Reassembly II: Creatures of Light and Darkseid (M&M 3e)

[Quellian-dyrae]

The thing that always had to be remembered about Shared Awareness is that it wasn't telepathy.

It was divination magic, a sharing of thought and knowledge. That's what made it all but impossible to detect. There was no mental bond, no psychic link, through which thoughts could stream. It was just, what one mind shared, the others could receive, pure information, known the way you know what a car is when you look at it, the way you know what a word means when you hear it.

Now, the sharing itself couldn't be detected, but Katie had no reason to believe that the information itself couldn't. So when she learned through the link that Howard felt Desaad was reading his mind, she rapidly concocted a plan to exploit it.

~Zach,~ she sent, to him alone, ~Think to Howard something like, 'Okay, good, just as expect- oh crap he's hearing this!' and then squelch the thought. But do it kinda as much in Howard's 'voice' as you can, if that makes sense.~ That would have been a tall order for most people, to mentally mimic the sound of someone's thoughts, but the nature of Shared Awareness should help smooth it over and this was Zach flipping Watson. If anyone could do it, he could!

Spoiler

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Routine Team Check with Zach (fluffed as making the suggestion of what to do and/or the advantage provided by the subtle nature of Shared Awareness), and he still has the Deception buff.

What I'm figuring here is for Zach to try to Trick Desaad into believing that this is what Howard is expecting and planning for, and he probably has a counterstroke prepared. Doing it like this makes it seem more like a slip, which should hopefully make it more credible. And I figure since Desaad's reading Howard he'll probably notice that Howard knows he's reading his mind soon enough anyway. Fortunately, Shared Awareness is Rapid 2, which should offer us the advantage there.

[Thokk_Smash]

Partway through Godfrey's self-glorifying rant, Zach had grabbed his soda from the table. The end of the Glorious Goofball's rant is met with the sound of Zach slurping out the last of his [insert whichever brand wants it the most here].

"Ah, nothing washes out the taste of mediocrity like [insert previous brand here]," Zach says, seeming not to have even noticed the content of Godfrey's raving rant. "Look, Godfrey, I appreciate the effort here, really. And we're flattered we'd be the first you came to talk to. It's just...we'll have to go in another direction. It's not us, it's you. Don't call us, we'll kick your a** later."

With all the subtextual undertones of dumping an unsatisfying lover, Zach meanders over to his seat and slumps into it with all the art of a runway model. He proceeds to pay the trio no mind, as Howard lays out his thoughts to them. Of course, Zach is very, very good at pretending not to listen in when he's absolutely listening in.

"Talk like Howie? I can give it a shot," Zach thinks to Katie only. She can hear him mutter in their shared headspace, "Mimimimi, fa-so-la, smoke and a @#$%^&*pancake, okay, let's try this."

Although he outwardly seems wholly unobservant, Zach carefully projects his thoughts into Howard's mind, like so: ~"These Apokaschmucks ain't half as smart as they @#$%^&* think they are. Jus' as I thou--waugh! Get outta my @#$%^&* head, ya @#$%^&* freak!"~ And with that, Zach slams the lid on his thought process so hard he thinks his brain hurts. Or maybe that's just from him using it so much. Either one, really.

Spoiler

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Deception to Trick Desaad a la what QD suggested: (1d20+20)[36], +5 Team Check hopefully

[Starsign]

Rene for awhile had been going with the, "ignore them and they'll ignore you" strategy which Katie had proposed. In reality Rene would've preferred avoiding a fight with Godfrey and his two crooks even if it would have no bearing on the trial; this was supposed to be Rene's day to relax after living with a nightmare of a superhero team. He'd just sit down, chat with friends, eat pizza, and anyone who made threats would simply be ignored.

Then Katie made her little recording and everything began falling apart.

Not that Rene feels like leaving rather than joining his allies in effectively jumping off a cliff but why the **** are they all taunting Darkseid's minions?! At this point it doesn't really seem like it'd matter who would start a fight; the pressing concern is how bad it'd be for everyone during it. They're taunting these minions in the middle of a city. If the news Rene read about heroes way back is correct, superpowers tend to cause a lot of property damage. Even if none of the Misfits are exactly capable of smashing cities the way that the Hulk can, any one of them could likely topple over buildings, accidentally injure people, and cause all sorts of harm that should be avoided.

Oh, and Go-Getters would likely be obliterated. That's a bit of a problem.

Rather than joining in on a conversation he can't help with, Rene pauses his eating to observe the walls, floor and ceiling of Go-Getters' interiors. It's... lacking, to say the least. The Builder has made homes which are more adequate than this. The place may as well be made out of cardboard and considering it's right down in Suicide Slums, it's probably got no better reason not to. A simple wave of a blade could knock the wooden ceiling under the whole group. Even Rene could get this place touched up with a little work... And that is why it's sometimes good to be The Builder.

Rather than not intrude, Rene gives a simple wave of his hand towards the Misfits and the other heroes before making his leave of the table. His hunched-over walk speed is particularly casual, acting as if there's no problem rather than trying to move in a hurry. Given the slums, exiting the doors of Go-Getters provides no better comfort than being in it. Rene never gave it much thought but now he wonders whether Suicide Slums is actually worse than those in Gotham City.

The reptilian humanoid isn't gone for long as he finds the tools he needs right around in the slums. Quickly he is found coming back to the front doors of Go-Getters with a human-sized hammer and a lot of loose, crooked nails in his two reptilian claws as his wide, scaly arms carry a lot of wooden planks. What a waste of materials, Rene thinks to himself as he places the planks down on the dirty stone ground. Guess that gives me something to do with them anyway.

He lets himself ignore whatever mess all the heroes and villains are going on about as he takes a moment to focus. In an instant his mind observes every bit of the walls, floor and ceiling of Go-Getters as his knowledge and logic on construction take over. Replacing those with wood will provide a degree of sturdiness in the interior, however minimal it may be. All he heard next was a simple voice in his mind...

Don't hold back

...And off he was like a large green streak, repairing Go-Getters with skill and speed.

Spoiler: OOC

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Rene's making some pretty poor assumptions here but he lacks telekinetic communication at the moment. He'll be spending this portion effectively "fortifying" Go-Getters with better wood and wooden planks, at least so it looks a little better and is a bit sturdier. If knowledge (architecture) applies at all, Rene will take 10 for 22 if it improves the end result.

[TheIronGolem]

Spider-Man's opinion of Thunderstruck has drastically improved in the last couple of minutes. Partly because the musician had been an especially gracious winner of their impromptu eating contest (more so, Jimmy has to admit, than he himself would have been). But he also seemed to instinctively grasp what Jimmy had been trying to accomplish with his lawyer jokes, and built on it by humiliating Godfrey into revealing information.

That would be invaluable for getting more help from the legal end. But, Jimmy remembers, the heroes also have a planet to unite here. And as a journalist, Jimmy understands that as ill-advised as it was, Godfrey's rant isn't going to accomplish that. Words are easy to ignore, easy to dismiss or rationalize away. They didn't mean it literally, people will say. They were exaggerating for effect. Just rhetoric. Nothing to really worry about.

For the the world to sit up and take notice, for the bulk of the people to be convinced that there's a problem here that everyone needs to acknowledge and band together to solve? For that, sometimes they need to see something happen. Something obvious and unmistakable.

Spider-Man takes notice of what everyone else is doing.

Ronin seems to be try to bait Granny into a duel. That could be useful, since she seems to be keeping Godfrey from doing any more damage to their cause.

Thunderstruck is working Godfrey's last nerve. Good, keep it up.

That leaves Desaad. Whom Spider-Man had already been antagonizing. And who, according to Howard, was Darkseid's lawyer? No wonder Perry gets so crabby about anything that might even look like libel if you squint, because apparently even invincible space gods need lawyers.

So what if Darkseid didn't have one anymore?

~Sarah's mostly right~ says Spider-Man over Shared Awareness. ~We don't want a fight here. So whatever happens next, even if I really need it, don't help me. Katie, that goes double for you. But do keep that camera rolling.~

~And Howard,~ he continues, ~You've dealt with Desaad before, right? Got any suggestions for what buttons I can push?~

While awaiting an answer, Spider-Man decides to go ahead and get started (or rather, to keep up what he'd already started). He decides to open with one of his more annoying signature moves. While Desaad is looking away from him and talking at Godfrey, he appears behind Desaad, hanging upside down from a web-line, and taps Desaad on the shoulder. He calls that one "the reverse Batman".

"Gnat? C'mon now, that's not even accurate. See?" He makes a big show of presenting the big white emblem on his torso like Vanna White showing off a sports car. "Spider. Totally different thing."

"But you know what, Gandalf? That's kinda beside the point. Here's what's I think you're really missing: Why you? I mean seriously, if we're such insignificant little worms who can never stand before the awesome might of blah blah blah, then what does it say that Darkseid not only chose you to deal with us, but also decided that it was going to take three of you to do it? What are you, the kids from Nightmare Before Christmas?

And I bet you think that you're the leader here, but are you really? 'Cause from this end, it looks like Granny's the one that can keep Jabberjaw there from incriminating your boss for more than two seconds. Isn't that the lawyer version of being able to get dressed by yourself?

Think about it. He's Darkseid. If he cared that much about this little errand, there's all kinds of big-leaguers he could recruit to do it for him. Sinestro, maybe, or Adam Warlock on one of his more evil days. But he sent you, because the job wasn't important enough to send someone who matters.

See, I think that's the real reason you're here. It's not even busywork, it's more like garbage disposal. Did you screw up recently? I betcha did. And this is the result. Your master's throwing you nimrods at something you can't handle, and laughing at you because you think you're his heralds or whatever."

The webslinger drops down to his feet and leans in close to Desaad, almost nose-to-nose. He knows what's about to happen, because his Spider-Sense is screaming bloody murder at him.

"Understand?" he says. "You're a joke to him."

On the plus side, Howard will probably like this...

Spoiler

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In case it isn't obvious, Spidey is trying to goad Desaad into attacking him. I'm not sure if there's a specific action for this, but I'm assuming it's a Deception check (on which I will spend a Hero Point):

Deception: (1d10+18)[22]

If Desaad (or for that matter, Godfrey or Granny) attack, Spider-Man will voluntarily be Defenseless against the attack. The goal is to bait Desaad into attempted murder of a hero on-camera.

[SuperCracker]

Ronin

He couldn’t goad her into leaving, and Zach and Jimmy are both continuing to antagonize these three. Ronin felt like a fight was going to break out whether they wanted it to or not… and at this rate, it was going to break out in the middle of Metropolis. People, possibly a lot of them, were going to die in the midst of a big super-powered slugfest. Unacceptable.

While everyone was speaking and insulting, Fred clenched his fists and furrowed his brow. In an explosion of light and sound, he channeled the might of the Phoenix Force into his fae magic and.. well… used the power of make believe to let out his inner otaku. No, I’m not kidding… that’s really how this works. With big, spiky gold hair and a corona of golden light, Frederick Allen Broll had literally gone Super Saiyan.

Normally this was a precursor to an attack, but in this case… he needed a speed boost. A big one. The glow around him grew brighter and bigger as he charged up enough power to replicate even a tenth of the abilities of someone like the Flash. Then he vanished, a gust of wind sending paper plates and parmesan shakers flying. The workers in Go-Getters were suddenly just gone.

A golden, super-speed samurai came zipping through that area of the city, moving through every room of every floor or every building. Sidewalks were cleared as if by a vacuum cleaner, inhabited vehicles were lifted and moved away. Everyone, absolutely everyone was evacuated from the area around Go-Getters in the span of mere moments.

Just as quickly as he vanished, Ronin appeared again within the Pizza Parlor, breathing heavily but being very satisfied with himself.

~Everyone’s been evacuated. Everyone.~

Spoiler

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Transform! Then power stunt off of SSJ to get Quickness 10, Enhanced Air-Running 10. More than enough to clear a wide area, per chatpad discussion. Ronin is fatigued.

[herodofcows]

Godfrey's face settles into a smirky grimace (or a grimacy smirk) of some sort. As smirks go, it's not bad. The casual observer might be hard-pressed to tell whether it's a Lord-What-Fools-These-Mortals-Be grin or a Crap-He's-Rumbled-Our-Plan grin.

However, Howard is far from a "casual observer". People are usually too caught up in "lol a duck" to realize that Howard's street-smart enough to be able to ace the street-GREs with a minimum of prep time. If Howard is bird-brained, then birds could probably give Sherlock Holmes (or that #&@#*$% Detective Chimp) a run for their money.

So when Howard sees Godfrey sweating, you can bet dollars to donuts (which is a sucker bet, since donuts are delicious) that Godfrey doesn't have the cards he claims to have.

"Foolish fowl! Know, you mortals, that Darkseid's wisdom and foresight is second to none! His every choice is carefully-"

As Godfrey launches into a new grandiose speech, the world seems to shiver and shift around him. It's a minor effect and nobody's Spider Sense (tm) goes off, but it's certainly present: it's as though the world is a TV show and the cameras are subtly focusing on him and only him. Slightly distracting, to be sure . . .

ZOOM. ZOOM.

. . . but such distractions can pay dividends for both sides.

Godfrey's droning provides rhetorical cover as the Builder and Ronin zoom out to ready the field of battle.

The darker reptilian blur focuses on Go-Getters and the buildings immediately surrounding them, repurposing the scrap and excess building materials for buttressing and reinforcing crumbling architecture. Yes, the Builder does more for Suicide Slums' infrastructure in less than a second than the last three mayors have done in the last decade.

For his part, Ronin focuses on the people. Pedestrians, motorists, commuters, proprietors, tenants, loiterers and ne'er-do-wells . . . all find themselves transported well beyond a six-block radius away from the notorious pizzeria. A fiery streak is all that registers, as gaping civilians find themselves several hundred feet from their previous location. Luckily, they're Metropolitans: this is Tuesday for them.

Godfrey does not seem to notice the brief speedy interlude. Granny Goodness . . . well, she seems content to sit passively for now and grin with a feral cast to her features. Desaad, though . . .

A spasm of annoyance crosses his face as Thunderstruck (in the guise of Howard) cusses him out and makes a big show of shutting him out. He looks ready to speak up again, possibly to interrupt Godfrey . . .

. . . and then Spidey takes the floor.

Godfrey ceases blathering. Granny Goodness ***** an eyebrow. Desaad listens, expression granite-hard . . .

ZZZZAT

Tendrils of black and red energy spring from Desaad's outstretched hand and envelop the wall-crawler. The symbiote ripples and shrieks again, and Spider Man feels as though white-hot barbed wire is settling into his flesh . . .

"Mmmmmm, mmm mmm mmmmmm," hums Desaad, eyes ablaze and tone spiked, "We have tolerated your mmmmmdisrespect sufficiently, mmmm mmm mmm."

Granny Goodness barks out a laugh and swings her axe into a ready position. Godfrey's grin blossoms into a full-on leer.

"DeLIGHTful . . ."

[Quellian-dyrae]

So, you know, maybe Katie could have been more prepared. She could have moved closer, or moved so she'd have an unobstructed path, or summoned up her Flying Hand in case swift movement was required. But she hadn't, because well...

There was no way they were actually going to attack them.

Katie had kinda kept quiet during the telepathic discussion of whether or not to provoke a fight. And yes, in part that was because she was kinda unsure whether or not it would be the smart move. On the one hand, she always preferred nonviolent resolutions to conflict where possible, this was a populated area, and these three were probably some of Darkseid's most powerful minions and even with backup it would be a tough fight. Also, Go Getters must live. On the other hand, realistically they were probably going to wind up having to face these three anyway at some point, and there was no guarantee that that eventual encounter would be any easier, and taking them out would likely cripple Darkseid's whole offer plan which would be better off not happening anyway. So it was kinda a mixed bag, but that wasn't really the only reason she hadn't contributed to the discussion, or even the biggest. The biggest reason was:

There was no way they were actually going to attack them.

It's like, yes, they were totally mouthing off to them. And if these three were a few muscle-brained bros at a bar or some punk gang-bangers with more tattoos than good sense, sure, Katie could absolutely see them responding to such insults with violence. But it's like, come on. These guys were three of Darkseid's presumably most powerful and devoted minions. One of them was Darkseid's flame-blasted lawyer of all people, and the primary target of their mockery was his main speaky dude. Granny Goodness, alone, okay, maybe. But with all three of them there? Sure, Godfrey had turned out to have thin skin, but bumbling your way into self-incrimination was one thing.

There was no way they were actually going to attack them.

So Katie hadn't really worried about the discussion. She hadn't maneuvered for tactical advantage. Even when Spidey told them not to interfere, and it went double for her (Hah, yeah, that'll happen.) she hadn't been super-concerned, although she did send back, ~Wait, Jimmy, you're not going to attack them, right?~ But when she saw he was just heckling them more, she wasn't worried. Even as Rene ran about reinforcing the structure and Fred evacuating people, she wasn't worried because, say it with me now:

There was no way they were actually going to attack them.

...Until they did!

And Katie was already moving, as Desaad called upon that horrid power, fully intending to put herself between it and Spidey, but her position on the other side of the table and her lack of readiness with her Flying Hand meant she couldn't move in time. Katie drew in a sharp breath as Spider-Man was struck by Desaad's power, and then she narrowed her eyes. Her thumb went to a certain rune on her scepter - and she hesitated.

Just for a second, one little second that could mean the world in a superpowered battle, as she asked herself - Is it time?

[SuperCracker]

Ronin

Unlike Katie, he was almost certain that things were going to pop off. It’s why he expended so much energy moving all people away from Go-Getters. Not to mention that Jimmy had a hidden superpower: he could make anyone hate him. The line of insult had been incisive and blistering. Just watching DeSaad, Ronin knew he was likely to strike. Then he did. And that gave Ronin a reason (and an excuse) to respond in kind. One may have expected Ronin to immediately go for DeSaad, because he’d attacked Jimmy; or Granny Goodness because that fight was definitely going to happen sooner or later.

Instead, he went for Godfrey… because mental influence can be the most dangerous power of all.

“Hey loudmouth! We got somethin’ for ya!”

Godfrey had barely finished his one word when the X-Man flickered into motion in front of Godfrey, unleashing a blindingly fast iaijutsu strike that would bisect several of the tables behind Godfrey.

“You just made my f***ing day.”

Spoiler

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Quick slash, no modifiers used.

(1d20+10)[26] DC 25+Multi toughness, DC 20 fort vs. impaired/disabled

Fred has moved this round, so attacks against him using sight suffer -2 from partial concealment.

[TheIronGolem]

There aren't many advantages to having such a strong sense of self-doubt that your own insecurities manifest as an inner dialogue. But for Spider-Man, one undeniable upside is the ability to distract himself from overwhelming physical agony, by having an argument with said insecurities.

Olson, we need to talk about this martyr complex of yours...

Agreement. Solidarity. Emphasis on "we".

Great, now they're teaming up on him. Oh, and speaking of teams...

~ Fred, NO! We can't look like the aggressors here! Especially since we're not! And Katie, tell me you're getting this! I don't wanna be doing the worst kind of Luke Skywalker impression for nothing! ~

A fresh new spike of pain rips through Spider-Man's prone, spasming body as he curls up in an effort to avoid the worst of the assault. He could probably better sell this whole narrative by begging Desaad to stop, but he doesn't want to give that sadist the satisfaction of hearing it. Instead, he tries counting the flattened gum-wads on the pizzeria's floor. There are enough of those to keep him occupied for weeks...

[herodofcows]

Glorious Godfrey’s eyes widen as Ronin swings his blade towards his head . . .

Clang

. . . only to blink and gasp in relief as Granny Goodness in front of him at lightning speed and parries the blow with her mighty axe. She keeps eye contact with the mutant for a brief grinning second before shoving his blade away and stepping into a defensive stance, but the mutant can see a long cut along her eye that hadn’t been there before: not enough to seriously wound, but certainly enough to hamper.

Meanwhile, Desaad smirks with pleasure as Spidey writhes in agony at his feet, scarcely seeming to notice the wall-crawler’s subtle defensive repositioning. His eyes dart to follow Ronin’s charge, and he lazily raises his hand.

“Mmmmmnone of that, mmmmutant, none of that!”

Once again tendrils of black and red energy spring from his hand. They cover Ronin from head to toe, and the pain is beyond intense . . . but Ronin contains within him the memories of a thousand warriors, each with a lifetime of wounds and tortures and agonies. Desaad’s best effort is only a drop in the bucket.

Eyes alight and gasping, Godfrey casts his gaze across the room. Licking his lips, he focuses on Ciaran and extends his fingers.

“You! Yes, you, my lad!”

His voice begins modulating into a reassuring thrum, a vibrato of virtue that resonates within Ciaran’s skull. The room begins to swim and ripple, with Godfrey as the sole point of calm within the storm.

“I can see the disaffection inside you, my lad. Yes, the frailty and disappointment of your heroes, of those that would save the world and call themselves paragons. The hypocrisy! The pragmatic brutality and willingness to compromise heroic ideals! What good are they? What worth have they?”

Godfrey extends his hand, a saintly picture of loving heroism. Images of adoring masses, of villains thwarted, of reverent heroes dance across Ciaran’s eyes.

“Why labor beneath them when you could rise against them? Cast off your shackles, dear lad, true lad, sweet lad! Claim your mantle, rise up, take what’s yours, slay these pretenders around you! Slay them! SLAY!”

Yeah . . . one problem with that.

See, Ciaran was once the kind of person to buy into the idea of heroic purity, to swallow a heaping helping of heroic messaging with little in the way of discernment. Maybe the Ciaran of a few years, even a few MONTHS ago would have fallen for the seductive magic of Godfrey’s insidious voice.

Peregrine, though? Peregrine can shake it off.

As this goes on, Granny Goodness extends her hands with a leer. Her armor pulses with Apokaliptian energies, and the space around her shivers and shakes and . . .

BOOOOOOOOOOM

With a blast of light and the eponymous roar of sound, the Boom Tube disgorges four armored figures onto the field of battle. The four are armored in Apokaliptian technology, but variously armed and accoutered as gladiators.

“Mad Harriet! Lashina! Stompa! Guillotina! Come, my Female Furies!” howls Granny Goodness, suddenly effusive and mad with glee, “Break them! Smash them! Destroy- HURK!“

Granny Goodness’ rantings are abruptly cut short as a golden length of rope coils itself around her neck. She strains against it, but even her might is held fast against the power of the Lasso of Truth.

“I think we’ve heard enough.”

Diana stands in the doorway, lasso in hand and a resolute expression on her face. She flanked by Hercules and John Stewart. Both men are grinning unpleasantly at the Apokaliptians assembled within.

“Misfits,” Wonder Woman nods at you all, “I trust you wouldn’t mind a little assistance?”

Granny Goodness spits as she works her neck halfway loose from the lasso. She takes a deep breath, and howls . . .

“I LISTEN TO LILA CHENEY’S MUSIC! AND I LIKE IT!”

John Stewart sniggers at this, even as Hercules lunges at Glorious Godfrey. The Olympian’s meaty fist goes flying towards the orator’s face, but Godfrey vanishes and reappears a few feet away.

“Ack! Away with you, son of Ze-“

“THOU HAST THREATENED GO-GETTERS, WRETCH!” roars Hercules, winding up for another swing, “THINE NIPPLES ARE FORFEIT TO THE PRINCE OF POWER!”

Stewart, meanwhile, creates several firearm-themed constructs and trains them on Desaad.

“Desaad!” growls the Green Lantern, still grinning slightly, “You are under arrest for Conspiracy to Genocide, Assault with Deadly Abilities, Deific Incitement and probably plenty more once the Guardians get through with you! Stand down, or you’ll go down!”

“MmmmmStewart . . .” Desaad replies, eyeing him and Howard in turn with a feral snarl, “My master no longer mmmmmfears Oa’s dogs . . . and neither mmmmmdo I!”

The jaundiced Apokaliptian stands his ground as the ring projections open fire, their bullets battering against his cloak (which seems far more sturdy than one might expect of typical purple fabric). Despite the power being flung at him, he seems unharmed . . . and tickled.

“The New Gods will fall mmmmmbefore us! Oa mmmmshall fall! Earth shall fall! ALL SHALL FALL BEFORE DARKSEID!”

Spoiler: Expertise (Aliens/Music) DC 30

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Lila Cheney is a mutant musician with the ability to teleport long ranges. She had a small punk career a decade and change ago (mostly by latching onto Dazzler's star) but then took her act across-galaxy. She then proceeded to SELL OUT. By Galactic standards, her current musical offerings have all of the artistic integrity of Nickelback.

[Quellian-dyrae]

In a superheroic combat, even a momentary hesitation was way too long. The stupid thing was, Katie knew that at this point, and yet she had still let herself be delayed with the question of whether now was a dramatically appropriate time to reveal the ace up her sleeve.

I have gotten way too comfortable with this sort of thing, she chided herself.

Well, no more.

~Yes the phone's still recording, no I'm not going to just stand back and let them keep hurting you what are you even thinking!?~

First thing was first. Katie always waited to be invited into a private home.

Pause. I'll repeat that.

Katie always waited to be invited into a private home.

Now, one might ask, what in the world that has to do with the current situation. Because, of course, we aren't in a private home. We're in a public restaurant.

But what it comes down to, really, is why. It wasn't just a matter of politeness. People sometimes associated this particular supernatural weakness with vampires, but wizards - at least, wizards trained in the disciplines Katie was - were subject to a form of it too. Getting past the technical mystical mumbo-jumbo, it came down to a sort of barrier of protective energy around a household - a threshold, as it was called - that offered protection against certain supernatural threats. A threshold would part for a visitor upon invitation, but without that invite, certain supernatural creatures would find themselves weakened if they entered.

But not every residence was the same. A threshold was powered by emotion and memory, love and laughter, the bonds of home and family. It was born of a shared belief in the sanctity and security of a home. Katie's house, for example, had a moderate threshold - though the Aldens had only occupied the house for a few years, and it was just the two of them, the strength of her and Kayla's bond ensured a strong foundation for a threshold. She'd been surprised, the first time she had visited the X-Mansion, to feel the strength of its threshold. As a school, she hadn't expected one at all, but supernaturally speaking, the place was every bit the fortress that its castle-like exterior suggested. She had thought it was magically warded at first; only later did she come to see how it was the only place that so many mutants truly felt they could call home, and how strong the bonds of family were between the X-Men. When she had been training with Amanda, by contrast, the Immortal Weapon's home, being more-or-less just a place to sleep and eat, had had a fairly weak threshold...sort of. If the X-Mansion was a fortified castle and Katie's home a stone wall, Amanda's threshold had been more like a chain-link fence - but an electrified chain-link fence. The quiet, stoic discipline of the Immortal Weapon, the simple sanctuary she had made her home into, might not have created a powerful threshold as Katie would have normally defined it, but it was not one that a supernatural threat would risk crossing lightly.

Now, on the surface, none of that mattered to public buildings like Go Getters, which by definition extended an "invitation" to all. But that didn't mean the foundation of a threshold wasn't there. It didn't mean that the intangible energy of experiences shared, of joy and laughter, of friends and families sharing a fine meal in each other's company, just didn't exist in public buildings. That energy was every bit as invested into the walls and floor of Go Getters as in any private home. Every time a slice of pizza was shared among friends, every time two tables were pushed together for a large group, every time two people who would otherwise only meet as enemies forewent their vendetta to enjoy a meal in respectful silence, it left its mark.

And every time a person of power, be they righteous or wrathful, hero or villain, regardless of other goals and loyalties, swore to the defense of this little hole-in-the-wall pizza shop in one of the not-so-nice neighborhoods of Metropolis...it left its mark.

It was a link, a connection. A crude one, to be sure. Nothing Katie could have used to selectively target a specific individual for location or scrying. But it would, she believed, be enough to send a message.

Katie touched her scepter to the wall (If nothing else, I will one day be known as the mother of the noble arcane art of wallmaturgy) and focused on the energies within, sharing a thought through them. It wouldn't be the clear, perfect connection of a proper Shared Awareness spell. It might be faint, or even garbled. But if Katie was right, it would be heard.

~This is Katie Alden. Potence.~

~I do not know all of you. I know many of us have our differences and disagreements. I know some of us would likely only ever meet as enemies.~

~But one thing we can all agree on is delicious, greasy pizza! (And that the cheesesteaks are just okay.)~

~Go Getters is under attack by servants of Darkseid. We're fighting them off, but we need to neutralize the threat as fast as possible. Go Getters must survive!~

~If you possess the power to fight, and the speed to reach us, I summon you to arms.~

~For pizza! AND FOR GLORY!~

I have gotten way too comfortable with this sort of thing.

Fortunately, Shared Awareness was all about speed, so sending that message off had taken mere fractions of a second. Because the thing was?

That hadn't been the ace up her sleeve. That had been an experiment.

It was time. The gentle connectedness of Shared Awareness faded as Katie prepared for serious combat-casting.

Katie's new costume would not have come as a surprise to anyone, back at the meeting. She had been wearing it on the news for the past couple weeks or so. Her new scepter was present for most of that duration. Unless someone had been paying careful attention, in fact, they probably would have assumed the new focus was just part of the new costume. Nothing more that an aesthetic choice. And they'd be excused for thinking that, because the scepter did look way cooler than her previous, simple wand.

What hadn't been on the news, was what happened when Katie brought her thumb over a particular rune, and pressed it.

Chk-kk-kk-tk-tki-tnk-nk-nk-ooup!

The scepter unfolded around her hand, plates of gleaming silvery metal expanding around her, quickly covering her in a light suit of formidable armor. A flowing cloak of the same metal expanded down from her neck, dropping down her back and covering her arms. Metal gauntlets encased her hands. From her boots, waves of energy lifted her into the air. Katie's own eyes followed the metal as it covered her body, and when it was finished, she looked up at the minions of Darkseid, and her eyes flashed with silver light.

(That last bit wasn't part of the armor transformation. She had just decided there was no way her eyes could just not flash with silver light when she did that. I mean, come on.)

Wandless, Katie brought her hands up over her head, clapping them together once, and yelling out in a voice that carried a bit of a vibrating echo of unleashed power, "BARRIER!"

Silvery shields flared up around Katie's allies as per usual. Katie had been practicing with her barriers though, putting more power into them. This version wouldn't last quite as long as they used to (though she could extend their duration with metamagic), and were maybe a touch less reliable, but on average they'd offer better protection to her allies. More importantly, her abjuration magic passed through the energy matrix engraved into her armor. A fractal pattern of silver lines connecting arcane runes flared up with silver light as she cast, the armor's forcefield system triggered by the spell and generating a protective barrier that lined the interior walls of the building, offering some additional protection on top of Rene's work - though it would only last for as long as she could maintain the spell.

"And for my next trick..." Katie said ominously, before pulling the hood of her cloak over her head and vanishing.

From about five feet up, and maybe eight feet ahead and right of her previous position, Katie's voice extolled, "STEALTH MODE!"

Spoiler

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As discussed in chatpad the other night, spending a Hero Point to Edit Scene, that the heroes and villains who have sworn to defend Go Getters count as having a crude thaumaturgical bond to the building.

Free: Shared Awareness message those people that Go Getters is under attack!!!!!!11!!!1!!!

Free: Swap Magitech Scepter to Super-Suit.

Free: Cantrip to make her eyes flash silver.

Free: Swap Helping Hand array to Flying Hand, descriptor modified due to super-suit.

Free: Swap Support Caster array to Barrier.

Standard: Cast Barrier. All allies Deflected at 1d20+10, with a minimum result of 20 (note that this is just a minimum result, not a +10 on 10 or less). All Out Attacking is now recommended. The Deflect rank, and the minimum result, are both reduced by 1 point per point that a given target's Toughness exceeds 10, due to Katie's PL limits. So for PCs:
Katie: 1d20+6 (min 16).
Fred: 1d20+10 (min 20).
Sarah: 1d20+7 (min 17).
Zach: 1d20+8 (min 18).
Jimmy: 1d20+10 (min 20).
Rene: 1d20+8 (min 18).
Ciaran: 1d20+6 (min 16).
Howard: 1d20+10 (min 20).

In addition, all allies gain Evasion 2, Instant Up, and Immunity to Critical Hits this round, if they don't already have them.

Finally, a Created barrier is summoned, basically lining the walls and such. Any attacks against the walls are first resisted by the Created barrier at +10, only going on to the walls if they at least Breach the barrier. Note that the Created barrier, and the walls themselves, are also protected by the rest of the spell, so they receive a defense roll rather than being auto-hit, and are immune to critical hits.

Free: Activate Cloaking Device, gaining Total Concealment from normal vision until she attacks or disables the effect.

Move: Into a new position.

Free: Yell out "STEALTH MODE!" at the top of her lungs, totally giving away her new position (although she still has Total Concealment from normal vision).

Current Status: Defended (1d20+6, min 16), Invisible, Actually Kinda Pumped But STILL MAD THAT THEY HURT JIMMY!!!

[Llyarden]

Wait, we're seriously picking a fight in Go-Getters? To say Ciaran was just a touch caught off-guard by how quickly the taunting and mocking of Darkseid's minions turned into a brawl would possibly have been putting it mildly. It wasn't really until he felt Godfrey's hypnotic voice wash over him that he started to react.

"You know," he remarked, turning to face the lawyer, "I've done the whole being-mind-controlled thing. It gets old real fast." He lunged forwards as Godfrey teleported away from Hercules - if nothing else, he'd hopefully distract Godfrey from the more dangerous opponent.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Move: Close with Godfrey.
Standard: Attack Godfrey with Glancing Blow, All-out Attacking for 5: (1d20+17)[31], DC23 + Multiattack Toughnesss vs damage on a hit, critting on a 19+.

Status: -5 to Dodge & Parry, Defended at 1d20+6 (Min 16)

[CandyLaser]

Sarah couldn't help but roll her eyes at Katie's final, quite loud declaration that she was now hiding. ~Remind me to teach you a bit about stealth sometime soon, if you plan to use that more often.~ Then she got to work. Supposedly, Ronin had cleared the area, but there was no reason not to be a bit more secure. With the touch of a button, the cell towers she'd accessed sent an evacuation notice to the immediate area. With that covered, she decided to take a shot at putting Granny Goodness down for the count. Her gravity gauntlet practically crackled with energy as it came to life, even warping the light around it as it came flying toward the bound Granny.

Spoiler: Actions and Rolls

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All-out and Power Attack for 5 each, and granting myself a Favored Environment bonus to hit as well. The other points from Polymath with go to Improved Crit 2. Here's the attack roll: (1d20+10)[12]. If that's a hit - and I believe Granny is at least Vulnerable thanks to being tied up and tactically analyzed - then it's a DC 32 Toughness save and a DC 27 Fortitude save. If it misses, I'll spend an HP to reroll: (1d20+10)[18]

EDIT: Pretty sure the first roll is a miss. The second roll is actually a 28 thanks to the hero point.

[CandyLaser]

Seeing that Granny was still standing after her first blow, Sarah, gave a grunt of effort and swung again. Once more, she put everything she could into it. Her devices let out a high-pitched whine as she pushed them to the limit.

Spoiler: Actions and Rolls

Show

Let's use Extra Effort to take another shot at Granny. Same parameters as last time, and she should still be Vulnerable as well: (1d20+10)[27]

[SuperCracker]

Ronin

CLANG!

His sword held against Granny’s axe, pushing against each other as Granny made eye-contact (well, shade contact?) with Ronin. His brow furrowed and he slightly bared his teeth. In that one second, Granny would feel his warrior’s resolve. She forced herself to be the first target, standing as a shield for the other two.

~They struck first, Webs, they are the aggressors. Fight’s on.~

Ronin didn’t intend to let this opportunity slip by. If they stopped these three here, they wouldn’t be able to hurt anyone else. The Misfits+ had a numbers advantage and backup on the way. They weren’t going to get a better chance than this.

He sprang back from the attack, landing half-way across the restaurant from her on the floor. He held Starsoul out in front. DeSaad’s attack caught him and enveloped the mutant’s body. He could feel every nerve firing in pain, but a true samurai doesn’t fear pain or death. A thousand lifetimes, each grueling and violent, came out of his mouth with a kiai shout. The golden glow around him pulsed and broke the tendrils from his body. Ronin pointed at DeSaad with his right hand and said, “Wait your turn.”

Wonder Woman and Company arrived and entered the increasingly chaotic battle. Ronin stayed focused on Granny. Katie blessed the team with Barrier, Wonder Woman had Granny ensnared in her Lasso of Truth (with amusing side effects), and Sarah had taken a couple of swings at Granny. He waited, patiently… then the moment came. The pathway was clear. Granny was open.

Ronin’s hands tightened around Starsoul’s grip. The blade shined brightly, even under the lights of Go-Getters. Ronin charged forward, a blur amidst the combat, and jumped up as high as the ceiling would allow. Starsoul was raised overhead. Ronin came down towards Granny and slashed downwards towards the nape of her neck. He used every ounce of strength in his mutant body as he attacked in one perfect moment. Starsoul’s shining, prismatic metal flashed downwards as an a bright, colorful streak as it struck. The floor beneath Granny would crack and buckle from the tonnage of force laid down upon the attack.

Spoiler

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Rolled in the OOC. All-Out + Power Attack for Full. Crit with a 29 on the attack roll. DC 35+Multi-Attack damage vs. Parry.

[Thokk_Smash]

Now, Zach is many things. A lover, a sinner, a joker and midnight smoker all in one. He had been having a blast roasting Godfrey, and squawking at Desaad in Howard's head. And if those actions caused the Apokoliptians to attack them, well--he sure as hell can give as good as he gets.

But to openly provoke them into attacking him? To get so in their face that they'd attack him first? That's something he had carefully avoided. His words had been closely chosen to bring them to the edge, but not cause them to outright attack him. He ain't no martyr, at least not where women aren't involved.

So when Spidey poked the hornet's nest into falling onto him, Zach was of two minds. On the one hand: what a moron. An absolute rube idiot, to leave himself so open to retaliation, without even a backup plan in mind. On the other...that took guts. An iron will. And a deep part of Zach recognizes: naiveté isn't always a weakness, not in the hands of some.

And so, slow on the draw though he was, Zach stands and regards the trio of asinine Apokoliptians with a hard gaze. This is the start of something. Or maybe the middle of a larger thing, but it's the start of this world's stand. A stand against a larger power, a stand against fear, and tyranny, and against that which would try to bring them low.

Howie said that Darkseid's listening in, right? Well, if he is, then...

~"I imagine Death so much, it feels more like a memory,"~
~"But she ain't gonna get me, not this place, not against these enemies"~
~"You say that you're comin', well, you won't be the end of me"~
~"Not while I got my beats, and my melody"~

~"I am not throwin' away my shot,"~
~"I am not throwin' away my shot,"~
~"It's time for us to rise up, rise up!"~
~"Time to rise up, rise up!"

With each iteration of the chorus, Zach's body courses with power. Lightning ripples through his hair, streams from his eyes and down his arms. Pure defiance echoes in the rivulets of lightning, sheer obstinance in the words.

~"I am not throwin' away MY SHOT!"~

And with that, a terrific bolt of lightning streaks at Godfrey. Its whine is a cacophony of power as it attempts to bring the loudmouth low.

Though he starts to breathe heavily, Zach isn't done yet. He reaches deeper still into his core of power, and comes out with a different melody.

~"They see us as small and helpless,"~
~"They see us as just a child--"~
~"Surprise when they find out"~
~"That some warriors will soon run wild"~

His fingers fly across the strings of his guitar as yet more lightning flows off of him. This time, however, the sparks of power float gently to each of his allies. They forge a link to his well of power, and each Earthling in Go-Getters can feel, underneath the echoes of his song, their fortitude of mind and body being bolstered.

~"We are lightning"~

At this, Zach reaches out a hand to the ceiling. A lone spark jets out from his palm, and explodes in a shower of electricity.

~"Straying from the thunder!"~
~"Miracles of ancient wonder!"~

Spoiler

Show

Spending an HP to gain Extraordinary Effort for a round.

Extraordinary Effort: Gain a Surge, with which I'll Aim at Godfrey for +5

Standard action: Fire T.N.T. at Godfrey, All-Out/Power Attack -4/+4 at (1d20+15)[24] vs DC 29+Multiattack Secondary Effect Damage

Extraordinary Effort v2.0: Power Stunt off of Blaze of Glory: Immunity (Fort and Will, Affects Others, Hearing Range, Selective, Half-Effect, Limited [Must play guitar], Limited [Must spend move action each round to sustain the effect], Unreliable [Only lasts five rounds], Distracting].

Everyone who can hear Zach in Go-Getters is half-immune to Fort and Will resisted effects--which includes Spidey's recovery saves against Desaad's sadism. Fingers crossed for him!

Status: Exhausted next round, feelin' electrified
HP: 1 0

[Starsign]

Rene had just about finished his little touch-ups on Go-Getters' interior when all hell broke loose. He had been rather ignorant of everything leading up to it, happily ignorant even. His mind and body were entirely focused on construction that he hadn't cared for whatever bit of taunting and antagonizing everyone else was doing to each other. In fact he had been hoping that it would all calm down and die out once his building was finished; There were lines and aggression thrown around but it's not like any of them would seriously pull the trigger and go for each other's jugulars.

BIG mistake.

The reptilian feels his blood freeze as he turns around to see Spidey suddenly get thrown about in horrid pain and everyone else effectively throwing attacks at each other in classic superhero and supervillain action. Having action like this happen in Go-Getters is asking for chaos and... oh god the New Justice League is here too! It's a construction worker's worst nightmare and god knows how many times a builder has to work overtime due to overzealous superhero collateral damage. Rene appreciates the assistance but this is way too much for one pizza place to handle. It doesn't really matter who the heroes are but every single one of them must know they'll easily trash this place to the ground!

...That train of thought persists for only a few moments as Rene slowly comes to realize that he can't simply stand around and watch. His first instinct is to run, but if he does then he'd be abandoning all his friends right after he promised he will push himself to make up and help all those who have helped him. His second instinct is to go after one of Darkseid's rampant minions. One of them's on the ground now while the other two seem to have free reign to go cause havoc on the rest; one of them just seems interested in inflicting pain and the other... oh god that's mind control isn't it? Godfrey is a mind controller. Rene is getting very sick of those people. It would do everyone really well if someone could just go up and take him out before anyone else!

He might have gone for Godfrey himself had the lightning guy, Thunderstruck he thinks, begin jamming and sprouting lyrics on his guitar in a way that Rene can't tell heads or tails from; he never exactly was a rock fan and the obnoxiously loud music does more to deter his ears... Yet there is no denial that there's something freeing about the music and lightning coming out of the crazy guitarist. All of a sudden Rene doesn't feel as worried about any sort of horrid effect which Darkseid and his minions could inflict on him. Seems like Thunderstruck could embrace this playing all day if... Oh, wow, he's completely unguarded. That isn't good.

The reptilian takes a look outside Go-Getters again, seeing that there's some wood still leftover which could be set up as cover, minor as it is. In an instant his mind sparks in creativity as time once again slow down. Going on instinct he gathers the wood and sets them upright as a formidably-wooden "barrier" which blocks Thunderstruck from everyone's line-of-sight, though not line-of-hearing. The wooden barrier also covers Sarah, Howard and Spider-Man, letting the latter recover from his rather painful experience. If Godfrey and Desaad want to get to those four, they'll have to get through the barrier first.

...And Rene, as the reptilian finishes his quick and hasty construction in front of the barrier as he turns around to look at the two minions with a defiant... if scared expression. He gives a small, shaky gulp as he hopes Howard and Sarah's shooting, combined with Thunderstruck's singing, will help Rene in keeping these two at bay. Were it not for that crazy rocker, Rene would probably be hiding behind the barrier as well.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Sorry this took so long to write up. Power Stunting from Rene's Instinct array for Building Instinct: Create 5 at Continuous duration but Limited by only able to use materials around Rene and cannot make said materials himself. (total PP cost should be 10, covering a volume of 30 ft) Using it to create a wall of wood which provides Zach, Howard, Sarah and Spidey with Total Cover (unless they want to lean out to shoot or move out of it). I THINK this should work but lemme know if it doesn't Herod.

[Lizard Lord]

~Ta be honest I weren't able ta get much o' read on 'im tha first time. Part 'o why I wasn't wit' Saturn on not provokin' 'em is cause finding out what could provoke 'em inta doing something they shouldn't can be useful. And make no mistake, even if its true that they don't care 'bout pissing off tha Lanterns anymore they still weren't suppose ta attack us. If they where then they wouldn't o' waited so long. So good job kid. Now try ta pull back and see if someone can heal ya up before ya jump back in and never do that again.

Saturn, if things get too out o' hand do ya think ya could either send everyone here ta tha Grand Canyon or somthin' or give us a tactical retreat? Either way we should be gettin' just a little more backup in a second. ~

This whole near instantaneous communication really is useful. Howard projects all of that in the time it takes for him to grab the whistle off the table, open his beak to let the whistle, his cigar fall onto the floor of Go Getters, and blow that strange whistle. Jesüs Aguilar should be here in but a moment.


In the mean time he takes out his gun and blasts Desaad with the BFG. "Back off @#$%^&*! That Spider pissed me off first, I get tha right o' first swing!"

[TheIronGolem]

~They struck first, Webs, they are the aggressors. Fight’s on.~

Jimmy sighs inwardly (mostly because the bits of him that would let him sigh outwardly are currently occupied with spasms and searing pain). Ronin may be a badass, but he doesn't seem to appreciate how appearances can matter as much as the truth - something that as a journalist Jimmy understands all too well. Of course Darkseid's servants had struck first, but now that the Misfits have struck second this is going to look like just another cape brawl. That blowhard Jameson is going to pick up this ball and run all the way home with it...

Still, the JLA's arrival suggests that Spider-Man's gambit seems to have been at least partly successful. And now that the battle is in full swing, there's no point in fretting over what might have been. It's time to stand up and join the fight.

But when his legs make known to him their strenuous opposition to that plan, Jimmy is forced to negotiate a compromise with them: Stand up and lean against this wall that wasn't here a second ago to catch his breath, then join the fight.

[herodofcows]

Even as her shielding shimmers around her allies and her cloak billows her into invisibility, Potence's call rings out along the thaumaturgical lines. Her words dance across a web of magic connecting Go-Getters to all of the superhumans that have loved its pizza and tolerated its cheesesteaks . . .

Spoiler: Montage!

Show

“Did you hear-“ the Wasp begins, straightening up in her chair with her eyes wide.

“I did,” Falcon replies, rising from the couch and Red Tornado spins up. His muscles tense as the wings of his costume protrude out, readying for flight, “Let’s go.”

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

Jennifer Walters shoots up from her chair, scattering witness statements everywhere. The assembled brightest legal minds of Goodman, Lieber, Kurtzberg, & Holliway all stare at her as she goes striding for the door, the unstable molecules in her pantsuit stretching and straining as she goes green.

“Trouble, Ms. Walters?” calls Ms. Lieber uncertainly.

“Gotta deliver a cease-and-desist,” growls She-Hulk as she bursts through the door.

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

“Waller! WALLER! LET ME OUT, WALLER!”

Bullseye’s face is contorted in rage as he stares up at the camera in his cell. He paces like a caged tiger, energy and rage shuddering through him like lightning strikes.

“They’re attacking Go-Getter’s, Waller! GO-GETTER’S! SOMEONE NEEDS A GRAVE, WALLER!”

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

“Johnny! Get-“

“‘m up, Ben. ‘M up . . . urk . . .”

The Human Torch is green around the gills as he stumbles out of his room, leaning heavily on the Thing. The hangover is intense, but still he goes forth.

“Ya sure ya can handle it, matchstick?” rumbles Ben Grimm, concern underlying his literally gravelly tones.

“I have to, Ben,” Johnny replies, steel and nausea in his voice in equal proportions, “It’s Go-Getter’s.”

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

In the middle of a beautifully-staged public screaming match outside of LexCorp, Norman and Harry Osborn suddenly go quiet. Casting their eyes around wildly for a moment, they both inarticulately yowl at each other before taking off in opposite directions at full tilt. In mere moments, Green Arrow and Arsenal are bounding across the rooftops towards Suicide Slum.

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

“Secret Warriors! Lock an’ load! Skids up in ten, an’ get ready f’r some heat. We got a soft target ta defend! Quake, yer on monitors. Don’t want ta knock down the damn building. Yo-Yo! Go now, we'll catch up! Druid! Bust out the scariest damn spells you’ve got. I wanna see ghosts, monsters, f***ing Freddie Kruger if ya can! Stonewall! Yer on defense. Not a single wall falls down there! Demon! JUST THIS ONCE I’m authorizin’ the Carbonadium blade. JUST THIS ONCE.”

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

Two streaks, one red with yellow lightning and one yellow with red lightning. Two streaks, running through time and dimensions. Two streaks, fighting and yelling and running eternally. Two streaks . . .

Pause.

And then . . .

ZOOM. ZOOM.

Two streaks, running pell-mell towards Earth-616. Towards Metropolis. Towards Suicide Slum. Towards Go-Getters.

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

A biker bar, somewhere in the middle of Nowheresville, America. Bodies everywhere, supine or in pieces, all scorched. A cowering bartender’s hand shakes as he proffers another bottle at the huge pale man leaning against the bar.

“Any o’ ya OTHER Devil-lovin' bastiches wanna piece o’ m-“

He goes stock still. He hears the message. He roars, and the flames of Hell encircle his suddenly-skeletal visage once more. The bartender soils himself.

“Go-Getters? UH-UH!”

A motorcycle roars off into the distance, carrying his final scream into the emptiness of the plains.

“YA MESS WITH GO-GETTERS? YA MESS WITH TH’ MAIN MAN!”

Constrained by Wonder Woman's lasso, Granny Goodness can only strain unsuccessfully against the golden rope around her neck as Sarah and Ronin bring the pain. A gravity-powered punch from Sarah doubles her over, and Ronin's empowered blade slices through the armor around her neck and sets her bleeding HEAVILY. Sizzling ichor begins pooling at the wound, crackling like acid but not . . . quite . . . dripping . . .

"Granny!" shrieks one of the Furies over the sound of the resurgent Boom Tube, "Stay strong! We shall-"

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM

And with that, the Female Furies are whisked away into who-KNOWS-what dimension!

Thunderstruck's melody thrums through the pizzeria, sizzling through the very skin and blood and souls of the assembled heroes. It is an anthem of hope, of revolution, of fighting the powers arrayed against you with every ounce of will and grit and determination.

It SERIOUSLY burns DeSaad's biscuits.

“MmmmmNONE OF THAT!” he howls, his protection field shimmering against BFG blasts from Howard as he charges toward Thunderstruck. His hand raises up, sizzling black and red energy coiling around it as he seeks to dash Thunderstruck's guitar from his hands.

“MmmmmNO SONG! NO REBELLION! ONLY ORDER! ONLY-!”

WHOOSH.

KZZAP!

DeSaad stops short, utterly bewildered. His blow has been intercepted by the scaly carapace of the Builder, against whom his energies seem to be doing about Jack this side of s***.

“No . . .”

“Enough!” howls Godfrey, having been smacked by Ciaran and shocked by Thunderstruck, “Hear me now, foes of Darkseid! CUT THE INFERNAL MUSIC AND HEAR ME NOW!”

He attempts to howl over the music with partial success, even as Thunderstruck's bassline threatens to drown him out entirely.

“You are nothing but rot! Feel the despair clawing at your hearts as the very closed FIST of Darkseid approaches! Feel fear as the legions of Parademons approach to scour your world! Tremble before the emergence of the Warworld, Apokolips, whose very GRAVITY shall tear your world asunder!”

“Hey! Howard! HEY!”

John Stewart zooms over to Howard, who has dropped his gun to his side with a slack-beaked expression.

“Snap out of it, duck!” he growls, shaking the P.I., “Now isn't the time to-!”

The door crashes open as Jesús charges in, lacrosse racket at the ready. Scarcely pausing to take the situation in, he sprints over to Howard and baps him over the head with an open palm. Howard feels clarity return to his head as Jesús solemnly looks upon him.

"His words are not for you to heed, Señor Duck," he says, calm as a man on an evening promenade, "Pay no mind to his lies!"

“You are nothing before us! NOTHING! NO- AGH!!

. . .

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!!!!”

Godfrey sinks to his knees, tears streaming down his face as he lets loose with a screech beyond comprehension.

Then again, if the Prince of Power had YOU in a titty-twister, you'd probably be screaming too!

“WHAT DID I TELL THEE, WRETCHED ORATOR?” Hercules roars as Godfrey thrashes ineffectually, “WHAT. DID. I. TELL. THEE?”

[Quellian-dyrae]

Unfortunately, Shared Awareness was down by the time Sarah tried to send her message, so Katie didn't receive it. But, you know, that was okay. It was probably a one-time mistake!

Regardless, while Katie's initial plan had been Pure Defense...it was like...wow the poor bad guys were getting kinda wrecked. At this point, the best way to protect her friends was to put the bad guys down before they could get back to an even footing. And the best way to accomplish that...was to protect her friends!

It made sense in context!

Katie suddenly reappeared as her armor collapsed back down into her scepter, dropping to the ground. She made a series of complex gestures with her scepter, trailing lines of sparkling silver motes as she gathered power. The "microchip" like pattern on the scepter glowed silver, and the runes shone with golden light, as she invested augmentative energy into the device.

And then, in a sweeping gesture, she let all that energy loose as she channeled her own power through the focus and invoked, with that same thrumming echo in her voice, "AURA!"

Rather than formed into shields, the shining silver light that surrounded her friends blazed up in auras of power. The energy radiating out from them was non-trivial, and would serve to deflect some attacks aside. It would also infuse any attacks that her allies made, carrying it it the augmentative power she had invested into her scepter prior to casting the spell.

Then...she turned her attention to Jesús. At first, she wasn't sure who he was, why he was there, was about to tell him to get out of here this was dangerous! But seeing him interacting with Howard, her perfect memory called up Sylvester Saturn's prediction, and two and two made four in her head. "Ah," she greeted him in her best Cryptic Wizard Voice, and with a suitably foreboding look on her face. "The gymnast. Of course."

Spoiler

Show

Free: Swap arrays to Augmentation and Floating Hand (staying on Barrier), dropping to the ground as Flight turns off.

Move: 20-point Augmentation on self.

10 points to duplicate the Damage portion of Investiture outside of the Support Caster array.
10 points to add Secondary Effect to the Deflect Effect of Barrier.

Standard: Barrier on the party. No Create this time, but everyone is Deflected as before and received Evasion 2, Instant Up, and Crit Immunity. This Deflect will persist into next round, but the other effects won't.

Reaction: Each time an ally who has been affected by the barrier (although in these close quarters that should be everyone, though would not include any allies who show up after this action) makes a Toughness-resisted Damage attack of rank 15 or less, Katie makes a Team Attack, Power Attacking for 5, for +15 to hit after Teamwork. If she hits their target's Parry, they get +2 to Damage. If she hits by three degrees, they get +5.

Current Status: Defended (1d20+6, min 16).

Shared Awareness is OFF.

Current Augments

Katie [20 Points] (5 Rounds):

10 points to duplicate the Damage portion of Investiture outside of the Support Caster array.
10 points to add Secondary Effect to Barrier.

[CandyLaser]

It was good to have Potence on her side. The silver aura from Katie's spell suffused Sarah and her tech, making her gauntlet crackle with barely restrained power. Adjusting to the changing circumstances, Sarah threw another power-packed punch. However, this time, she let Katie's magic guide her, syncing up effortlessly with her teammate's power to deliver a vicious blow.

Spoiler: Actions and Rolls

Show

Attacking with the gauntlet again. Polymath is set to Teamwork and Improved Critical 4. All-out and Power Attacking for 2 each. With the teamwork benefit, I'll roll (1d20+13)[20], for a DC 29 Toughness save and DC 24 Fortitude save on a hit.

[Thokk_Smash]

Even as Zach feels the chaotic power flow through him, he can sense something bearing down upon him. It's not so much a physical sense, as that sense of foreboding one gets as a child when they've stayed out after dark. Dangerous things lurk in the dark. And nothing is so dark as the unknown.

Unbidden, new words come to his mind, and he begins to sing them before he can truly register them...

~"Your world's out of great defenders,"~
~"Your world's in the way of harm,"~
~"You think this some romantic life?"~
~"Of fairy tales and full of charm?"~

Zach can only watch as Desaad advances upon him with malice in word and body. In retrospect, it's pretty obvious his power's coming from his guitar. Take it away, and his allies' newfound resistance is gone. And Zach's upper body strength...well, he doesn't have time to go to the gym much, okay?

~"Beware as the light is fading,"~
~"Beware as the dark returns"~
~"I am unforgiving"~
~"Even brilliant lights will cease to burn!"~

~"A~shes scatt--"~

KLANG!

BZZAT!

The music stops for the briefest of moments, both Zach's and the otherworldly voice silenced. The Builder had thrown himself in front of the maniac, for Zach. What's more, the hulking lizard-man no-sold Desaad's powerful strike like it was a summer breeze. The more cynical part of Zach's thought processes insist that the reptilian man threw himself headfirst into danger because it was tactically important. That it had been a calculated decision.

And then Zach remembers the minutes before the fight. Remembers Builder's attitude; his soft voice, his hesitant nature, his awkward way of eating pizza. It's possible that was all just a ruse, and he's way more cutthroat than Zach had pegged him as.

Either way, the foreboding presence lifts, and Zach continues the song by belting out the end of that refrain,

~"Day and night will still burn,"~
~"Hope and peace will live forever!"~

*Cue epic guitar riff, as Zach gathers his wits about him. Hey, that's what guitar riffs are for, right?*

~"This will be the day we fear no more"~
~"This will be the day we open up the door"~
~"I don't wanna hear your absolution"~
~"You'd best be read for a godd*mn revolution!"~

~"In time, our hearts will open minds"~
~"Our story will be told,"~
~"And victory is in all of our souls."~

At the end of the song, Zach places a hand on Builder's shoulder. A silent thank-you to the man for risking his life for Zach's.

Spoiler

Show

Move: Maintain song

Standard: Recover Exhausted to Fatigued

Status: Fatigued, rebellious, thankful
HP: 0 ( )

[TheIronGolem]

The great thing about excruciating pain is, it feels so good when it stops. And right now, Spider-Man feels really good.

Of course his muscles are still twitching, he aches absolutely everywhere, and his head feels like he went binge-drinking but somehow skipped past getting drunk and went straight to the massive hangover. But compared to what Desaad had been doing to him mere seconds ago, it's a spa day.

The wall-crawler looks around to take stock of the situation. It's quite a ruckus he's started here. Less collateral damage than he would have expected...but he still hopes that none of the employees noticed him provoking Desaad. Getting banned from Go-Getters is technically far from the worst thing that could happen, but it would be really embarrassing if Spider-Man was kicked out of a place where the likes of Lobo are allowed to eat.

Anyway, it looks like the fight is nearly over. He notes, with an odd sort of satisfaction, that Desaad is the only enemy still standing.

Stepping around the Builder's temporary shelter (he owes the big lizard an even bigger thank-you), Spider-Man leaps up to the ceiling so that he can get a clean shot without getting in anyone else's way. With his feet and the small of his back anchoring him to the ceiling, he points both fists at the purple-robed figure and lets loose with all the webbing his symbiote can muster up.

Spoiler

Show

Move Action: Jump to the ceiling
Standard Action: Web Snare on Desaad (All-Out Attacking for +2, Power Attacking for +5, DC 20 Dodge vs Hindered/Vulnerable, 2nd degree: Immobile/Defenseless): (1d20+12)[22]
Extra Effort: Second verse, same as the first: (1d20+12)[26]
Spider-Man is now fatigued.

[SuperCracker]

Ronin

Rock and roll was pretty good for drowning out Godfrey’s infernal lies. Ronin was geared up to take another stab (literally) at Granny Goodness when Sarah Saturn finished the job. So he turned to look at who was left… and he saw DeSaad; the one who thought it was a good idea to attack Jimmy (and Fred too for that matter). A small little smile came to Ronin’s lips as he looked upon the advocate of atrocity.

“Now it’s your turn.”

The mutant crossed the distance swiftly and slashed twice. One of the attacks delivered a shallow cut, but he struck a nerve in the process, debilitating DeSaad and leaving him open to the attacks of the others. Ronin attempted to capitalize himself, but the slash was avoided.

[Starsign]

If he had to explain out loud, Rene could not say why he ultimately threw himself in front of Desaad's despair-covered hand. Internally, however, Rene knows exactly why he did. Even if he had barricaded Zach, it was only a wooden wall; pretty much anyone here can just slap it and tear off the pieces like they were nothing. Not only that but Rene, put simply, could not stand to let someone he's working with take a fall for helping out. What Rene has realized is that you can't always trust heroes to save you because they're not invincible. He isn't even sure whether J'onn would've come out of that warship fine had Rene not been helping directly. With how much of a presence these three minions of Darkseid have, and their utter confidence, there is no way that someone like Desaad couldn't prick Thunderstruck apart; and Rene would not have that!

WHOOSH.

KZZAP!

The reptilian humanoid finds his back knocked against the wooden barricade he made as Desaad's hand plows right into Rene's scaly chest. A gripping moment of anger and fear washes over Rene as his arms and hands desperately grab onto Desaad's arm in an attempt to pull it away. Now the physical force itself isn't painful so much as the sheer energy drizzling into the reptilian's body. For a brief moment it feels literally soul-crushing, as if designed to rend and melt his very insides. Yet his body, a twisted fusion of cold-blooded science and mystical intervention, throws off the energy in an impressive display of fortitude and outright rejection.

Enough fear

Rene's mind clears his own minor panic as the shock of being attack wears off. His grit teeth and wide eyes close and narrow down as he finds that not only is his enemy in front of him but that all Desaad had truly done was spike the reptilian into aggression. "Let... go." Rene strains for a moment before his large, shaky hands grasp Desaad's arm and tears it away from Rene's body. "LET GO!"

Rene's bout of strength is swiftly followed on by Ronin's swift attack from behind, leaving Desaad straining to stand as the reptilian strikes back. Taking a cue from his training back with the Secret Warriors, Rene delivers two fast, disorienting slashes from each of his claws, giving him the momentum he needs as he spins around once before suddenly bringing his tail up above him and down hard on Desaad. Above all, Rene wants to minimize damage on Go-Getters and going for some sweeping, horizontal tail whip is a good way to send Desaad flying through a wall or glass window. At least this way it'll only be the wooden floor that'll be damage and that will be a lot easier to repair.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Made an attack on the OOC as described here.

[Llyarden]

Ciaran was a touch annoyed to see that the lawyer had just kinda no-sold his punch, even if it hadn't really connected properly. Still, it had had the desired secondary effect in so much as Hercules was now making Godfrey's life rather miserable. So that was a plus.

A sudden rush of air made him turn around to find that there was now a makeshift wall in the middle of Go-Getters. "...huh." That...that was a thing that had happened.

Watching as Ronin and the lizard dude teamed up on Desaad, Ciaran waited for an opportune moment before charging forwards and leaping with both legs outstretched forwards. Not the kind of blow he was normally willing to land on anyone, but a) Desaad had proved fairly capable of taking hits, b) he'd been throwing those blasts of excrutiating pain around, which was just rude, and c) the sooner the fight was over, the less damage was done to Go-Getters. Ciaran wanted pizza.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Move: Close with Desaad.
Standard: Wild Charge on Desaad, all-out and power attacking for 5: (1d20+10)[23], DC30+TA Toughness vs Damage and DC25 Fort vs Dazed/Stunned/Incapacitated and Weaken Toughness. If this misses I'll go ahead and reroll it.
Katie's Reaction: (1d20+15)[17] Doesn't help.

Status: -5 to Dodge & Parry, Defended at 1d20+6 (min 16)

[BlueHerring]

Spoiler: Infinite Possibilities

Show

Augur grinned under her cowl as the Mapmaker shattered into infinitesimal bits. The Speed Force was hers, and they were pretenders, merely trailing along across the tides that spanned both time and reality. This was her domain, and there was no way that she would lose to a pretender. Not here, at least.

Augur took back in a sharp breath, and continued along with the speedster's path, but slowed as she felt the multiverse pool around her.

This is...

Augur knew that this was dangerous. She'd never traveled this far in the Speed Force before, but traveling in the wake behind this speedster was the best way to remain undetected. But whoever was running, they were reckless. This speedster was more focused on the race than on the dangers on the Speed Force. Augur had barely braced herself, before-

NO

Augur reeled against the sudden shock of being stopped inside the Speed Force. The idea of having her momentum halted was frightening, paradoxical, and left something to be considered. But this wasn't the time to contemplate, lest she lose herself in the azure infinity of the Speed Force.

She only had a fraction of a moment to regain her footing, but in that fraction, she could see clearly through the Speed Force. Three distinct possibilities were before her, and she had only the space between seconds to choose.

Augur grit her teeth, and charged, blasting through the myriad possibilities of time and the multiverse into the first of her three choices. It wasn't a great possibility, but she wouldn't find allies in a dilapidated world, and a gloomy titan of sorts didn't seem like the best possibility.

But saving people? Stopping people from dying, while potentially fighting the good fight?

That was what she was raised for.

[Lizard Lord]

Howard shakes his head as he looks around to regain his composure. What got in to him? It felt like they just stood no chance all of a sudden, but since when is that anything new?

Right, on to matters at hand. He is fighting the Apokoliptians and they mentioned something about New Genesis? What did Howard know about about all that again? His head still feels fuzzy as he tries to think.

Well...one thing he know for sure he would sure love to shoot Desaad again. "Thank's Jesüs, now lets @#$%^&* finish this." Howard shouts as he fires once more at the lawyer of Apokolips.

Spoiler

Show

Using the BFG to shoot Desaad, all out attacking again. (1d20+12)[13] DC 25 damage.

Also will make Expertise (Dimensions) checks on Apokolips (1d20+20)[29] and New Genesis [1d20+20[/roll]

[herodofcows]

As the New Gods struggle to stay afloat, Potence's magic suffuses the assembled heroes in a blaze of power. You might think that this would signal the beginning of an epic powered-up beatdown. You would not be wrong!

WHAM.

DeSaad roars with rage as Granny Goodness goes to her knees smashed in the head with a Rocky-worthy blow from Sarah Saturn. He turns his furious eyes to the Bui-

To THUNDERSTRUCK. Thunderstruck, who would mock my love with his mincing words and empty tunes. THUNDERSTRUCK, WHO DARES MY WRATH AND CLAIMS IMMORTALITY!

. . . to Thunderstruck, then. A veritable storm of red and black lightning sizzles up along his arm.

"You are DE-"

SLASH.

The Builder's upward slash of his claws shorts the protection field and catches the New God under the chin. DeSaad goes stumbling back, yowling. Yellow and black fluids drip from his face as he snarls in pain and rage.

"RAAAA-"

SLICE.

"-AIIEEEE!"

So focused was he upon the Builder that he failed to see Ronin's approach. The mutant samurai's series of blows tell with deadly results, slicing perfectly along his opponent's spine as though the vertebrae were a connect-the-dots puzzle for his sword. A veritable spray of ichor douses the air, and DeSaad spins around wildly . . .

THWIP.

. . . Just in time to be utterly engulfed by Spider Man's webbing. He tries to break free, but the symbiote's coils are too strong for him to budge through. His eyes peek out beneath the webbing, but whatever grandiloquent insults he wishes to lob at you come out as:

"Mmmmm mmmm mmm mmmmph! Mmmmmmph! MMMM-"

WHAM.

Peregrine lays into the bound New God with an enormous kick to the stomach. To say it hits like a freight train would be generous to freight trains. It hits like a Peregrine.

DeSaad goes sprawling across the floor, still bound like a fetishist's dream . . . right to the feet of Howard and Jesús.

"Señor Duck!" exclaims Jesús, "Take the wheel!"

BLAMMO!

Howard's shot goes right for his foe's exposed head. Under most other circumstances, this would be messy and horrifying. Thankfully, this is DeSaad. The shot knocks his head into the floor, and his eyes roll back into his-

NO.

The power of Apokolips are not so easily denied! The crackling fires that burn at the essence of my lieutenants allow them to shrug off their most grievous wounds!

Granny Goodness rises first, sending the Amazon flying as she flings her by her own lasso! Desaad is next, crackling with the lightning of pain as he rises like a specter. Even Godfrey's shrieks abate as he whispers words of power, forcing Hercules backwards and rising to the fore!

These three champions of Darkseid stand before you bruised, bloodied . . . but far from destroyed.

“Do you SEE, mortals?” roars Godfrey, positively glowing as the world skews to put him at the center of all focus, “Lord Darkseid gives us strength beyond the feeble reserves of power that mere mortals like you possess! His power is unending, and his rage all-consuming!

"You may have inconvenienced us, oh yes! May it be solace to you that you stood but for the merest FRACTION of time against our Lord before we cut you to pieces! You are NOTHING! You are PANCAKE FURNITURE TOAST!”

. . . what?

Godfrey suddenly starts frothing at the mouth and shaking all over. He collapses to the ground, jerking intermittently.

“GIBLET FANDANGO!”

Potence is suddenly aware of a tiny presence that has just zipped up to her shoulder.

"Gave his frontal lobe a little tickle while we wait for Falcon and Red Tornado," Janet says, her impish grin audible, "So, who ARE these idiots?"

“You-” begins Granny Goodness, picking up her axe and beginning to advance.

She stops abruptly, because it's really difficult to keep moving forward when there's a chain around your neck.

"KEEZY BASTICH MESSIN' WIT' THE MAIN MAN'S FAVORITE GREASE JOINT!" comes the roar from outside the open door to Go-Getters. There is a sound of a revving engine, and Granny Goodness is abruptly yanked outside.

You begin to hear a bunch of engines outside. Car engines, plane engines, quinjet engines . . . DeSaad's eyes widen with fear as he spins around to look outside . . .

SPAK. SPACK.

"WHAT HO!"

"Jesus Christ, dad . . ."

Green Arrow and Arsenal appear from the back entrance, tacitly claiming responsibility for the two arrows that have embedded themselves into DeSaad's back. He wheels around and brings up the red-black lightning, but now Wonder Woman and John Stewart are back on their feet . . .

And then Godfrey gets back up just in time for two red-and-yellow blurs to appear and start beating the ever-loving CRAP out of him picoseconds at a time . . .

"IT'S CLOBBERIN' TIME!" you hear outside, over Granny Goodness' yelling . . .

And THEN Demon from the Secret Warriors comes flying in with a strange shimmering sword and a look of UNHOLY glee on his face . . .

After a certain point, it just becomes gratuitous.

Everyone Gets A Hero Point

As S.H.I.E.L.D. arrives to take the Apokoliptan miscreants, DeSaad utters one last Parthian shot. Of course, he's the only one capable of uttering it. Godfrey looks like he's going to need to be put in traction, and Granny Goodness is basically one giant bruise. Still, it's not without some portent.

"Mmmmenjoy the trial . . ." he spits.

One Week Later
The Peak, orbiting space headquarters of S.W.O.R.D.
The Trial

"Witness group 9, please step away from the launch pad and towards the dotted line," calls a bored-looking S.W.O.R.D. operative standing at the blast doors, "When I call you, please go through the doors and follow the line into conference room C. You will be issued visitor badges and directed to the appropriate waiting area. Please refrain from all use of extranormal abilities until such time as . . ."

You've joined the veritable legion of superheroes that have received a summons for the Skrull/Kryptonian trial. On the appointed day, you were picked up from a predetermined location (to preserve your secret identities, if any) and ferried over to a temporary launch facility on the outskirts of Metropolis. Businesslike technicians had sealed you into a windowless shuttle, and in a matter of minutes you'd been docked up at S.W.O.R.D.'s headquarters.

You're quickly shuffled through the bureaucratic elements and placed in waiting rooms with a series of other members of the caped community. You are instructed not to speak to one another. You are provided with approved digital entertainment devices. You wait.

And then, you are called.

The room itself is not dissimilar to the courtrooms that you might expect to see from a military tribunal. There is a long table at one end of the room, filled with various figures acting as judges in these proceedings. In the middle of the room, there is a single chair for the witness. Behind them, the respective figures for the prosecution and the defense sit at their own tables. Behind them, there is an assembled crush of journalists from major news networks around the world, all under armed guard from S.W.O.R.D. operatives.

I say "figures", because the vast majority of the court officials are entirely indistinct in appearance. A sort of blurring, discoloring, and stretching effect dances across the bodies of the judges and the council for the defense. When they speak, their voices are likewise distorted and resonant. Even their scents are disguised, and anyone with touch senses will note that they are all masked and fully covered. Every possible means of identifying the judges, the defense, and anyone else who might be complicit in getting the aliens acquitted has been erased.

You are told to sit in the witness chair, and then . . .

Spoiler: OOC

Show

I have no interest in making people laboriously summarize everything that has already happened in this campaign, so we can assume your characters tell everything as it happened to the best of their ability. If you WANT to summarize what happened in your character's own words (or even LIE) then go for it! Otherwise, we'll pick up with the cross-examination.

Potence

You are first addressed by the defense. You are asked to recount your experiences on the day of the Ten Second Invasion, with special focus on the actions taken by the Keeper of Threes and your own in reversing them. You are asked whether you believe the Keeper of Threes was acting of his own free will, and whether your spells would have worked on him had there not been some external influence. You are further asked to detail the Keeper of Threes' subsequent actions.

Once this is done, Jennifer Walters steps up from the prosecution's table and launches into her own line of inquiry.

“I want to go back to the moment in which the Keeper of Threes ordered the assault. Can you give me the exact words and phrases he used, to the best of your ability?”

Ronin

You are first addressed by Jen. She asks you to recount two separate incidents: first, you are asked about the day you breached Weapon X and found Superman, with a focus on the methods being employed by Rel'kor. Next, you are asked about your experiences during the Ten-Second Invasion with a specific focus on your battle with Rel'kor and the leveling of Stryker's Island penitentiary.

After your testimony, you're turned over to an unidentifiable member of the defense.

<The incidents leading up to the Ten-Second Invasion took place during a prisoner exchange, as per your testimony. Could you please detail the Terran prisoners being returned, and any prior relationship you'd had with them?>

Sarah Saturn

You are not asked to testify as to anything that HAS happened. Instead, you are asked about your qualifications and proficiencies as a polymath genius, as well as your and your grandfather's general projects. Once your credentials have been established, the defense proffers their first major question (after considerable tedious procedural bickering as to the propriety of this question).

<You have a considerable stake in and capability for observing and modeling parallel timelines. Can you give us an idea of what would have happened if the defendant's plan had succeeded?>

Spoiler: What you know off the top of your head. Roll for more!

Show

Presuming certain baseline universal conditions, most (>85%) Earths where the Skrulls and the Kryptonians had acted without interference end up defeating Darkseid handily. Now that you know what to look for, it's clear that the whole Totem/Hekatomb ritual would have succeeded in its stated goal. Admittedly, things get murky from there: there are plenty of examples where the plan works but the aftermath leads to some pretty nasty s*** as a direct or indirect result. Depending on how far along that alternate universe you go, you eventually can find SOMEthing that goes wrong as an indirect result of the alien plan. Then again, you can find plenty of indirect positives too so the whole thing is kind of a wash.

Thunderstruck

The defense asks you to expound upon your time-traveling adventures, specifically with regards to the Talisman and your experiences with her.

<Can you give the court your impressions of the Talisman's attitude towards humanity, please?>

Spider Man

Jennifer Walters takes the lead in your questioning. She asks you to recount your experiences in finding Superman, with specific detail to the temporary and lasting damage done to him. She also asks you to delve into the work you had to do to take care of Big Blue while he was incapacitated, and the lengths to which you had to go to fix him.

After this, you're turned over to the defense.

<Can you inform the court as to the intent of the procedures done to Superman, please? To the best of your understanding.>

The Builder

Your summons come rather suddenly relative to everyone else's: in fact, you're given less than 24 hours notice that you're needed, and only then through the grapevine via Potence. It's a lucky thing that you're able to make it as soon as you do.

The defense takes the lead with you.

<Please give the court your impressions of J'onn J'onzz, formerly known as the Martian Manhunter. Specifically, please give your impressions as to his attitudes towards humanity as a whole.>

Howard the Duck

The defense asks you in-depth about your interactions with Darkseid on the day of the Ten-Second Invasion. Every word and detail that you can remember is solicited, no matter how minute.

Jennifer Walters goes next, a slight foreboding edge to her tone.

“Can you explain the manner of Darkseid's control to the court, to the best of your understanding? How would you characterize the methods by which he directed events?”

Peregrine

Jennifer Walters grills you on every detail of your night hunting the multiple Jason Todd Skrulls throughout New York. Every excruciating, contrived detail. She especially asks for focus on the attacks perpetrated by the Todds, by the Fist of Nightwing, and then the assault on Hydra forces by Skrulls and Kryptonians masquerading as law enforcement. Special emphasis is placed on asking how, precisely, J'onn J'onnz asked you to not interfere with those attacks and further prevented you from saving lives.

The defense comes next, a list of questions ready in blurred indistinct hand.

<From your understanding of the situation, were the actions of the Fist of Nightwing or the various Skrulls masquerading as Jason Todd in accordance with the directives of the Skrulls and Kryptonians as a whole?>

Spoiler: Augur

Show

You muster JUST enough force to propel yourself into the window of the first possible universe. There is a moment of extreme disorientation, and then . . .

KABOOOOOOOM

You've landed amidst the wreckage of a large metal building, just as it impacts the ground. You have a brief moment to take in the sheer monolithic size of the city before the screams hit you like a wall of sound. Patches of the ground explode around you as the flying craft pepper the area with blazing light. There are other blurs above, human-shaped more or less, but you only have a brief moment to take them into account before-

Crunch.

WHOOSH

Your instincts kick in and you dodge the falling figure, moving like lightning as you duck under their swinging fist. As you come into a fighting stance, you see that you're facing a humanoid in a black-white-and-red costume. The most noticeable feature are the bright red goggles that adorn their eyes: they shimmer and flicker as though they have a life of their own.

"Metahuman!" barks the figure, "I am Superguardian Smasher of the Shi'ar Imperium! You have five seconds to surrender yourself into my custody! Comply, or be met with deadly force!"