The Dark

[shugyosha]

Astrid

She turns to the train and makes a dash for it, hoping that she might get away.

[Quellian-dyrae]

Phase Knight raised an eyebrow as, for some strange reason, the attacks coming from different angles meant he couldn't teleport them. Without the advanced knowledge of physics and geometry that he could command with his mind at rest, he couldn't figure out how that worked. Maybe it was some ability of the robots? No matter! He blinked away regardless.

Seeing as how attempting to play things strategically was running into odd physics anomalies that he couldn't define, he fell back on his standard tactics - blink in and out and beat things into submission!

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Free Action: Change Psionic Focus array to Phase Strike.
Move Action: Teleport adjacent to two robots.
Standard Action: Phase Strike on both.

(1d20+8)[24]
(1d20+8)[10]

DC 25, crit on total of 25+. Not sure if these guys were faking it or if they're regenerating minions or something, but may as well note I have Takedown 2 on this attack. Also for future reference, I do have Evasion 2 (nerfed though it was in 3e).

[buddy]

Nova Leo:

When the burst of energy falls wide of the crooks, they banter,

"Whoa! Is that a first?"

"Yeah. Nobody misses. This dupe is a rank amateur!"

"Shameful. The Avengers end up in Ryker's, we escape to avoid their violent mentality, and run into this stooge who can't even hit us."

"I'm offended. I feel like I need more. Ya know?"

"Okay. We surrender to your awesomeness. Come 'cuff us, firefly."

The thugs extend their hands, suggesting their willingness to be handcuffed .....

Insight:

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(1d20+6)[24]
(1d20)[1]

Hammer and Anvil are BSing Nova Leo, trying to draw him closer ......



Phase Knight:

After their failed mass attack, the "cops" shift position,
and a cop runs at Phase Knight and dives for a hurtling grab,

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(1d20+8)[9]

The droid misses, falling into the wall behind Phase Knight!



Astrid:

As ticketholders start to form a line, Astrid pushes past them headed for her train! The Transit Security cop is right behind her,

"Hey! Hey!! Stop!! What's the problem?!?"

[Quellian-dyrae]

PK kept up his assault, blinking in and out to strike as many of them as he could.

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Move action: Teleport adjacent.
Standard action: Phase Strike...I don't know how many I can get adjacent to (Turnabout doesn't work the way I originally figured, need to add Reach to this attack to represent its ability to attack multiple scattered foes better). Ignore any attack rolls that I can't make, but add +1 to remaining attack rolls for each robot that I cannot attack, if any.

(1d20+7)[23]
(1d20+7)[11]
(1d20+7)[17]

Toughness DC 25, Crit on 24+, Takedown 2 if they're minions.

[Regalus]

...A-are, are they for real?
Curious...I believe they are,

"Most glorious indeed! I knew there yet layed hope for the two of you; it is good to know that both of you have seen the error of your ways, and may now return the most glorious path of righteousness" he began exuberantly, his glow dimming slightly as the air around him began to cool. "I am certain than that one day the two you will look back on this blessed night and," he suddenly ended as he released another bolt of fire at Hammer.

Noah knew Leo was not too fond of this, but the big cat would not fault him for it. They were both hunters after all; and they were practically begging for this, and the big cat would be lying if he said he wasn't getting a chuckle out of this one.

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Move Action: Feint
To my understanding, they want to believe I've fallen for their trap; so the -5 for doing this as a move action should be offset by the -5 they get to the resistance check against my bluff...hopefully
(1d20)[13]

Standard Action: Purging Pyre; take 2
Damage 10, DC25; target must resist Damage on next turn as well on a hit.
(1d20+10)[22]

[buddy]

Astrid:

The teleporting hero manages to strike one of the terminators which he had damaged seconds before! The other two narrowly avoid Phase Knight's offensive ....

(1d20+7)[22]

The droid lets out a short, inhuman shout and drops face-first to the floor!
Red fluid flows from the felled construct's wounds and it doesn't move. The other two "cops" circle Phase Knight, trying to get position, one in front and one behind the hero,

"Why do you fight? Each one of us you strike down, two more shall rise! Embrace the Dark, Dr. Owlheart. The Dark will make you whole."

Nova Leo:

Sensing the villains' trickery, Nova Leo blasts Hammer!

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(1d20+10)[16]

The blinding flash of energy causes Hammer to sail backwards, dragging Anvil along their "chain", thirty feet! Both miscreants now lay prone, but still conscious,

"Hammer!?!? You okay, man?!"

"Owwch! Ugh, my chest feels charred!"

As they struggled to get up, the mass of police in the area have stopped shooting and cheers erupt from their ranks when Nova Leo drops the deadly duo! Helicopters circle overhead and their searchlights track Hammer and Anvil, illuminating them against the dark city street ....

[Regalus]

"Though in pain, I assure you; your comrade is not seriously injured. For now let him rest, and all will be well soon. There is no more need for battle," he explained reassuringly as he flies forward to maintain their original distance. " Do this for hammer if nothing else, otherwise my hand will be forced once more," he continued as he studied the pair, trying to remain focused amid the roar of the crowd around him. Noah wasn't used to using Leo's flames on living beings; he tried not to think of what mundane fire would've done to the man. Still, even if they were wounded; this was not over until the pair were captured once more.

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Readying an action for Solar Flare to use on the pair if they try anything funny.

[Quellian-dyrae]

"Why do you keep fighting when you are clearly, utterly outmatched?" Phase Knight returned as he maintained his assault - and this time, he didn't buy into his opponent being down, hammering on the fallen android just as hard.

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Move: Teleport adjacent.
Standard: Phase Strike on as many as I can (third roll is on the "down" enemy).

(1d20+7)[27]
(1d20+7)[21]
(1d20+7)[25]

DC 25, Crit on 24+.

[shugyosha]

Astrid

As ticketholders start to form a line, Astrid pushes past them headed for her train! The Transit Security cop is right behind her,

"Hey! Hey!! Stop!! What's the problem?!?"

"That man was hurting me!" she exclaims and points at the man in the black robes. For a moment she focuses her mind on him.

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She is extending her psychic defenses to him as well.

[buddy]

Astrid:

She gets no thought-scan from her target. He simply doesn't register to her Telepathy, much like the woman from earlier! The transit officer raises his hands suggesting calm,

"It's okay. Relax. We'll get to the bottom of this. You said 'black robes' - the priest?"

The Manhattan train slowly pulls into the station next to the building, its loud mechanical motion nearly drowning out the concerned officer's response. The PA system again alerts travelers that their transport has arrived and will begin boarding, starting with the handicapped and elderly, momentarily .....



Phase Knight:

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wow! 3 hits & a crit;
(1d20+4)[7]
(1d20+8)[21]
(1d20+8)[26]

The clearly-wounded droid shudders as Phase Knight administers a finishing blow, the second target stumbles somewhat as the hero slices into it with the Psi-Blade, and the third attacker suffers only a mild wound!

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droids are next, so hold ....

Nova Leo:

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DC15 Persuasion for NL
(1d20+5)[13]

Seeing his teammate is slowed, Anvil spits a response,

"Surrender? Us? You must be crazy if you think we're not walking away from here, buster! Better you give up before we crush you to pieces!"

The two crooks stand and seem poised for another attack .....

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Nova Leo is up again.

[buddy]

Phase Knight:

The robo-cops dive at Phase Knight trying to catch the lightning-fast hero,

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(1d20+8)[22]
(1d20+8)[19]

As Phase Knight warps space around himself, the droids crash into each other and fall to the floor a few yards from the hero!



Astrid:

The cop walks back to the terminal entrance and is met by another officer. They talk briefly and walk into the station. Astrid gets no thought sensation from the priest this time - zero. She can sense Connor nearby, but the boy can't be seen .....



Nova Leo:

Hammer shouts in pain as a secondary blast of fiery energy erupts from his skin,

"YEEEAAARRRGGGHHH!"

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(1d20+10)[25]

"This guy's some kind of sadist!"

"Yeah! He don't mess around! Can you move?"

"..... give me a minute ...."

The two crooks pause, with Anvil watching Nova Leo ....

[Quellian-dyrae]

"Very Stooges," Phase Knight "congratulated" as he appeared above them, striking hard with his blade. While he was at it, Eldain eyed the other one to see if he could confirm it was down for good.

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Move Action: Teleport adjacent.
Standard Action: Phase Strike.
Free Action: Change Psionic Focus Array to Mind at Rest.
If possible as a Free action: Analyze the fallen robot.

Attack 1: (1d20+8)[10].
Attack 2: (1d20+8)[27].

Technology (?): (1d20+15)[26]
Insight, Perception, and Expertise (Science) all have a +15 bonus as well, so whichever works.

[Regalus]

Noah sighed, "I am no sadist, and I did warn you to let him rest," he explained calmly, trying ignore Leo's urge to try and end it while the two were still down, as he matched gazes with Anvil. "Are you not the ones who continue this affair? Twice I have offered you two a chance to end this peacefully, and twice you have vehemently rejected my offer. Going so far as to continue even after your friend was wounded in battle against me, a conflict you do not hesitate to continue even now; yet you blame me for the repercussions that your decisions have wrought?" he inquired with a raised brow.

"Your time has all but run out as it is, and those that come after myself may not be as merciful. I give you this final chance to do the right thing: Surrender now and submit yourselves to the authorities for your crimes, and suffer this hardship no longer. Come peacefully and your friend shall have his wounds tended to before they fester; we may yet all greet the coming dawn at peace, and soon find rest. Deny me this final and gamble with both your fates; for the price of your decision may be steeper than what you hope. The choice is yours restoration, or castigation. Choose wisely," he ends gravely his form crowned by his radiance, his stare unwavering upon the fugitives. He could feel Leo taut within him, predator crouched waiting for his prey to make a fatal mistake and ounce; the ultimatum having appeased the Hunter of Darkness for now.

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Still readying that action to Solar Flare them if they try anything funny.

[Assurau]

"And what would 'The Dark' have to do with me? I'm just your ordinary girl otaku. Sure i'm the granddaughter of a rich philanthropist, but if it's money, there are better ways to get it. By the way, is the Dark an acronym or something? Is it Directory of Anarchy, Revenge and Khaos, like in that one Robocop cartoon?"


Alana was stalling for the most part. She figured she could easily handle the bot, after all technology loved her and was her. However the problem lied in this "The Dark". Despite the rather pretentious name, they had serious clout, and with serious clout, comes serious equipment. This meant that they could have top-of-the line sensor systems as well as a live feed to the droid's controller. Then, there was the fact that they were targeting her directly. This could mean either an attempt to pressure her grandfather into something, or that they were after her.

Most of her exposure in the real world was limited to conventions, gaming events, movie premiers, and the occasional event held by her grandfather. On the net side, she had the forum discussions of how tv show tech would work in real life, but she avoided any specifics since last thing she wanted was someone like Doom or A.I.M. to decide that they should try making the portal gun, a henshin device, or any tech related to super robots from the anime she had seen.

The other possibility would be that they know what she is. Despite how unlikely the event is, someone could have picked up something unusual from her during her outings or worse, they could have discovered some remanent of her father's research. If they could even begin to understand it, it could point to her existence and the unique energy that lies at her core. However, this seems unlikely since they actually sent machines to capture her.

So the next step would be to capture and examine the droid. Hopefully that super wasn't causing too much property damage. She needed to disable the droid quickly and effectively. Magnetics would be out, because they would be to easily detected. However Scifi had once again given her the tool. She had borrowed the idea from the a ship disabling secondary weapon from a Star Wars game. With the Conical Ionic Field Generator, she could disable all of the devices in the droid, while keeping it's hard drive and other components intact. With still considerable distance between her and the droid, Alana began to shift the internal components in her right leg into the right tool for the task at hand. It wouldn't be at it's full power and would require calibration, but she could afford to tip her hand by deactivating her already active setup. On the other hand, the CIFG would be undetectable. Hopefully her jeans would conceal the changes.

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Transform right leg into C.I.F.G

Conical Ionic Field Generator
- Power: Nullify, Broad (Technology), Simultaneous, Area(30 feet cone), Subtle(2 ranks)- 4 TP/Rank +2 TP - 9 Ranks - 38 TP
-Flaws: Check Required(+13 to dc) - 13 TP
Total 25 TP

[shugyosha]

Astrid

"Conner get to the train I'll catch up soon," she whispers. "Spatial Displacement, max speed, X + 100 at my mark..."

Waiting this the door are about to close she says the command,"Mark," and her armor catapults her into the train.

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She s setting commands to her armor to fly her into the train.

[buddy]

Astrid:

Swooping onto the train through the small doorway, miraculously, no one sees Astrid enter. She's in a short passageway with a door to her left that, when opened, leads to a passenger area. There appears to be a handful of people seated in this area, some sleeping, others toying with phones or reading.

Through the door's small window, Astrid sees Connor waving from a seat at the far end of the coach ....



Inspired:

The "cop" steps into the room slowly,

"Oh, you've been watched ever so carefully for some time, Alana. You are indeed extraordinary and, in due time, will make an excellent servant of the Dark. What is the Dark? Soon you will embrace the perfect truth of it and all your questions will fade away."

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Inspired's Sleight or Hand;
(1d20+4)[18]
Droid's Perception
(1d20+8)[22]

"Your resistance will prove mistaken ..."

... the droid's eyes crackle with red energy!

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Inspired has Initiative ....

Nova Leo:

Anvil eyes the shining hero as the army of cops aim-in and the helicopters hover overhead .....

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Nova Leo's DC15 Persuasion check (+5 Circumstance bonus)
(1d20+10)[26]

Anvil looks around at the scene and,

"(Bleep)! Man, there weren't supposed to be any blasted do-gooders with the Avengers and Spider-Man locked-down! Figures ..... we surrender, man - 'aint worth dying over."

The cops slowly close on the villains, watching to see Nova Leo's reaction as well ....



Phase Knight:

Glancing at the downed droid, it certainly appears disabled, then the following attacks miss one droid, while connecting with the other combatant!

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Droid's Toughness check
(1d20+8)[17]

The struck android tries to twist away, but takes a nasty slash and stumbles backwards a step!

They both unleash eye-blasts at Phase Knight in retaliation,

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[roll]1d20+6[/roll]
[roll]1d20+6[/roll]

[buddy]

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Droids' attack vs. PK;
(1d20+6)[7]

(1d20+6)[9]

Both attacks miss Phase Knight wildly!

[Quellian-dyrae]

"Keep at it guys, you're doing great!" Phase Knight encouraged tauntingly, deciding to focus his efforts on the more heavily damaged robot and see if he could bring it down. In and out he went, vanishing and appearing from angle after angle, his mind blade striking blow after blow.

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Free Action: Change Psionic Focus Array to Phase Strike.
Move Action: Teleport adjacent.
Standard Action: Phase Strike. Power Attack for 2. This attack has full Multiattack; +2 Damage with two degrees of success, +5 damage with three degrees.

(1d20+8)[23]

[Regalus]

Noah smiles as he watches the man's aura lighten, the vestiges of hostility being washed away from both their auras. It's over, he thought to himself happily, allowing himself a small smile.

"A wise decision, though remember this; there are always those willing to do their part for the good of all. Just because you might not see, or hear of them does not mean they are not there awaiting the call of those in need," he replies contently as he signals the officers to pass, remaining afloat so that the cops may approach unimpeded while he continued to observe the pair. He'd wait until the two were ready to be transported before approaching the pair once more; he still had one last matter to attend to with the pair after all.

[Assurau]

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Hold a minute, big guy. Seriously, is this your recruitment plan? Abduction, followed by Brain washing or mind control? I've seen enough shows to know that those techniques rarely, if ever engineer the loyalty any organization need. Then there's the often high risk of actually destroying the mind of the person you're trying to convert. I mean there is no such thing as a perfect mind control. Those things can and often do fail at the most inappropriate moment. Threats or blackmail can eventually end up actually chaining the blackmailer since the blackmail itself become the only thing protecting him from retribution. If you actually want to recruit me and not damage what ever it is you want from me, then sell it to me. Why should i join the Dark? What can it offer me than no on else can? "

With that, Alana sits on a nearby table, her legs facing the droid with the now crackling energy eyes.

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Readies the CIFG to fire, if the droid does something of hostile intents

[shugyosha]

Astrid

She smiles at Connor and heads over to him. Sitting next to him she says, "I guess you know my secret now... so what's yours?"

[buddy]

Phase Knight:

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Dazed droid's DC29 Toughness check;
(1d20+8)[17]

The "cop" suffers a terrible blow which would certainly be fatal to a human victim! It falls to the floor, crackling light and red fluid seeping from its large wound! The remaining droid bolts across the room, headed for what looks like the dining area or kitchen just beyond it ....



Nova Leo:

As the police form a small perimeter around Hammer and Anvil, who remain seated on the street, a short, middle-aged man wearing a black overcoat and brown suit underneath walks from the terminal towards Nova Leo.

His short brown hair fades at the hairline and a gold badge hangs around his neck from a slim metal chain,

"Nice work! This would've gotten ugly without your help. I'm Detective Daniels, Special Crimes Unit. Mind if we talk a moment?"



Inspired:

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He's attacking, so get him ...

Astrid:

Connor looks at Astrid eyes-wide with wonder,

"That was cool! You have armor?! How did you do that?! Then you knocked the guy back - who was he anyway? Was he following us too? Are you a mutant like me? A superhero? Can you-"

The young man's ramble is interrupted by a flash of light from the terminal, and a figure, consumed in flames and arms flailing, comes stalking out of the building entrance - towards the train! Screams and shouts can be heard from the building, while the passengers on the train move to stare out the windows, gasping in horror!

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Astrid senses a powerful psychic presence again, coming from inside the terminal - an evil presence ....

[shugyosha]

Astrid

She holds Connor tightly and watches the flaming man. She hopes the train is faster. Closing her eyes she scans the flaming man.

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Just to clarify:
Train left terminal
Burning man outside of terminal chasing training (is he faster than the train? how long before he catches up)
evi presence inside terminal (and is not burning man)

man I feel like I'm in Terminator... is that why the boy's name is Connor?

[Regalus]

Well done Noah. It was, perhaps, not how I would have come to settle the matter; but you did well with your first encounter none-the-less. However do not believe that all foes will submit as peacefully as these two; blood may yet be spilled if one refuses to do what is truly needed to be done appreciatively lectured Leo.

Noah cracked a smile and chuckled, knowing full well the Lion would've been far more amused had the encounter devolved into an all-out brawl; still the young man would happily accept the praise for what it was. Perhaps. But tonight, everyone goes home to their loved ones safe; and really, that's what matters in the end, he replied trying to mimic Leo's own tone, eliciting an amused chuckle from the beast. 'That it is comrade, that it is...'

Noah contented himself scanning the scene before being approached by the older officer; Noah studied the man for moment,. "Of course officer; what do you wish to discuss?" he inquired courtly while keeping an eye on Hammer and Anvil.

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Using Seeing the Unseen to observe Hammer's aura; how wounded is he by the battle? Just a flesh wound? Hopefully nothing permanent...

[Quellian-dyrae]

And Phase Knight, not willing to pass up that opportunity, just appeared in front of him. "Come on, running? You had to know how that would turn out," he teased as he attacked with a flurry of blows.

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Move Action: Teleport adjacent.
Standard Action: Phase Strike at (1d20+10)[12].

And apparently the robot did know it was coming, 'cause he missed bad!

[Assurau]

Alana sighs to herself as she made the final calibrations to the CIFG. It seemed that the bot was hell bent on getting her. So much for gathering intel. Still, the CIFG would provided her with the opportunity to dig up more information of the Dark. Its imperceptible field would neutralize all power distribution, shutting down the droid. Its owner would be unable to send any signals or initiate a reboot or self-destruct sequence. With that, she activated the device.

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Tech Roll for CIFG activation
DC 23
(1d20+20)[26]

[buddy]

Astrid:

Nothing. Astrid was experiencing a string of "closed" minds her Telepathy could not affect. The train began moving as passengers huddled against the windows to watch the spectacle, then they suddenly gasped and jumped back as the burning figure exploded into a cloud of jet-black smoke!

Connor seem entranced by the sight, his eyes glazed-over once again as the train moved away from the terminal, the pitch-black mist swirling and expanding, as if it meant to engulf the entire building!

Just as the train windows moved beyond sight of the terminal, a young blonde male emerged from the billowing darkness, dressed in what appeared to be the night itself, watching the train streak away .....

.... everyone, except Astrid, is startled by the sound of the train PA system,

" Uh ... we request all passengers return to their seats and if anyone needs medical assistance, attendants will be passing through the cars shortly. Brooklyn EMS is responding to the Atlantic Avenue terminal to render emergency medical services there, so rest assured that everything is under control. Enjoy your trip, and don't forget to 'like' MTA on Facebook."

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y'know, I was thinking Ed Furlong from T2 with Connor, so maybe that was the link - you missed your line: "Come with me if you want to live!" :) You have space for whatever Astrid wants to do before I push forward (the train goes to Westchester)

Nova Leo:

Nova Leo scans the scorched felon and senses his wounds are largely superficial - nothing serious, although there are clear signs of mental instability .... both he and his cohort sit almost peacefully under police supervision.

Detective Daniels appears to be the picture of health as he fishes a notepad from his coat pocket,

"So .... what do I call you, then? With the exception of a few, most of the superheroes I know of operate under aliases. Even the Fantastic Four use them, although I never understood why since their identities are public knowledge."

"What I do know is, I've never seen you before. You'd be hard to forget ...."

Daniels grins and begins scribbling into his small notepad ...



Phase Knight:

The droid avoids Phase Knight's attack as several members of the estate's staff look on in shock from the kitchen! The humanoid gives the hero a taunting look,

"Tiring perhaps, Dr. Owlheart? Can you feel the cries of your own weakness? Your heart pounding? Sweat pooling in your pores? Fatigue poisons numbing your body and mind ......."

"....... you will fall into The Dark - or you will perish."

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(1d20+8)[25]

With surprising speed, the droid springs forward, taking advantage of Phase Knight's miss and delivers a solid punch to the hero's chest!

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Will check vs. 'port (?) & DC20 Toughness check

Inspired:

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(1d20+8)[21]
(1d20+8)[12]

The automaton tries to evade the weapon and nearly does, but enough of the beam catches its head - regardless, it marches forward another step, then it pauses, its glowing eyes fade to normal, its face and body frozen in mid-step! The droid now stares blankly at the window behind Inspired, seemingly incapacitated!

[Regalus]

Noah furrowed his brow beneath the mask filling the familiar tug, before turning his focus back to the officer; he made a note to approach Hammer once he was ready for transport, best not risk a relapse while so many were still at risk.

Noah pondered about it for a moment; he hadn't really given it much thought after all, usually by this point his client would be aware of him or the point would be moot. Though he supposed his old standby would due, Leo certainly didn't mind much one way or another it seemed. "I have been called Nova Leo before, you may do so as well if you wish," he offered amiably, glancing occasionally towards the crooks. "I am not too surprised by that; before now I did not wish to be seen,"

[shugyosha]

Astrid

It looked like they were going to get away... at least for now. She turned Connor around and looked him in the eye. "We're safe for now. You said you had a secret. What is it? It might be important."

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Heading off for vacation soon. My posting will be spotty.

[buddy]

Nova Leo:

The detective looks up,

"Of course. Doing what you do is dangerous work. Not only do you have the crooks to deal with, but it's the authorities that pose a challenge as well. Even when we know we need your help, it isn't always welcomed."

"So ..... how did you happen to arrive here? How do you know the Hammer & Anvil? Previous experience? I was told by an officer on the street that you called them by name ...."