Mad Scientist

...Goose?

Intelligence Roll: 1d20+1 2 So...his web browser crashes?

Wildcat frowned. "I...don't know," he admitted, and hated that he had to admit ignorance. "In theory, it should be easier, but I've never tried anything like that before," he growled, eyes glittering darkly. "All I know is, it'd better not be in every store," he went on grimly. "Or we're going to have a huge problem on our hands. It might not eve be in any store," he added as a thought struck him. "Could be someone handing out 'promotional samples' or something, like the Red Bull girls," he went on to explain his reasoning. "That would probably make more sense than something being cleared for manufacturing and distribution that slipped past all the FDA regulations." The reasoning seemed sound to him, at least. "Of course, it could be something that's got a website and a list of distributors," he continued, pulling out his Otterboxed phone and bringing up the web browser. "Might get lucky," he told Jill with a grin and a shrug as he typed in 'maul energy drink'.

I'll be bringing in a new transfer Junior, once she's approved.

The various sour odours of bile and blood weren't pleasant, any more than the reek of garbage from the dumpster was, but travelling through a world of pungent odours and noises beyond the scope of human hearing had been his lot for years now. Whatever it had been that had caused the boy to lose his balance and empty his stomach...it certainly wasn't pleasant. A sifting of the scene turned up nothing at first, until he located the dislodged bottle -- and his face twisted immediately into a scowl of distaste as the foul stench washed over him. "Eaugh," he enunciated with disgust, holding the bottle out at arm's length. "This is it. They're not being infected, they're being poisoned," he told Jill angrily. "I've never heard of this 'Maul' crap before," he admitted, looking to her to see if she had. Hopefully, with this, they'd be able to do something.

On more solid footing now that it was a foot chase, Wildcat bounded forward and easily overtook the goon that had bailed out of the driver's side rear seat. He lashed out with a foot at the man's legs and connected, but not very well -- the goon merely stumbled, but kept his feet. Wildcat snarled in frustration, but there was little he could do about it while he recovered from his attempt.

Yeah, it was a crappy roll. Is he trying to trip back?

Wildcat leaps forward and cuts off the left-rear seat thug, lashing out with a kick designed to knock his feet out from under him. Attack Roll: Trip: 1d20+5 21 Trip: STR check: 1d20+6 13

Added a paragraph to give a shape to how things happened.

That can't be something left open, to be developed as play happens? Someone might have a great idea with a new storyline that could address an origin, or with the years of site history that I haven't been around for, there might already be something that makes total sense. I'm certainly willing to give people an opportunity to tag in on it where appropriate -- a comic-book style gradual 'reveal' of origin, rather than originally being stated outright.

Player Name: Mad Scientist Character Name: Cerulean Power Level: (10/11) (163/166PP) Trade-Offs: +2 Defense / -2 Toughness Unspent Power Points: 3 In Brief: Enigma-origined mystical luminator runs mouth and fights crime while attending school to refine control of her abilities. Residence: Claremont Academy Dorms Base of Operations: Claremont Academy Catchphrase: Many, many pop-culture options, depending on what's appropriate for a situation. Alternate Identity: Eileen Labatt Identity: Secret Birthplace: Boston, Mass Occupation: Student Affiliations: Claremont Students & Faculty Family: John Labatt (Father, Deceased), Kelly Labatt (Mother), Bonnie Labatt (Sister, Older) Description: Age: 17 (February 10, 1998) Gender: Female Ethnicity: Caucasian Height: 5'9" Weight: 159lb Eyes: Blue Hair: Blonde Eileen is taller than average at five foot nine, but her height is mitigated a little by the fact that she carries a little more weight than popular media would have you believe is normal for a woman. She carries it well, however, being curvy and having a face a little more rounded that most. Her hair is blonde and wavy, worn just past her shoulders, and her eyes are a faded blue. She likes to dress simply; jeans, tank tops, sneakers, with simple accessories and a big clunky bag to carry her things in. She doesn't go in for heavy makeup, wearing just enough so her fair skin doesn't appear washed out. She has a pair of tattoos, complex and oddly asymmetrical sigils, done in blue ink on the inside of each wrist. As Cerulean, her proportions, hair, and skin tone don't change, but her eyes fill with a featureless, brilliant blue. Her clothing is absorbed into a...skin, some sort of external substance that covers her nearly from head to toe, but can't be removed like an outfit could. She has no idea what it's made of, or what (if anything) the blue and gold patterning means, but it forms upon her whenever she assumes her power. Not only does it not provide her any protection beyond the basic insulating properties one would expect out of clothing, any contact with it feels to her the same as if it was against bare skin. Power Descriptions: Cerulean's powers are...overt, and all take the form of a brilliant blue light. Her force field that blocks and deflects damage takes the form of a glowing blue aura; her method of flight leaves a brief glowing blue contrail; and she can emit this blue light focused to a variety of effects. Most impressively, to her altered eyes the light she sheds strips away all illusion and concealment, and so it's quite difficult to catch her unawares in the heat of combat. History: Eileen was born and raised in Boston, the youngest of her family. She had a fairly typical middle-class upbringing, and excelled in school due to the fact that an odd quirk of her brain allowed her to recall information in exacting detail -- spending a couple of days reading a textbook allowed her to ace her testing. She never had to really put any effort into getting decent grades, much to the disgust of a number of her peers. Life changed for Eileen, however, when she was thirteen. Her father, overweight and with a family history of heart disease, had a massive cardiac episode and passed away. Insurance, fortunately, covered the majority of the resulting bills and paid off the mortgage on their house, but her mother became the sole breadwinner for their sadly reduced family. Life had really changed, though, just recently, if one was going to be honest. Gathered at a friend's house with a few of her circle of friends, the last thing she remembered of that evening was seeing that it was about 10:30pm -- and then she awoke, at home, the following morning. She couldn't consciously remember anything further about that night, and she had no idea how she had gotten home. Far more unsettling was the fact that none of her friends remembered that they had been together at all, and the relevant parents seemed to be just as unaware. ...however, she does occasionally have fragmented dreams about a tall figure, too terrible to look at, and something about a task, and a promise, or maybe a...price? Prize? The fragments fade shortly after she awakens, but each time she has these dreams she realizes she's had them before...until they fade again. The pair of strange, complicated blue tattoos that had appeared on the insides of her wrists were almost a minor issue after that. She first scrubbed at them, hoping they were drawn on, but that proved to not be the case. They weren't actual tattoos, lacking scabbing, itching, and redness of irritated and healing skin -- they were just there, in her skin, and she stressed about why they there even as she tried to make sure she kept them hidden from her mother! She didn't even recall anymore just how it was she came to touch the two 'tattoos' together for the first time, but the results were immediate and undeniable. Her insides gave a strange lurch, like she was being turned inside-out, and with a flash of blue light she changed. Her terrified shriek completely blew her chances of keeping anything from her mother for any longer, and it was after a couple long and vigorously debated family meetings that the decision to get professional assistance in the matter was made. In the process of interviewing for the Claremont Academy it was determined that there was a mystical element to her new abilities, but apart from that everyone was still at a loss. Hopefully over time, more details would come to light -- no pun intended. Personality & Motivation: Eileen is looking for an explanation as to how and why she received these powers, and in the interim is making sure she has a good handle on controlling them. She operates on a heroic level, in part, because that's what people with powers do, and she in turns is terrified and greatly enjoys the chance to be one of the bright and shining people -- again, no pun intended. A child of social media and possessing of her phenomenal recall, she is very likely to have an appropriate response for just about any situation that can be tied to some sort of pop culture reference, and is more than likely to unleash it, regardless of the circumstances. She's bright, cheerful, and completely unrepentant that she doesn't quite fit the body image that society tries to tell people is the only acceptable one. Powers & Tactics: Cerulean gains little benefit from being up close and personal in a conflict, and so tends to keep her distance and take pot shots at viable targets with her light emissions. She's better off avoiding direct hits than trying to be a brick wall, and doesn't hesitate to employ her mirror clones when it looks like she might come under fire. She uses the mobility granted by her flight capabilities, and is likely to try to remain out of reach of an opponent if possible, taking potshots from (relative) safety. As she has some offensive capabilities that are disabling without be injurious, she's more prone than most to unleash her power when bystanders are at risk, should the situation demand it. A font of mostly-useless knowledge and possessing a glib tongue, she's quite good at distracting an opponent with outrageous patter, and rarely is quiet when there's an opportunity to say something clever. Complications: Secret: Identity. All too aware of the sort of information that can get out when one comes into the public eye, Eileen tries her hardest to keep details that could identify her to herself. In part for her own safety, of course, but largely to keep her mom and sister from coming under fire, either literally or metaphorically. Weirdness Magnet: If something strange -- really, jaw-droppingly strange -- is going to happen in a random time and place, odds are better than random that Cerulean will be there by chance, and the very inconvenient thing happens to her. Overconfidence: Freed of her phobias of heights and deep water, Cerulean is now prone to feeling that nothing at all can stop her if she just puts her mind to it. Without her neuroses holding her back, surely she can accomplish anything! …right? Mystery: The origins of her powers is an enigma to her, and she's desperately curious as to how and why she acquired them. Any scenario that suggests it might provide some of this sought-after information is very difficult for her to resist investigating. Abilities: -2 + 2 + 4 + 4 + 0 + 4 = 12PP Strength: 8 (-1) Dexterity: 12 (+1) Constitution: 14 (+2) Intelligence: 14 (+2) Wisdom: 10 (+0) Charisma: 14 (+2) Combat: 10 + 10 = 20PP Initiative: +1 Attack: +5 Melee, +7 Ranged Grapple: +5 Defense: +13 (+5 Base, +1 Dodge Focus, +7 Shield), +3 Flat-Footed Knockback: -4 Saving Throws: 6 + 7 + 7 = 20PP Toughness: +9 (+2 Con, +7 [Force Field]) Fortitude: +8 (+2 Con, +6) Reflex: +8 (+1 Dex, +7) Will: +7 (+0 Wis, +7) Skills: 44R = 11PP Bluff - 8 (+10) Computers - 3 (+5) Diplomacy - 4 (+6) Gather Info - 8 (+10) Knowledge: Current Event - 4 (+6) Knowledge: Popular Culture - 8 (+10) Knowledge: Theology & Philosophy - 2 (+4) Language - 1 [ASL] Sense Motive - 6 (+6) Feats: 7PP Attack Focus: Ranged [2] Dodge Focus [1] Attractive [1] Eidetic Memory Fascinate (Bluff) Well-Informed Powers: (All powers Magic, Light) 12 + 14 + 13 + 10 + 4 + 43 = 96PP Flight 6 [12PP] Force Field 7 (Extras: Linked) [7PP] +Shield 7 [7PP] [14PP] (Deflection Field) Environmental Control: Light (Partial) 6 (Extra: Linked; Flaws: Range (Touch)) [3PP] + Super-Senses 10 (True Sight (Vision Counters Concealment, Counters Illusion, Counters Obscure (all), Detect Hidden)) [10PP] [13PP] (Revealing Light) Immunity: Light Effects [10pp] Mirror Image [4PP] Light Emission Array (37PP, Feats: Alternate Power 6) [43PP] DBP: Blast 11 (Light Bolt Spray, Extras: Autofire; Feats: Accurate [2], Affects Insubstantial [2]) {37/37} AP: Blast 11 (Sniper Beam, Extras: Penetrating (5); Feats: Accurate [2], Affects Insubstantial [2], Progression [3], Improved Range [3], Precise) {37/37} AP: Blast 11 (Kamehameha, Extras: Area: Line, Duration: Concentration, Penetrating (5); Flaws: Range: Touch, Action: Full; Feats: Progression [2], Affects Insubstantial [2], Knockback [5], Incurable; Drawbacks: Full Power AP: Dazzle (Visual) 7 (Blinding Beam, Extras: Area: Line, Linked; Flaws: Range: Touch; Feats: Progression [2]; Drawbacks: Full Power) {15/33} + Stun 7 (Blinding Beam, Extras: Area: Line; Feats: Progression [2]; Drawbacks: Full Power) {22/33} Total: {37/37} AP: Dazzle (Visual) 9 (Nova. Extras: Area: Perception, Duration: Concentration, Penetrating [2]; Flaws: Range: Touch; Drawbacks: Full Power) {37/37} AP: Force Constructs 7 (Hard Light Projections. Extras: Movable (Damage), Impervious; Feats: Tether, Stationary, Progression, Affects Insubstantial [1]; Drawbacks: Reduced Range [2]) {37/37} AP: Snare 11 (Hard Light Snare. Extras: Regenerating; Feats: Accurate [2], Affects Insubstantial [2]) {37/37} Drawbacks: -3 = -3PP Normal Identity (Frequency: Uncommon; Intensity: Major) [-3PP] DC Block ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Unarmed Touch DC14 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical) Light Bolt Spray Ranged DC26 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Energy) Sniper Beam Ranged DC26 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Energy) Kamehameha Area DC26 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Energy) Blinding Beam Area DC17 Ref & For (Lasting) Blind & Stun Nova Perception DC19 Ref/For (Lasting) Blind Hard Light Proj. Red. Range DC22 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical) Hard Light Snare Ranged DC21 Reflex (Staged) Entangle Totals: Abilities (12) + Combat (20) + Saving Throws (20) + Skills (11) + Feats (7) + Powers (96) - Drawbacks (3) = 163/166 Power Points

Wildcat had to admit -- her little toy made for faster travel than his own leaping did, the cable hauling her about with admirable speed. He kept up by determination and nearly overreaching his own capabilities on a couple of occasions, but managed to more or less stay apace of her, albeit by a much more athletic exertion of self. He would be damned if he was going to let her show him up in this, no matter how she managed it. Dropping into the alleyway himself with -- well -- catlike grace, his eyes flicked cautiously over the area before emerging to approach the bicycle. He scented through his nose, face twitching with distaste at what he was drawing from the air. "Definitely the same scent," he growled, eyes glittering inside his mask. "Let's see...maybe I can...." He prowled about the bike, trying to identify the oldest part of the trail, the plan to follow that back to the original point of contact. With luck, there'd be an element of that odour that would let him differentiate source from infected, and they could track down the source before much more harm was done.

BAM! Notice: 1d20+9 27 Pow. Search: 1d20+3 11

Wildcat glowered at her condescending 'sympathy', but the matter at hand was too potentially disastrous to continue sniping. "So it's here...in my territory," he growled, eyes glittering with anger. "And it doesn't seem to be passing from person to person?" he clarified, looking to her. He scowled. "That means someone is making it happen. Someone who doesn't seem to know this is a bad place to mess with people." His tone promised pain -- he might not be able to punch a disease, but he could certainly get his hands on someone who was deliberately infecting people. "Take us back to where you found this one," he told her, nodding toward the convenience store. "If each person is being infected from the source, I should be able to pick up the trail there." He hesitated, looking her over. "You can keep up?" he inquired. He never recalled anything about 'Jill' needing to be carried about by her teammates, so he assumed as much...although he wasn't sure how she did so.

Nope, it's all good -- I'll incorporate that info from hereon out, but for now he was just trying to zing her back with a name like she did to him. Flawless success, btw -- he has such a glib tongue....

I still prefer Miss Go Go Boots. :P

All right, I wasn't entirely sure -- while Jack has a Reputation entry, Jill herself does not. Streetwise: 1d20+3 17

Okay, the mask thing he could let go, he knew it was pretty weak. But...Kitty Commando? "That's 'Wildcat', to you...ah...Miss Go-Go Boots," he retorted brilliantly. Okay, so witty repartee wasn't his thing, he knew that. "And no, of course I can't track it, I was running around randomly and just happened to be right on your tail," he went on sardonically. If she was going to be snarky, he could be sarcastic. "Yes, I can follow a scent trail," he told her in response to her unimpressed look. "But it helps if I have an idea which way is the point of origin; following this trail lead me here, which is down-trail, not up. Did you find most of these people in a single area, or anything?" he asked. She was probably going to slow him down, though -- as fast as she'd been moving when she'd burst through the door, she'd only been moving normal-fast....

Wildcat ignored the jibe about his mask -- like he had an unlimited budget for things like costumes? -- his heart hammering in his chest as the woman backed down the light display and got all dismissive. "Outbreak? Is that what it is?" he asked dubiously, his nostrils flaring. "It's on you, but just traces -- what's going on here?" he demanded, upset that there was something bad going down in his neighbourhood and he had no idea what it was. "There's something...foul...in the air tonight," he told her, his tone angry but not directed at her. "And I don't know what it is, I've never run across it before." As much as he didn't like the idea of asking someone for help -- despite pointed advice that he do just that when the situation warranted -- an 'outbreak' not only sounded serious, it sounded like something far beyond the ability to fix by punching it a lot. Unfortunately.

Wildcat tried not to gape as Wander demonstrated just how far below a genuinely heroic level he was operating on. He couldn't imagine being able to jump that far, and she had made it look...effortless. "'Do good'," he repeated with a mutter, and snorted. Pretty sure there had been some sort of 'or else' in there, all things considered. Well, he wouldn't be able to do as much good as the really high-end movers and shakers, but he should be able to at the very least put some fear of retribution into the punks, bangers, and dealers that occasionally thought they could get away with things in his neighbourhood. Turning back toward the West End, he bounded off in his more limited fashion, taking to streets and roofs with equal abandon as he headed for home. This had been...quite the night. - Fin -

Wildcat Freedom's Finest #1: Cat Scratch Fever Head in the Game Organized Crimes Extracurriculars: Translation of Hero Factory Cerulean April Showers Bring... A Welcome Lunch Buddies a-Brewing Voice of the People 20Q Reputation

Wildcat, quite literally, jumped ten feet in the air as the door banged open and a sudden presence in red and black nearly bowled him over, instead passing beneath him before he landed in a wary crouch, hands raised defensively. He'd been following scent trails for the past twenty minutes, a sharp, somehow angry reek that he'd never encountered before that raised his hackles -- which was impressive, because he didn't actually have those. He was almost positive it wasn't anything wholly natural, and if it was, it was from somewhere a long, long way away that had been bred under very hostile conditions. So, he had been both worried and on edge, and when the latest branch of the trail had lead him to a door that had discharged a fast-moving opponent, he had reacted...vigorously. "Whoah, lady," he protested, an edge to his voice. "You wanna maybe not trample people, huh? Just a little common courtesy, maybe?" Definitely on edge -- although, with a mask in place protecting his identity, he found his mouth shooting off a little more than usual. Probably a common side effect, truth be told.

Wildcat grinned in spite of himself. "If you can't remember it, it can't be all that vital," he pointed out with inarguable and probably entirely erroneous logic. "I appreciate what you've thought of already, though." Racking back his sleeve, he checked his wristwatch -- a bit of an anachronism, in today's culture of smart phones. "I'd better move on, though, if I don't want to be out past dawn," he told her apologetically. He could get by with less sleep than many could...but that didn't mean he didn't need any sleep. It was already going to be a coffee morning at this rate. "You, uh, need to escort me back off the school grounds or anything? Since I'm not a former student or anything?" He had no idea if there were any sort of defenses he would have tripped if he'd tried to come in here alone, and he really wasn't keen on finding out.

OOC OOC! I feel like a monkey!

Wildcat nodded. "If I ever run into a hero, I'll see about doing that," he deadpanned. He really didn't like the idea of relying on random strangers for help -- he was territorial by nature, and if they weren't his people, he wasn't sure he wanted them around, messing with things. He'd think about what she'd said, but he wasn't sure he was going to act on it. He also knew, however, that he wasn't going to be up to taking on anything and everything he ran across, and the idea of backing down to save his own life was, while the smart move, also distasteful. See above, territorial. Being run off was likely going to leave a worse taste in his mouth than bringing in backup would. "Given that I have a moral objection to ending up dead, I'll be careful," he told her, his nostrils flaring slightly as he took in the scents of the field. "Of course, anybody just looking to cause trouble in my neighbourhood, they'd better also be careful." That was why he was doing this, in part, but he was tired of regular people getting the short end of the stick.