A New Chance

[Gnomish Wanderer]

Jason

Jason took a step back when he saw the man's strange coloration. He then shook his head and rereadied his defensive position. "What do ya want anyway? You couldn't help me, alright? Back down." He looked over Draven, trying to figure out what he was doing and if he had any other weapons. What to do, what to do. What would be best here?

Freak! he wanted to scream out, but subsided. Jason narrowed his eyes and starting breathing heavily, trying to flair himself up a little bit. "You don't know what you're getting into. Either tell me what you want, or leave."
Summary:

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Talking, make a knowlege tactics (1d20+12)[26]roll to see if he can figure out what would be best in the close quarters of the alley, and make an intimidation (1d20+4)[13] roll at the end.

[Wiz]

Dr. Harold Smith a.k.a. Pulse

The figure sat in lotus position, but at about three feet above the floor. After several hours in a meditative state he opened his eyes, looking around, blinking. That was a successful experiment. Apparently my ability to sense and manipulate electromagnetic fields allows me to access computers remotely. Smith looks down at the floor below him. I still don't know why my body is generating this intense localized magnetic field, but it does allow me to lift myself without wearing or carrying large amounts of metal, so I guess I won't bitch about it, even if it does cause me problems with computer memory. I also bet I will set off every store alarm or metal detector I pass through though.

[evisiron]

Kid Zeus

The Kid turned his head sharply at the new arrival, gaping for a moment before finding his voice. It was still a little new for him to see people flying down from midair at him, especially ones that looked like vampires, even though he was doing much of the same. "Uh...h-hey, Nosferatu! How's it going, man? I met another of our kind earlier, some guy who could make the soundwaves from his guitar crush and then reconstruct the hood of a car. I had to talk him out of attacking a cop, then talk the cop out of crushing the guy's skull in with his baton. Everything worked out alright though, and he said he was going to come to the meeting. He's calling himself "Riff". You should have heard his music, dude. The guy could make his guitar do things I've never heard Slash or Hammet play. What about you? Put that homicidal maniac behind bars, yet?"

Obviously, he was referring to the Reaper, who he had more than a single problem with being included in their little team of super friends.

Nosferatu

Nosferatu listened to the story about the soundwave guy, a wide 'That Is So Cool' grin hidden under his mask. The only way he could be better if he made his axe into..well.. a fuctioning axe!

However, when the conversation turned to Reaper, Nosferatu inwardly sighed as he remembered Kid Zeus' reaction to the dark figure popping up at the meeting. Threats leading to lighting him up "Like a christmas tree" were involved is the memory was accurate. Of course, at the time Nosferatu had been almost glad that there was another as paranoid about the Reaper as he was! An ally, if things turned nasty. However, Nosferatu had listened to Reaper, heard him out. Kid Zeus seemed to cling to the initial impression.

"We took him to the army base thats been set up outside of town, and he *did* do behind bars."

Nosferatu pauses for a second.

"Electrified bars"

"Anyway, he essentially turned himself in, and awaited judgement by the Mayor. I am not sure I can say too much about what happened inside a military base in the middle of the street, but essentialy Reaper is now 'on the governments leash' as it were. He is seeking redemption for his previous crimes, and it looks like he will be paying for them for most, if not all, his remaining life. This includes working against criminal elements in the city. I think the Mayor has made a good call, and at the end of the day, it looks like it would be much better on the side of good.

By the way, did you tell Riff about the meeting tomorrow?"

[The_Snark]

Judy

Earlier

She was lucky. Flipping through the channels, she was about to turn the TV off when she heard the words "... forgive me if this is the wrong word—a mutant."

That got her attention. The new phenomenon was all over the news, of course, but it paid to know what the news was saying. Even if it was wrong, or exaggerated, it gave hints as to what people were thinking. She knew very few people who accepted everything they saw at face value, but the media nonetheless managed to shape people's views.

She was glad she'd kept it on. The man they were talking to, a professor or scientist of some sort, made it clear that he was (or at least claimed to be, a small part of her clarifies) one of those who'd been in the blast. I wonder. Everyone affected by this must have been in the southern district of the city at the time. I can't picture this fellow walking around the streets near the port.

She watched and listened to the professor's speech with mixed feelings, giving way to incredulity at the end. She switched the TV off—maybe the news anchors would discuss the speech, but she wasn't in the mood to listen.

What is it about this whole business? First the people turning up at the fire to help out, and now this. Why is it that they're suddenly willing to take risks they never were before? I'd wager none of them was thinking of being a fireman before this happened, or a policeman. Suddenly, give them a single gift—flight, strength, whatever—and they're all too willing to throw aside whatever they had been planning to make with their lives in order to do something they had passed over before. Why? Because it's easier to do something else now? Something that's dangerous despite whatever the chemical did to them? That many people helping out is the sort of thing to restore your faith in human nature... if it weren't so foolish.

And Dark. All that talk about fear and an enemy no normal person could possibly touch—what's he trying to pull? What makes him think that only something knew could possibly provide a solution to this problem? Does he know something he isn't saying about that, or has he simply been caught up in whatever fever is surrounding this whole event?

It's like everyone involved believes this has turned into a comic book. Only the efforts of a few individuals can save the world? Sure. In Hollywood. Dark talked about everyone overcoming their own difficulties, but what he ended with was an encouragement to that sort of Hollywood thinking. And they applauded. It's as if the chemical altered everyone's brain...

With a chill, she realized how possible that was. Not even possible—likely. How could something that so drastically altered the human body leave the brain perfectly untouched? At the least, nerves to convey new impulses had to be present. The lunatic at the conference, the hero fever that several individuals had been caught up in... symptoms, maybe. It was a disquieting thought. Had Alex's behavior of late been normal for him? She thought so, but it had been long enough that she might have been wrong.

And her behavior? How was it she could see out of three pairs of eyes, all at the same time? Thinking about it, she felt dizzy for a moment, then firmly repressed the nausea that thought had induced. She did it perfectly when she wasn't thinking about it, but a human shouldn't be able to comprehend that many viewpoints without a hitch. Nor should she be used to working with more than one pair of hands, or managiing three tasks at once, but she was. Very disquieting. She didn't want to think about what else might have changed in her. How could you tell if you were going mad?

With a chill, she shook her head, trying to clear it of that thought. She wasn't going mad. This situation would put stress on anyone. If she kept sitting here on the couch alone, she'd just keep dwelling on it.

Taking her spare set of keys in case she wasn't back from the clerk's office or the lower port before she wanted to come back, Judy locked the door and went out for a walk.

Some time later

She'd been wandering the streets for an hour or two now. Stopping at a bar or restaurant had just given her the time to keep thinking about what might be happening to her, this time without even a familiar setting, and unfortunately, she didn't have anyone she could confide in. Alex was busy, and she hadn't told him that she'd been in the blast yet... without that, she could hardly mention her fears to him. Linda was the only other person she might have told, and she was on duty.

Watching the surreal sight of a figure soaring down onto the street and around a corner was a welcome distraction, and on a whim, she changes direction, heading around the corner. The figure was easy enough to spot, with a black mask covering the lower half of his face and a sword of all things slung across his back. And he had a friend, complete with a jumpsuit and a reverse mask covering the upper half of his face.

Oh, yes. Hero fever.

She leans against a wall for a moment, studying the two of them, then shrugs. Why not, after all? She walks up to the pair of them, who looked... young, actually, what she could see and hear of them from closer. She looks them over with raised eyebrows, clearly evaluating them, then speaks, sounding amused. "Dressed up for somewhere?"

[Thrall_Of_Ao]

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I have a feeling, if this scene were to occur with almost any of the other characters in this game, some nonviolent resolution would probably occur.
Unfortunately, Jason chose to anger a...well, let's just say the wrong guy, at the wrong time, in just the right way. I'll let all the rest come out in the wash. To be completely honest, I probably should be thanking you for the opportunity.

Draven (but not for much longer)/Oblivion
Business District(?)

Draven clenched his jaw as he listened to the drivel spilling out of the punk in front of him.

The chill within him deepened...and he no longer cared.

The delinquents attempt at hiding his fear behind a thin veneer of courage and threats. Asking questions that he already knew the answers to...questions that he would never believe the answer to even if he was given them a thousand times.

He's not worth it, just walk away, let him find out what it's really like on his own... some far away part of him said.

He took off his glasses, slipping them into his jackets breast pocket, and began to turn away.

But something else inside him, something stronger, stopped him.
It's wasn't the fact that this guy hurt the nurse, someone who was more than likely trying to help him, and had run away as his way of thanking her for her trouble. Or that his actions, regardless of reason, would almost assuredly once again marr the image of the Ne-Human population of Rainport...

It was that he suddenly represented all the pig-headed, narrow minded, needlessly violent coward-bullies Draven had ever met. The kind of thickheaded self-declared victims of poor upbringing, lashing and acting out just because they were too scared to just think for two seconds and choose a better way, but too dumb to do so even when it was offered to them, and just dim enough that they never gtt blamed for any of it, never truly had to take full responsibility for any of their misdeeds, no matter how horrible.

Three strikes, you’re out echoed crazily through his mind as a singluar word built, from barely a whisper to a mind shattering roar.

NO!!!

Whipping back around, he growled out, between gritted teeth, "You had your chance...now you're going to have to learn the hard way!"

The unnamed thing within him twisted and rose up...

I am a vessel, for what I have now become emerges.

His last thought faded as the nothingness engulfing his senses, drowning out further thought, his head thrown back, the roar in his mind reaching a creshendo and bursting from his mouth.

((Power Activation))
…But not as sound, but a gout of inky black tendrils that burst forth skyward, then whipped down, adhering to, and sliding across his flesh.
Working their way across face, slithering into his collar and under his clothes and rapidly covering his body in a laticework of pulsing black strands, the very air around him seemed to shiver and darken.

Everything became so clear then, his unreadable ebon eyes seeing it all in moments.
The dead-end alleyway with the singular dumpster at it's end.
The solid steel emergency exit door of the building on his left.
...And his prey.

He smiled wickedly.

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I guess now we're even and initiative begins

[Gnomish Wanderer]

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Arg. This doesn't look good. Guess I'll roll initiative... (1d20+2)[21]... btw 'Them's Fightin' Words!'

Jason steadied himself for a moment just as the man... no, the thing in front of him began to transform. "Wha... What the hell's wrong with you, man?"

He sidestepped over towards the dumpster, eyes glued onto Oblivion. Taking a deep breath, he disappeared from sight.

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Dammit I can't try the door without going flat-footed, and I think I desperately need all the AC I can get. I hate combat! Anyhow, I spent a free talking and move, well, moving, and then my standard moving again. I'm not sure if I need to make a hide check... Anyway, depending on how high the dumpster is off the ground (older ones are usually taller) I'm either under or behind.

[Thrall_Of_Ao]

((In all fairness, the intimidation check wasn't rolled against, and I'm assuming it was attempted in an effort to avoid the fight.
Here's the opposed roll (MLC); (1d20+8)[19].
I'm also assuming the Tactics skill is a reflexive or free action to use...I'm only vaguely familiar with it, but I guess, since it's an "advice" type skill, it's up too Geez3r))

Edit: By the by, I already rolled init., and since I beat your intimidation attempt (officially), you take action first. Let's see what ya got.

[Gnomish Wanderer]

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Dammit! Forgot about something... (1d20+9)[20]
Edit: Just barely made it!

Jason starts to hyperventilate as he feels the closed space of the wall/ground and the dumpster. He wills himself to calm down, trys to force himself to ignore it, and slowly his breathing begins to return to normal. He does his best to think of fields and clouds instead of the trap he found himself. It's just a small space, don't freak out. He told himself, and he felt himself returning to a more normal phase. I have to get out of here.

[evisiron]

Nosferatu

Nosferatu stands, waiting for a reply, when a voice chirps up from behind him. "Dressed up for something?"
With a surprised perk of the ears, Nosferatu spins on his heel to face the new arrival. From all that he knew of superheroes, such a quip would be expected from some agile costumed female in a dark and mysterious outfit. However, the source of the voice was not that at all. Nosferatu looked the women over. She appeared relatively normal. Then again, 'normal' people would rarely walk up to two costumed figures after an event like the Mayor attack and throw snarky remarks at them. But what the eyes could miss, he could still detect with his new senses. Within seconds, Nosferatu had activated the cells buried in his flesh, and kept them deep to prevent from him turning dark green.

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I sort of debated on this, but settled with using due to the hyper confident behaviour. If it had been "Hey, I saw you on TV!" the scan would not be necessary.

Detect power: 3PP spent

Ah yes, this person emitted the distinct "taste" of one of the altered. But it was strange, and like all the others, unique. Where as Infrerno had the distinct reek of burning, and Kid Zeus emitted an ozone like flavour, this women gave the sense that she was spread over some vast distance, like taffy pulled apart. What could that mean? Could she be a teleporter, and the stretch was due to the residue of travel?

Nosferatu answers after several seconds, the deep grumbling voice at odds with the words spoken.
"It never hurts to get an early start for halloween. My name is Nosferatu, but I shall allow the charged up figure beside me make his own introductions. And who might you be?"

[Thrall_Of_Ao]

Oblivion (Draven’s not exactly here right now…)
Business District

The smile enlarged, it’s true intent and meaning becoming clear; A snarl of pure animal aggression.

The look on the boys face served only to fuel the cold fire of rage that burned within him.

“Coward!” he growled, his voice now possessed of a deep inhuman echo.

((Power Activation))

Clearing the distance between himself and the dumpster in a single leap, he landed nimbly in a crouch.

“What’s wrong boy. Does seeing the truth frighten you? Or is it the guilt of victimizing that woman that haunts you?
...You can’t run away from your problems forever, nor the consequences brought about by those selfsame problems.” he said, his voice low and filled with menace.

With head cocked to the side, his breathing deep and regular, he considered the options currently presented to him with reptilian-like precision.

[Thrall_Of_Ao]

((Misposted jump check for the record))

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Jump: (1d20+15)[25]
He's aiming to land on the top of the dumpster. I'm assuming the alley is no more than thirty feet (30') long and that the dumpster is large (so 25 or better should make it).

[kpenguin]

Ryan Tran/Ace
The Hospital

Ryan walks into a cold hospital room. A young man lies on a bed connected to several machines in the middle of the room. No one else is there.

Ryan walks slowly to the bed, pulls up a chair, and sits. He stares at the young man for a while before opening his mouth to speak. His face is solemn and his voice is soft and quiet.

"Hey Eric. How are you? I was going to bring you something, but I couldn't think of what to bring. Funny, huh? I guess I don't know you as well as I wish."

He pauses for a moment.

"The doctor says he thinks you're going to pull through. I know it. You're strong, like me."

His mouths twists into a small smile for a moment.

"Well maybe not like me, but hey, not everyone can be me."

His smile fades a little.

"Hey, you know, you're missing out on some crazy things. There was an explosion, just a few nights ago. Everyone's talking about it."

He leans in a bit closer.

"Some of these people here, they... changed. They got these, well, powers. Like out of a comic book. But... I guess you'd know something about that.

You know what's even crazier? Some these guys are dressing up in costumes and going off to be superheroes and stuff like that. I bet you'd really like that. People being heroes."

He leans in very close, his voice drops to a whisper.

"You know what's the craziest thing of all? I have powers too and I'm going to try to be a hero."


He leans back, his voice still very quiet.

"I know, me of all people. Crazy, huh?

I guess its because of something that happened the other day. I helped this old lady with a mugger. It felt good, helping her.

You're always talking about how good you feel, just helping people. I never understood what you meant until that moment. I guess I've always been too concerned with my own pleasure to notice what you say."

Ryan gets up and puts his hand on his brother's arm.

"Listen, Eric. I'm going to try and make you proud of me, for once. I'm going to try to do what you've been doing all you're life: just helping people. So, can you do something for me? Can you make me proud and just get through this? For me, little bro?"

He lets go and begins to leave. At the door, he looks back.

"Next time, I'll bring you something. You're my brother. I should know what to bring."

[dfpiii]

Professor Dark aka Paragon

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I hate the server speed. It takes me forever to do anything

The old wooden house is lit like embers. A fire roars in the otherwise quiet living room, dappling patches of light and casting strange shadows through the room's esoteric contents.

Dark opens the front door and is backlit by the fire. He seems momentarily celestial, a body moving in front of the sun; his huge frame all but fills the doorway. And then he moves to one side and in so doing appears more... but not quite... human.

"Mr Reaper," Dark says with a voice like a tiger's purr. He extends a hand in a gesture of invitation. "Do come in".

And once inside it is Dark the conversationalist. Dark the convivial, fascinating and fascinated professor. Dark the urbane and beautiful. It was difficult to imagine him as anything other than the image he paints of himself.

"You have undergone quite the change in only two days," he says, sitting close to the hearth. "Phyical and, so I hear, moral. If you know Nosferatu then you know about tomorrow's meeting. In which case I am curious about why you wish to speak to me now".

He indicates a seat for you. In the fire light his hand, like white marble, looks graceful, unnatural and as hard as stone.

"Can I interest you in a beer or some chips?" Dark asks, with a strange tinge of hope in his voice.

[ChronicLunacy]

Kid Zeus

She leans against a wall for a moment, studying the two of them, then shrugs. Why not, after all? She walks up to the pair of them, who looked... young, actually, what she could see and hear of them from closer. She looks them over with raised eyebrows, clearly evaluating them, then speaks, sounding amused. "Dressed up for somewhere?"

Kid Zeus looked over, interrupting his thought processes about if Riff would make a good addition to their little super team. He couldn't hide a boyish grin at Judy's question, knowing that he most likely looked ridiculous, even though he thought it had looked pretty cool in the mirror at home. Before he could answer, Nosferatu piped up.

Nosferatu answers after several seconds, the deep grumbling voice at odds with the words spoken.
"It never hurts to get an early start for halloween. My name is Nosferatu, but I shall allow the charged up figure beside me make his own introductions. And who might you be?"

"I don't know about you, man. I just think it's terribly comfortable. I think everyone will be wearing them in the future." he added, not being able to resist quoting a certain movie he had at home. He let the current running through his veins come to the surface for just a moment, bluish-white bolts playing over the surface of his body like he was a human tesla coil, then he shut it off. Didn't want to scare her off. "It's 'Kid Zeus' while I'm wearing this crazy getup. What's up?" The electricity that had been jumping across his skin seemed to collect in his eyes to make them glow. He didn't seem to be doing it on purpose.

[blennus]

“The Man”

“I must say that I am impressed. Your reputation is well earned. I had expected that very little was known, but in a short 36 hours you have already begun to unlock much of the mysteries in our mutant physiology. My hat is off to you sir.”
“As for harvesting mutants, that was never something I had considered. I had only thought that new substances could be perhaps studied, and then synthesized somehow. I do realize that such work must be done voluntarily. Your study of this Inferno gentleman is very fascinating though. Indeed I would be grateful if I could receive any updates on mutant ability research.”
“As for your unwillingness to work on my multiple personality disorder, caused by the mutagen I understand. Personally I do not consider my alter-ego real, but rather a repressed portion of my past life, prior to my transformation. However I appreciate your value of human life and the possibility that it is indeed a real “person”, therefore I will not press the issue. I would never ask one such as yourself to compromise your moral integrity merely for my benefit. And I do thank you for your discretion.”
“Before I go I would like to volunteer some skin and tissue samples, so if you could direct me to whatever area is most appropriate, it would be most appreciated.”

Summary: Blah blah blah. Direct me to tissue samples lab.

[The_Snark]

Judith

Judy eyes the glow in the second of the two figures' eyes askance for a moment, not really sure what to make of it. Before now, the only... 'mutants', for want of a better word... that she knew had looked relatively normal. Alex's tentacles were unusual, but an extra limb was an extra limb, no matter how bizarre the idea might seem. She didn't look any different at all, and Nerros hadn't, either, not that she'd seen. This pair was different, more like the ones on TV; glowing eyes, a raspy, dramatic voice, and so on. She wonders if they're doing that on purpose, to try to accentuate their 'costumes'—it would make going unnoticed in their real lives difficult if it was something they really couldn't stop.

"What's up?" she repeats, mouth quirking upwards in amusement. "A couple days ago, I'd have figured you two were just nuts and walked on by. These days, I think everyone's a little more curious." She studies them a moment longer. "Were you two were at the fire earlier? I didn't see that myself, but I heard about it." One of them had been flying earlier, and how many costumed, flying figures could there be? More than I really want to think about. I'd have thought that only a couple people would actually fight crime in costume, if someone asked me about it before and I somehow took them seriously... maybe I'm just an optimist.

Still, at least these two have a sense of humor about it.

[Tar Palantir]

The Reaper

The Reaper enters Dark's home, staying carefully in the shadows. The dim firelight was not particularly harmful to him, but it still bothered him to be in it. He answered Dark, "No, thank you. I no longer need to eat or drink. Let us proceed to business."

"You have placed yourself in a curious position, Professor Dark. It seems clear that you are capable of manipulating the events that are unfolding, and that you have chosen to do so. What I have come to find out is why. You have spoken, and the world has changed a little. What will you do with this power? You are far more dangerous than a simple superpowered being like Nosferatu or Kid Zues. If they used their powers for evil, they could be killed. I trust my ability to stop them should they go mad with power. But you, Professor Dark, you are far more subtle. You can play on the hearts and minds of the people, and if I should try to stop you your slaves would rise up to protect their master. You are dangerous, Professor Dark, and I will know now what you intend. Speak."

[evisiron]

*Do Not Read Until Noon Tuesday Due to DM Shutdown*

Nosferatu

"Hmm, you would think everyone is a 'little more curious' but you are the only one who has come up to talk to us. I guess some people have a more direct stake in the mutates in the city, right?"

Nosferatu paused for a moment, unsure of how to continue. On one hand, it might be a little awkward to reveal this new arrival as a mutate. Then again, the only ones who would be likely to hear are Kid Zeus and himself, and they were not exactly aggressive to other people in the same situation. Of course, perhaps she didn't know that she was a mutate... In that instance, it might be quite a shock. But then she could figure it out carefully, instead of figuring out that she has powers through some tragic activation, such as teleporting several hundred meters in the air while reaching for a can.

Bah, more good than ill would come of it. Besides, playing mind games was not exactly Nosferatu's 'thing'. Subtlety could be left to the people in suits for now.

Nosferatu starts speaking again with a gesture to the burn areas on his leg and arm, melted plastic showing through the gap.

"Yeah, I was at the fire. If only these had been caused by cigarette burns...Kid Zeus was there too, along with some others. We were able to help get the building evacuated before some nutter blew it apart.

So, what is your name? Of course, if you would rather not use your real name, I would be more than happy to help you come up with one linked to your powers"

Nosferatu finishes with a casual, open armed stance, despite the 'bombshell' he just dropped.

[dfpiii]

Professor Dark aka Paragon

Dark leans back in his seat.

"You probably wouldn't want any tea, either, then".

The crackling of the fire is the only sound while Dark's intense and unwavering eyes study his newest guest.

"There is no zealot like a convert, that's how the saying goes. Very well. It is the challenge that defines the age. The Soviet Union put America's first man on the moon. Hitler created a stable and unified Europe. Religious persecution brought our ancestors over the sea and greed made them to slaughter the peoples of the new world and from that iniquitous morass came this nation which in its best moments places liberty above gold".

"The challenges of our age are monumental. Need I list them? Suffice to say that the most urgent of them is a being who intends the destruction of our way of life. He is the fire. And as all people in all ages have been tested, so we will be tested. And when the fire subsides we will be either steel or ashes".

"Do you want to know if I dream of power, of a tyrant's throne atop a mountain of skulls? A childish ambition. I wish for none of what is to come. I am the very hand of fate and I will guide this world through disaster for there is none better than I to do so. I am the first son of today and father of all tomorrows".

"You think I have slaves, or want them? None call me master".

Dark rises from his seat and crosses the room. An elegant display of spears is fanned across the wall and Dark selects one of them.

"What are you? And what do you want? To kill one set of people rather than another? Will all your remaining days be drowned in screams of the dying? And will your memory be a tale to frighten children when all that remember the real horror are also dead?"

He takes the spear and places it into Reaper's hand and quickly, without ceremony, kneels down and puts the point over his heart. His gaze never wavers and is locked onto Reaper's.

"Did you think that you had recanted your ways?" Dark asks. "No. You are a murderer still. The choice comes now. The choice is always made in the moment, by instinct. Kill me and watch this world vanish. Or help me face what waits for us and in so doing come to know a better purpose for yourself. There can be no grey areas between us. We are allies or we are enemies and one of us will not survive that".

[Tar Palantir]

The Reaper

The Reaper listens to Dark's bold speech, then replies, "I do not wish to kill any more. If the world is merciful then I will never have to, but I doubt the world is merciful. If the world was merciful then I would never have been brought into it. But as for you..." He pauses, then drops the spear on the ground. "Your blood will not stain my hands today. Still I do not trust you, for any serpent can have honey on their tongue, but I will give you your chance to do good. You have the power, of that I am certain. You deserve the chance."

[geez3r]

There's not nearly as much as I would expect for this post, but what'll you do?

Jason/Oblivion

{Weee Pvp combat. Jason’s knowledge of tactics gives him an edge, by which I mean a +2 to initiative, +2 AC (applies to all), +2 attack rolls, +2 damage rolls (all circumstance modifiers) while fighting in this area for the next 6 rounds. The two of you are doing a good job by yourselves, so I’m more of less just a ref and give our rulings for the more obscure tactics. Oblivion’s jump check makes the DC.)


Gust

When you peer into the car, you find the driver obviously a little dazed in his seat, there’s some blood on the airbag, so he is apparently roughed up a bit. However, he doesn’t appear to want to give up, as he staggers out of the car, wobbling a bit as he tentatively takes a few steps. You can’t place it, but something just seems… wrong… with the way he is moving. The police pull out their guns and one of them shouts “Freeze! Get down on the ground with your hands on your head!” The criminal makes no move to do either and continues staggering away.


Legion

The guard you threated gulps as you walk away. It appears as if the guards have decided that whatever they’re being paid to guard this bank is not worth it anymore. The 2 guards in the deposit area don’t make any move to stop you finishing up, and you hear no movement from the 3 in the office room.


Reaper/Nos/Pulse/”Ignored” NPC’s

To Reaper: The Mayor give you permission to leave and says “Make sure I don’t regret my decision here today, or there will be all kinds of Hell to pay.”

The Lt. General disappears for a moment and comes back with a mini head set that bears a striking resemblance to a Bluetooth. “A cell is unreliable, we’ll use this to contact you, and besides, I don’t think you could very well walk into a store and buy one.”

Nos: You manage to snag a word with Titan and Inferno who both agree to go to the meeting, though Titan looks a little nervous, though who wouldn’t be, he’s about to meet a dozen or so genuine heros, none of whom he’s ever met. Inferno on the otherhand practically jumps at the opprotunity saying he wants to race everyone there to figure out who’s the fastest.

Pulse: The Mayor and Lt. each thank you in kind for your compliments, and thank you for your contributions to the city. Just as you are about to get on your glider the Lt. General covertly says “You know, if you ever need a little extra cash, the military will pay handsomely for some of your inventions.”


Murky
{The only other “exit” so to speak is further down the hall, but you can’t see it because the hall way turns to the left.}

You slink out of the shadows unnoticed and succesfully take down one of the thugs, grabbing his shotgun before it his the ground. The other two thugs spin around, obviously frightened, and point their guns at you in shaking hands “Drop the gun man, just drop it.” The other one shouts up top “Boss, he’s down here, and got Charlie already.” “Be down in a sec.” is the reply, but the big guy doesn’t appear to be in much of a hurry.
{You’re up.}

The Man

Dr. Wilson nods and rises from his chair “If you’ll follow me please.” A short trip later you find yourself in more or less a standard room that one might visit to get a physical. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have other matters to attend to. It has been a pleasure.” About 10 minutes after the doc leaves a nurse comes in and (if allowed) takes a tissue sample, a blood sample and a sample of that drug you mentioned on your skin.

{I’m kinda skipping the detail here, because doctor appointments are terribly exciting}

[harmonictempest]

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Ho hum, not much to do during combat except react.

Perhaps he couldn't hear them over the wind... Gust allows the wind to die down, affording some measure of calm to the situation. Then, still poised for the unexpected (because there's something weird here I can't quite place), he moves to stand in the man's wobbling path. His tall but slight figure moves with assurance, and he takes a loose pose in front of the man that speaks of withheld action like a coiled spring. His loose garb seems almost medieval, alien in this setting, despite the cuffs of jeans barely visible under the edge of the robe when he moves. Though clearly not the strongest of figures, the glint in his eyes speaks to an assurance of physical superiority, and the observant might decide that he's even hopeful for a chance to fight. The scene becomes tense, and it's not difficult to imagine a camera panning from an elevated angle to take in the whole scene, figures frozen in place and waiting for the next move, flashing lights irrelevant under the stark glare of street lamps, onlookers and participants alike holding their collective breath, underlying music low, pulsing, and expectant.
Then Robert Blain speaks with more confidence than he has ever previously possessed in his life.
"Maybe you didn't hear the policemen. They told you to freeze."

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Not blocking the policemen's line of fire if I can help it. Previous action still readied.

[Thrall_Of_Ao]

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Since, according the the SRD, a jump is considered part of a Move action, and Gnome4ever hasn't posted his next action yet, I'm using this opportunity to take my Standard.

Balancing easily on his haunches atop the closed dumpster lid, he listened carefully for his prey, attuning his senses to his environment.

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Listen:(1d20+5)[14], particularly to find out if I hear him struggling to not panic

The next move will be critical, I will not be lulled into a false sense of superiority. Truly, he is now the cornered dog, unless...

His body like a coiled spring, he remained patiently watchful.

((For Gnome4ever)):

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I'm assuming two things at this point: First, that he's behind the dumpster, because you didn't specify one or the other (please do so in future), and since it's against human instinct to expose their back in a threatening situation.
Second, that he's considered "squeezing" under the heading Terrain and Obstacles.
Generally, dumpsters are placed a lot closer to walls than 5 feet.
I've I'm not mistaken, that would make him impossible to attack from all but directly above or directly to either side, in which case the bonuses balance out the penalties, giving him his normal AC, with his additonal +2 from Tactics.
I've asked Geez3r, to determine if he thinks otherwise, but I'm going with that for now.

[kpenguin]

Ryan Tran/Ace
The Hospital

As Ryan leaves the hospital, he spots the gaggle of hospital workers gathered outside. They seemed to be circled around two nurses. The one who looked a little shaken was a bit cute. The one with green skin? Totally hot.

Well, if I'm going to be a superhero, I should probably start now. Plus, if I help out, I might get to take one home.

Ryan walks over to the group. He starts to ask what's going on, but stops himself.

Wait. Superhero, right? I should probably say something witty. Hmmm... doctors... I know!

Ryan's mouth curves into a smirk and he tries to saunter in as coolly as possible.


"Hey, what's up docs?"

Ryan grimaces a little.

Okay, that was lame. Definitely not picking anyone up tonight. I should probably work on some material. Maybe I should hire a writer or something.

[Wiz]

Dr. Harold Smith a.k.a. Pulse

As Harold prepares for another outing he thinks back to his conversation with the general. It made him smile to remember telling the general that he would consider the offer, knowing that his particular devices would not do the military any good whatsoever. His misdirection as to the source of his power seemed to be working, however, and if it saved his life even once, it would be worth the small deception. He frowned, considering that in the past he actually did construct several weapons for various employers, some connected with the military, but now that his business is going private he has no intention of making weapons again... sure that his increased intelligence could produce even more deadly devices of destruction... and knowing for certain that he never wanted to feel responsible for such a misuse of his intellect again.

Fortified with a large meal, and donning his makeup and costume, Pulse heads out into the city once more. an evasive route away from his house he begins to patrol the southern section of the city. Hearing a scream for help, he notices an alley where several lights click on in the surrounding tenements. As he turns his glider toward there, he notices with some anger that people seem to be looking out of their windows at what is unfolding below, but not doing anything about it. The girl, cornered by four large men is calling for help, but she seems more angry than scared, and indeed one of the fellows goes down suddenly, clutching his groin at her expert kick. Another man slips behind her though and grabs her arms, leaving her flailing as the other two advance. As Pulse swoops down to ground level, his multipurpose sonic screwdriver is out, beeping and whizzing as he points it at a nearby dumster. Hearing the low thrum of the engine, the two spin about, seeing Pulse coming toward them, but totally miss the dumpster which rolls at them suddenly from the side crashing into them and sending them flying against the nearby wall. The remaining thug, still holding the girl says, "Back off flyboy or I'll break her arms!" He howls suddenly as the girl plants her heel down firmly on the toe of his boot, breaking several small bones. He throws her aside, then looks up, gaping as Pulse grabs his cape, causing it to billow out, pulling him backward off the glider which continues to speed toward the thug. A flat plate folds up on the front, turning it into a battering ram as it hits him in the chest with a sickening crack of ribs.

Silence fills the alley as Pulse glances around at the moaning or damaged fellows. He pulls his guns out slowly and dramatically. "Shall we dance?" The one the girl kicked seems to recover first and he doesn't bother to stand but pulls out a gun and fires at Pulse. The hero seems startled by the thug's swift action... certainly he couldn't be startled by the fact the bullet hit him dead on, and bounced off! The thugs, however, seeing that their opponent is apparently bulletproof, get shakily to their feet and begin running off, nursing their wounds. Pulse points the beeping sonic screwdriver at his glider and its engine shuts down, then he turns toward the girl. "Are you allright, miss?"

The woman looks at him squarely, and defiantly. "You're one of those mutants!" Pulse smiles, "I prefer mutate, but I suppose you use whatever term you're comfortable with... look them up sometime, though, if you want to know which is correct." She shakes her head, "Are you wearing body armor?" He chuckles, "It's funny... I have all these gadgets and people would think I had nothing defensive either. May I know the name of the person I have the honor of rescuing?" She frowns, "I could have handled that trash by myself... I've been in worse fixes." Pulse nods, "I can see you have a healthy dose of confidence. In that case, may I know who it was who helped me scare off those low-lives?" She smiles, "I'm Kellie Kellog, ace reporter for the Rainport news. Aren't you going to go after them?" Pulse shakes his head, "I think it would be far more effective if they carry news to their compatriots that crime no longer pays as well... and far more painful a lesson too if they aren't provided the best possible medical care on the city's tab. I'm called Pulse, by the way, sometime inventor and provider of minor assistance to those who can mostly handle situations by themselves." Kellie smiles, "I do owe you one... could I perhaps get an exclusive interview?" Pulse chuckles, "Perhaps another time, and then you'll owe me two; but I'm sure that a new crimefighter like myself can find a way to be payed back by an ace reporter... and get her some stories in the process. I'll be in touch, okay?" He points his device at the glider, activiating it, and causing it to rise, hovering. Then he leaps aboard as it slowly begins to cruise past. "Perhaps I'll follow our new friends for a few blocks... get the lesson in firmly. It's hell to run with broken ribs!" He waves and turns, slowly gliding down the alleyway like a huge bat with a jet engine. Kellie smiles calling out, "Don't wait too long... I'm going to have to have something to follow up this story soon!"

ooc: acquiring my new contact (from last level)

[MountainKing]

Gerard sat quietly in his living room, watching the news reports replaying over and over from the last few days. Mutants in the city, imbued with superhuman powers by a chemical explosion... Exceptional individuals jumping to the fore, helping beleaguered citizenry... heroes. A man, one Professor Lachlan Dark, calling for a meeting of the mutants in the city, to unify under the banner of justice. Gerard smiled bitterly at that; he no longer had any use for their "justice". It was a tool, a ploy; the ideal had died long forgotten years ago, at the hands of humanity.

Gerard stood then, flexing his hands as he turned on the CD player and turned to the gathered cleaning materials on his kitchen table. He had already gone through the apartment once, but it would never, ever hurt to be certain. A gentle melody began to drift through the apartment, courtesy of an acoustic guitar... until a finger jabbed down on the "Next" button, silencing the music and moving to another disc. Something more orchestral was in order; Gerard needed to calm his beating heart, yet feed his insatiable soul. Luciano Pavarotti would do nicely.

Humming softly, his feet moving with perfect tempo, Gerard gathered up his materials, and returned to the bathroom. He began with a simple spraying of bleach on the tub, coating every inch of the fiberglass surfaces with cleansing chemical. With a washrag in hand, he scrubbed vigorously, alternating between humming softly and singing snatches of opera as he worked. As a finishing touch, he plugged the drain and filled the tub with a quarter inch of bleach, permitting it to sit; he would drain the tub in a few hours. Standing, he washed his hands, not wanting the chemicals to harm his skin.

His next chore, the doorknob, which also received a coating in bleach and a vigorous scrubbing. Satisfied, he put away his various cleaning solutions, and turned to the vacuum cleaner. The apartment was relatively small, yet Gerard still took a full ten minutes going over ever inch of carpet and furniture that Rex Turner had sat or stood upon; the man WAS balding, after all. Finally satisfied, he stowed the vacuum in his closet, and settled back onto the couch, donning his leather gloves, putting his feet up and relaxing with the collected works of Shakespeare.

He had a debut to plot, and any good actor always prepared for their debut.

[dfpiii]

Professor Dark aka Paragon

"What a good choice," Dark replies and in the flame touched darkness a glint shines in his eye. A source of light not found in the polished items that glister and shimmer in the fire's light.

"Ah!" he says, his voice touched by a breathless and hungry anticipation and... fear. "Critical mass!"

A lightningbolt, a literal spike of celestial and cerulean power, arcs from Dark's body and discharges itself into a large metal shield. It bounces from its place on the wall and skids across the room to stop, smoking on the wooden floor. A second, then a third, much less in power than the first, discharge into the room's many metal objects.

Then rather than arc, the lightning seems to flow over the entirity of Dark's body, rushing over him like waves, crashing and breaking in a storm of lethal energy.

Dark stands and then rises further. His feet do not touch ground and as the power surges, pulses, he throws back his head - his clothing ignited by the flames; his body alight like Inferno, like a living nightmare - and he screams!

And just as suddenly the fire is gone, leaving the room somehow darker than before.

The blackened body of the professor hangs motionless in mid air as if suspended from a meathook, without sign, without indicator, of enduring life. And the smell of smouldering skin drowns out all sensation.

[evisiron]

Nosferatu

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OOC: This may end up in conversation juggling, but oh well. We can't have Nos and KZ standing in proximity without some barrage of bad puns and odd comments!

Nosferatu waits for a reply for a moment, when a thought strikes him. Turning to Kid Zeus,

"Wait. "When wearing this crazy getup?" Kid Zeus is not your given name? Blast, I thought I had found a kindred soul to share the pain of parents with a fanboy complex and a sense of humour when naming their children. I am shocked at the deceit. SHOCKED!"

There is a brief pause as Nosferatu catches up with what he just said, letting a small chuckle slip.

"Haha, I promise I didn't think of that before hand. Ah, I sure it won't happen again, you know what they say about lightning striking twice"

[ChronicLunacy]

Kid Zeus

"Dude..." Kid Zeus couldn't help but laugh at Nos's horrible puns. "Keep it up and I'll knock you out. No joke." he shook his head. "Don't tell me you're taking that superhero banter thing seriously. If I have to hear that every time we take down a couple of street thugs I'm going to go insane."

"Anyway, yeah, we were at the fire earlier. Did I hear that right? You have powers, too? Awesome!" he said, trying to keep his voice down so only the three of them could hear. "What can you do?"

[Tar Palantir]

The Reaper

At the first hint of light the Reaper reflexively lept into the shadows, and he did his best to hide from the arcing bolts of brilliant death. When darkness claimed the room once more, he observed Professor Dark's charred body, without leaving the safety of the shadows. Invisible, he creapt near him, trying to see if he was still alive. It was undoubtedly some form of power, but did he also have the power to survive it? From his speech, it sounded like he saw it coming, and was enthused, relishing the moment. He remembered unlocking his own latent powers, and continued to wonder about the nature of the mutations. Would they all continue to grow stronger, until the world would be utterly consumed by their powers and all life on the planet completely obliterated? The future was difficult to forsee, so the Reaper returned to the present.

Emerging from the shadows, the Reaper moved beside Dark's still form, checking for a pulse. He suddenly thought of how badly this would look if Dark was dead, but he pushed they thought aside. Best to deal with that hurdle when it came. If it came. Dark could still be alive.