]. Manifesting Cause Pain once more.

[evisiron]

Robert Wright - Seven years ago

The room was dark, curtains drawn and light extinguished. If light were provided, an observer could see the layout of the room, from the cluttered drawers to bulging wardrobe. Several books and other forgotten items are scattered across the floor, seeming to avoid a pile of discarded clothes in the corner of the room. It was an organized chaos of course, as the occupant could find any item in a matter of minutes if he needed to. Thankfully this approach to abstract organization did not stretch into the other rooms of the house, including the other bedrooms, which, on any other night would also be occupied.

Returning to the darkened room you would notice there is someone in the bed. Robert Wright. His eyes are half opened, obviously just disturbed from sleep. His eyes lazily scan the room despite the dark, looking for the source of his premature awakening in the middle of the night. A brief memory of some kind of noise lingered at the edge of his mind, but refused to be pinned down and analysed. Robert slumps back onto the bed, dismissing the disturbance as his imagination.

A few blissful moments of silence pass, before a loud Bang shakes through the house. Robert springs up in his bed. He recognized that sound. A gunshot! A gunshot in his house!
Panic claws at his mind, but he forces it back. His voice breaks out as a weak scratching whisper.

“Okay, okay. Ring the cops, have to ring the cops”

Robert shakes his head and curses repeatedly. The landline phones were downstairs, and so was his cellphone.
The panic swells up, threatening to overwhelm him, but it is once again forced down.
Hand trembling, he reaches towards the door, and slowly slips it open. Several night lights illuminate the hallway, and Robert feels a deep pit of worry appear in his gut. His parents door is open, the room empty. Robert looks back to his brothers door, which is still closed. But of course, his brother is not in tonight.
Tears of fear and worry swell in his eyes at the thought of his parents being downstairs, but Robert wipes them away while taking a deep breath.
With a halting step forward, Robert starts towards the stairs leading down, to both the phones and the source of the gunshot.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, Robert can hear muted voices and harsh whispers from the nearest room, mixed with the barely contained sobbing of his mother. There are heavy footsteps pacing around the room. Robert is paralysed with indecision for several seconds, his mind refusing to form coherent thoughts. Stories of people murdered in their own house flash through his mind. Inwardly cursing, he wished he had a gun. Of course, earlier that yeah he had been at a shooting range with his dad, but had been laughed off as he repeatedly missed the target altogether. He could see fine, but had terrible difficulty aiming at all. After that he had refused to return, but now wished he had practiced more. As it stood, he was unarmed, so the phone definitely seemed like the best idea.

However, to get across he would have to pass across the open doorway which held the voices and heavy footsteps. Bracing himself, Robert cleared the gap in one large step. Unfortunately, the floor on the far side emitted a loud creak as he put his foot down. Robert flicked around and hugged the wall as the heavy footsteps stopped, then started pacing towards the doorway. Eyes wide with panic, Robert fumbled his hand across the wall and grasped onto the handle of a baseball bat. The footsteps came closer, and the edge of a masked face could be seen appearing around the corner like some dark iceberg. With a scream of fear and rage, Robert swung the bat with as much force as he could muster. While not aimed, the attack struck a lucky blow and landed squarely in the intruders throat. There was a sickening crack. The man, caught unawares, dropped to his knees gasping for air. With none forthcoming, he slumped onto the floor and the pained gasps faded into silence. Eyes now filling with tears, Robert rushed to help his parents…

[evisiron]

OOC: Ret-conning a very minor detail here (pocketing some fangs) which I forgot to mention earlier. Just for flavour, so hope no-one minds. :smallsmile:

Robert Wright (The Present)

Robert's eyes opened in the dark room, memories sliding back into his subconscious. The room was dark with only a few blinking lights giving indication that anything was in the room. An idea had formed in his head, so Robert slid from his bed with the fluid motion of any student who wants to avoid standing up straight. Scratching at his hair he wandered over to the PC, swatting the light on while passing.

He paused for a moment in thought, then opened up the third drawer on the desk and rummaged about, eventually retrieving the item he sought. It was a small plug in internet adapter. The device itself was fairly common, as wireless has essentially replaced cable internet years ago. This one seemed slightly worn, and had a large ':)' symbol etched onto it.
It was a gift from one of Robert's friends, Steve. Steve was something of a computer genius and conspiracy nut, and had rigged this internet connection to operate using an IP address from an abandoned building 4 blocks away, and was supposed to be fairly untraceable. "In case you need to stay of the radar" he had said.

It was useful for Robert tonight. Reaching into his trouser pocket he pulled out one of the spider-thing's fangs that he had grabbed earlier. It glimmered in the light, and yet was dry as a bone since Kid Zeus Cleaning Services had given 'Nosferatu' an electric scrubdown. Turning back to the computer he set it in the 3D scanner and opened a web server. He was about to go to a site some people didn't even know existed. A site where almost anything could be found, for the right price. A site where business empires had risen and fallen.

eBay

He typed in the address. Years ago a radio station had hosted a discussion on what fictional-made-real superhero item would sell for the highest on the auction site. Superman's cape, Green Lanterns Ring, Spiderman's webshooters and many others had been mentioned. There was money to be made with some authentic trophies.

Robert paused for a minute to think. Was making money that important? Did it deter from the heroic nature of the act?

"No" Robert muttered under his breath.

If things kept up the way they were going it would be much easier to help people if he was not stuck in some job while people where attacked, and it would help keep the costs of super hero-ing under control. A look was directed at the acid scorched remains of his black outfit.

"Good thing there is plenty more where that came from"

Turning back to the computer, Robert typed up his listing:

Authentic Fang from the Spider Fiend defeated by Kid Zeus and Nosferatu

--Handle with care due to potential venom residue--




A few pictures were added from the news website showing the beast lying dead, and another of the two heroes standing before the interview, and one more almost artistic shot of the family, the heroes and the spider as a backdrop. With a few more clicks and some additional info, the auction was up. Hopefully some aspirant fans of the new heroes would spring up to buy it. Otherwise the government trying to keep things quiet might tack on a ridiculous bid to seize it, or a science firm might get it to run tests. At least if the government wanted to silence the seller they would be looking in completely the wrong place for him.

With a yawn and minor sense of achievement, Robert swatted the light of and slid back into bed with the grace of an animate compost heap and quickly fell asleep once more.

[Wiz]

Pulse a.k.a. Harold Smith

At home, tired and bruised, house warm, full stomach. Harold Smith stares at the television, his last ditch effort. Usually, the programs were so inane and obvious that it put him to sleep in no time. Not only was he not sleepy, he began to realize these last few nights growing trend was only a continuation of his mutation, or his adaption to it. His brain whirled, stimulated by currents of electromagnetic energy, and apparently didn't need to sleep anymore. He turned the television off and walkd over to his bookshelf. He'd been thinking about this for a while now, might as well see if he could do something about it. He pulls down a book titled, "Biofeedback for Beginners," and sits down to read for several hours. Later, after finishing the book he attemts to achieve a meditative state to see if he can encourage his brain to accellerate the healing of his body. With a little practice he falls into a controlled trance, and quickly realizes that his magnetic powers are actually working to enhance the movement of ions into his cells, and waste materials out. Furthermore, the ferromagnetic/organic bonding in his molecules seems to have increased his cellular plasticity and the ability of his powers to manipulate his tissues. As the hours pass, he feels physically energized, his wounds fading quickly, and his whole body seems to have achieved a higher level of physiological functioning. He strips off his clothing and notices the bruises have faded almost completely, though it is likely that anything more serious than bruising would take quite a lot longer.

A flash hit him suddenly, as though his mind had been working on even deeper levels while he healed. There was a whole new level of technology that could be harnessed by using magnetic flux! Could he actually create magnetic monopoles, and what would they be like... his mind races with the possibilities... Consider a system consisting of a single stationary electric monopole (an electron, say) and a single stationary magnetic monopole. Classically, the electromagnetic field surrounding them has a momentum density given by the Poynting vector, and it also has a total angular momentum, which is proportional to the product qeqm, and independent of the distance between them. Quantum mechanics, dictates, however, that angular momentum is quantized in units of ħ, and therefore the product qeqm must also be quantized. This means that if even a single magnetic monopole existed in the universe, all electric charges would then be quantized. What are the units in which magnetic charge would be quantized? Although it would be possible simply to integrate over all space to find the total angular momentum in the above example, Dirac took a different approach, which led to new ideas. He considered a point-like magnetic charge whose magnetic field behaves as qm / r2 and is directed in the radial direction. Because the divergence of B is equal to zero almost everywhere, except for the locus of the magnetic monopole at r = 0, one can locally define the vector potential such that the curl of the vector potential A equals the magnetic field B...

[geez3r]

Day 3 Start - Morning

The morning papers and news broadcasts have more or less this same message:

The world is still reeling from the creation of these new individualsm or mutants, or mutates as some members of the scientific community have dubbed them. Yesterday, a great number of fights broke out between those effected and in some cases, officers of the law intervened and some payed the ultimate price. The damage incurred in these fights was over all very costly to the city, though the damage for each one of these fights varied greatly. A picture of the massive indentation left by Titan is shown.

Fortunately, many of the mutants who took part in these fights did so out of a desire to help rather than to destroy. The public is being urged to not become involved in any of these fights and to retreat as quickly and safely as possible, and any potential "heroes" are reminded to use caution and restraint above all else. Pulse, Nos and Zeus are pictured.

The military has finally arrived in mass and they have began to make regular patrols throughout the city, and many police officers are taking to wear riot gear to help in this difficult time. The military outpost at the previously abandoned airstrip is shown.

Several of the mutates who decided to use their powers for ill have been rounded up and arrested. An estimated dozen idividuals have already been arrested in such a fashion. With the combined effort of the military, the police and good natured mutates, the mayor is confident that Rainport will make it through this period. A few mutates' mug shots are shown, along with a famous picture of the Mayor after he won the election.

[Wiz]

Dr. Harold Smith a.k.a. Pulse Post 1 of Activity 1 (Day 3):

Night passes in the Smith house, daylight peeks over the horizon.

Day and night become irrelevant when you don't sleep and can percieve everything regardless of the light levels.

Harold has spent the time since his succesful harnessing of biofeedback techniques to his own use by interacting with his computer - detailing megabytes of ideas about magnetic flux technology and monopole theory. He merely needs to sit quietly in his chair interact remotely with his computer, so he is well rested in the morning despite constant activity.

He rises from his chair, and goes to his work area. He has already planned out his first "real" gadget. Understanding how electromagnetic flux channels into his brain to augment it's functioning, he realizes it would be simple to create an antenna, like an elaborate circut crown, that he can fit into his hat which will channel extra magnetic flux to enhance his concentration. It will be energetically costly, but it should magnify his ability in combat situations to a remarkable degree.

The problem, currently, is that there is a limit to the amount of EM energy he can channel at any time, and he will need a specific power source to assist him in channeling extra energy until he can work out the fine tuning of the device. The antenna is the difficult part of the machine, but the extra generator is the bulky part.

I would estimate about 11.36 kilograms for the finished power source.

Fortunately, there is an easy answer. His glider is basically close to a hundred pounds of dead-weight metal with an elaborate fake motor. Incorporating the power source for the antennae into the glider will merely make the glider seem more like a "real" gadget, and he will be able to draw the flux directly through his body. So the only real disadvantage at this point is his "Concentration Enhancer" won't operate unless he is on his glider. Also, the extra technology will make the glider's "fold-up" function useless. It's easy to fold something into a briefcase when it really is just a sham and doesn't contain anything real... reality makes it a much more difficult platform. The power will take fine tuning as well... he won't be able to draw on the extra power for anything else, but that's allright. So far he has demonstrated acceptable power levels for every challenge he's faced so far.

He chuckles to himself as he realizes he has spent all this time hiding his powers as elaborate gadgets, and now he's contemplating creating a gadget that he will hide from view.

He begins to put together the device, drawing on his powers as the pieces fly together from various parts of his laboratory, assembling themselves into his envisioned final form.

Craft Electronic [roll0] to create the device.
Repair [roll1] to encorporate it into the glider.

He estimates, that errors aside, he might have just enough time to complete the device by the time he needs to be heading out for the noon meeting. He practices his mental focus by continuing to assemble the device remotely while going into the kitchen to prepare a large breakfast.

[evisiron]

Robert Wright
Day 3 – Morning
Action: Preparing for meeting and heading to meeting place.

Robert awoke from his slumber fairly early in the morning. He stretched his limbs and rolled out of bed. Then stalled for a second. There was something missing from his routine that was throwing him off balance…

“Oh yeah. ‘Yawn’” he said with a sarcastic tone.

A quick search on the net showed that his classes were cancelled. It seemed the movement of the army and recent large scale battles had been motivation enough for teachers to stay in their homes for the moment. Robert looked thoughtful as he pondered how many feared a student would reveal some super power in a retaliator manner against their teachers. There was at least one lecturer who had ridiculed enough students and been horribly unjust enough to have reason to be cautious. Robert shook his head, hoping no-one who do such a thing.

A pang of guilt caught him off guard as he realised this was not primarily concern for the victim teacher, but a fear that it would affect public opinion of mutates. Well, fear for yourself first. He sat considering the realization that he was not transformed into a self sacrificing figure of heroism, and was still essentially the same mind as a few days ago.

Shaking the thoughts from his head and set about his task. He had called a meeting through a megaphone on the site of a major fire, and the appointed time was almost nigh. There was things to do. First, changing into costume.

A quick route consisted of collecting several items. A fold up table. An entire armful of cheap umbrellas. Another megaphone. Needless to say, the reactions on him in costume varied greatly, ranged from recognition to suspicion, and at one point, cheering in the streets. He paused to consider the next item…food. Well, a thousand D&D games guided his thoughts (since this was a similar setup, only with many more people who possessed unbelievable powers…) and he scooped up several bags of snacks and drinks. Besides, Pulse seemed constantly hungry, so food was good. With this in mind, he stocked up on protein bars and meat sticks.

With everything purchased, Nosferatu thanked the fact that he could carry more than before while airborne and shot across the ground, staying low to avoid drawing attention. He zigzagged through the area towards the quarry where the meeting was to take place at noon, and eventually left the confines of city limits, gliding across the open ground. Conscious of Reapers difficulty with sunlight, he pegged an umbrella into the ground at irregular intervals to provide some shadow.

Upon arriving, Nosferatu set up the table, checking over his stuff and began considering what needed to be said…

[Tar Palantir]

The Reaper
Day 3 - Morning
Action: Head for meeting

The Reaper spent most of the night on the Internet, researching various causes of acute photosensitivity, but found nothing to match his own condition. Most either were a vulnerability to all light, or a vulnerability to ultraviolet radiation. He was vulnerable to sunlight only, not UV, as he observed when he when he went to a gothic store in the night to purchase some blackout curtains and (a spur of the moment purchase) a Hello Kitty umbrella. The thing still creeped him out. But that aside, he could find no explanation for the intense damage caused by sunlight to his shadowy flesh.

Eventually he gave up, and sank into a meditative, trance-like state, seeking out his powers within his mind. He checked for any new developments, like his globe of darkness, and he discovered that his claws continued to fine tune themselves to a serrated, razor-sharp edge. Other than that, nothing.

He rose early the next morning, and, shielded by his abominable umbrella, he set off for the quarry and the superhero meeting. On the way, he caught more than his fair share of onlookers, from mothers hurrying away with their children to young toughs laughing at his pink protection. The latter was silenced by a single stare from his cold, merciless eyes. This treatment still troubled him, but he pushed away the doubt and despair. It would take time for him to be accepted after what he had done, that was to be expected. He simply needed to prove his good intentions, and the people of Rainport would, if not love him, then tolerate his presence.

Making good time thanks to his solar shield, he arrived at the quarry to find Nosferatu setting up a table and a large number of cheap umbrellas. Laughing silently to himself, he approached and called out, "Good morning. It seems we had the same idea," nodding to the umbrellas.

[harmonictempest]

Gust/Robert Blain
Day 3 - Morning
Action: Mundanities, head to meeting eventually.

Robert slept soundly, and with only a single dream, which he remembered only enough of to leave a quiet, but brilliantly happy smile on his face when he awoke. When he sat up, having greatly enjoyed the lie-in, he winced slightly, the noise from the sedan with its car alarm going off more annoying than he'd expected. Hearing must be too good now, he grunted, rolling out of bed and heading for the shower. Pausing by the door, he realized that not only had he not yet opened his eyes, but he wasn't changed into Gust, either. Puzzled as to how he was hearing so well (how had he known it was a sedan?), he went into the bathroom and quickly changed to Gust.

He walked out a moment later, eyes closed and an intrigued expression on his face. Walking without accident to the window, he faced out of it, motionless for a beat before nodding his satisfaction. Backflipping over the bed, eyes still closed, he changed to the white robe before changing back to Robert. Remembering something, he opened the drawer of his side table near the bed and extracted a small bottle of pills, chucking them into the trashcan. Then he pulled out the think book which had been lying on top of them - a journal - and opened it to the most recent page, which was dated a few weeks ago. Skimming the page, he took in a few sentences, barely reading as much as thinking back on a life he understood far too well, and was happy to see go.
...It just seems like everyone around me gets it, though what "it" is I'm hard pressed to describe, let alone understand. The protagonist of a novel never has these problems. It's confusing, stifling. Like not only not knowing the answer, but not even clearly understanding the question, the problem, which is patently RIDICULOUS after this long dealing with the damn thing! The impotent ragining frustration alone is enough-- It's silly to fight it, he says, especially now that I'm on the...Robert turned the page. Neatly inscribing today's date on the top corner of the page, he wrote below it in his usual legible, but cramped, handwriting.
Case successfully concluded. Solution found. He closed the book, and after nearly deciding to throw it in the trash, replaced it in the drawer. Before closing it, the date on the cover, more than three years previous and written in a neat feminine hand, was visible. Shutting the drawer with an air of finality, Robert headed toward the kitchen.

After moving the television so that it was visible from the stove, he cooked eggs and bacon while watching the morning news and talk shows, working a businesslike assembly line from carton to pan to plate to mouth, eating the first few while the rest cooked. After a dozen eggs and half pound of bacon, he decided that might be enough to hold him until lunch, and packed the rest back into the fridge. He caught sight of the time in the corner of the television screen - 11:45? Only a quarter hour to get all the way out to the edge of town? Oh no, whatever would he do? He allowed himself a small smirk at the sarcasm, then stepped back into the bathroom to change. On exiting, he filled his pockets with protein bars, tightened the strap that held the crossbow on his back, and exited the apartment roof as carefully as usual.

Trusting to the fluffy white clouds to provide some camoflauge, Gust soared up into them before turning up the throttle. By 11:52, he was circling the quarry and several hundred feet above it, watching Nos' preparations. Having no intention of being any earlier than necessary, he circled carefully, watching to see who else would approach. Having no easy way of judging the time, though (must remember to wear a watch), he waited only a minute before diving headfirst toward the gathering point. At reckless speed he closed with the ground; at the last minute, he slowed dramatically while allowing his body to pivot around his head, coming to a graceful stop on an opportune ledge, sitting down cross-legged without introduction and patiently awaiting the start of the meeting.

[dfpiii]

Professor Dark
Morning - Post 1 - Teach class

Lachlan Dark - oh, what a familiar name that was to him, like the perfume of an old lover. Lachlan Dark did not sleep for the second night. And though from childhood he had shuttered every light, drawn curtains and stopped gaps to find sleep, he knew now that he would never be in the dark again. Sleep would never come for him.

But it would wait for him.

Beyond the circle of light that he birthed he felt the lingering presence of dreams. If he closed his eyes he could almost hear the parts of his mind, once unfettered, now forever chained, flying on memory’s crooked wings.

He did not speak to his father before he died.

He drove in the night, to the place that he called home though the word itself was hollow - it did not hold the meaning for him that others placed there. His key, of course, still turned in the lock and his feet found all the quiet places on the stairs.

In the shadowy bed he found the long body of the old man his father had become. Was he really only sixty? He seemed twenty years older and his skin had sunk back to accent the proud bones of his face. He was dying, so Lachlan had been told, of a wasting illness - only months after Lachlan’s mother had finally succumbed to her own cancers - but the doctor felt he might have as much as a year left in him.

That was the news that had brought him to the high, cold, otherwise empty house in the dead of night.

The eyelids of the old man flickered, but perhaps thinking that it was a dream he did not start. “Lachlan?” he asked.

Dark nodded and lifted the pillow from his mother’s side of the bed and did not pause before pressing it down over the old man’s face.

After three minutes measured on the carriage clock by the bed, long after the whimpered protests had stopped and the long body had fallen slack, Dark removed the pillow.

“It was you who killed her,” Dark said. “You loved her so much you could never let her leave you. And you knew she would, the moment I was gone. So you poisoned her little by little. In the end there was nothing left of my beautiful mother. You destroyed her… of course I couldn’t prove it…”

“I just needed you to know that I knew”.

Dark replaced the pillow on his mother’s side and carefully smoothed it out.

The next day he wrote a letter from the MIT campus telling his father that he had completed his PhD. The letter arrived before a neighbour raised the alarm and the police officer broke down the door of the house.

Death by natural causes.

Professor Dark opened his eyes again, having taken no pleasure in the memory. But believing, as he always had, in the existence of necessary tasks. As steel believes in the hammer and the fire.

Professor Dark rose up from his seat and went to teach class.

[evisiron]

OOC: I assume we can still do small talk as part of the action while we wait for the others, right?

Nosferatu
Still Morning action (small talk)

Nosferatu stood and evaluated his setup.
Chairs spaced evenly apart, close enough to hear each other but not too close and crowded.
Table laid out with a variety of foods. Except vegetables and fruit. For some reason he did not feel like encouraging people to eat plants... (in fact he had not eaten any fresh plants recently either, only canned vegetables that were dead and canned like some long gone Egyptian Pharaoh).
And the entire setup concealed by some rocks that kept the meeting out of plain view from the city.

Nosferatu hopped onto a rock as a figure approached.


The Reaper


Making good time thanks to his solar shield, he arrived at the quarry to find Nosferatu setting up a table and a large number of cheap umbrellas. Laughing silently to himself, he approached and called out, "Good morning. It seems we had the same idea," nodding to the umbrellas.

Nosferatu shook his head. The sight reminded him of a webcomic character from a strip he had been reading for years. Even when it was semi obscure. Of course since then the popularity had skyrocketed, the writer was reach and the first Order of the Stick feature length films was released about a year and a half ago. Of course, with Reapers odd memory and personality, it was entirely likely he never saw it.

"Yeah, I guess so. Hey, I like your umbrella. Very Monster in the Darkness. You must have got some strange looks on the way over though... Have you ever heard of Order of the Stick?
If you feel like changing I have plenty of umbrellas about. Got a line of them scattered back to the city too so you could shadow hop over here."

Nosferatu hopped off the rock and walked over just as there was a blast of wind and a figure suddenly settled near by. Nosferatu waved at the newcomer and shouted a greeting. Looks like the meeting would be able to start soon if people were just rushing in at the last minute.

[BloodyAngel]

Natasha Verraine


BZZT! BZZT! BZZT! BZZT!

Lifting her head off of her pillow in a mass of long, dark hair... Tasha responded to the alarm clock in kind... By hurling it across the room. She say up and yawned, stretching and rolling her neck a bit... before she climbed out of bed and headed off in just her undies and night shirt... to get something to make the morning feel a bit less like a punch in the face. Heather was already up and in the bathroom brushing her teeth when she wandered past towards the fridge.

Claas's id caacel. She mumbled through a mouthful of toothpaste.

What?

Heather rolled her eyes and spit out the toothpaste, rinsing her mouth out as Tasha scrounged through the fridge, finding it irritatingly sparse.

Who's turn is it to get food? All we have in here is mustard, milk and old chinese food.

Yours. Heather said, emerging from the bathroom with a hairbrush, You've been too busy off with your new boyfriend.

Oh crap... really? She said, turning up her nose at the idea of eating mustard. It has been a pretty crazy few days.

A bunch more happened last night. It's all over the news. I couldn't even watch. It's crazy. Bugs and a giant guy...

Isn't the giant guy one of the good ones? She said, shutting the fridge.

I don't know... is he?

So chaos and mayhem... Is it wrong that I'm getting used to it? Tasha said rolling her eyes, Well... once class is out, i'll go pick up some food then.

Classes are cancelled. That's what I was trying to tell you! Heather said, sitting down on her bed and fussing with a hair tie.

Oh? Even better! In that case, I'm going out. Tasha said with a smirk.

For food?

Yeah... eventually.

It was a new day with a new purpose. Tasha smiled as she got dressed, and thought hard to herself how she was going to pull this off. She swiped her purse off her desk, making sure that her voice changer was in it before she headed out. Crow had a task to do.

[ChronicLunacy]

Kid Zeus/Hadyn Scott
Day 3 - Morning
Action: Go to school, then head for meeting.

"Hadyn! Get out of bed, you idiot! You have to take us to school!"

Hadyn Scott, a.k.a. The Amazing Incredible Bug-Zapping Kid Zeus threw his pillow at the door to get his sixteen-year-old sister out of his face and rolled over onto his back. Staring at the ceiling through a curtain of black hair he wondered what justice there was in making a cool new superhero like him go back to being a boring high school senior every weekday. What's more, he had to drive the slow, stupid mini-van and with his little sister talking about her newest crush all the way there.

I should be flying...

"HADYN SCOTT GET DOWN HERE THIS INSTANT!!" came his mother's voice from downstairs, prompting him to drag himself out of bed and into the shower. Screw it, she could be late. He was going to steam for a minute. He deserved it after the day he had fighting giant spiders and talking down superpowered metalheads. Too bad he couldn't tell anyone about it, he thought wryly as he worked out a kink in his shoulder. He was really going to have to come up with a better excuse for any new injuries he might sustain while he was out doing hero work. Maybe he should convince his family he could skateboard?

Hadyn grapped a couple of waffles out of the toaster as he went straight past the kitchen into the garage. His mother shoved a brown bag lunch into his hand and reminded him about some chore he was supposed to do as he shoveled the food into his mouth and grabbed the minivan keys off the hook by the door.

"That is so disgusting." his sister remarked as he shoved four waffles into his mouth at once and squirrel-cheeked it until he could force it all down. "I'm lucky you decided not to add the syrup." she smiled and shook her head as Hadyn pleaded with the engine to turn over.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

School passed like any other day. Everything just seemed a bit more gray and drab than it had been before. With all that he could do now simmering just under the surface it was all he could do not to just explode. He'd turned a giant spider into a crispy critter, he'd looked a cop straight in the face and talked him down...he was a freaking superhero! He wanted to just tell everybody, but sighed and let his head fall to his desk with a loud thunk when he reminded himself why he couldn't. It was even harder since he could feel something different in him, like the power was growing inside of him. He felt...well...electrified!

Finally, the lunch bell rang. Seniors were allowed off campus for lunch and it would give Kid Zeus just enough time to take to the air and make the meeting Nos had organized. It was just a matter of slipping to his mother's minivan and changing into his costume before rocketing into the air at full speed and hoping to god, buddha, and lady luck that no one saw his polka-dot boxers. It occurred to him that Hadyn Scott had become the costume for him...that he was hiding his true self underneath the boring, normal exterior. It felt good to shed it and once again find freedom in the clouds and the sudden charge in the air when he passed through it.

Now he just needed a Lois Lane and he'd be set.

He arrived at the meeting place in record time, surrounded by a nimbus of charged particles he'd picked up along the way. He set himself down lightly by the umbrellas and grinned at the snack food. "Sweet, I didn't know the meeting was going to be catered!" he chuckled. His good mood died, however, when he noticed the Reaper cowering from the sunlight underneath them. "Oh, it's you." he glared.

[Wiz]

Dr. Harold Smith a.k.a. Pulse Post 2 of Activity 1 (Day 3):

Well fed and warmed, Smith closes the last panel on his modified glider. Well enough for now.

OOC: If I need more rolls or more time crafting to finish the device, let me know geez3r, I won't assume it's ready to go unless you say so.

Putting together his makeup and costume, Pulse leaps onto his glider and soars to the back door. Scanning for people, he senses none about and moves out of his home into the nearby trees until he can locate a storm drain he'd identified on a map. Opening the lock remotely, he enters the storm drain, closing and locking it behind him. He sails through the wider tunnels til he is a good distance from his home, then emerges from another access point, heading for the meeting site.

As he approaches the meeting site, flying high, he notes several figures on the ground and in the air. He spirals slowly down until he finally makes a touchdown near the tables that have been set up. "Good afternoon, everyone."

[dfpiii]

Professor Dark
Morning - Action 1 - Teach Class

The Randolph Institute was quiet. Even students at one of the world’s most prestigious technical colleges were not entirely without the vice of sloth, but this was exceptional. Dark walked alone all the way from his house nearly to the Fermi building where there were at least some people.

He stopped at the doorway and looked at a posted notice, some of which was handwritten. Two thirds of his professors had cancelled their classes for the day and three hand cancelled everything they had on for the entire week. Professor Dark never lost his temper, but he made mental note of this slipshod attitude. These people would find their research funding reviewed very carefully - anyone who would abandon a week of teaching just because of some minor mayhem were clearly not to be trusted with the pursuit of scientific endeavour.

“Professor Dark?” asked a voice that hinted at a West Virginia accent. Dark turned and saw a young woman of middling height with long blonde hair and a set of blue braces crossing her uncertain smile. She was, Dark noted, wary of the dim aura of white light that played around him.

He ran her characteristics through the database of students who took classes in his department - he had memorised all of his students with exception of the freshman year who might instead choose a different specialism. “Yes Miss Bluth, how can I help you?”

“You know my… Sorry… Is your class still on this morning?”

“Of course,” he replied. “You and your friend… Mister Trotter should be in your seats in four minutes in Computer Lab 1”.

John Trotter - who might have been the poster boy for being a geek - looked nervous, alarmed and at the same time flattered that Dark had known his name. Trotter, John Harvey Jr obtained his bachelor’s degree at Cal-Tech. He had been standing three steps behind Lauren Bluth who had completed her first degree at the Volgenau School of Information Technology and Engineering at George Mason University. They had both signed up for a taught master’s degree in structural engineering at RIT.

“Seriously,” Dark added. They raised their eyebrows and hurried in to the lab where six other students had also chosen to show up. Dark closed the door and the hands on the wall clock turned to 9am exactly.

“Good morning,” Professor Dark said, entirely without the theatrics of yesterday. This was a post-graduate class; these were rather more serious and focussed students. He took his seat behind a main terminal whose display was projected on a six foot square screen behind him and to his right.

All of the students looked slightly awed and slightly awkward. Their professor was casually glowing like a 40 watt light bulb and it seemed like nobody was going to say anything about it. Yesterday he’d been on the news. Was he some sort of crime fighter now in his spare time?

“Ladies and gentlemen, perhaps we might focus on our work. In case any of you were wondering if the world was ending any time soon, I can assure you it is not. Coursework deadlines, class schedules and exams will persist even though the sky falls. So let us turn our attention away from my aura and towards the first of our three-dimensional diagrams”.

Dark guided the class through the an advanced discussion on fractures, stresses, tensile strength and underpinned it all with some of the most advanced mathematics in the world outside of theoretical physics. He began with a structural design of what appeared to be a simple 10 storey building, used computer graphics to illustrate changing materials and how this impacted directly on design, simulated earthquakes and tidal waves and explained how these forces could be negated by changes in design which were elegant, brilliant and entirely new.

He then confounded the group by rotating the image and showing that what had appeared to be a building design was in essence a cross-section of aircraft wing. He drew the principles of aerodynamics as broad strokes across that design then illustrated how those same principles could be reapplied back to the design of moving engines and electricity generators. Dark’s extrapolation and reinvention of physical principles was like hearing a violin played for the first time - it was almost frightening, something so foreign to all other sounds but wonderful and expressive and right all the same.

What was more, they understood. He had a gift greater than strength or flight. Dark could tilt your head and pour comprehension into your ear.

The clock ticked round to 10.

“So I’ll see you all next week,” Dark said, shutting down his computer. “You should all contact your potential dissertation supervisors by Friday if there are any research projects you would like to contribute to. Those who have not done so will find out on Monday morning that I have made the choice for them. As I believe all of your classes for the rest of the day have been cancelled you may entertain yourself by reading a recent journal article by Henry Pope, who is a professor at Oxford - which is a nice enough university for an engineer who failed to get a teaching post at MIT no less than three times”.

Dark allowed himself a smile. “Mister Pope’s theoretical study of large carbon structures is however very interesting and will no doubt be significant for you as the fabrication of industrial scale carbon will become cost effective at some point during the first decade of your working lives”.

“Perhaps though, Mister Trotter, you might like to lie on the grass and look at clouds for an hour since it does rather seem like your head is about to explode”. Dark smiled a benediction and left.

The clock moved to 10:04 and Lauren Bluth, the first member of the class to move or speak said, “Woah”.

***

Professor Dark took a taxi to the quarry. He was sure it would be the least ostentatious entrance of the day. He negotiated his way down the road with ease, observed the tables which had been set out and headed for them.

He wore a cream coloured linen suit and had topped it with a panama hat to keep the sun out of his eyes and carried a white plastic bag. He skirted around a few umbrellas, reached the table and produced from the white bag a pre-sliced lemon bunt cake and some superfluous paper plates and plastic forks.

“It’s really not a meeting of super heroes without bunt cake,” he said dryly while folding the plastic bag and pocketing it. “Lovely day for it”, he added to nobody in particular.

[Tar Palantir]

The Reaper
Day 3 - Morning
Action: Socialize before the meeting starts.

The Reaper replies to Nosferatu, "I'm afraid not, although the store clerk was rather insistent on this particular umbrella. At the time, I couldn't fathom why." He chuckles slightly at his ridiculous appearance.

He then sees a less than welcome super in the clear, blue skys. The annoyingly naive lightning lad lands with a grin which soon sours. The Reaper answers Kid Zues's terse greeting in a wry tone, "Yes, me. And how was your day? Fry any low flying birds? I saw you on the news. And to think they used to frown on children frying insects." Although the jesting seems pleasant enough, the Reaper is still unsettled by Kid Zues's lack of acceptance of his redemption. If he couldn't count on the other supers, what chance did he have with the "normal" citizens of Rainport?

He shook away this thought as a plume of smoke heralded the next arrival. "Pulse," he says in a good-natured tone, "I trust your day was uneventful after our parting." He laughs lightly. As if anything could be uneventful these days.

The most awe-inspiring entrance was easily the next. A city taxi pulled up to the quarry, and out of the back seat stepped Professor Lachlan Dark, in a rather smart suit and hat. He greets him in the same tone of good-natured mockery, "Certainly, Professor Dark, we all would have been lost, if not for your quick-witted stroll down the grocery aisle. All hail Lachlan Dark, savior of humanity! Or of mutantkind, at least. I'm not sure if I could still fall under the first category."

[ChronicLunacy]

Kid Zeus
Day 3 - Morning
Action: Aggressive socializing.

The amount of thunder produced when a lightning bolt split the sky between those gathered and struck The Reaper's umbrella was small, but this close to the ground and with so much to echo off of it sounded like a gunshot. The lightning bolt blasted the Hello Kitty umbrella and set it on fire, but did not do anything to wound The Reaper himself aside from whatever damage he might take from the sunlight if he was not quick enough to hide under the cover Nosferatu had provided. This was Zeus making a point.

"I never said you could talk to me, you murdering psychopath. Ever. You don't get to tease or joke or laugh around me." the teenager said, deadly serious for once. It was a far cry from the usual lighthearted banter Nosferatu had enjoyed, but that made it only more jarring. He had made his feelings about The Reaper clear at the fire and it seemed he was reiterating it. "I don't give a DAMN about what the mayor said. They should have fried you. Don't you ever forget it, you monster. You want to help, you remember why you're here. That means you sit down, SHUT UP, and pay your debt to society. I told you already that I'd light you up like a Christmas tree if you put one toe out of line. That was NOT an idle threat." he said through gritted teeth, his eyes blazing with electrical energy, responding to his heated emotions.

"It's monsters like you who murder good cops in cold blood, who rape little girls a block from their houses. You may have suffered a change of heart, but that doesn't ever change what you did. Why should YOU get a second chance? Did your victims get a second chance? Did that good cop or little girl get a second chance? YOU DON'T DESERVE IT AND YOU REMEMBER THAT!!" he shouted, lightning bolts spacking onto the ground all around him, making everyone's hair stand on end because of the current running through the atmosphere. But just that fast it died back down, all except for his eyes. "You say one more word and I'll turn you to ash right here. No one will care." he finished.

Called Shot to Umbrella: 1d20+12=30 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1633773/)

[Tar Palantir]

The Reaper
Day 3 - Morning
Action: Aggressive negotiations

Pain. There was no other word for what wracked his body as the pure rays of the sun burned his wretched flesh. Through the agony he managed to force out a single word. "Midnight," he cried, and darkness enfolded him, perfect darkness, impenetrable to the "do-gooder's" eyes. It was his words more than his deeds, though, that set the Reaper aflame.

"Do you think," he cried out in an unnatural fury, the unnatural darkness around im trembling with every syllable, "that I want a second chance? Do you think this some great blessing that the mayor has bestowed upon me? Do you think for an instant that I would not rather step forth and let the sun's murderous rays purify my despicable flesh?"

He continued, his voice now only a whisper, yet still somehow audible over Kid Zues's sparks and thunder, "Do you have to spend every moment of your life with their faces burned inside your skull, the only memories of an entire lifetime of suffering and pain? Did you have to give up your life, your identity, your very name in exchange for a lifetime of penance, in the feeble hope that in the end you could finally be allowed to die? Which is worse, oh wise and mighty hero, dying and leaving behind those you love, or living with the knowledge that no one in this world loves you?"

"But what would you know of that? Imagine for a moment, what it would be like to lose everyone that you ever loved. Now imagine what it would be like to never have had any of them at all. Could you survive it, or would you break, and become some even fouler creature than me? Just remember this when you find yourself sitting proudly on your high horse: there are far worse fates than death."

[ChronicLunacy]

Kid Zeus
Day 3 - Morning
Action: Aggressive socializing.

Kid Zeus spat on the dirt at The Reaper's self-hating diatribe. "Right, pity the poor murderer? You killed a bunch of people so we should all feel sorry for you? Not that easy, scumbag. I hope it hurts. I hope you live every painful second of it. All those fates worse than death you were talking about? You and everyone like you deserves them all. I'm not going to pity you for receiving your punishment." he replied, full of venom. "And don't you ever talk to me about loss. I doubt you could even understand what it feels like to lose someone you love, or see them hurt. A monster like you couldn't fathom it."

"I'll leave you to your own personal hell, Reaper. You just stay the hell away from me like I told you and we'll be just fine. In case you weren't listening, you're not allowed to utter a single syllable in my direction, understand?" he said, brows furrowed in anger.

He looked at the others as if realizing again that they were there, and shook his head as if to clear it. For a moment he seemed almost embarrassed about his outburst, but his resolve strengthened again. He had meant every hateful word he'd said about Reaper. The others probably wouldn't understand why he was so infuriated whenever the subject of the "redeemed" mass-murderer came up. They'd probably just think him naive. One look at his little sister or the grave they visited every Sunday and they would have known otherwise.

[dfpiii]

Professor Dark

Watched the electric display of cerulean power without comment, but not without note. A boy - and you are a boy, aren't you? - with that much power could be extremely dangerous. The news reports may have done justice to his ability, but they had not mentioned his temper.

"I think that probably reflects the feeling of the majority of Rainport citizens," Dark said to Kid Zeus. "The decision to release the Reaper may be a substantial millstone around the mayor's neck at the next election and I'm sure you appreciate that all of our fates are tied to that event. Given this, it's perhaps advisable that our efforts are spent keeping Reaper on the straight and narrow path, rather than, for exaple, incinerating him".

Dark uprooted a nearby umbrella and tossed it casually into the sphere of darkness.

Dark pours himself a drink and looks around.

"I don't suppose anyone has a really useful power, like the ability to make ice out of thin air? No? Pity".

[ChronicLunacy]

Kid Zeus

No, I don't want him to die. I just don't want to have to look at or hear him. He should be in jail...Why doesn't anyone else see that? Kid Zeus thought to himself as he started to calm down, and took a seat on a nearby rock as far away from the blackness as possible. His father taught him better than that when it came to killing. He supposed that was why another reason why he hated The Reaper so much...his cavalier attitude about murder. Even the bad guys shouldn't be killed if it could possibly be helped. They should be put on trial in a court of law. Even "neo-sapiens" couldn't pass judgement on mankind like that, becoming judge, jury, and executioner. Call him naive again, but Kid Zeus...Hadyn Scott believed it with everything he was. He supposed even his angry threats about turning The Reaper into ash were pretty empty now that he thought about it. Sure, he could zap the guy into a coma, but kill him? He didn't think he could do it.

Sometimes he wanted to go out, find those responsible for what had happened to that good cop, his father, and that little girl, his sister... He wanted to go out and become their own personal executioner, but doing so would disrespect his father's memory. It would make his sister fear him if she ever found out. He was the only one she trusted to protect her, to drive her home every day even though he'd been in two fender benders in sixth months. (He sucked at driving.) She'd wait for him no matter how long it took because she needed to be with him when they passed that spot a block away from the house. If she was afraid of him, who would be her big brother? He couldn't do it to her. He had too much to lose.

So, as much as he hated it, he just had to sit there and watch The Reaper try to atone. As much as it bugged him, as much as he thought the murdering psycho deserved otherwise...he couldn't do anything unless The Reaper went back to his old ways.

Damn it.

[Wiz]

Pulse

Pulse steps over toward the troubled youth, "I know you're probably upset with me too... after all, I was the one who took him to the mayor to offer his surrender. You should know that he was willing to take whatever punishment the mayor chose." He pauses a moment, "Ever read Lord of the Rings? I always thought Gandalf was a wonderful character, and the advice he dispensed was straight from grand old Mr. Tolkien himself. I remember how he said that many who live deserve death, and many die who deserve life, but unless you can give it to them, don't be so quick to deal out death... everyone has their role to play before the end."

[ChronicLunacy]

Kid Zeus

"Heh, not a great example." Kid Zeus smirked back at Pulse. "I saw that movie, too. In the end, Gollum makes Frodo turn on Sam, throws Frodo to a giant spider, then bites his finger off and steals the ring. I'd say that's a point in the 'deserves death' argument." he chuckled. "But you don't have to worry about me. I'm not a killer. The only way I see that creature dying is if he's tried and convicted in a court of law and sentenced to it. It's not in my power to judge him. But I don't have to play nice with him, either. I'm not above letting him experience what a lightbulb feels like if he tries to talk to me again."

[evisiron]

Nosferatu

The second the lightning had struck Nosferatu had reached for his sword, fearing the first shot had been fired and violence would ensue. Thankfully Reaper activated a globe of darkness and the fighting had ceased before things could get out of hand.

Nosferatu was ready to step in with pacifying words, likely laces with some nerd related reference, but Pulse had gotten there first. With a Lord of the Rings quote no less!

Since the situation was already calming down, Nosferatu held his tongue. If he was going help run the meeting he organised, it would be better not to be taking sides and chipping in unnecessary points of view.

Looking around, he recognised pretty much everyone here, and little had changed from the previous day. Well, except for the Professor of course, who was now shining like a fresh glow-stick. The only serious conflict seemed to revolve around Reaper. Still, there very little chance this meeting would run smoothly...

[harmonictempest]

Gust

He jumps lightly off the ledge he's been sitting on, landing on a ground a dozen feet below with little more than an extra bend in his knees. I doubt either of you will change the other's mind, or the facts of the matter. The mayor has decided that Reaper will do more good in the street than in a cell, and until proper authority decides otherwise, that it what we work with. His tone is even, not showing clear support for either character. Walking to the table, he pours himself a drink as well. How many are we waiting for, and how long will we wait for late-comers?

[Wiz]

ooc: The "party" is at an abandoned quarry, not a building. :)

Pulse

Pulse goes over to the young man who just arrived. "Welcome, I am Pulse, what may we call you?"

[evisiron]

OOC: First less than obvious question, is Natasha at the same meeting we are, or is she at a completely different meeting of mutates that is based on a building roof? And was she confusing Reaper with Oblivion, or is Oblivion at this other meeting?

If it is ours, how should we work this? The quarry is miles from city limits, so a traffic cam is really unlikely to pick it up. The idea was to stay out of view (abandoned quarry, miles from city, large rocks jutting from the ground blocking the view, and aside from Kid Zeus' attack the attendees have arrived in a pretty low key fashion). I have nothing against Natasha attending the meeting, but what has been posted makes no sense. Can I suggest she spotted a flying mutate (such as Nos for example) and followed the direction until she reached the quarry? Or perhaps she saw the Shiny professor and possessed the cab driver. There are plenty of ways to get her there without completely shattering the secret nature of the meeting.

[BloodyAngel]

OOC: Post of making no sense.... fixed! I was so thrilled to be back in the main forum... I went a little ahead of myself. Thanks to Nos for letting himself be my reason for finding out about this.

Natasha Verraine
Day 3 - Morning

Part one: Traffic blues

C'mon people! The world is full of crazy mutants, this is NO time to be out driving! Tasha cursed at the road. Traffic in the city was terrible, and she was getting nowhere fast.

She pulled off the earphones to her ipod and sighed, reaching down to switch on the radio instead. There had to be SOME streets that were clear somewhere.

The remains of the spider were taken by authorities, though they refused to make a statement at this time. A woman's voice drons over the radio, In other news, over 500,000 dollars in damage was done to Rainport today in an incident between two mutates. The mutant known locally as Titan was involved in the fight, along with a second, rock-covered mutate who was nearly his equal in size. The damages have prompted many to wonder if better steps should be taken to monitor and control mutates and their abilities to prevent more damage in the future. The mutate responsible for the fight remain at large.

Tasha sighed and looked out the window. No traffic report... everyone was just rambling on about mutant this and mutant that. It was as if the world was ending, and that was all anyone could talk about. Cursing the road a second time, she pulled off into a gas station, and parked her car to head inside and get something to eat.

Five minutes later, as she had finally settled on an egg salad sandwich and a 12oz. coke... Something happened that literally dropped her jaw. A man in a black T-shirt and a mask landed... literally LANDED... outside. He had a sword strapped across his back, and a shirt that only a nerd could love. She'd seen him on the news, she was sure of it.

The mutant "vampire" wandered in and looked around at the snack food. Like he was a normal freaking person. She just stared at him for a moment before realizing she was doing it. He looked young... Maybe her age. She liked the look too. And his thoughts...

She was almost afraid to try... but the temptation was too strong. If he could sense her, like Draven had... he probably would have by now. She took a deep breath, and focused. With any luck, he would think she was just some awe-struck normal, staring at his odd costume. She reached out into his mind lightly... afraid to delve too deep, lest she be noticed...

Moments later, he paid and left, with several handfuls of snacks. But one thing had stood out in his mind... and hers.

Well... that's new. A mutant meeting? She mused to herself softly, I didn't put a time limit on getting that info on the bomb... so why not? I should at least know who the other mutants in town are, I suppose.

Tasha cut a man off and pulled out of the gas station. The traffic was far better going south anyway!

----------------------

Part Two: I swear, I'll give it right back...

Finding a parking spot was difficult... but she eventually parked her car beside a deli, which suited her just fine. Along the way, she had been thinking of how she would deal with seeing what was up with this "meeting" without giving away who she was. Especially with people like Draven around who could "smell" powers or whatever the heck he had done, she could not count on being able to convince anyone she was just a very curious human. Wearing a silly costume was both lame and out, as she did not happen to have any masks or capes sitting around in her car. She DID however... have her coat... and a few blankets and crap in her trunk that she was really supposed to bring home if she ever got the chance. Still... it would do. She left her keys in the ignition, and popped the trunk.

Tasha collected her blanket from the back. It was originally wrapped around her computer to keep it cushioned when she moved it to the dorms, and it was pretty ratty by now... but it would do. She got into her back seat and curled the thing around her... watching the people on the streets as they wandered past. Most were busy... and didn't even notice her. Perfect. Time for a bit of a test...

She picked a subject who amused her a bit... and locked on... scanning the crowd for people who would not be missed much. She settled on a young man in baggy jeans, who's thoughts told her that he was off from school for the day and had no plans more important than smoking pot and playing video games all day. Once she had locked onto his head, she made sure her doors were locked and lay down on her seat with her blanket over her... like some girl napping in her car. Even without seeing him, she could still feel him in her head.. wondering if his friends were off too and would want to hang out. She smiled to herself and let her mind slip into his... and for a second, things went hazy...

And she was standing on the street, eating a breakfast bagel. A quick look down confirmed it... she was him. She didn't need to see her mark, as long as she could still feel him. "Tasha" looked at her new body for a second with a faint smirk, and checked on herself in the car. Looking at herself through someone else's eyes was still odd, but at least she was right. To anyone on the street, she looked like she was just some girl curled up in the back seat of her car, napping. Odd, but hardly something to call the police over.

Crap... I forget to find out his name. Oh well. For today, I think I'll be Joshua. She thought to herself as she got into her car again and started it up. She'd always liked the name Joshua.

-------------------

Part Three: The New Arrival

"Joshua" parked a ways from the meeting site. It wasn't that hard to find the quarry once she knew that's where they were meeting, what with all the mutants of various sorts heading to it in the sky. Half of them were glowing or shooting energy out of them as they soared around. Someone really needed to teach them how to be subtle.

She picked her way over rocks and jagged chunks of... more rock, making her way towards the meeting spot. Halfway there, she heard a sound like the crackle of a generator, and the place lit up like the sun for a moment, making her stop and re-think herself for a moment. She wasn't bullet-proof. She CERTAINLY wasn't super-lightning -kamehameha-proof. If these mutants all went nuts... the only chance she had was to bail on her fake body and leave poor Josh... or whatever the heck his name was... do die in her stead. That hardly seemed right. She was hardly the most moral person around, but that seemed like a pretty cruel thing to do to someone.

The fireworks stopped, and she figured she was too far gone to go back. Josh would just have to tough it out. If things went south, she'd get him out as best she could. Steeling herself with a more courage than she would likely have if it was HER butt on the line... She headed the rest of the way into the quarry and looked out from behind a large rock.

The place was set up like it was being catered... by someone who had never catered in their life. Fortunately, the wind was not so bad today, but she still chuckled to imagine a strong wind kicking up dirt from above to rain down into all the chip bowls.

The people here were a who's who of local mutants. She recognized the good professor from his stint on TV almost immediately, and almost lost her composure for a moment before assuring herself that there was no way he'd know who she was. She didn't even look like a she at the moment. Not that he'd ever seen her before... or even heard her voice.

She saw a man who looked like the bizarre cross-bred baby of green goblin and the shadow. As well as a young man in gothy-clothes with a mask and sword on his back that looked familiar for some reason. Lightning lad, or whomever he was... had been on the news too, she was certain. The blob of shadowy darkness off to the size gave her pause for a moment.

@#$%! Draven? Why is Draven here? She thought to herself as stepped out from behind the cover of the rocks, And why didn't that jerk tell me about this so I could come with him, instead of playing musical bodies!?

He wouldn't recognize her, and she felt no need to give away who she was... so she decided to just let it slide for now, and play dumb. Standing at the edge of the roof in dirty jeans, a black shirt and no mask to speak of... the young man with the dirty blonde hair spoke, slightly out of breath after the climb down the rocks.

Hey. She greeted the first one to see her... the one dressed like the shadow. I'm Joshua. You all can call me Josh.

[evisiron]

OOC: For this next bit, it sort of comes down to the ranges used. Power detection works up to 60ft while possession works to 30 base, then more if upgrades are purchased. Therefore using it would be detected if no upgrades were purchased, assuming that the point of origin would be the only bit detectable (since its 'activated or sustained'). We can work this out later.

For now though I really don't want to ruin BA's possession run, but Nos would scan any newcomers. So, to keep things fun Nos will be using Power Detection as soon as he sees the newcomer. This means he will not detect the Possession, and Nat's secret will be safe for the moment as the new guy will be at the outer range of Power Detection.

Is this okay with everyone? If there is any dispute I can edit.

Oh, and BA, remember Nos has a crinkly Vampire face (similar to the ones in Buffy) so he does not look too normal.

Nosferatu
Morning - Pre meeting banter

Nosferatu looked around as the new arrival. He had 'sensed' the people here in the past, but was eager to test the newcomer. He opened his senses as soon as the new guy came in range to keep him apart from the rush of other powers.

And there was... nothing.

Nosferatu strained his senses until everything was as clear as he could get it, but still nothing. Did some normal person find out about the meeting?
With that thought, he walked up to the figure, hearing his name was 'Josh' and spoke to him.

"Greetings Josh. I am sure you are curious as to what is going on, but unfortunately I must tell you that this meeting is mutates only. Unless you have a new found power from the chemical spill I am afraid you will have to leave. Do you have such a power?"

Nosferatu's dark demonic voice was used in a neutral manner, neither inviting nor intimidating, until it could be decided whether this person should be here.

[BloodyAngel]

"Joshua"

When she's possessing someone, her mental stats are still exceptionally high, and she can use her powers... not to mention that the possession power is technically active. So I imagine she WOULD sense as a mutant to Nos... and anyone else with sensing powers. She's not trying to hide that. What is IS hiding is what her power is... and the fact that she isn't really the lanky blonde guy that you're all seeing.

Luckily, I think I'm the only telepath here. :smallbiggrin:

Um... yeah. I was in the blast. The blonde man will say, hands stuffed into his pockets, I haven't set any giant bugs on fire, or whatever... but I can do things.

"Joshua" walked into the quarry and took a chip from one of the bowls... munching on it casually as he spoke, and looked around the attendees. There was Professor Dark, she remembered from his public statement. The rest she remembered mostly from the video of the mutants who helped during the fire turned explosion downtown. Save the blob that she guessed... might be Draven. If it was, and he could sense who she was... that could ruin her whole plan. She didn't want to say anything in case she was wrong... Just hoping he had the tact to not give her away.

Ever since the blast... I sort of, hear things. You know? And... they're usually right. "Joshua" said with a look of worry hidden under a desire to look calm and in control, I... can't really control it. It just kinda happens. It's how I found this place.

[evisiron]

It seems open to interpretation, but I'll run with the Rule of Cool and go with BA's ruling so crazy telepath girl can run amok. Amok I say! :smallwink:

Nosferatu

Nosferatu continued focusing he senses, and eventually picked up a sense of power. He shook his head, the range must be more limited than he thought. The power seemed...odd. It was kind of like Judy's, but completely different. It was like the power stretched over a distance. Could be be a teleporter?

With his explanation, Nosferatu pondered what his powers could be, more specifically. Maybe these voices came from a distance away or something...

Nosferatu walked with Josh to the table.


"Well, don't worry too much. At least here you can talk to some other people who are in a similar situation. As far as I can tellsome of us have powers that are easier to control, others have figured out a key to controlling more complicated powers. I sure you will be able to get some help in one form or another. Anyway, I am Nosferatu."

Nosferatu offered a hand to shake.

[dfpiii]

Professor Dark

((The only telepath that you know of, BA! Mwahahaha! :smallamused:))

((Kidding :smallsmile:))

Dark munched on a pretzel and considered the buffet. Dark had never really looked at a buffet before - except Sarah Michelle Geller. Ha, and indeed, ha.

He wondered if the buffet was psychologically revealing of the person who had organised it. It had almost certainly been his vampire student. There was no meat, was that significant? Also no salad, was that significant? No fruit either. Was this the work of a twisted mind, a restricted budget, or a heterosexual man? Where had he got these tables from? Who just has a set of folding tables lying around?

Dark paused. He had a set of folding tables in his basement, about six feet from where he kept the armour. Was this...? No, the folding mechanism on the legs were different. Besides, Nosferatu was morally uncomplicated - he would not display Dark's occasional furniture in a way that indicated he knew the professor's secret. Sadly, the only person Dark could imagine playing such a magnificently amusing mind game was... himself.

Having worked his way down the table and learned nothing, Dark's eye fell upon the glider that had brought Pulse to the meeting. The shape was textbook; it probably obtained excellent lift for its size - though to bear human weight the motor would be necessary. However it was curiously jointed, almost as if it had been designed to contract like a concertina into some other shape. This was interesting enough, but what Dark really wanted was a look at that engine.

He took a few casual steps towars the machine, hoping that the greasy looking youth who had just arrived would keep Pulse occupied for a few moments.

[BloodyAngel]

"Joshua"

Nice to meet you Dracula. Or is it spike? You've got the right look. Josh said with a smile, shaking the psuedo-vampire's hand. I was afraid you were all gonna treat me like a freak or something... but everyone here has kinda got a bit of weird to them. I'm starting to look like the normal one.

Josh swung a chair around and sat down, leaning forward over the back of it in a casual way.

So... ah... I don't... really know what this whole meeting thing is about. Just a mutant meet-and-greet? Are you makin' a team and giving out capes?

[Wiz]

Pulse nods to the youth, then slowly turns toward the man standing over his glider... almost as though he had eyes in the back of his head... or the machine had some kind of alarm only Pulse could hear. "Can I help you, Professor Dark?"

[evisiron]

Nosferatu

"Hehe. Funny. But I meant the name was Nosferatu, not that I am 'one of the Nosferatu'. As for the meeting, a bit of both. I called to the people at the building fire yesterday to meet up here, both to find out who we were as well as share knowledge. I am hoping we can form some kind of alliance, against both the more malicious results of the explosion (such as the spider) and against the general population of the normal people turn on us, X-Men style.
As for the last part, we shall not be giving out capes."

Nosferatu pierced Josh with a serious stare, only to jokingly finish with

"They get caught on stuff way too easily"

[dfpiii]

Professor Dark

There was the slimest chance that it was just Dark's angelic glow, but it was much more likely to be something else. There was not a fraction of his face or a glint in his eye that ackowledged he had done or contemplated anything remotely suspect, neither was there the stillness of someone who was consciously controlling themselves.

Dark was really very good.

"Professional curiousity," Dark replied with a smile that actually did a Colgate twinkle. "I'm a Dean at RIT and I was explaining some of the properties of airfoil construction to my Masters students only a few hours ago".

"Just from a cursory glance it looks like a solid feul thruster; I imagine from the design of the nozzel that your balance does a fair bit of the steering. But what are you burning to give you the sustained release you'd need to carry you from, say, mid-town to here?"

"It's something home made, isn't it? If you'd got it from a military source you'd be using something with a nitrogen burn to neutralise your smoke and reduce your heat signature".

He looks the machine over again and turns back to Pulse. "That may be something I can help you with".

[Tar Palantir]

The Reaper

The Reaper stayed in his impenetrable shield for a while, letting tempers simmer down, then stepped out, now protected by a slightly less amusing but equally effective umbrella. He chuckled, half to the group, half to himself, "And I still somehow end up not dead. Either I'm a survivor at heart, or the world's most incompetent suicide." He then pointedly turns away from Kid Zeus, both fulfilling his "request" and giving him a clear shot at his back, should he change his mind about passing judgment.

In the same manner-of-fact tone he had previously adopted, as though the past confrontation had never happened, he addresses Nosferatu's comment, "I believe this would also be a good opportunity to set some boundaries to keep any of us from getting out of hand." He addresses this comment to no one in particular, but everyone has the distinct feeling he is speaking directly to them. "For example, I think that the first should be no killing of sentient beings. An unreasoned animal like the spider is one thing, but there is no need to kill when capture is possible. And I speak from experience when I say that there is nothing harder to live with than death." He pauses, then finishes, "I for one pray that I never need take a life again." He then falls silent, but the most perceptive around him can practically feel the waves of grief pouring off of him. He then makes an attempt at a joke, but it is far more transparent than his previous banter, "And I agree with no capes. Bad karma. Waste of cloth."

[BloodyAngel]

"Joshua"

Just a reminder that italics = thoughts, and not spoken words. :smalltongue:

Holy CRAP! It's him! The sociopath from the mayor's speech!!!

"Josh" went a bit pale and took a step back when the creature of dark emerged from the blob of shadows. He looked panicked for a second, before attempting to regain his composure.

I... uh... not to be a kill joy but... um... Isn't that the guy who attacked the mayor? Josh said, shocked. I mean... I'm cool with it if you all are. I... guess....

Coming here was beginning to look like a very bad idea.

[Wiz]

Pulse

Pulse smiles at Dark, though it's not extremely obvious with the scarf over his face. "Since the military has already expressed a desire to have my technology, something I'm not anxious to allow; and since I don't know you well yet, I'd rather not share my secrets with you at this point. If we manage to forge a superhero unity of some kind here today, future collaboration would only be welcome. I liked your call for heroes speech, but to be honest I haven't seen you out and about doing the old daring-do yet. Do you have a secret costumed identity despite being public about being a mutate?" He glances over at Reaper and chuckles, "Don't forget, my cape sheltered you for a while there."

[dfpiii]

Professor Dark

"That's what I thought you'd say, but the offer stands. I'm not exactly difficult to contact if you change your mind".

Dark, having learned everything possible, you suspect, without being able to remove the engine casing, makes a point of turning so that the glider is out of his field of vision.

"As for fighting crime, unfortunately my power set does not include the right tools for direct action. I can't fly, and while my position affords me considerable discretionary spending, I don't think the college would permit me to build myself a bat mobile. Despite my appearance I was always bookish as a child; I don't believe I've ever been involved in a fight and I don't imagine I'd do well in one".

Dark shakes his head. "I hope to be able to offer ancillary support, guidance and public relations. Some of us - a term which encompasses more than those assembled here - have displayed a dead hand in a communications role. If we're to arrange some kind of stable detente with the rest of the human race then what we need is to reassure them. People do not like step change, but accept incremental change".

"The end result of the chemical explosion must be a world where humans and super humans - neo sapiens, mutates, the enhanced - can live without fear of each other. The only way humans can bring this about is through violence - enforced registration, suppression of abilities and, finally, executions. That route takes us through a river of blood that America hasn't seen since the Civil War. Mutates must, and I believe we can, find a better way to come to terms with the new reality. We can be the salvation of our world if we are allowed to act".

"The problem is that there are forces at work already. Yesterday's bombing was only one example. There are some who do not see the future as I see it and my labour is against them".

[geez3r]

As everyone gets to know each other, it isn’t long until yet another arrival… arrives. Inferno streaks through the sky at break neck speeds with all the maneuverability of a brick headed right for the quarry. He angles himself downwards as he nears the meeting site. However he goes way too fast and cannot break fast enough and careens into a rock wall at the speed of a car on a Sunday drive. Upon hitting the wall, Inferno’s body explodes with a rather large gout of flame, thankfully his poor flying skills placed him some distance away from everyone else.

Just as everyone rightly becomes concerned for his safety, a mass amount of ash swirls about and assembles itself into a humanoid form before bursting into flame again. With child-like naivete Inferno says “Hehehe. Man, that was dangerous. Thought I was a goner for sure. Ooooh, munchies. I’m Inferno by the way.” He adds as he goes over to the food and helps himself to a few chips, while doing a remarkable job of not setting everything on fire, seriously it takes some talent. Though the chips are indeed on fire before he “eats” them.

After his first mouthful he says to Nosferatu “Titan couldn’t make it, he’s helping to fix the mess he made, and he’s a little bummed that he went a little nuts like that. I invited a few others though, hope that’s okay.”

As if one cue, two more make their appearance; Jen and a man in a gray cowl and hood. Jen appears on the scene with her signature insane speed. She’s traded out her nurse’s uniform for a spandex-y blue and white unitard with short legs and sleeves that makes her look remarkably like a Power Ranger. In her arms there’s a white tote bag from which she produces several bottles of water, a few clear plastic glasses and a plastic container filled with ice cubes. As she places those items on the table she says in a cheery voice “Hi everyone. The name’s Jen, but I expect most of you know it by now, what with that little incident at the conference; no hard feelings.” She adds to Reaper, and at this point Inferno jumps as he apparently just noticed Reaper was there, and he promptly forgets again and goes back to the chips.

The other mutate appears on the scene as a plume of billowing smoke that rolls down one of the rock walls before reforming into a humanoid form. The guy has the dark knight motif nailed. (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/ec/Phantasm-costume.jpg) He looks a bit out of place and hangs out near the back with his arms crossed. The only word he says is “Smoke.” apparently his moniker.

(((OOC: More are coming, just staggering their entrances.)))

[Wiz]

Pulse

Pulse nods to Inferno, "Pulse is the handle, sorry I didn't take much time to talk the other day. I was actually hoping to clear out after the Reaper's situation was settled, but I still didn't make it without the General trying to ask for my gadget designs." He shrugs, "When I was more self-absorbed, I used to do work for the military... I just don't have the stomach for it anymore, especially since I could make some really nasty stuff now." He nods to the other two newcomers, "Jen... Smoke."

[ChronicLunacy]

Kid Zeus

"Hey, you guys were up there with the mayor that first day, right? Call me Kid Zeus." he grinned, waving to the new arrivals. He seemed to just ignore The Reaper as best as he could from that point on, instead focusing on the cool powers and entrances being displayed. He immediately took a liking to Inferno and Nurse Jen because of the former's easy-going manner and the latter's skin-tight unitard... His eyes flashed a bit and then settled down to their usual glow as he moved forward and offered his hand to Inferno. He figured his gloves could handle a quick shake if Inferno couldn't control the fire enough for it. "You guys are great." he added, his smile growing a bit wider when he remembered the newscast of all of them beating the crap out of The Reaper when he attacked the mayor.

[harmonictempest]

Gust

Two days ago, Gust would have remained impassive, keeping his extensive thoughts to himself. Today, though, was a new day. Addressing Dark, he replies, "I'm glad I'm not the only one who recognized that explosion as part of a larger pattern. And I must disagree with Reaper, but only in word, likely not in practice. We cannot restrict ourselves to never take life - it is the right of any citizen to kill in self-defense, and it would be equally our right to kill a man standing by the trigger of another such bomb, if no other option exists to keep him from setting it off. Such an act would be nothing if not defense...an ugly thought, but one that makes it clear that to claim that we will never take a life is foolish. Avoid it if as long as any other choice exists, but do not deny that it will never be necessary."

Realizing that his first words have been rather serious, he turns to Inferno and wryly asks his other question: "You figure out yet how to turn that fire off, or if could get blown out?"

[Tar Palantir]

The Reaper

The Reaper nods reluctantly at Gust's words, but still seems rather disagreeable. He says, "I would say only to save the lives of others, and yourself if absolutely necessary. It just seems less like "self defense" when some of us could level city blocks to save our own skins. If it comes to that choice, to each their own, and on their own head be it."

He nods politely as Inferno and the others arrive, and says, "It's good to see you, Inferno, a good bit better than our first meeting. No hard feelings, though. You did what you had to. Hopefully it won't come to that again. Otherwise I might have to invest in a fireproof umbrella." He laughs lightly at his own joke, his previous despondency gone. He also nods at the two new faces, saying, "I'd shake hands, but some of my powers are a little...tempermental. Best not to test it."

[evisiron]

Nosferatu

Nosferatu smiles at the sight of Inferno and heads over to pat his shoulder, only to think better of it at the last minute.

"Hey Inferno. Glad you could make it. I see your flying has not improved by much since the last time we met.

And welcome newcomers. We are planning to having some sort of meeting at noon, so will wait until then before starting any serious discussion. As for Reaper, he has permission to be here, which we will cover more thoughly during the meeting.

Feel free to help yourselves to snacks."

[BloodyAngel]

"Joshua"

Uh... yeah. Ok then. Didn't mean to freak out. Josh said idly, glad that he seemed to have fallen out of attention. Probably because "he" wasn't flying, glowing or a well-known mass-murderer.

Ok... There's Dark. He's just as impressive in person... but he seems much more interested in the glider-thing. There's no way he knows. Tasha thought to herself, as she listened in. There's vampire guy... and glider man... and windy... and lightning lad... and now fire-guy and spandex girl. Who dresses like that, really?

Still, "Josh" looked over super nurse... if only to maintain the facade that he was in fact, a genuine, red-blooded male. The fact that "he" found windy and the professor far more attractive might bring on a little undue attention. But still, the problem remained. Did she try to read someone, or not? It was risky... perhaps... but it was almost too tempting. The real question was who. Her first instinct was to try the professor... but the man intimidated her slightly. What's more, she felt that a less intelligent seeming target might make a better bet.

No no... it's not worth it... yet. She thought to herself. The meeting hasn't even started yet, and the last thing I want to do is get kicked up before it does. For now, I guess, I bide my time.

[dfpiii]

Professor Dark

((I'm going to do two conversations at once, just because one's an NPC))

Professor Dark excused himself with a smile - mostly to avoid a conversation with Inferno, whom he had already identified as a total dope, but also to begin working the party. Smoke wasn't someone Dark had heard anything about and he would need more information before he decided if initial contact would have to be made by Dark or Paragon. It didn't do to play these things wrong.

Dark's eyes, with the colour and life of a coral sea, fell on Jen. He walked towards her and reached into pocket. Maintaining eye contact; without ever looking at his hands he selected the blade from his Swiss Army Knife and in one effortless, soundless gesture sliced the plastic of the ice bag on the table right down the middle.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Jen," he said as he pocketed the knife again; extending the fluid motion so that his elegant, long-fingered hand closed softly, firmly around hers. "Lachlan Dark," he said, taking a half-step into the gesture and filling the space between them with his sun-warmed fragrance of bergamot, cedar wood and citrus. "What a wonderful costume".

***

Dark walked without hurry over to where Joshua was standing and leaned with his back against a large flat rock. He was completely relaxed and completely in control of his body at the same time and the form of display was different to the one he used with Jen.

"Joshua," Dark said and with a warm grin that caught the sunlight, just as he tipped his hat cowboy-style. He lowered his voice only slightly, to indicate a subtle confidence. "You know I've taught hundreds of brilliant students; hundreds. Kids from Lexington, Chippewa Falls, Fredericksburg, Kuala Lumpur, Bombay, Lyon, Volgograd - I'm making my point here, right? Gifted people. Kids who are a foot smarter than everyone else they've ever met in their whole life - right up until the moment they meet each other".

"And they all have that look you're wearing right now. That look of barely suppressed terror; that these luminous beings you've just discovered are going to discover that you're a fraud".

"I think that must be pretty close to what you're feeling now, right?" Dark asks, perhaps rhetorically, but with a sincere and fatherly concern. He leans in closer to Joshua and says, "I think that being able to hear thoughts is a power the world needs a lot more than being able to burst into flame, or hide in the shadows, or... glow".

"Do you think you can you show me what you can do?"

((By the way BA, I'm not about to spring an "ah ha - I knew it was you Raven!" moment on you. Dark genuinely has no idea or reason to suspect anything untoward is going on)).

[geez3r]

Smoke gives a slight nod as everyone else introduces themselves, nothing more. Inferno takes to muttering each of the names under his breath in an effort to commit them to memory, but he screws up several times and starts over again, and again. Jen apparently has much less trouble remebering the names and greets everyone in turn with a hearty smile.

Inferno responds to Pulse "Yeah the General gets like that. Seemed a little disappointed that me and Titan didn't stick around for today; he probablly could use the muscle.... and fire I guess, to help out. Just stick to your guns and you'll be fine. Pun totally intended."

Inferno puts his hand out for a moment, which makes it looks like a collection of gray and black sand and shakes Zeus' hand very briefly because his hand is still incredibly hot. His hand bursts into flames about a second after he lets go, seemingly of their own accord. "Thanks, but we did what anyone would do, show off on national TV." Jen shoots Inferno a disappoving glare, but her face softens into a chuckle almost immediately.

Inferno turns to Gust saying "I can only turn it off for just a second, and I don't think I have to worry about anyone putting me out anytime soon." To make his point, he grabs a glass of water and dunks his pointer and ring fingers under water, and they're still on fire. In fact, the water is brought to a boil almost instantly and evaporates just as quickly.

Then Inferno turns to Nos saying "What do you mean my flying hasn't improved!? Did you see how fast I was going? And you've got to admit, no one can pull off a landing quite like me."


Jen smiled as Dark approached her, and shook his hand with deceptive strength adding "Charmed." as he introduced himself. When he mentioned he costume she blushes a little and says "Yes, I figured it would get such a reaction. I wouldn't normally wear something as form-fitting as this, but it comes with the territory. I've already turned several nurse uniforms into tatters within the past few days, just attenting to the standard nursing duties, while checking my speed. To avoid tearing through my entire wardrobe by week's end, I had to invent this new polymer. Although it's light as cotton it's able to withstand the rigors of Mach 5 air resistance."

[evisiron]

Nosferatu

"Good point Inferno. Of course this is in part that no-one else could survive a landing like yours.
And with your landings I worry for the day you shout "The orphanage is in trouble! I must get there right away!""

Nosferatu cringes at the imagery, and continues standing with his back to the empty space so that he can spot anyone wishing to talk with him. A glance at his watch told him noon was not far away.

[ChronicLunacy]

Kid Zeus

"No kidding, man. Nos and I did the same, sort of. See us on the news with the giant spider last night?" Kid Zeus responded before laughing at Nosferatu's comment and the imagery it produced. "Yeah, you might want to work on the landing, bud. You know...in case you want to use that power within city limits. You'll be starting more fires than we can put out, especially if you whack a building and explode like that." he grinned. He liked Inferno. The guy was funny, easy-going, and didn't take himself as seriously as many of the new mutates did. It was a relieving change of pace. Their powers weren't that different either, you know...exchanging fire for electricity. The only leg-up Inferno had was that he could turn his whole body into the element. Maybe given some work, Zeus could eventually evolve to that level as well.

Of course, KZ's teenage mind immediately wandered to thoughts of Nurse Jen in tattered scrubs when he overheard her mention it to the Professor. It took a minute, but he managed shook his head free of it before too long. He coughed a bit to hide the blush it produced and went to get something to drink that Inferno hadn't evaporated.

[Wiz]

Pulse

At the mention of her new polymer, Pulse walks over to Jen as Dark walks away from her to schmooze with the teenager. "Jen, I heard what you were saying... it's fascinating when so many people are tackling the same problems from different angles. I was considering this idea for a magnetically stabilized molecular polymer. It should wear like iron, literally, be lusterous like metal, and should anything break the molecular chains, the magnetic field would pull it directly back into shape. As far as I can tell, though, the only problem is the magnetic field might interfere with electronics close in... and of course it would set off metal detectors and so forth... but it should make an Amazing costume."

[BloodyAngel]

"Joshua"

How did he know? CRAP! He must be able to read me. The thought raced through her mind. No! No no no! Admittance equals guilt. He can't prove a thing, and if I learned anything from court TV, it's that you're not proved guilty until you confess.

I don't know what you're talking about guy... Joshua scoffed, tensing up only slightly at the imposing man before him, What... is that what you do, or something? Read minds?

To the casual observer, the boy was a normal, disaffected, sarcastic youth. To the trained eye, he was clearly nervous. To the truly gifted, he was baiting the professor... and hoping to see if he would slip up. Of course... it was always better to make certain of that.

Let's see how good you really are, professor. She thought to herself. She'd planned to wait for this, but since he'd forced her hand... and already suspected... why not?

Tasha let her mind slip into his... reaching out for the familiar wave of thoughts and emotions that she felt when she slipped herself into someone's mind. She sought out his thoughts and feelings, at first... Then, it would just be a simple matter to find out what he knew, and how.

Oh the humanity! Trying to read Dark. This can end many, many ways. All of them bad. I don't have the power rules in front of me, but I'm guessing there is a save. And whatever the save is, she has power Focus, Improved Power Focus, and Greater Power Focus in it to boost the DC... so it might be hard for even a super genius like Dark to make.

Assuming she makes the probe, the way it plays out is, she gets a few questions of his mind.... the rest is a blur of thought and emotion that's almost impossible to distinguish. The questions, should it matter... will be asked if the power works.

[dfpiii]

Professor Dark

"An advanced polymer, how fascinating," he says with a twinkle of genuine interest in his eye. "May I?"

He turns Jen's hand over with his and runs the material over the back of his fingers in a long, slow caress that runs from her wrist to her elbow. He flicks his eyes back up from the material to her face.

"You have greater gifts than are reported on the news, Jen. But I mustn't monopolise you today; I'm sure we'll talk again soon". He gives her hand the lightest squeeze before releasing it and heading across the gathering.

***

As "Joshua" touched on the outer layers of Dark's conscious mind she could sense the immensity of it; like dipping your toe into an ocean that held all the wonders of creation. Then suddenly the sensation was gone, as if a curtain had been drawn between them.

"I think, perhaps it might be better," Dark said. "If you started with someone a little easier than me".

"Though that was certainly an excellent first attempt," Dark said, in a tone that meant - there's no way this was your first attempt and we both know it, so let's have some respect for that.

Despite this there was not a trace of anger in the Professor's voice, but rather he appeared to be amused, pleased by the audacity of the young man before him and perhaps even, though only slightly, reassured that his own mental fortress was unassailable. As you share that intimate moment of understanding which has nothing to do with psychic contact, but which seems to radiate from Dark's physical form, the professor smiles with the bewitching confidence of someone playing a game a dozen steps ahead and with better dice than everyone else.

"When you're ready to be honest with me about your abilities, I'm sure we can help one another," he said. "And as a general rule - which may make things easier - by the time you decide to tell me something, I will already know".

[BloodyAngel]

"Joshua"

You JUST made that save! It gives me some glee that it took a nat 16 from the great and mighty Professor Dark to figure out I was trying. A lesser mortal wouldn't have a chance.

It is kinda annoying though, that there is no more I can do to raise that DC. It seems so much easier to make high saves in this than high DC's. I guess I could raise my Charisma into the stratosphere... but then I stand out. That bites. :smalltongue:

Ahhh well! Let's run with it!

Arrogant SOB. No wonder he's so cocky. If he can read me like I can read... Well... Like I COULD read him if he wasn't so good.... Then he could know EVERYTHING! Tasha thought to herself, Ok, ok, ok... I just have to keep him out. Throw him off balance... something... anything!

You don't know half the things I know. Josh said in a low tone, But I don't know where they come from... I just... hear things. I didn't think I could read minds... but that... kinda makes sense.

The kid leaned back and looked up at Dark in realization.

Holy @#$%. Is that what I've been doing? Dude... that's crazy! Josh said in shock, Wait... how did you know? Can you do it too?

All fear the powers of my (hopefully) superior social skills. Primarily, a bluff that I did not, in fact, know what my powers where... and that I've been reading people subconsciously this entire time.

Bluff: [roll0] *Crosses Fingers*

[dfpiii]

Professor Dark

Professor Dark makes an uncharacteristic shrugging gesture and adjusts his shirt, looking momentarily uncomfortable and distracted.

"You'll find that, like anything, your skills will increase with time," Dark replies. "You can make direct mind-to-mind contact; something I cannot do. Though I've learned some substitutions".

"People leak information all the time. Your handwriting, your body language, your idioms are all revealing of your personality. Your clothing, your hair are visual clues that you deliberately give to others. Super hero names can be a mine of information - they tell you much more about a person than their real name does because they select it because of it's significance. Some are better than others, of course".

"Everyone is processing hundreds of pieces of information all the time. The difference is that I process that information better; I'm better able to sort the erroneous from the relevant".

"So I can probably tell you a little bit about who you are, where you come from, what your emotional state is and from that I might be able to say what you want out of life. But I couldn't, using that information, tell you what you had for breakfast, what your social security number or bank account pin number are, or where you buried Jimmy Hoffa. It is, however, enough to give the best TV psychic the screaming willies".

"By the way, you had some sort of breakfast bap this morning," Dark informs, with the slightest upturn of the corners of his mouth. "But you are still wearing some of it - normally that's quite beyond - and beneath - my ability".

"Also, of course, my absolute favourite way people give information is through distraction; when they want you to talk about something else".

He clapped a hand on Joshua's shoulder in a friendly gesture - the arm felt like it was skin wrapped around solid oak.

"It was nice to meet you; doubtless we'll see each other around. Joshua? Or do your prefer Josh?"

Dark headed off towards another of the mutates here for the gathering.

[Thrall_Of_Ao]

Oblivion
Day 3-Morning(?)
Part 1:Awakening

It was all too familiar.

The sudden darkness slowly taking shape, the sound of boots on concrete and creaking leather.

The certainty that these were evil men.

The stabbing pain of the hand-held arc light burning his retinas.

It was just like before, but this time, they would pay

Their groans and shouts of cries of surprise, followed by the dull thumping sound of gunfire muted by silencers.

Searing points of pain blooming at random, flesh torn but somehow not destroyed, the pain an endless symphony of agony.

An alien aroma cloying, the certainty of death gripping tightly.

Then rage swelling within, ebon as the deepest ocean depths, flooding senses.

Lashing out at with all emptiness and sorrow, a weapon forged and honed in the fires of her memory.

Reviling their weak, fear tainted resistance, hating their clumsy retreat from the inevitable, their shrinking from reaping the fullness of the harvest their ambitions had sown.

Sensing their shallow emotions, even as their cries transformed into screams of agony and pure, unadulterated, horror.

The light spinning away, lost in the room, the shadows enfolding.

Blind eyes rolling in senseless fear, bodies flying, crushed, broken.

The acrid stench of blood.

His face before him, spattered, twisted in fear, tear streaked, begging, they always begged.

The finality of the simultaneous sound and sensation as his neck snapped like a dry branch in his hands.

Realization hitting, as the body went limp and slides lifelessly to the floor.

A new emotion swelling within.

Darkness…

*Click*

Dim lamplight illuminated the room. Someone was shouting something. Draven sat up in a flash, his sheets and body drenched in a cold sweat.

He realized that it was he who had been shouting, even as the words died in his throat.

What had it been?…

“I’m not a monster”, he whispered, even as the words emerged from the shadowed recesses of his memory.

Preparation for Departure

Getting up quickly, gliding nude from beneath his sheets straight to the shower, he mused as he stood, letting the hot water wash away the last vestiges of tension built up by the vivid dream…nightmare…from his body.

He noticed as he relaxed that he felt remarkably refreshed, despite less than six hours of sleep and a night full of intense...recollection.

Filing the observation away for later analysis, he completed the remainder of his morning routine, still feeling a bit odd when it occured to him that it had been more than twenty-four hours since he had consumed or drank anything.

But you had plenty yesterday didn’t you?

Dressing in a black silk button up and a pair of intricately tooled matte-black leather pants, he sat down at his computer.

Keeping in mind that all communication was likely being monitored, he shot off a discreet message to his Aunt, a fairly successful costume designer in California and one of the few members of his family who he still remained on good terms with.

Hey M.,
Remember that costume you sent me for this Halloween? It’s great, perfect even, but if it ends up taking a beating (you know how rough I can play) or needing any modifications (you know how particular I can be), could do me square and send me over some referrals in my local area?
You know how much I hate complicating your life anymore than absolutely necessary.
Of course, I’ll send you the usual and don’t you dare refuse it.

You’re the best.
Sincerely,
-D.

PS I’m doing fine, do don’t you dare worry about me. Things have undoubtedly been different, but I’m sure that everything will work itself out soon.

Satisfied that his message had been too vague for even the most suspicious FBI agent to suspect, he proceeded to pack his notes and his costume into a black duffel bag, along with two-g’s worth of the money gained the night before and the two cards acquired from the same individual.

Running a quick search on Mapquest.com as he did so and committing to memory the location revealed, he reemerged into the sunlit world from the shadowy recess of his apartment.

It was time to find out if fools still took good advice.

Driving over to the unnamed “Gamblers” address, as recorded on his license. So, I’m open to random encounters, particularly if it would work out so as to get me an invitation to the meeting. This might be an excellent opportunity for you to introduce your character MK, and/or for KP to make his first post for the day.

Geez3r, feel free to integrate this guy (gambler) as much or as little as you’d like into the back plot.

If nothing else, I will be heading to the Hospital (again) next.

[BloodyAngel]

"Joshua"

Uh... yeah, sure. Josh said in feigned awkward confusion... and looked down to the mentioned stain on his shirt. Oh. Heh. Mayo.

Licking his finger, he began to rub the spot clean... in the loosest sense of the word, leaving the professor to wander off, probably thinking him a bit too dim to be worth speaking to. More or less exactly what she'd hoped for.

Oh thank god. The only thing left would have been to belch and scratch my crotch... and that might have been a bit too obvious. She thought to herself, glad to be out of Dark's piercing stare. That man really is a bit too smart for his own good. And a bit too tall, and pretty... and buff.

She chuckled to herself inside her own head to imagine that he might have been some skinny nerd before the accident, and got the largest dose of wish-fulfillment ever!

Ok... seriously. Focus. She thought, As hilarious as imagining Dark sitting in a basement with taped glasses and a face-full of acne playing Dungeons and Dragons is... I'm not here to poke fun.

Josh got up from his chair and wandered about... getting a good look at the other mutants in attendance... trying to choose from the lot of them, whom would be "his" new mark. Someone dumber than Dark, preferably.

Well... that hardly narrowed it down. So she instead chose based on fashion sense.

Yo. Josh said to the masked creature of the night, Your outfit is pretty sweet. Do you actually have, like... vampire powers?

[evisiron]

OOC: I knew she was going to speak to Nos at the mention of 'dumber than Dark'... Good save on the fashion sense :smallwink:

Remember if you want to use any telepathy to roll against Power Resistance.

Nosferatu

Nosferatu looked around as Josh came up and started talking and responded.


"Heh. Thanks. And yeah, I have some of the more traditional vampire powers. I can fly, and resilient to damage and much stronger than before. I can also perceive things that I could not before and heal much faster. Thankfully though I don't need to drink blood and the sun does not make me turn to dust. The sun still does some ...odd... stuff to me though, so I try to stay covered up as much as I can. I have not dared try crosses and garlic yet.

I saw you talking around. Get any better perspective on what your powers are all about?"

Nosferatu's voice was calm and honest. He did not see any reason to be all dark and mysterious at this point if trust was going to be needed in forming a group alliance. Then again, some minor misdirection on the weaknesses was always a plus if this Josh ran to the nearest aspiring villain.

[BloodyAngel]

"Joshua

I don't know. I thought it was, like... voices in my head.... But that guy... um... Professor Dan from TV? He said he thinks I might be reading people's minds or something without realizing it. Isn't that messed up?

Josh grabbed a handful of chips and chowed down... spilling more than a few and brushing them off his his shirt.

Wait... too dumb maybe? I want him to seem unthreatening, not a complete dunce. Tasha scolded herself in the back of her head, Oh well... too late to go back now... I guess he's going to be a dunce.

I can't really control it though... It sucks. I could have got fire breath or something cool... and I got voices in my head.

[evisiron]

Nosferatu

Nosferatu switched to a defensive mindset at the mention of mind reading. He had seen way too many shows and read far to many comic books where the psychics had far too much power to read. A giant spider he could fight, but the idea of mind control had always chilled him to the bone.

And Josh was acting strange. It is not as if he was watching Josh's behaviour or anything, but the boy had met Dark. No-one who met Dark could get his name wrong. Perhaps his mind was messed up? And he kept mentioning the lack of control over and over... of course faking lack of control would be the best way to avoid blame.

GAH!

"So you are a psychic? And you have no control over it...either way, please try your hardest to keep out of my head, okay? I am a little twitchy about that stuff after some of the things I have seen in fiction.

Heh. Sorry for the reaction. You could have the strength to rip my arms from my sockets and I wouldn't think twice, but something about mental stuff is just errie."

[Tar Palantir]

The Reaper

The Reaper perks up at the mention of mind reading by the less-than-subtle voice of Nosferatu. If this Josh could read his mind, then perhaps he could discern his true identity. He moves swiftly over to the pair, his umbrella carefully positioned to offer him total protection.

He says, "Hello, Josh, is it? As you no doubt know if you've been watching the news, I am the Reaper, and I have a small favor to ask. I heard Nosferatu mention that you were a psychic, and I was wondering if you could try to read my mind for me. Over the past few days I have lost most of my memories, and, if it is within your capabilities, I would be grateful if you could just delve deep enough to discover my true name. I understand if you can't or don't wish to try, but I have to ask nonetheless." He seems eager and excited, but at the same time reluctant to get his hopes up.

"Please."

[harmonictempest]

Gust

Finding himself less talkative than some of the other characters who'd shown up, Gust gave a little more of his attention to the bag of sour cream 'n onion chips - an old-fashioned taste, but still a classic. He watched the various interactions carefully, wondering if his earlier predictions would hold, and someone would to lie, manipulate others and try to form their own power base. After a little while, he walked over toward Nos. So, did you have any plans for how this is going to run - will we all stand up and state our powers and intentions, or do you mean to leave it more free-form?

Has everyone arrived?

Okay, so he's essentially watching the conversations around him, wondering if anyone is lying or misrepresenting themselves. Just to speed things up, I'll only roll 3 Sense Motives for now - Dark and "Josh" I think the only PCs who have lied, and the third one is for Jen, in case she didn't actually make up that polymer stuff for the suit on her own like she said.
What he's actually doing, technically is rolling a Sense Motive against everyone here, just in case, but to keep things from being tedious I made an assumption based on what OOC knowledge I have to speed it up.

SM 1 vs. Dark: [roll0]
SM 2 vs. "Josh": [roll1]
SM 3 vs. Jen: [roll2]

Not using action points for any of these, since really they're only three out of a long series of SM checks Gust is casually making.

[BloodyAngel]

"Joshua"

Woah... Relax man! Josh said to Nos with raised hands, I swear... I'm not in your head. I just came out here to be around people who wouldn't think I was a freak... you know?

This whole thing was spiraling out of control fairly quickly, thanks to the professor and his insight. Maybe it was time to come clean? At least... partially?

Look... He said to Nos, his voice a low, worried whisper, He's right. I can read people. I don't know how he knew, but yeah... I can control it. I just don't really want people to freak out about it. I was hoping that here was the one place that no one would. I promise you, I haven't read anyone here. I'd rather not, really... you don't want to know the messed up stuff in the back of people's heads.

Well... not successfully, at any rate. Still, the plea was sincere enough... even if the one who really wanted to make it was actually a nineteen year old girl, buried under a bunch of blankets in the back of a car a quarter mile away. She wasn't ready for that yet. She wasn't ready for the time when she couldn't just cut and run and disappear when everyone became afraid of her.

And then Reaper came rushing over... and even with the umbrella over him like a kid out for a walk in the rain, the sight of him was frightening. She'd seen him attack a man in front of thousands of people, on national television. And now... he wanted "Josh" to go into his head.

Josh stepped back a little, noticeably wary of the man of darkness.

I... Y-you want me to what? He stammered, as even she was clearly thrown off by his sudden question, You... WANT me to look? Why?

[Tar Palantir]

The Reaper

The Reaper sighed. So much for not making a scene. "First of all," he said, in a soothing manner, "calm down. I know what I look like, but I'm not going to hurt you. Secondly, I want you to read me because my own memories are locked away from me in my own mind. I need to know who I was in the past before I can truly leave it behind. And so I ask you to please help me. If you can help, I will be forever in your debt. I just want to know." By this point his voice is almost a whisper, and the aura of fear that surrounds him has ebbed to barely a memory of a dream of a whisper of a thought. Despite his fiercesome form, it is clear how weak and fragile he truly is. It would almost be enough to soften even Kid Zeus's heart, if he weren't pointedly ignoring the shadowy ex-murderer.

[evisiron]

Nosferatu

Nosferatu was about to answer when Reaper came rushing over. During the pause Nosferatu spoke with a quiet tone.

"First off, Josh, I am glad you told me this. If I were you I would not try to lie here. I can see why you would say it was out of your control, but I think people would be easier around you if they knew you could keep it in check. And no-one here will think you are a freak (any more than they are of course) but it seems like a really bad idea to start off with a lie if you want people to trust you in the future.
I don't expect you to trust everyone here right away, but if there are any secrets that could mess you up in the future, it may be better to mention them now.

Now about Reapers memories... Reaper, I have to ask. Do you really want those memories unlocked? Without going into to much detail, from what you have mentioned it did not seem like you were a 'good person'. Is it worth risking the new you just to find some now redundant info?
And from a purely logistical view, Josh has not tried his powers in the field. There is no telling what could happen (no offense intended Josh)."


--------------

To Gust:

"Hey. To be honest, I am not entirely sure. I did not want to set a schedule or anything since people have different reasons for being here. But yeah, at some point after we start I will propose the 'Justice League' idea and get everyone to state their opinions (and powers if they want to)."

[Tar Palantir]

The Reaper

The Reaper considered Nosferatu's words, then nodded. "Yes," he said. "I have to know. The faces of the dead dance before my waking eyes. I cannot rest before I know why I killed them, and unless I recover my memories, the ghost of their absence will haunt me forever. And the truth can be no worse than what I imagine it to be." He paused, then whispered, "If I recover my memories, and I do become what I once was, you must kill me. You cannot capture me, you cannot subdue me. You must kill me. The possibility is slim, but it is still there. I trust you to do this for me."

[Thrall_Of_Ao]

Oblivion
Day 3-Transite
Part 2: Musing

Tolerating the annoyingly bright daylight long enough to get to his car and behind the comfortingly dark tinting of his cars windows, he sped off towards his destination, taking only a moment to put the envelope of money into his glovebox and lock it securely.

He noticed with almost off-hand detatchment, that his driving had become more daring since the day he discovered he had changed. Not exactly erratic, he just was taking more calculated risks that before he might have declined to take.

Of course, I wasn't all but accident proof before. I guess that might have a lot to do with it.

Looking at the other drivers, each wearing a different expression, some of concentration and barely restrained stress, others relaxed and still others with a distant look, obviously driving on auto-pilot while their minds were a million miles away.

Of course, I'll probably never think of that particular figure of speech the same way ever again. Or, for that matter and more specifically, ever let myself submit to such a state.

Of course, it wasn't that he didn't trust her, his uncaged raven-haired beauty. It's just that fact of her abilities brought about the awareness that others, much less scrupulous that she, may well wield similar power.
Strangely though, he was not particularly concerned. He was certain his mind had become much stronger...and somehow, different...

Watching the city move about it's business, the people that were the lifeblood of Rainport, observing the subtle shift that had occured, the way they were that much more wary in the way they moved, like herds of elk, sure that some large predator was, at that very moment watching them and waiting to pick one of them off to drag off into the darkness of it's lair.

But, isn't that what you are?

No...not quite like that. But but he'd seen the way they had reacted to him. No doubt they might easily assume such things, which was why he needed to be careful

Redirecting his thoughts to the night before, one thing was for certain, the events had certainly caused Rainports citisens to do act unusually.

Flipping on the radio as he drove he picked-up the tail end of a message regarding cleanup of some kind and the mention of two NSes that he had not hear of before.

Changing lanes and sliding between a bright red pick-up and a dull white hatchback with barely a foot to spare on each side, he could certainly recall the way she had acted. The way she had touched him, physically and mentally, simultaneously no less. The burning desire, intermingled with the subtle undercurrent of desperation that he was certain she would have kept hidden from him if not for the mental connection coupled with the vulnerablility she offered him. The way he had responded, the way she had suprised him by bringing him to such openess with amazing ease.

After all those years of self-imposed isolation, to come about so quickly...it's hard to believe it all wasn't just a dream.

It was doubtless that such nearly unthinkable world altering situations as the one in which they found themselves had a hand in such behavior, but he believed and deeply wanted to keep believing, that there was more to it than that and animal lust.

Finally caught by a light he didn't dare attempt to get through with the patrol car he noticed across the intersection, he pulled out his cell and hooked it to his ear, set it to dictation, and began speaking his message.

Hey Natasha, hope you slept well. ;)

Try and keep out of trouble today ok? I know, big request, but do your best.

If you're free later, let me know, I have something for you.

Remember, please don't hesitate to let me know if anything comes up, particularly if that first request of mine ends up being unfulfillable.

-Draven

Nearly to his destination, he made a quick stop at a small store he had seen several times, but never had need or desire to enter before.

One quick stop, and then we get to see who's the lucky one today, and for his sake, he had better hope that would equate in his mind, to never seeing me again in this lifetime.

[geez3r]

(I don't have much time, one of my nephews (sp?) is graduating tomorrow and everyone's getting together meaning I got a long drive ahead of me, so I'm getting some introductions out of the way.)

Up in the sky, there are 3 figures approaching; two from the east, and one from the south. The two from the east look like they're racing. One of figures has wings and the other doesn't. The two keep jockeying for position and as they near, an odd sound reaches your ears; the sound of a guitar. When they begin their descent, they become recognizable (to some at least). One is the sound powered rocker known as Riff and the other is a vivid purple winged sphinx. The sphinx tucks it's wings against its body and plummets towards the ground; Riff counters with a massive chord that sends him plummeting and the two are neck and neck. The two touchdown at the exact same time, Riff doing immediately into a kneeling slide like many guitarists would do on stage, and the sphinx is keeping pace with a canter, it's powerful limbs absorbing the impact. The sphinx changes form into the dryad-esque Erica and the pair begin walking towards the assembly laughing and waving.

The one flying from the south has wings, but his are immobile. The figure goes into a sharp descent with a few loops and corkscrews to show off. When the man lands and everyone is able to get a good look at him, looks much like a business man on his lunch break. He's wearing a tan business suit with a light blue shirt and red tie. He's got short and sleek black hair with some gray on the sides. He has blue eyes that betray a bit of world weariness. Even though he wears no mask, no one can place the face. His body is surrounded by what appears to be semi-solid golden light in the form of an Egyption inspired armor, complete with wings and an eagle motif on his head. He looks at those gathered and cracks a smile and says light heartedly "Bah. Bunch a little snots. Guess I'll have to stick around, somebody'll have to stick up for the old folks."

The next entrance is quite possibly the most curious by far. A very slow and prolonged scrapping sound is heard, like chalk on a chalk board. After a bit of looking, the source is discovered. On the ground near the table, a straight white line is being drawn on the ground with no obvious origin. As you watch it, it suddenly makes a left turn, forming a right angle before continuing on quite a bit more before making another left turn. When that line is complete, everything is still for a moment, before a small circle is drawn near one of the lines. It's with a start that you realize what this is, a door. The small circle starts turning, and then the whole thing, ground included swings outward. Out of it rises a young girl, most likely in her early teens dressed in what can only be described as a halloween witch's costume, sitting on, of all things, a broom. Those that sneak a peak into the doorway, see many very confused people on the street corner of 11th and 32nd peering into the doorway, which is made of the side of a building on the other side, before the girl closes the door with one of her feet and the chalk lines disappear. To this wide eyed crowd, she gives a very small wave with one of her hands and says "Call me Hex, hope I'm not too late."

[Wiz]

Pulse

Standing next to Jen, the man in the fedora nods to all the newcomers. "Welcome. I'm Pulse, you probably know Jen." He looks at Jen, "You should consider a superhero handle, perhaps. I know your identity is public, but maybe something like Mach 5 or Supersonic, or you could even go something that works in with your medical background, like Adrenaline."

[evisiron]

Nosferatu

Nosferatu watched with an impressed smile as more mutates arrived. His gaze lingered as the mythical creature transformed into the form of a dryad.

Heh, cool. It seems I am not the only one who got plant powers...

..he thought to himself as his gaze lingered into a stare.
He shook out of it by scratching his head and noted that dandruff had fallen onto his shoulder. Wait...not dandruff, it was clumpy and lighter and not flaky at all...

Uuuugh. You have to be kidding me. POLLEN?!

[ChronicLunacy]

Kid Zeus

At the sound of the guitar, Kid Zeus turned his eyes to the sky with a grin. "HEY, RIFF!" he waved, walking up to meet the rocker and Dryad as they approached the umbrella setup. "You made it!" he stated the obvious, but in a pleased way. He thought the guy had been pretty cool and Riff was also one of the only other supers (besides Nos) he'd met that was close to his own age. As much fun as he was having being looked down upon by "Professor Lachlan Dark" and creeped out by The Reaper, he was glad to have some more people he could relate to show up.

Charging his hand with a bit of static electricity for a little prank, Kid Zeus extended it for a shake when Riff was close enough. Unless Riff decided to blow him off completely, he'd get a tiny shock and his hair would stand on end for as long as he held the teenage dynamo's hand.

[evisiron]

Nosferatu

Getting a hold of himself again,he brushed the rest of the unwanted pollen from his shoulder and walked over beside Kid Zeus to greet the new arrivals.

"Ah, so you are the Guitar Hero Kid Zeus had mentioned. Its cool to meet you at last."

Shifting view from the rocker to the Dryad he continues.

"I'm called Nosferatu. What are your names?"

Out of the corner of his eye he spotted Zeus sparking up his hand, but remained silent. Shaking the Kid's hand had a certain risk attached to it...

[BloodyAngel]

"Johsua"

The conversation was briefly interrupted with the arrival of new mutants... and not a single one of them anything less than bizarre.

I'm really starting to think that I'm just in a hospital room somewhere hallucinating all this from the morphine they're giving me... Tasha thought to herself, looking over the odd new-comers, Drugs would have to be involved to come up with some of these people...

She hoped she could slip away from Reaper with the distraction, but he seemed focused. Intent and remarkably... scared? That was certainly odd. He didn't seem quite like the person she had seen try to flay a man in front of millions.

Oh, why not? I can always bail if he gets crazy. She assured herself, And there must be at least 6 people here who would leap at the chance to defend somebody.

Ok... I'll do it, but you might not like it. Josh admitted to the shadow-swathed man, Normal people have creepy enough stuff in the back of their heads... I can't even imagine yours.

Joshua put his hands together for a moment, taking a deep breath. He looked for a moment as if he were trying to shake off some kind of initial hesitance to do what he was about to. He reached out and put one hand onto Reaper's forehead, finding it oddly solid, despite it's shadowy appearance, and closed his eyes.

Ok. Just don't... move.

[Tar Palantir]

The Reaper

"Easy," he said, as much to himself as Josh. "Brace yourself for some panic, I can't suppress that power when touching someone else. Good luck," he added, almost as an afterthought. He then tried to blank his surface thoughts as much as possible, to avoid distracting the mind-reading teenager.

[evisiron]

Nosferatu

Looking around briefly again, he saw the conversation between Reaper and Josh had continued. And Josh was reached out his hand. He was actually going to try it!

"Excuse me a moment. I should be be paying attention to this in case in goes horribly wrong..."

Nosferatu stepped slightly towards Reaper with his hand on the sword hilt, ready to act if the worst should happen.

[BloodyAngel]

"Joshua"

The killer's thoughts were muddled and dark... half remembered. No... not even half. It was a vast tide of nothing. While most people were full of thougts, memories, feelings and the like... Reaper seemed dark... empty... blank. The few thoughts and feelings he did have seemed magnified. Anguish... fear... loathing for what he believes he once was. A faint belief that he was once a horrible, horrible person that tore at him. It seemed all he could think about. What little he DID remember, was faces... Of the dead, and the dying... screaming and scared. And each seemed to accuse him of causing their suffering with each silent wail.

Josh slumped back slightly, but remained on his feet... his eyes clenched tightly. Still, he kept a hold of the shadowy man and pressed on.

The blankness told her nothing... so Tasha decided to see how much farther she could go. Pressing her mind into his, she found something impeding her. A block, of sorts... keeping what lie deeper hidden. What was more disturbing... it seemed self-made. Steeling herself against what she'd see... she moved through it... floating through it like a ghost.

It was a dark, seething place, but of hate, rage, and lust for blood. She saw visions of things past that horrified her. Madness and death... murder for nothing more than sheer love of killing. Torture... Sadism. The rush it gave him was the most disturbing part. The person he had once been relished in it... he enjoyed thinking of himself as a monster.

The memories were everywhere... she had trouble focusing on one long enough to truly see it. No, that wasn't true... She did not WANT to focus on one long enough to see it. A hundred brutal acts, each more horrifying than the last flitted around her as cherished moments of a madman's life... and then... the accident...

And it all made sense. One fleeting thing occured to her. The accident had not changed him... it had awakened a part of him that was as disgusted as she was at the beast he was. And it had sealed the beast away. The block was of his own make. Deep down, he did not WANT to remember. Deep down... he feared that he would again become that thing... that he once was. But he also could not escape the guilt and anguish over the things he had done... and the two tore at him even now. The realization of it tore through her and she fled... able to bear the horror of it no longer.

Josh's face twisted and scrunched... as he flinched from things that no one could see. The look not unlike someone having a nightmare... save that he was fully awake the entire time. His grip on Reaper's head grew tighter and his body shook slightly... until finally he spoke but two words.

Oh god...

It was a soft cry of horror before he fell... literally fell... backwards. Away from Reaper, completely unaware of his sorroundings. Landing hard on the ground with a thud jarred him from his state, and he took a moment to recover himself... breathing hard and shaking slightly.

Graves.... Y-your name... was Simon Graves.

Hopefully the scene was as messed up as a trip into Reaper's psyche should be. If you want me to change anything Tar, let me know... but it sure felt right to me!

[Thrall_Of_Ao]

Oblivion
Day 3-Morning
Part 3- Caution is a virtue

Deciding to park about a block from the guy's apartment, "Anthony" was the name on the license, he pulling decisively into a parallel parking space with a brief squeal of rubber and considered his approach.

Although he had planned on simply going straight up to the room, dressed in his street clothes, he suddenly found himself thinking better of that.

The level of stupidity required to not only ignore my warning, but also not notice that the only thing missing from your wallet is your ID would almost have to, by default, qualify him as seriously mentally handicaped.
Or, maybe, just maybe, justifiably overconfident.

Deciding to err on the side of caution, he set his phone to call, and spoke the name "CJ", speed dialing the number.

I hope he's not sleeping in after last night.

After four rings, the phone was answered by a only slightly tired sounding CJ.
"Hey, D., wass hapenen? Yo man, this has got the be thu earlies yoh ever call ma ass. Watevas goin down has gotta be real impotant. So what's the word brotha?"

Speaking in a calm but clipped pace Draven spoke into the hand held reciever, all the while casually eyeing the streets around him for potential trouble,"Yea, you can say that again man. Look, I know your probably gonna be pissed when you hear this, but try and hear me out ok?
Remember that guy that supposedly "won" the game last night? Well, he didn't. He cheated.
Don't ask me how I know, and don't ask me what happened afterward, but let's just say, I managed to get the money back.

I'll stop by later with proof and even your original share of the pot, but right now I need to know everything you know about that guy, up to the moment I called you.
I hate to do this to you man, but I'm just playing the hand as is, and hoping that that cheating bastard doesn't have any real Aces up his sleeve, you know?"

Please note: He does have his windows up, his doors locked, and his gloves and glasses on. He'll still have the engine running and the air on (silk and leather can get hot inside a sealed car, even on a Fall morning).

Speaking to CJ, choose the most appropriate roll, Gather Information-[roll0] or Diplomacy-[roll1]

Along with a follow up Sense Motive-[roll2], mostly to determine if, on some extremely off chance, CJ might not be telling me the whole truth, and if so, why.

Also passive- Spot-[roll3] Listen-[roll4] (although I'm guessing the car makes that last roll somewhat more difficult)

Geez3r, if this is more than you bargained for, just PM me so we can work something out. Thanks!

[geez3r]

The Meeting

Inferno tilts back his head and lets out a bark of a laugh as Nos' orphanage comment. "Okay, I'll put landings on the to-do list then, just for you. Bad luck about the spider though, if we had this meeting sooner you would have met Orkin-Man and Raid Boy and could've called them for backup." Then as Nos and Zeus walk away to greet the newcomers, Inferno says to himself "Why do people always do that to me?"


Jen responds to Pulse saying "Now that is an interesting idea. I had considered something along those lines myself but I hit the same stumbling block that you did. The chance of messing with electronic equipment, no matter how small is a rather unacceptable risk in my line of work. Whoops doesn't exactly cut it when I short out a heart monitor or a respirator. It wasn't until my 8th failed polymer that I had an epiphany. I was trying to do too much; all I wanted was a fabric that could retain its integrity at my maximum velocity. My skin could already do that, so I just imprinted my genetic code onto a semi-organic metal I had created in my earlier trials. It took about 4 trials to get it to imprint correctly, and this is the end result, still a work in progress though, I can only dye it blue and white.

I’m not quite sure I could do a super hero name really. I mean all my friends know me as Jen, if I tried to give myself a name like that, they would never let me live it down. How would all your friends react if you suddenly asked to be called, I don’t know, Lord Kelvin or something? Nah, Jen works."


It seemed Riff was more like Zeus than he reckoned because as Zeus shocked him with the hand shake, Zeus felt like he had been kicked in the chest, but in the good way. Anyone who's been to a concert and stood a little too close to the amps knows that feeling where the bass kicks in and a deep thrumm crashes through the crowd shaking them to their core. Chuckling Riff says “Niiiiice.” As the electricity makes his hair stand on end. The dryad (who has finally traded out her hospital gown for a long pair of tan kakhis and a plain black T-shirt tucked in, though she wears no shoes) says “The name’s Erica.” Her eyes go wide at Zeus’ little trick “Dude, you’ve so totally got to do that to me next. Look at all this hair! You’ve just got to do it.”


Oblivion

As you sit in your car, quite a few people look at you, but the street is rather busy and no one’s paying you any undue attention. CJ sounds a little hesitant before talking to you, like he wants to ask a lot of questions of his own, but he gets over it and responds “**** man. Wait till later to lay all dat on me man. Believe it or not that damn weasel knoes a few guys you don wanna mess wiff. He aint all chummy wif em, but if he goes missin some people are gunna go lookin, ya hear?. He’s a dealer round here, never the same thing neither. Guns, dope, crack, whatever he can get his mits on to sell. Rumor has it that he owes a whole lot a people a whole lot a money.”

[ChronicLunacy]

Kid Zeus

"Whoa!" Hadyn shook his head as the sound waves buffeted him hard enough to have Metallica concert flashbacks. "Niiice!" he echoed, letting the vibrations put a reverb into his voice before he let go of Riff's hand, grinning. Despite wrecking a cop car and picking a fight with his dad the first time they met, Riff was turning out to be an alright guy. And...phew...did he bring an attractive friend.

It was probably the raging eighteen-year-old hormones again, but Hadyn couldn't stop himself from checking out Dryad. "Sure thing. My name's H...ah, Kid Zeus." he replied, reaching out to offer his hand to her while letting a bit of harmless light play over the surface like one of those plastic globes you got from Spencer's Gifts that responded to touch. "Please, tell me you're single." he smiled again while silently praying that Riff hadn't already conquered that territory.

[Wiz]

Pulse

Pulse chuckles, "Very true, Jen... I can see how in your line of work carrying a severe magnetic signature could be a problem. I think you've come up with a simple, elegant, and highly stimulating solution. Just be careful, because I can see that suit might still be dangerous to male heart patients." He looks her up and down, "I don't know if your change enhanced your mental abilities, as it did mine; but if not I think you'd pack a formidible arsenal of brains and beauty even without your super speed."

[Tar Palantir]

The Reaper

Simon Graves.

Something so simple, three short syllables, yet within them they carried the weight of four hundred and seventy two innocent lives.

Simon Graves.

As he whispered the syllables in his mind, they unlocked fragments of his memories. They were broken, incomplete, but enough that the broader picture could be seen. He was an assassin, a dealer in death. He was a modern Faust, who sold his soul to escape from death. He was a scared child who strangled his parents in the night as payment to the dark gods that ruled his soul. He was Simon Graves.

And as he thought this, he could feel the bubblings of his subconscious mind, his old self, attempting to reassert its dominance. As he stood in the quarry his vision faded, and he slumped to the ground, his umbrella lying atop him. He found himself in a dark and shadowy place, and before him stood...him. The old him. The human him. Simon.

The young man before him strolled easily, appraising him like a better looking over a prize fighter. He said, "The prodigal son returns home. I've been expecting you."

The Reaper snarled and lashed out with his wicked claws, but his target vanished, reappearing behind him. He hissed, "And I've been hunting you. Perhaps you should not be so happy of my return."

He attacked once more, but again his former self evaded him. He chuckled and smirked. "You can flee from death but you cannot escape me. I am the truth you would deny." He dodges the Reaper's next attack and launches one of his own, lifting the Reaper up by the throat.

The Reaper began to laugh as he felt his powers swell from the touch of Simon Graves. "But I do not flee from death. I seek it. Do you dare to follow me? Or are you still afraid?" He watches as Simon releases him and recoils, hunted by an invisible terror. The Reaper follows him and lashes out, his razor claws ripping across his enemy's face. The Reaper screams in exultant rage, "I do not fear death, and I do not fear you!"

With those words, the darkness lifts, and his former self vanishes. Both are replaced by a shining light, bright and pure, but free of the searing pain and blinding agony of the sun. He tries to speak, but his words become thoughts, as he awakens from the nightmare of his past into a new day. I am Simon Graves no longer.

I am the Reaper.

[harmonictempest]

Gust

Damn. Why couldn't I have gotten some superpowers to make me better with people? Gust mutters to himself after a few minutes on the fringe of the conversation, having found little in the way of interesting repartee to add to the conversation. Drifting closer to Smoke, a fellow who at least appears to share his lack of talkativeness, Gust offers laconically So, how'd you find out about the meeting? And uh, what else can you do, aside from dramatic entrances?

Hurrah for using socially challenged characters to cover my odd inability to RP convincing conversation. :-/

[kpenguin]

OOC: Sorry about the delay! I've been meaning to post here... but somehow everytime I get on, I lose my inspiration and have no idea what to post. No more!

Ryan Tran/Ace

"Hello brother."

"Eric?"

"Yes... and no. This is a dream. I'm not really here, I'm still in the hospital, remember?"

"But.. if this is a dream, then... wouldn't I not know it was a dream. I mean, dreaming something and being concious about is pretty-"

"Improbable? You do have a way of making the improbable happen of late, Ryan."

"I was going to say 'weird', but improbable works too.

Um... so do I wake up now or are you going to impart some cheesy. cliche lesson to me from my subconscious? That's what usually happens at these things, right?"

"You should know, I'm you."

"I thought you were Eric."

"Look, do you want the message or not?"

"I guess so."

"Ryan, you need to know that-"

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

Ryan Tran slams his alarm clock and rises up from his bed. Yawning, Ryan strips his bed clothes and heads to the showers. As the warm water rained down on the would-be superhero, he begins to reflect on his dream.

That was weird. What did Eric want to tell me? What did I want to tell myself?

Wrapping a towel around his waist, Ryan struts to the mirror. He spends a short time looking at his reflection before getting out a razor. It was good luck that he didn't cut himself, for his mind was far away as he shaved.

Maybe he was going to tell me about that Oblivion guy.

Ryan's stomach had an odd quesy as he put on his boxers. It wasn't from the boxers, of course.

I was an idiot back there. Why did I shoot him, Eric? Why did I say those things? Why? He was gruff, sure, and not much of a looker... but did he deserve to get shot at?

After he gets dressed, Ryan heads down the stairs to the kitchen. He slides some bread into the toaster. He's not in the mood for anything more complex to make than toast.


Is this what I've become? Some guy who shoots first and asks questions later? Some guy addicted to the excitement of anything he can find, even if its a gunfight?

Ryan plops down onto the couch with his plate of toast and switches on the television.

You know what? I should just relax. The last two days have been tough. I'm to stressed. I need to loosen up a little.

The screen comes to life with some sort of news report. Ryan didn't recognize the newscaster. He wasn't a native of Rainport.

The world is still reeling from the creation of these-

"Yawn. Bo-ring."

*click*

The public is being urged to no-

*click*

An estimated dozen idividuals have alre-

*click*

Today, on Celebrity Privacy Invasion: Monica Kenmore gives the finger paparazzi as she drives drunk with her baby on her lap!

"Now, that's more like it."

Ryan lies back and watches footage of young stars acting irresponsibly.

Just relax, Ryan. Just relax and watch some TV. Keep your mind off things.

[Thrall_Of_Ao]

Oblivion
Day 3-Morning
Part 3-Cont.


Oblivion

As you sit in your car, quite a few people look at you, but the street is rather busy and no one’s paying you any undue attention. CJ sounds a little hesitant before talking to you, like he wants to ask a lot of questions of his own, but he gets over it and responds “**** man. Wait till later to lay all dat on me man. Believe it or not that damn weasel knoes a few guys you don wanna mess wiff. He aint all chummy wif em, but if he goes missin some people are gunna go lookin, ya hear?. He’s a dealer round here, never the same thing neither. Guns, dope, crack, whatever he can get his mits on to sell. Rumor has it that he owes a whole lot a people a whole lot a money.”

Nodding decisively to himself as CJ spoke, he replied after only a moments pause to gather his thoughts.

"If that scumb-bag knows what's good for him, he'll have taken the risk and disappeared.
You've been very informative my friend. I'll catch up with you this afternoon and let you in on what's really going on. Peace".

Hanging up the phone after CJ, he crawled into his back seat, and, confident that the darkly tinted windows concealed him, changed into his costume.

***
Part 4-Opportunity

Buckling the last buckle, he felt his phone vibrating in the front seat, notifying him of an incoming text message.

Looking it over, it seemed that Natasha had caught word that some kind of gathering of Neo-Sapiens was occuring outside of town. She mentioned that she would not attend, but thought that he might be interested.

He sat for a full minute, weighing the pro's and con's of such a decision.

An open invitation NS gathering...sounds like an open invitation for serious mayhem. Who knows what kind of unbalanced individuals might decide to attend.

But on the other hand, only a certain kind of NS would choose to attend such a gathering in the first place, and any criminally minded NS would likely only attend in disguise, or not at all, due to the inherent risk involved in such a concentration of power.

Not to mention the incredible potential to fully explore my hypothesis'. So many answers just waiting to be had...

That settles it, it's much to rare an opportunity to pass up.

My other plans can wait.

Wating till the traffic, both vehicle and foot, had thinned sufficiently, he drove his vehicle to an automated parking garage that he knew was located near a mag-rail station with trains running east, in the direction he was planning on heading.

Flipping on his license LCD cover before entering, he parked with his plates facing in before turning it off.

Now to complete the disguise...

Although he had never attempted to summon the 'plasm without also activating one of his abilities simultaneously, he suspected that it was possible.

Focusing his will, he as not suprised to discover it responding to his whim, emerging from beneath his skin and out of his mouth to cover his lower jaw, ears and forehead.

Now for some transportation...

Getting out of the car and perching on the balcony of the parking building, he waitied until he could see the approaching mag-train.

Right on time.

Leaping from the ledge, he bounded his way to the station platform, landing stealthily on the overhang and calling on his powers to enable him to make the trip.
Waiting for the passengers to board, he leaped onto the trains roof as it pulled away.

With the wind whipping through his hair as he clung doggedly to the roof in a feral crouch, his black leather costume flapping behind him like a pair of black wings, he allowed himself a moment of quite, internal joy.

This is going to be fun.

Shouldn't take him too long to arrive, so he should be making his entrance a little after 12 noon at the latest.

[evisiron]

Nosferatu
Afternoon
The meeting begins.

Nosferatu glanced at his plain black watch and nodded. Noon. The time had come, and everyone who he expected to be here was here. But now the question arose, how does one start something like this? Perhaps a subtle approach was the way to go. Then again, everyone was already talking, so...

With a single move, Nosferatu scooped up the megaphone and leapt onto the mostly clear table.

"People of Rainport! Lend me your ears!"

He paused for a moment to allow conversations to settle down and people to form some kind of circle shape and hopped back to the ground, lowering the megaphone.

"Thank you. I know many of you are busy, and the secret nature of this meeting may cut things short, so I shall get straight to the point. We are in danger. From both other creatures like the giant spider changed in the explosion and the unaltered humans who may fear us or try to kidnap us and harvest our powers. The city is in danger for the same reasons, not everyone changed wants to help and some will surely try to destroy and enslave. Hopefully none of these situations will come to pass, but I believe we must prepare for the worst.
With this in mind, I propose that we band together and unite. While working together we can keep each other safe, and for those so inclined, work together to help protect the people of this city. I feel that in any situation we are stronger together than any of us alone. Many of you will have heard of the giant spider attack, and while I cannot speak for Kid Zeus, I am sure that if I faced it alone, I would have failed.

In short, I propose we work together."

Nosferatu pauses for a brief moment before saying the last piece.

"Since the grouping would need a name, and we are all part of Rainport, I propose we form the Defenders of Rainport.

Some of us are new to this, so when you respond please say your name and the nature of your powers if you wish to reveal it. What do you all think?"

[geez3r]

End of the Morning

Erica thoroughly enjoys the little light show and the extra volume her hair gets (not that it really needed it) as it poofs up with the electricity. Erica laughs when Zeus asks if she's single, and Riff rolls his eyes. "Yes, I'm single, but you are the 23rd guy to ask me if I was today. I'm not quite ready for a relationship yet, got to get the whole pink elephants thing under control first. But I've got to ask, what is it about being green that men find so attractive?" As an aside Riff adds "Don't feel bad, I was the 22nd."

Jen says to Pulse after chuckling a little at the heart patient remark “So I’ve been informed. I’m probably going to wind up creating a version that has more mundane materials interwoven with the polymer for day to day wear, because honestly I’m not going the rest of my life wearing this. It’s really hard to measure if I got any smarter due to the explosion, because I can learn so much faster than I did before. I got this far just by tons of trail and error, but my speed lets me speed up the process by so much to on lookers it looks like I’m brilliant, but I’m just a person with tons of time on their hands.

Smoke turns to Gust, still being quite stand off-ish. When Gusts ask how he found out about the meeting, he slowly unfolds one of his arms and points towards Inferno who is talking his mouth off to Hex, the latter having just turned his flames into a vivid shade of pink momentarily. After Gust has followed his gaze, Smoke mimes a mouth moving with his hand. When asked what his powers are, his form disappears like smoke on the wind, and reappears about 30ft away before returning to his starting position. When he returns he crosses his arms and looks at you expectantly as if to say “And you?”

Oblivion

(((OOC: Wait a few posts in before responding in the meeting, just so it seems like you’re a little late.)))



Afternoon

Nosferatu is greeted with a bit of silence after his little speech. Riff and Erica suddenly become interested at looking at their shoes (or lack there of in Erica’s case) neither of them wanting to take the first step. Hex has been staring absently off into space for a few moments now, and Inferno is still burning through the chips (more figuratively than literally, but still a little literal). Jen looks like she’s chewing on her words, trying to find the right wording, and Smoke is… well Smoke.

Then breaking the silence is some laughter. Turning to see who it is, you find the business man in the suit/ Egyptian hard-light armor laughing while taking a few steps forward. “Haheha. You bunch look like yer back at prom, too nervous to look at anyone else. Alright kiddies, I’ll break the ice for ya. Call me Scarab. I’ve gained control over a sort of hard light material, that I can-“ He suddenly stops and surveys the crowd. “You know what, I’ll make this easy. I’m the Green Lantern with a different origin story. Next.”

[ChronicLunacy]

Kid Zeus

"Don't worry, you'll come around." Hadyn replied, keeping up the rampant flirtation. He grinned again and left it at that once Nosferatu began speaking. He knew the gist of what Nos was going to talk about but the reality of it still made him think. Would they be the first of a new legion of superheroes just like in the comics? Say it went well...would they be the heroes and demigods that would herald a new golden age of civilization? Or would the humans (On a side note, it was strange to think of himself as something other than part of the human race.) overreact to their organizing themselves? Humanity had a long and pockmarked history of fearing what they didn't understand, after all.

Oh well. Better to try and fail than not try in the first place.

When Scarab was finished speaking, Hadyn stepped forward. "I'm Kid Zeus. As far as I can tell, I can pretty much control electricity, lightning...Um, I'm pretty much a human power plant." he explained, holding up his hands to let some of that boundless power make a sizzling lightshow around them. "I can't turn into it like Inferno does...but I'm working on that." he added.

"As for the Defenders - couldn't we just shorten it to that? I figure we won't be limiting ourselves to Rainport after too long. - Sign me up. The more of us that are around to help, the more good we can do." he offered with bright enthusiasm. It was that same optimism and faith in a world where things weren't inherently going to sh*t, that despite everything they could get better and he was going to do all he could to make it that way, that passed as naivete he'd showed all along. Didn't look like that was going to change.

[Tar Palantir]

The Reaper

The Reaper is the next to speak up. "My name is the Reaper, as most of you very well know. My powers involve melding with shadows for defense and a crude form of teleportation, as well as manifesting fear with a touch. Oh, and these," he adds, holding up his claws. "And should the need ever arise where you must kill me, natural sunlight will do it the best. Gotta be the real thing, though. Artificial light just disorients me, it won't kill me."

He pauses slightly, giving the group time to absorb the rather blunt advice on how to slay him. He then continues, quite cheerfully, "As for banding together, I wholeheartedly agree. United we can do far more to aid the people of Rainport, and the wider world in the future, than any of us could do alone. In addition, a team could easily defeat any future villians empowered by the accident, just as Inferno and the others demonstrated when dealing with me. I would like to take the opportunity to applaud that same group for their timely actions in stopping me killing the Mayor. As you are the only one here, Inferno, the necessary awkward silence falls to you." He then stops his speech to give Inferno a chance to feel vaguely uncomfortable, in lieu of making way-too-obvious fire cracks.

[evisiron]

Nosferatu

Nosferatu mentally breathes a sigh of relief as people started speaking. HE was counting on Kid Zeus showing his usual enthusiasm, and was glad it had shone through. He then slaps his head for the lapse in thought.

"While mentioning names and powers, in case you did not know, I am Nosferatu. I possess vampire powers such as speed, strength, flight, toughness and extra perception, but do not fear the sun nor need to drink blood."

[Wiz]

Pulse

Morning:

Pulse nods to Jen, "I see... I may find myself much in a similar circumstance, for different reasons. I'm finding that as my mind accellerates I sleep less and less. I may also have more time on my hands than before... though I suspect that ultimately, you will have me beat on that account. It's good to see though that you are making good use of your time. If you ever need to pass a few hours in conversation, just for a change... look me up."

Afternoon:

Pulse raises a gloved hand, "I am called Pulse. I have a magnetic radar sense, I'm more intelliegent than I used to be, and I have an array of gadgets that I'm continually working on to perfect. I am in favor of banding together, but since some of us have obtained a sort of liscence to help by registering with the police, I feel that could be jeapordized if we regularly work with those who have not. I would like to move that joining these guardians be limited to those who have registered, or who will do so immediately after this meeting."

[harmonictempest]

Gust
Morning

Gust grins in spite of himself, then, amused with the unfamiliar sensation, leaves it on. Laconically, he shrugs in the general direction of the larger group. When you control the wind, it's amazing the things you hear. In response to Smoke's teleportation, he rises slowly higher off the ground, revolving slowly with arms extended and a small cyclone of scattered rocks rising up beneath him. He pauses a few extra feet off the ground, and the rocks split into two streams that go wide around either side of Smoke to splatter into the quarry wall. Air control. More useful when you get creative with it.


Afternoon

Gust floats closer to group, waiting for a pause to speak up. You can call me Gust, for lack of something flashier. I can control air, which has more uses than it sounds like at first. I didn't any smarter that I can tell, which is unfortunate (with a rueful grin), but I am more perceptive than I used to be. As for registering, I haven't decided if I will yet, but I'm not sure why we would be required to. If we're engaged in solely "heroic" activities, why would any of the registered guys lose favor because someone else helps them? Any case, how would we make someone follow a rule like that? Heh. I doubt many of us could be easily forced to do anything we didn't want to.

[ChronicLunacy]

Kid Zeus

"We have to cooperate with the authorities. If we go around doing whatever we want the normal people will get scared of us and overreact. To them, we'd be no different than those of us who decided to use these powers for criminal gain. I may be younger than a lot of people here, but even I can see that. We have to show we're here to help them and work with them, not put ourselves above them." Kid Zeus spoke up, wondering to himself why for a guy that was so perceptive he was having a difficult time seeing the consequences of choosing not to register.

He was almost sure that in the capital some politicians were just waiting for someone to ignore the registration rules and use that to bring the hammer down on the whole neo-sapien community in Rainport. They had to be careful.

"Just because they can't stop us doesn't give us the right to do whatever we want."

[Tar Palantir]

The Reaper

The Reaper speaks up, still doing his best to avoid actually speaking directly to Kid Zeus, if only to avoid wasting another umbrella. "While I agree with Kid Zeus, for the most part, we must also be prepared for the likelihood that, despite all of our best efforts, the normal people of Rainport will turn on us. Humanity isn't famous for its tolerance and love of peace. I have myself registered with the city, but I can understand those who don't want to on the basis of principle. Registration could be the beginning of a long, dark road towards bigotry, pogrom, and genocide. And I am relatively certain that at least a few of you would rather not die in a new age ethnic cleansing."

"So while I agree that we do what we will simply because they cannot stop us, I don't think that we should simply give them the ability to stop us without considering the consequences. I do not think it wise to throw ourselves on the mercy of the government. The police I would trust with the information; save for the occasional crooked cop, they are among the most trustworthy group of men and women on the planet. But I wouldn't trust a politician to break a dollar for me without giving me counterfeit quarters. As for trusting them with our greatest weaknesses? Absurd."

[harmonictempest]

Gust

@KZ: Hey, no one said *I* had gotten a super Wis boost. :P Any case, you took the point a smidge different than I was intending it - chalk it up to Gust's low Charisma, I suppose.
With a nod toward the Reaper and a slight frown, the slight man continues. I didn't speak as clearly as I'd hoped - public speaking is not on my list of superpowers. I wasn't speaking of defying the authorities or their right to arrest us, and indeed I don't think anyone with interest in a group like this would be. I was speaking toward the difficulty of us attempting to impose any restrictions on each other. If I wish to show up alongside you and fight where I am able, who might be able or willing, given my helpfulness, to stop me? Again though, I ask not out of defiance, an intent I have never held, but in attempt to expose potential issues with organization of the proposed group. In a group of individuals with these powers, working together may be encouraged, but the second we set rules we encounter the question of enforcing them.

Cooperate with the authorities - that's an odd tack for a teenager.
((:P))

[Wiz]

Pulse

Pulse looks slightly annoyed, "I believe that many people do not understand how painless the registration process is. They don't insist on knowing your identity, only what name or guise you wish to do heroic things under. They don't insist on knowing the details of your powers and weaknesses, just a general summary. They don't take blood samples or fingerprints. Some of us have done it, and it's not a big deal, perhaps things will change later, but I will deal with those changes when they come." He shakes his head, "No, we can't force anyone to register, but I think we should make it a requirement for joining the guardians, because if we have members who haven't taken the time to register, the police may decide they don't want anyone doing heroic stuff. If we make it a requirement, and someone doesn't want to do it, we don't let them join." He looks at Gust, "No, I can't stop you from helping me stop a bank-heist for example. But if I'm going to be part of a group, I think one function of that group would be to monitor how its members act." He smiles, "Let me put it in a way you might understand... Wolverine is a member of an underground, non-government-sanctioned superhero group... and he works well there. The Avengers, however, would never take him as a member or stand for him slicing people, even villians, to ribbons."

[evisiron]

Nosferatu

Nosferatu nodded his head as the general discussion moved back and forth.

"I also believe the registration is a good idea. At the moment, they don't ask for much and it is a gesture that really says "we are willing to help, you don't need to shoot us".

Of course, we will need to establish how government involved we are. I am guessing if we work with the authorities rather than against them we can avoid a lot of the 'vigilante' problems, but that might mean handing over some control. If anyone is a legal expert, speak up now! I am pretty sure no one will care if we beat up a giant mole rat but when it comes to people it can get tricky.

Another of the ideas which seems sensible is: no killing.
If we intentionally kill anyone we are stepping over an important boundary."

[Wiz]

Pulse

Pulse smiles, "Very well, we have a motion that guardians be required to do the cursory police registration." He nods to Nosferatu, "It has been seconded. All in favor, say Aye. All opposed say Nay." He raises his hand, "Aye."

[Tar Palantir]

The Reaper

The Reaper raises his hand, saying, "Encourage, perhaps, but not require. Nay."

[ChronicLunacy]

Kid Zeus

Ignoring the Reaper as best as he was able, Kid Zeus put his hand in the air and said, "Aye."

[evisiron]

Nosferatu

Nosferatu pauses as the meeting slips from general discussion in "motions". He rummages in one of his bags for a moment a produces a pen and paper, jotting down the motion of 'registration mandatory' and tallying the result.

He then raises his arm and speaks.

"Aye, but only for as long as the registration remains as simple and unobtrusive as it is now"

[harmonictempest]

Gust

Gust gives a small nod to show his approval of the vote before raising his own hand. "Never killing is another great idea, but to say we may never kill is to take away the right of self-defense every citizen has. To both motions I say 'Encourage, but not require.' Nay."

[Wiz]

Pulse

Pulse shakes his head slightly and chuckles, "Instituting a code against killing is a separate vote, right now we are only determining if we want anyone who is in the guardians to submit to the current, in-place, police registration. Let's not confuse the issues."

[dfpiii]

Professor Dark

"I will not submit to any forced register of my abilities, and I decline to take part in any voluntary register," Dark says with a neutral tone. "Therefore I must vote nay".

[Thrall_Of_Ao]

Oblivion
Day3-Afternoon
Part1-The meeting

It became a dance, a seemingly perpetual cycle like breathing.

Land, air, soma, spirit, as one.

He longed for this day's burning sun to give way to the cool caress of the nights moon and stars, but he endured.

A thousand thoughts came and went, finally withdrawing like the tide, washed away by the silent song of the world.

Even in a tortured arid place like this, raped of it's resources, it sang.

Lightning played on the horison, hidden fangs sunk deep.

He followed the trail, an Alice in Wonderland pathway winding though this arid place, umbrellas like strange black trees.

High places he climbed, his eyes fell on his destination and he fell back upon the trail.

He was relentless and the land gave way before him.

He heard voices, his feet came to the precipice.

He gazed down, his people spread out before him, his spirit returned, reknewed, and he remembered himself.

He felt it shift around him, his subconscious instincts controlling it's operation upon him.

"Greetings" he called out, the deep alien doubling aspect of his voice rolling and bouncing off the stone strangely.

Leaping from the edge high into the air, he landed in a crouch among them, he paused, assessing them with depthless black eyes, his unbound raven hair blowing in the light breeze.

Slowly rising to his feet, the dusty black leather scraping the stone, the matte metal pauldrons steel accents gleaming in the bright noonday sun.

"I am Oblivion".

[Wiz]

Pulse

Pulse nods, "Greetings, Oblivion. I am Pulse. We were all introducing ourselves, and talking about forming a group, tentatively called the Guardians. I made a motion that the group only accept people who have or who are willing to do a cursory registration with the police. We are currently voting on that. Aye or Nay."

[evisiron]

Nosferatu

"Welcome Oblivion. Pulse pretty much summed it up. Grab a seat, and snacks are on the table.

And I am Nosferatu by the way."

Nosferatu looked back into the group. At that moment he had to hold back a smirk at the overly dramatic entrance, as everyone here has similar powers yet the newcomer sounded like he was introducing himself to a group of worshipers.
Just a week ago he was like everyone else too...

Nosferatu checks himself over mentally, trying to recall if he did such acts. Well, most of it was fairly light, but it would not hurt to tone down any of his potential Epic Hero lines in the future.

[Thrall_Of_Ao]

Oblivion

Sketching a brief bow of aknowledgement and defference to the two who introduced themselves, he moved towards the first unoccupied umbrella, sitting down in the dust crosslegged.

"I thank you. As I am the last to arrive, I will choose to be the last to vote. Please continue".

He gave the group a cursory and even look, being careful not to dwell on any single individual for too long, lest he draw suspicion. His enhanced sensory perception making the process decidely easier.

I must tread carefully, for here, there be tygers...

First to stand out was the man with the bio-luminescent skin in the expensive suit, who, if he wasn't mistaken, had just cast his vote a moment before his arrival.

An interesting choice as well

His face, despite it's newly aquired quality, was unquestionably that of the RIT Professor who had appeared on televison.

Moving on, he immediately recognized the girl from the hospital who seemed to be posessed of bio-organic bark for skin, as well as some degree of shape changing capabilities.

He noted that the giant was not present, as well as finding the rather nondescript youth leaning against the quarry wall unusual among such an obviously unusual group.

He watched and listened, mulling over it all and carefully considering the words which he would speak alongside his vote.

[BloodyAngel]

"Joshua"

The glimpse into Reaper's mind had done more to traumatize her than anything else she had seen. Worse than the uncomfortable things she had found out about Heather... Worse than the man she saw in the park who had a deeply hidden lust for his own teenaged daughter... More than the boy in her Psyche class who day-dreamed about shooting his teacher. The look into the mind of a undeniable madman was more deeply horrifying than anything she had ever imagined.

For several moments afterwards, "Josh" was silent... quietly excusing himself to sit for a moment away from the crowd. He looked over the drinks there, regretting greatly that there seemed to be no alcohol. Alcohol sounded like a very, very good idea at the moment.

It was not until the sudden blare of the loudspeaker jarred her to her senses... and she realized that something was going on. Listening to the speech, and those that followed it with interest... marred though it be by her recent trauma. Seeing what she had seen made her realise now more than ever that this was not her party... and she did not belong in this game. Everyone here spoke so casually of the amazing things they could see and do.

This is how the mind copes... I suppose. It makes the unnatural seem... commonplace. She thought to herself, Treating this all like some comic book or movie makes it easier for them to understand. It makes them less afraid.

She was afraid. She was afraid of people and what they would do. She was afraid of the men and women here, and what they could do. And she was afraid when she saw an almost familiar figure land dramatically amongst them, speak his mind in a voice she had only heard once before... in the dark spots of someone's mind... and then sit down only a few feet from her.

He could not know... and he did not seem to... but she recognized him. Draven. He had shown up after all. After everything that had happened... his mere presence comforted her. At least if anything went wrong, he was there. She did not truly feel threatened by most of the assembled... Only Reaper filled her with worry.... for she knew how little seperated what he once was from what he seemed to be now.

If I tell him... I'll have to explain how I'm in... a boy. That's not really.... no. I can't tell him that. Even if he would understand... It's my only ace in the hole. She thought to herself, And everyone here... if even one of them finds out, what might they think?

Listening to the lot of the people here speak, "Joshua" finally took to his feet and looked around, before raising his voice above the din for a moment.

Uh.... hey. I'm Josh. And, uh... This all seems like a bit much. He'll say, growing a bit noticably uncomfortable once eyes are on him, This is serious @#$% we're talking about here. I don't know what I can do exactly... but I'm pretty sure I'm not bullet-proof or anything. What about the people who just want to live like before, without putting on a suit and a cape and fighting against evil spiders or whatever?