[M&M 3rd Ed.] Legacy, Vol. 1 - Gilded Age

[Volthawk]

Cooper, in the position he's in, isn't exactly able to dodge Null's onslaught. He merely endures, coming out of it without any of the attacks appearing to have affected him. He merely hold Null out a bit for Swift to get the shots in while slamming his other fist into Null's body. And then he does it again.

Spoiler

Show

Using standard action for joining the team attack with a normal melee attack rather than Grab-based damage. PAing for 2 and routine attacking for 14 since Null's crit immune anyway. DC 27 base, 32 if Swift's team attack gives me +5.

Then going to extra effort another standard action attack, as above but without the team attack, so just 14 to hit, DC 27 Toughness.

[Nintendogeek01]

The Vanguard stands against the new storm of arms, bracing themselves the best they can, some taking new licks, but one does not weather the entire thing, for when the arms return to Null, the team can see that Curve is now on the ground, faced bruised and swelling with blood trickling down her nose.

Swift and Cooper attempt to respond in kind with a storm of bullets and a giant fist respectively! Cooper's fist slams into Null, literally slamming him into the bullets and smashing him against his other hand, he pulls back to find Null's face bleeding lightly from the bullet holes that were dug deeper into his face by Cooper's attack. Cooper strikes at Null once again, smashing his fists together! Unfortunately the next time Cooper sees Null the bastard has oozed his way out from under Cooper's clenching fist, oozing back a couple of feet and reforming himself, still armless but looking very cross.

"Such petulant children..." he sighs with a guttural rasp as the bullets are pushed out of his face by his rapid recovery. Null inhales deeply and scans over each and every combatant in the room, "You will not stop me, this is the closest I've been to being ready to reach the Deep Beyond, and I must succeed before it is too late for humanity!"

Spoiler: Actions Breakdown

Show

You Guys:

• Curve - You spent the round concentrating before getting knocked out... care to dramatize it for an IC post? Either way it's cool.
• Harbinger - We covered your action; now that you've hit you may continue to concentrate on it, but as it no longer requires an attack check it is going back to its base effect rank.
• The Human Dynamo - Covered your actions... Dynamo must be a walking bruise by now...
• Swift - Team attacked with Cooper, your attack check is sufficient for a +5 circumstance bonus to his attack.
• Cooper - Against your punch Null reduces the damage to half effect, but then Swift gives a +5 circumstance bonus to that for a total of DC26. Null gets a 21 for 1 bruise. Against your second attack, which is half-effect immunity down'd to DC21, Null rolls a 24 and saves.

Stigma: Eh she's somewhere.

Spoiler: For the Human Dynamo's eyes

Show

She's entered the cockpit!

Null: Regenerates a bruise. Null extra efforts for multiple actions. He uses his first one to slip out of Cooper's grip, he uses his second one to recover.

Spoiler: Round 6

Show

NPC Status:
Stigma: Normal
Null: 2 Bruise, fatigued

Avenge your fallen comrade! Not that she's dead but still...

[The_Admiral]

Casings dropping to the ground, Swift reloads, stepping out of cover as he again peppers Null with bullets, trying to force an opening.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

(1d20+13)[29]
+10 damage, Team attack with Cooper.

[Hyperbolic sine]

Despite the crates, once again the attack hits Harbinger fully - only desperation and fury letting him endure the blows.

"For humanity...says the abomination...who is trying to rule the world..." Alistair replies, unable to talk louder than a whisper, while concentrating on maintaining the orb so that it could keep eating at null's flesh. "I shall see...thee...dead..."

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Move: Staggered
Standard: Concentrate on Disintegrating Orb, Toughness DC 25 vs Damage.

I'll admit, I was hoping Power Attack would have kept applying, given that the rules specifically mentions only criticla hits as not applying on subsequent rounds. Oh, well. Let's see if Harbinger manages to stay conscious for another round.

[TekHed]

Sascha was a pugilist...he was accustomed to taking hits and he knew when he was about to go down. From the look of things the others were on the ropes as well, and the burn marks scorching Null's face were already starting to fade.

This would not do at all.

He could feel the energy within him, calling him to surrender to it, to just give in and let it subsume him. The lightning within him was alive, indeed the very spark of life. Feeling a rush well up from his toes to his fingertips, the Human Dynamo instinctively dove forward into the center of his companions, an arc leaping to each and every one, filling the room up with a bright blue-white glow. As it struck each one, they felt a resurgence of energy, blasting away the fatigue with an adrenaline spike of electrocution

Spoiler: Stunt

Show

Extra Effort (Exhausted next round)

Stunt: Healing 11, Burst Area, Selective, Temporary, Stabilize

Move-by Action, ending back in cover.

Healing Roll DC 10: (1d20+11)[12]

[Volthawk]

Cooper wasn't particularly harmed by this point anyway, having been away from Null's initial onslaught, so Dynamo's new trick doesn't help him, although it does him good to see the others looking much better. He just focuses on the offense again, another hand striking down towards Null.

Spoiler

Show

Team attacking with Swift again.
Attack: (1d20+6)[13]
Damage DC 25+Team Attack (so DC 30)

Once again the grabbing happens on a hit.

[Quellian-dyrae]

Curve | Exhausted | 0 HP | 0 Luck | Recover Used

Sara came to with a start as the electricity surged through her body. She was still badly injured, but it no longer seemed to matter. The adrenaline flooding her system now banished all thoughts of pain and weakness, even as her body was trembling with exhaustion and injury she no longer really felt.

Sara leaped to her feet, telekinetically pulling Powderkeg's rifle into her hands, and loosed another incendiary shot at Null. Nothing fancy. She might have been ignoring her wounds and fatigue, but they were still there, and the knew her body and her mind well enough to know she wasn't going to be able to pull off too much fancy in this state. She just took control of the bullet and guided it right into Null's chest.

Spoiler

Show

Glad you told me, I didn't think I'd have a turn for this round.

Move: Stand from Prone.

Standard: Attack Null with Guide Shot setting Variable Descriptor for Gunplay to [Fire]. Perception-range auto-hits. Toughness DC 23 vs. Damage.

[Nintendogeek01]

"Nnrgh..." Null's face contorts with pain as part of Null's chest seems to scrunch and pull inward, his regenerative powers healing it before it can get too far. Null eyes Harbinger as he feels this pain, he knows who is responsible for this.

Before Null can act on it he sees Cooper's hand swing down at him, Null steps back and under the hand into the path of Swift's bullets, which unfortunately do nothing to him while Cooper's hand swishes through the air. Null's face does briefly flicker with shock as Dynamo looses his current of electricity and suddenly everyone is far more active... even Curve jumps a bit before groaning and moving to get back on her feet.

"Hmmm... your wounds are still there..." he observes as Curve looks in Null's direction. "If you take many more injuries fighting me you may well die once this 'charge' runs its course," Null warns, but it does not deter Curve from shooting at him with Powderkeg's rifle! The incendiary round slams against and then bursts on Null's chest, causing him to stumble back a bit, "But so be it... as I said before there are over two billion more people out there that-"

Null's spiel is interrupted by metallic groaning and creaking when suddenly the floor everyone was standing on sharply tilted towards the direction of the cockpit! Crates began sliding forward, the latches that hold the bombs in place groan ever so slightly, and everyone is having difficult maintaining their balance at this sudden change in incline!

"What!? The plane, but... the cockpit... but the pilots know their instructions... no... no no no no no! It can't be! We left her at the base!" As Null adjusts his position to where he is now standing on top of the anchored bomb's "side," he glares at the heroes who are trying to regain their balance while a pair of arms extend from his shoulders, already covered with bone spurs. "SHE is here isn't she!?" he demands from you with seething rage!

Spoiler: Actions Breakdown

Show

You Guys:

• Harbinger - Null rolls a 20 for a level of bruise.
• Swift - Due to Cooper missing only your attack lands, and it is half-effect reduced to his impervious range.
• Cooper - Your attack misses
• The Human Dynamo - You healed your allies for 5 degrees. Though Dynamo probably still looks like a bruise.
• Curve - She's back on her feet! Against your attack Null rolls a 13, right on the edge for a temp. daze and bruise.

Stigma: Huh... this is strange... on what must be just coincidentally her turn the plane very suddenly makes a steep incline towards the nose!!! Aaaaaahhhh...!!!

Spoiler: For the Human Dynamo's eyes

Show

You can see that Stigma has managed to dispatch the men in the cockpit, and with a move action she forces the plane into a nosedive! You could swear that her lips mouthed the words "Please God let them survive this."

Anyways Everyone who is standing on the ground make an acrobatics check! You may make this untrained. If your result equals 15 or more you suffer no penalties.

If your result equals 10 to 14 you are hindered (on top of any movement penalties you may already be suffering from).

If your result is 5 to 9 you are immobile and vulnerable as you try to maintain your balance (but I'll be nice and say that you still avoid the sliding crates while at this point).

If your result is less than 5 then you are prone no matter your position. If you are not behind an obstacle (relative to going "Up" on the map from some time ago) you may go sliding, or flat out toppling into a fall, towards the front of the plane and will need to make a DC20 toughness check for getting hit by crates and slamming against the first thing you stop against! If you are behind an obstacle then you don't slide/fall, and instead just have to make a DC18 toughness save for the crates alone.

Null: Regenerates a bruise. Null Makes the aforementioned acrobatics save at 24, and is thus able to stand on the now angled bomb with no fear of crates. He spends his standard action as a move action to change his form once more.

Spoiler: Round 7

Show

NPC Status:
Stigma: Normal
Null: 3 Bruise, daze, fatigued

Wait... why did we agree that STIGMA should be behind the wheel of a vehicle again?

[Hyperbolic sine]

The jolt of electricty from Dynamo runs through Alistair's body, washing away the pain from the injuries and revitalising him. Just what he nedeed.

"Thy plan is doomed, Null! This madness ends today!" he utters returning his opponent's stare, unaffected by the sudden tilting of the plane, a triumphant grin on his face. Then, he floats towards the far side of the room, taking cover behind a bomb so that Null couldn't retaliate while his flesh would keep being consumed by the orb.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Move: Distance Rank 2 away from Null, in total cover.
Standard: Concentrate on Disintegrating Orb. Toughness DC 25 vs Damage.

[TekHed]

Sascha lurched forward, but fortunately the wall he was staring through caught him immediately. Extending his electrostatic aura he floated up off of it, tracking Null, and popping back out of and into his cover, taking a shot at the mastermind in the process.

He shouted at Null from the hallway.

"Your plan is going down in flames Null! It's over..."

Spoiler: Action

Show

Switch to Flight.

Move-by, All-Out+Power: (1d20+6)[10] DC 23 Toughness

[Quellian-dyrae]

Curve | Exhausted, Immobilized, Vulnerable | 0 HP | 0 Luck | Recover Used

Sara would have dearly loved to take some cover, but she was too busy just trying to stay upright to actually try to maneuver. "God blast it, Stigma," she muttered. Had they not agreed that crashing the plane was a bad idea? She really wouldn't have minded Stigma's sword in this fight.

Well, nothing to do for it. Sara braced herself for the bone shard that was undoubtedly going to be coming, and loosed another stream of shots, steady fire to distract Null from her allies while guiding one directly into his center mass. All the unsteady terrain in the world couldn't throw off her aim.

Spoiler

Show

Move: Feint Null at (1d20+12)[17], use Set Up 2 to pass the benefits to Cooper and Swift.

Standard: Guide Shot on Null. Toughness DC 23 vs. [Fire] Damage.

[The_Admiral]

Twirling both revolvers, Swift opened fire on Null, again, and again and again and even as the plane tilted, he casually changed his center of gravity, stepping on the bomb as he kept firing downwards.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

To Hit Aid for the team attack on Cooper's attack.
(1d20+13)[32]

DC +10 damage

And Ultimate Effort to Team Attack on The gravity shot as well.

(1d20+13)[32]

DC +10 damage

Fatigued next round sure but ehh

[Volthawk]

Cooper lurches forward slightly, still able to keep his balance despite it all, and trudges towards Null to swing another punch.

Spoiler

Show

Team attacking with Swift.
Attack: (1d20+6)[17]
DC 25 + TA modifier

[Nintendogeek01]

Even as the members of the Vanguard struggle with the plane's sudden shift in orientation they will NOT let up on Null! Grrrrrrrkkk...!!!" Null growls with as much pain as frustration as Harbinger continues to squeeze on Null's body with the orb of gravity, "... huack...!" Null even briefly coughs blood when Swift fires his bullets into the spot on his chest that is being pulled into his body!

"No... I WILL NEVER STOP...!!!" as the other members of the Vanguard launch their attacks Null arms extend forward to the Vanguard members! One arm and its bone blade attempt to stab at Swift multiple times but he manages to side-step the bone blades even as the older adventurer shifts his balance with the plane!

Curve's incindiary round once more bursts into flame on contact with Null, but through the burns he still manages to slash a bone blade across her thigh! Null lurched forward out of the way of Dynamo's aim while a bone blade clipped Dynamo's waist before he managed to fully pull back into cover! Cooper swings his fist at Null who unnaturally bends his body out of the way of the fist, into the path of Swift's bullets but those he completely ignored. By the time Cooper had followed through with his punch, the arm he had hit Dynamo with was coming back, resembling a flail of muscle and bone, to slam into the side of Cooper's head!

"It's over Null!" a few more bullets hit Null to no effect other than to draw his furious gaze towards the cockpit doors where Stigma is climbing out, gun in one hand and sword in the other. "I've already set this plane to go full-throttle towards the ocean! Figured you wouldn't need the fuel later anyway!"

"My quest is never over... not until I say it is! And I will never give up!" Null declares furiously as ten bony spikes protrude at angles from his body, all aimed towards the ten bombs in the area! With a cry of defiance and rage the spikes all forcibly project himself from his body with such violence as to take bits of flesh with them! Upon making contact with the bomb shells the bone spikes twirl as though they were drills and bore their way into the bomb shells, sending sparks flying until they come to a stop, at which point the pieces of flesh and skin the spikes took with them seem to liquefy and ooze their way down the spikes and into the newly created holes in the bomb shells!

"Fine! Well-played... thanks to our lost altitude I no longer have the means to create a global breakout, but the pieces of myself I just launched into the bombs will manually activate them, and create a smaller breakout here!" he declares as all of you see the faintest of glowing lights begin to emit from the newly created holes in the shells, "You had all best hope that humanity survives now that I can't stop it from destroying itself within the next five to ten years... thanks to your actions it will take me years to assemble the army needed to reach the Deep Beyond... but I WILL BRING HUMANITY TO THE IMAGERIA AND IT'S DEEPEST SECRETS!!!"

"Not if you don't escape this plane," Stigma threatened. She looks to all of you, "Get ready to evac! But remember that NULL DOES NOT LEAVE THIS PLANE!!!"

Spoiler: Actions Breakdown

Show

You Guys:

• Harbinger - Null rolls a 20 again for a level of bruise... but Swift's supporting team attack bumps that up to a bruise and daze instead! You are correct that he could not retaliate without accurately sensing you.
• Swift - You successfully support Harbinger but due to Cooper missing only your attack lands on your second go, and it is half-effect reduced to his impervious range. Null misses both counter-attacks.
• The Human Dynamo - Your attack check missed, I believe we've already determined what happened on his counter-attack.
• Curve - Null gets a bruise against your attack at 21, and we've already determined what happened with you due to the counter-attack.
• Cooper - Your attack misses. Null hits you at 18 so Cooper needs to make a DC25 toughness save

Stigma: Emerges from the cockpit and shoots at Null... the shot hits but it doesn't really do anything other than confirm to Null that yes, the person he despises above all else is indeed on this plane.

If you plan on moving from your spot, you'll need to make acrobatics checks with the same DC's as last time. If you're not moving from your spot, well then you don't need to worry about it. Additionally since crates aren't falling on you anymore the worst toughness save you'll need to make if, and only if, you fail an acrobatics check THAT badly is a mere DC18.

Null: Regenerates a bruise. Null spends his standard action to plot stunt his way to trying to salvage his plan! Since not getting off this plane is now doubly-likely to kill you, everyone gets 1 hero point!

Spoiler: Round 8

Show

NPC Status:
Stigma: Normal
Null: 4 Bruise, daze, fatigued

Okay, no smart-ass comment to close out this round this time guys; looking out the windows any of you guys can tell that this plane is going to hit water by the end of round 10. The clock is ticking!

[The_Admiral]

"Good, Alistair! Get us the hell outta here!" Swift shouts as he sidesteps the last crate.

[Quellian-dyrae]

Curve | Exhausted | 0 HP | 0 Luck | Recover Used

Sara found her footing, cursing and providing suppressing fire to give Quinn a chance to evac them.

Spoiler

Show

Move: Dazed.

Standard: Use Covering Shots as an Aid action for Cooper (-2 for Exhausted, +5 for Teamwork) at (1d20+15)[20]. If the attack roll beats DC 16, as many allies as she can fit into 30' get a Deflect at 1d10+1816, minus the points rolled below 22. +5 to Cooper's next attack, allies Defended at 1d10+1614

[TekHed]

The plane was going down. This was it, no more time. The urgency of their circumstance allowed Sascha to push himself past any point he had ever known. By all rights he should be unconscious yet still he would not go down.

Moving out of cover, it seemed he would not be able to lift his pistol, but as he floated into Curve's deflection field his muscles finally snapped to obedience, letting off a blast of lightning into Null's chest from as near point blank as he could. On his face he wore a smug smile, his eyes laughing at Null's failure even as he passed out from his exertions.

Spoiler: Actions

Show

Extra Efforting for another standard action and trading his dazed-standard for the move.

I should be at full defenses now, so I'll trade them for all-out and power attack (maximum): (1d20+6)[8] DC 23 or aid another if that is allowed for the team attack.

Assuming I hit I'll use the Hero Point to stave off unconsciousness. If I miss then use Hero point to reroll: [1d20+6[/roll]

Being kind of cocky and not using move-by to get back into cover. Staying in Deflection field though.

[Hyperbolic sine]

Harbinger pondered how to get everyone of the plane. Opening a wormhole the way he usually did was out of the question - Null would have likely be able to pass through it before it closed. Then what?

Ah, but of course. Opening several, smaller, wormholes directly under the feet of every memeber of the team, that would immediately close. He managed to conjure a disintegrating orb, surely he could do as much.

Dispelling the sphere that was consuming Null's flesh, Alistair takes a deep breath, gathers his power, and shunts the Vanguard away from the crashing plane, towards dry land.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Extra Effort: Stunt Teleport 4 (Accurate, Affects Others, Burst Area 3, Change Velocity, Limited to Extended, Selective) - 33 pts
Movex2: Teleport everyone away.

(Spending a Hero Point next turn to negate fatigue).

Also, I don't know if that's enough to bring us to dry land...if it isn't, well, Alistair flies .

[Nintendogeek01]

"This will never be over until I say it is over..." Null says to all of you as his arms grow multiple bone spikes, he stares venomously at Stigma, "NEVER...!!!" Null's arms extend from him towards Stigma at incredible speed, but then very suddenly, Stigma simply drops, as do the rest of you. Whatever support you're leaning against or standing on you find yourself falling into it, Dynamo too falls into a hole in space as he falls through the air, and all of you simply vanish through small holes in space.

As you instinctively look back up through those holes in space you just fell through you can still see the plane as though looking through a window in a distorted frame, and you see a furious Null scream in rage just before a neon flash of light washes out the room, just as the portals pop closed.

UMPH!

Everyone lands on solid ground from a few feet up. Some of you too tired to really move, others aching all over as the adrenaline dies down, and you look over to find a goat staring at the unconscious Human Dynamo before it proceeds to lick him repeatedly, until Dynamo wakes up with a face full of goat saliva.

"You made eet!" Alain's voice calls your attention over to the frenchman, making his way towards you with Ren moving behind him to keep up. "Are you alright? What 'appened wiz Null?"

A very distant popping or bursting sound draws everyone's attention to the horizon, where for a moment everyone can see almost a pillar of aurora lights that seems to spread out before dissipating quickly, long before it can spread significantly.

"That..." April responded, pointing in the direction of those lights just before they faded, "That is what happened," she finished as an answer before taking a deep sigh of relief.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Now that I've had time to wake up I realized it would be banal of me to wait on Hyperbolic to change the wording of his stunt to reflect what it should say. Just remember the distinction between affects others and other modifiers in the future and it's all good.

So guys, role-play time!

[TekHed]

"...ngh...wha, April...what are you doing? No not here, Alain is watching... GAH!"

Sascha bolted upright sputtering with goat-spit.

"Get out of here ya beast!" he swatted it away.

"Did we win? Oh my..." he gaped as he saw the brilliant beam in the distance.

"I think we won..."

[The_Admiral]

"He's, resting in pieces," Swift answered Alain as he struggled to his feet with an exhausted chuckle.

Spoiler: Compulsary for terrible pun.

Show

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YMPAH67f4o

[Quellian-dyrae]

Sara stared at the pillar of energy until it faded. She was quiet. There wasn't any sign of celebration in her face or stance.

But she wasn't going to detract from the others' by venting her anger. The only sign of it, as she turned back to the group, was a cool glare cast Stigma's way along with the barest hint of a shake of her head, though she quickly schooled her face to professional neutrality. "What's next?" she asked the team at large.

...

The tiniest hint of a smirk flashed across her lips as she added, "Somebody please say nap time."

[Hyperbolic sine]

They did it. They won. No more Null, no more mind-controlled Parahuman army. Indeed, no more new Parahumans...or so Alistair'd like to think, since it's clear "naturals" will keep being born, just like them - but that's a problem to addressed at another time. Now it was time to celebrate and rest, and not necessarily in that order.

"I would not recommend napping here, lest thou suffer Dynamo's fate." he replies to Sarah, before turning to Swift ad preparing to open yet another wormhole. "I imagine thou art not opposed to me bringing everyone back on the Red Cloud? I reckon she has very comfortable couches."

[The_Admiral]

"I have no issues, and I believe there are still a few bottles left in my bar." he replies as he looks like he feels, old, tired, and worn out.

[Volthawk]

Cooper, shrunken back to human size after the fight, still stands looking at where the crash and the lights were seen. "Don't expect him to be gone. His resilience and adaptability is rather impressive, and who knows what those Imageria breaches will cause. Both for him and for the world at large." He pauses, turning to look at the rest before shrugging before his attention seems to be taken by the arm of his suit. "But yes. Rest now is good. This suit is falling apart by now."

[Nintendogeek01]

"I'll see if I can't arrange for someone to check the wreckage location," April tells everyone as she helps the Human Dynamo to his feet, "If I can remember the name of that American swimming Parahuman that is... eh I'll check when we get back shouldn't be a problem," she muttered. April looked at Alain, and then at Ren before managing to lock them both in a really tight hug.

"Whoa whoa 'ey! Mozer not in front of everyone!"" Alain protests, though he still returns the hug, though maybe not with the same enthusiasm as his little Japanese brother.

"We just fought one of the most dangerous men on the planet, I have every right to give my baby boys a hug dammit!" April argued back, barely fighting back the tears. Nonetheless she released the two of them eventually and looked to everyone else. "And you guys... you should all be proud, Null may well have won without you having been there, and getting out alive on top of it is even more impressive. Well done, and thank you. I don't know better words to say than that," she said with a warm smile. "What comes next is hard to say while we're stuck here so... Quinn, let's get back for a round of drinks." April tells the gravity man with a demeanor lighter than it's been in months.

A battle behind them, another victory under their belts, and the future ahead, and only time will tell what awaits our heroes. But for now they have a victory that needs celebrating, a toast to the tomorrow they have rightly earned!

Epilogue:

Debriefing the Last Mission - In the aftermath of the Vanguard's assault on Null's HQ, Allied-aligned aquatic Parahuman known as the Mermaid managed to locate and inspect the wreckage of Null's massive plane. She returned with Null's lifeless body. Cautioned on his regenerative capabilities his remains were incinerated. Madame Blitz, Roter Adler, and Schlasbringer managed to escape custody two weeks after their imprisonment.

• Madame Blitz - By the end of the war Madame Blitz was captured and put on trial for war crimes. She was found not-guilty and released. What happened to her afterwards is unknown, she presumably went on to lead a quiet life.
• Roter Adler - Recaptured alongside Madame Blitz, Roter Adler was put on trial for war crimes; eventually being sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison. A sentence he never escaped from; by all accounts execution would've been preferable for the former airman, rather than spending his days longing for the freedom of the skies he once knew.
• Schlasbringer - Schlasbringer perished during an Allied Raid on a hidden laboratory of his where his latest concoctions were being tested, stopping the madman just before the chemicals were ready to be unleashed as a devastating new weapon against the Allies and the one man he considered his true enemy: David Cooper.

World War II - Many more battles, both Parahuman and non, would continue for the next few years.

• The March on Russia - Among the notable battles was the German march on Russia, where Ubermensch and Soviet Hero, The Proletariat, would clash many times to a draw before Ubermensch had to cover the retreat of the freezing German forces.
• The Battle of Berlin - Ubermensch finally met his end when he clashed with the American superhero The Patriot. At first Ubermensch held the advantage but as the fight dragged on he was eventually overpowered by The Patriot, who struck him a fatal blow that sent him crashing into the streets below.
• The War with Japan - Null turned out to not be completely wrong about his prediction that humanity could very well doom itself; America hit Hiroshima with the most devastating bomb ever seen in history, The Atomic Bomb - delivering a devastating blast far beyond the capability of even a Parahuman. Eventually Nagisaki suffered the same fate. Fortunately Japan surrendered before they suffered more from the devastation. Though what this meant for the future, few knew, and few dared guess the implications.

Parahumanity - In the aftermath of the war the world was, for the most part, grateful to Parahumans for their contributions to the war. Most free nations allowed Parahumans full citizenship, and those that wished to use their powers to uphold the law and fight back against less well-meaning Parahumans were allowed to organize. So long as they reported to their government and obeyed certain codes of conduct they were allowed a surprising degree of autonomy. There are those who voice concerns about allowing them such autonomy, though for now they have not gained enough voice to drown out the supporters of the Parahuman... for now...

Alain - Alain continued to fight against the Axis powers for the duration of the war, though he spent less and less time on the front lines as the war went on, probably due to how unnervingly excited he could get at the prospect of killing Nazis, still the time away from the front-lines was good for him and he, for the most part, let go of his hatred of Germany after the war. Alain went off to who-knows-where in the world after the war was over and, unfortunately for Alistair, Evelyn disappeared at the same time. She returned a few years later, sad at her parting with Alain but never regretting a second of her time spent with him nor the parting after.

April - Shortly after confirming Null's death, April disappeared while on leave, Ren gone with her. Occasional reports make mention of a woman matching her description heading East, but no one was able to find her after those reports surfaced, as though she would just vanish. Still the Vanguard continued without her, and the Allied Forces never committed resources to finding her. But those of you in the Vanguard, the only ones besides her family who knows of her immortality, know that she is out there somewhere. Will you ever see her again? You never know...

The Vanguard - The mission against Null would not be the last adventure they would have, but those are amazing tales to be told another day.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Okay guys, give your character's closing statements, and then give us an epilogue for your character a summary of what they did in the closing years of the war and what followed for them a few years after the war.

[The_Admiral]

Kyoto; Imperial Palace; August 14 1945 20:00 Local Time
James takes a running leap out of his airship, the custom cables in his new zip line system slowed his descent to a reasonable speed as he soared into the emperor's palace, just in time it seemed as he is jerked backwards, a Zero fighter shooting up the Cloud. He detaches the cables, landing in a roll as his beloved airship slowly fell to the ground.

Glancing to his right, he draws his handgun filling an assailant with lead. Holstering his revolver, he draws his shotgun pumping it as he rushed through the compound taking down soldier after soldier. Glancing behind a paper screen he fires at a silhouette, kicking it down afterwards. Smiling awkwardly at the emperor's family as he stood over the body of a dead soldier, he says in broken Japanese. "Hello, I'm here to help." as he casually shoots down another charging soldier as he holsters his firearms, extending an arm to the man.

There was a name added to the register of Shizoku which only lasted two years when the title itself was abolished, Swift.

Shimane Prefecture; prefectural office; August 24 1945 7:00 Local Time
He sighed as he stared down the lunatic dressed like the samurai of old, even wielding a katana, Swift responded by picking up a shovel, and gesturing to the lunatic to come at him.

The 'duel' was long and arduous as Swift parried and struck blow after blow, finally ending when he disarmed the self proclaimed Blade Of The Rising Sun. The rest of the lunatics stood down before more damage could be done.

Months later communist propaganda in the region show a man with a shovel standing over a samurai, apparently a symbol of the common worker overcoming the oppressive nobility.

Cambodia; Siam Reap; September 7 1945 6:00 Local Time
He stood in the middle of the temple complex as shadows flitted around him, he frowned as he went for revolvers that were not there. Flashes of lights were reported by locals just before dawn.

Swift walked out of the temple as the sun rose, wiser and knowing slightly more about his past and true nature. He still refuses to speak about what happened in that temple, and what he learned.

There's a chamber in the temple complex heavily damage not by age and weather, but by nothing known to science.

China; Mount Tai; January 8 1945 8:30 Local Time
Swift crouched as he faced the assassins' leader, stolen blade in his hands, bodies scattering the complex, he had run out of ammo hours ago, exhausted and injured he pressed on, steel meeting steel as he fought as his predecessor did all those centuries ago.

Two days later, a heavily injured kwai loh was found limping through the snow by a nearby village. He asked for shelter in haltering mandarin, helping the villagers as he could even while recovering, leaving as winter ended, nobody ever learn't his name.

[Quellian-dyrae]

Spoiler: OOC

Show

So, after some deliberation, Volt and I came to the conclusion that the best course of action was, in fact, to leave Sara and Cooper's epilogues entirely independent of each other, so that the Wedding With No Explanation continues to have No Explanation. Because it's funnier that way. (And also offers us a bit more freedom for our epilogues, I suppose).

Sara would continue fighting throughout the rest of the war.

Part of her wasn't sure she wanted to, wasn't sure she wanted to dedicate more of her life to violence. She had to put a lot of thought into it. At the end of the day, what it came down to was...Paul had come to Europe because he believed this was a battle worth fighting, a cause worth fighting for. She had been so obsessed with avenging him, with killing the man who had killed him, but the truth was...that wasn't what Paul would have wanted. The death of a single super-soldier, of the man who just happened to fire the bullet that had taken her brother from her, was no righteous cause, was nothing more than vengeance for its own sake.

But...thwarting Null's mad plan? Stopping the Nazis? Freeing the people who were held in concentration camps?

That was a Legacy that her brother could be proud of.

* * * * *

After the war, Sara returned home to the life she had left in tatters in her quest for vengeance. She reconnected with her parents, with the friends she left behind, although of course she kept in touch with the members of her old unit, and her fellows in the Vanguard as best as circumstance would allow her to.

She spent a few years trying to do her old job in sales, but...she'd be honest, it was painfully boring. As parahumans became wider known and more publically visible, she began dedicating more and more of her time for lobbying for various parahuman-related causes and groups, doing what she could to help people like her find their place in the world - and helping the world to deal with them.

Sara never, herself, took up crime fighting - although this is not to say she never again raised her guns in a good cause. But she was a soldier at heart, and the idea of using her powers to fight crime just seemed...excessive. You don't send in the military to deal with criminals, that's what police are for. Oh, she lobbied for laws and regulations designed to help those who wanted to do it operate autonomously while still not being entirely beyond oversight, but she couldn't help but wear the occasional smirk as she did it.

She imagined the Vanguard...her deadly, telekinetically-guided shots. Quinn's powerful, flexible command over gravity. Cooper's growth and superhuman strength. Sascha's devastating electrical powers. And Swift, a soldier skilled enough to keep up with all of them despite an utter lack of powers. Turning their amazing abilities to stopping muggers and bank robbers of all things.

She couldn't help but find the entire idea ludicrous. But there were some people out there who wanted to use their abilities for just that.

And you know, if it made the world a better place? Why shouldn't they.

World War II was over. The Axis had been defeated. But that didn't mean that evil did not exist. That didn't mean that there weren't wrongs out there for those with sufficient power to right.

Perhaps the world didn't need its parahumans to be super soldiers.

Perhaps now, they could be super heroes.

[TekHed]

The Vanguard would see the war through to the end, and Sascha fought valiantly a for the next 5 years. When footage aired of the first bomb hitting Hiroshima, he couldn't help but whisper in awe and horror "Null was right."

After the war he returned him to New York. Old Nik, equally horrified at the atomic bomb, ceased working on his death ray designs for the government, canceling his military contracts. He was able to continue his work at Wardenclyff Tower thanks in part to private sector communications contracts. In 1946 Tesla revolutionized the world when he introduced ENIAC, the worlds first computer, and again in 1950 when he introduced cellular telephones, briefcase sized devices linked to local transmission towers which soon popped up across the nation. He was 93 years old at the time.

As for Sascha, the electrical strongman always was more showman than scientist, and with the help of a shrewd agent, started going by Alexander and released a book about his experiences in the war. The Vanguard was an embellished biopic, though it omitted many classified details, including any mention of April or the Imageria. As for the former, he rarely talked about her even with the other members of the Vanguard, but deep down he took her leaving pretty hard. He covered up his grief by immersing himself in the celebrity lifestyle, dating several Hollywood actresses. His fame and strongman good looks lead to motion picture deals, including a movie based on the book in which he played himself. His breakout was the lead role in Samson and Delilah, the highest grossing film of 1949 alongside Hedy Lamarr whom he dated casually from 1948-1950. He was predictably terrible as an actor, though that didn't matter as much back then, but he worked in the industry for eight years, his final film the 1955 hit The King of Olympus in which he played Zeus in brilliant technicolor. When the Vietnam war broke out, he was hungry for a return to action, rejoining the Vanguard when called upon until 1958 when an aging Tesla bade him return to Wardenclyff.

When he arrived, Alexander found Old Nik, now truly ancient at 101 years of age stalking about his lab with a manic vigor uncanny for his years. The scientist went on to explain that Sascha's own abilities and the revelations of the Imageria had opened up new vistas and possibilities. He had applied his ideas to the wireless intercontinental transmissions for voice and images, next was matter itself. The experiment was small scale, and would send Alexander 100 feet across the room to a waiting receiving chamber. The test failed to do anything the first time. Tragedy struck however as Tesla was making adjustments inside the transmitting chamber. At his request Sacha (Old Nik always used his Serbian name) activated a circuit on the control panel. Suddenly the machine sprang to life, and Nikolai Tesla was struck by an arc of electricity, vaporizing into thin air. To Alexander's knowledge he never materialized and was pronounced dead shortly thereafter. To Alexander's surprised Tesla had named him sole heir, leaving him Wardenclyff and ownership over all of his patents. Unable to decipher or do much with the latter, Alexander sold many of the less dangerous ones off to the government or private companies, and moved most of Wardenclyff's contraptions into permanent storage before the place burned to the ground in 1959.

In the new decade, with a resurgence of interest in Parahumans and "superheroes", Sascha returned to the costumed life. With the help of a brilliant marketing man at SCDP, he changed his persona to Dynaman, his earlier moniker being deemed quaint in these modern times. Changing out his strongman leotard for sleek jumpsuit, and donating his now vestigial Zeus canon to the Smithsonian, at the age of 45 as a hero reborn!

[Volthawk]

Naturally, Cooper kept fighting until the end of the war. It was only his duty, after all, although he took less and less of a fighting role as the enemy's Parahuman presence dwindled. He took the news of Schlasbringer's death and grudge with a small amount of surprise - he didn't reciprocate the grudge, anyway, although he took the opportunity to examine Schlasbringer's work with earnest. The atomic bomb was far more of an interesting topic. Of course, such a weapon was extremely horrific and dangerous, to be kept to a minimum, but the raw power available to normal humans was interesting in the context of the surge of Parahumanity. Asides from the more mundane politics, which interested him very little, the skew such a weapon could show on the Parahuman argument interested him.

After the war, Cooper returned to his work before joining the Vanguard, immersing himself in research of Parahumanity, working directly with the government but also assisting the world as a whole - after all, the issue of Parahumans was a global issue. Naturally, given his distaste for extended communication in general and towards many members of the scientific community and high society, he did very little speaking on the issue, except for when necessary - Isiah helped here, as well as helping to translate David's work into a form that made sense and was understandable by people other than himself (occasionally David somewhat missed Mercer - sure he was not a good person, but the man had an interesting understanding of his work). Because of all this, he didn't have too much direct impact on the legal issues surrounding Parahumans, merely gathering the data required for classification and trying to put as objective a look on things as he could. If personally pushed, his attitude was always that, in spite of the opinions of those such as Null, Parahumanity should be embraced, and the potential fully explored.

He still ended up doing the odd bit of direct physical work here and there, assisting in Parahuman issues where his expertise and perhaps even raw power was needed - this came up often in the early days when post-war Europe was still figuring out what to do with Parahumans, but in more recent days he hasn't been as needed. This suits him fine - more time to do what he loves, then. Frustratingly, even after years of work, Cooper has still never reached the point he wanted to with his work - fully understanding and unlocking the secrets of Parahumanity, with all the possibilities that entailed. The Imageria was the main stumbling block, Cooper's understanding of that magical world never quite being enough, compounded with an annoying lack of access. Nonetheless, he still managed to gather a fair amount of wealth and influence - even if he rarely used either, those with claim could still make good use of them.