JediDalek

Posted. Sorry, this normally shouldn't have taken so long. I just got surprised by some school/real life stuff this week.

Danny slid back to his feet as Seahawk took a swipe at aggro boy. "Hey, I was doing alright with the big guy! I'm the one he cheapshotted after all!" Despite his complaints, Danny considered what was going on. If she was outfitted with tech like that, there was no telling what the pickpocket could have nabbed from her. And it wasn't as though he was doing much damage, anyway. And... he hadn't heard a Popeye reference in a while, so she must at least kinda know what he was talking about.... "grr... Just save some action for me when I get back!" With that, he dashed off after the snatcher. This guy would pay for cutting into his lunch time.

Mostly, it just doesn't seem like his character to A. abandon a fight or B. Do what someone else tells him. At least not without griping heavily about it. I could pry compromise, though, if that kind of conflict would throw a spanner in the works right now.

While giving chase would be the smart/useful thing to do, the fact that this guy both attacked Danny first and kinda reminds him of some dudes out of his past makes this feel like a good time to use his "Hot Blooded" complication and roll will to see if he can be smart and give chase or is just stupid and vindictive. What do you think?

That extra motivation seemed to be just what Danny needed. He flipped and spun through the center of the 3 thugs, swinging at each man in turn. There was an audible metallic "thung" as it struck each of their heads, putting them each down for the count. Looking up from the now unconscious bodies, Danny noticed that the woman had stayed to watch from around the alley corner. He quickly glanced at, then discarded the now bent and misshapen hunk of tin in his hand before approaching her, attempting to give the stressed citizen a friendly demeanor. "Um... hey. You okay and everything? Those guys didn't seem like they were interested in just snatching a purse." The woman began to respond, still a little shellshocked from her near death experience, but before she could speak, Danny noticed up something. Putting his hand to his ear, he could make out a metallic thumping sound from... the supermarket! The same general direction those gunshots had come from! "FffffffffffffffRICK!" Danny immediately started off toward the commotion. He stopped and looked back for a moment. "Uhhh.... you should... probably get home or something. Looks like things could get a little crazy around here. Um... stay safe." And with that, he was off. "Stay safe? What the heck, Danny? You beat up the bad guys, save the damsel, and have the perfect chance to make this cool impression and what do we come up with? "Oh, I have to go risk life and limb fighting more psychopaths, so you just be cool..."" He sighed. "Miachel Douglas we ain't..." Danny looked around as he neared the parking lot. He could see a few more redcaps, thankfully being engaged by two figures, one in a dark hood and cape, the other in a dark blue bodysuit. It did look like they could benefit from another hero, though. Taking advantage of the confusion, Danny bounded off the hood of a nearby station wagon with a leaping punch directed at the most outlying thug. "Hey, raspberry beret! You should really think about picking a fight with us heroes. City's practically infested with us!"

Ah, sweet. That makes sense winth the lid. I was thinking DnD logic where most things you nab off the ground count as a club. Anyway, yeah. He'll want to head over as quickly as he can. Since things are a little less organized here, he'll just try and jumping-slug the first redcap he can get to. Attack Roll: 1d20+10=26

Just realized that, if Danny's looking at this, I should probably make a Knowledge: Physical Science roll. 1d20+11=27 He's mainly an engineer, but he has enough of a base in comic book "SCIENCE!" that he should at least have some grasp of this.

Blue Stinger: Giant Size Issue (3) Initiation Night (2) Float Like A Butterfly, Sting Like A Beetle (2) Temporiad: Hasten Slowly (1) 20 Questions HellQ

A few blocks away, a blue motorcycle growled as it sped down the street. Its driver already clad in the distinctive blue battlesuit and scarf of the Blue Stinger. Danny normally didn't patrol this early, since most of his usual street thugs tended to favor the darker hours. But when his thrift shop police radio (a must for any budding young vigilante) started reporting more rifts opening in this area, that just sounded like too hot of a party to miss. As he neared the "hot zone", he noticed a blue & yellow streak as it zipped in, then away, saving a now shocked pedestrian just as a rift opened several feet away. "Well, looks like these things are a big deal. They've brought out some of the big gu... SWEET MOTHER A' CRAP!" Danny let out an interjection as he just narrowly evaded the rip that suddenly opened in his path, wiping out in the process. Standing up his vehicle, and scraping himself to his feet, he decided to stop and examine the rift, getting just a little closer than was probably adviseable. "Eh, lighting never strikes the same spot twice, right? I assume these work the same way. I should be fine..." And with that, he fell once again into the long untapped role of inquisitive science major, kneeling down and beginning to take pictures and notes with his smart phone.

Is Argonaut part of this turn order, as well, or is it just us for now?

"Dwah...uh.. I mean... yeah...uh... well... umm..." Danny sputtered. He honestly didn't expect that to work, and hadn't really planned what to say next. Where'd that talk about "choosing the right path" come from? He sounded like his dad... Still, he at least seemed to be doing alright. "I... really, I guess it's kinda up to you. I mean... like, I've always felt like these powers we get always come with some kind of... calling? (Somebody else could probably phrase that better...) Anyway, like what kind of stuff are you good at? With your powers, you could do a few different things. What makes you happy when you do it? Personally, I just kind of wander around looking for stuff to do, but I guess I wouldn't recommend that. It's really a matter of what feels right when you do it."

"Hell"Q: Introduction Who are you? Sum yourself up in one sentence. I am Blue Stinger, a guy who was almost turned into a cyborg assassin but became a smarmy crimefighter instead. Do you have any nicknames, street names, titles, or nom de plume? Not really. Sometimes it does get shortened to just “Stinger”, to make it easier to say. What is your full birth name? Daniel Kaye Randall. Mom was really into old movies. Guess I got that from her. Where do you live? An apartment not far from Freedom College. It ended up being cheaper, and beats having to deal with all those frat types running around. How old are you? What year were you born (if applicable)? 21. Born in 1994. Apparently, that makes me fairly likely to do nothing with my life at all. Physical Traits What is your gender? If not applicable, please explain. I’m a dude. Physically, spiritually, etc. Cyborg conversion didn’t take that away from me, thankfully. How would you describe your heritage? Well, I come from pretty dang Caucasian stock. English on my dad’s side, but I have a lot of Irish on my mom’s side. How tall are you? Tall enough. 5’ 8”, ish? What is your body type? Skinny. Good metabolism and all, you know? Do you have any particular weaknesses, such as allergies or physical disabilities? No weaknesses to a particular thing. It’d really suck if somebody turned off my cybernetics somehow, though. I don’t think anyone can do that… well, I hope not. You try lugging around a dead, metal endoskeleton. How do you carry yourself? Are you graceful, or heavy on your feet? Can you be stealthy, do you walk with confidence? I know how not to stick out. I usually keep my head down, but I do like to put on a little more of a show of strength when the armor’s on. Describe your skin, eye, and hair color. Skin: Pasty friggin’ crap. Eyes: Blue-grey ish? Hair: Brown. How do you wear your hair, if applicable? Do you have facial hair? On my head mostly. It’s a little long to comb into anything particular and it kind of curls off on its own anyway. No facial hair. I’d look a little homeless with a beard. Do you consider yourself attractive? Do others? I… think I do alright. I’m not, like, ultra hot or anything but I’m happy with what I’ve got. I’m not exactly beating admirers off with a stick, but if Cumberbatch can get by... Do you have any scars, tattoos, piercings, or birthmarks? Nope. I should totally get a big tat of a dragon, though… That’d be metal. Do you resemble anyone famous? Not particularly. Drunk lady told me I looked like Alan Alda once, but she was REALLY drunk... Do you have a dominant hand? Right hand mostly, but I try to be versatile... What kind of clothing do you wear? Let’s see… about a dozen pairs of dark jeans, lotta’ T-shirts, usually a plaid shirt of some kind. I stick with what works. I do have this awesome leather jacket for colder months... Do you wear makeup? Not since Vegas. What is your vocal range? Is your voice distinctive in some way? I’m in that sorta’ baritone range or whatever. Deep, but not really deep. I’ve kind of picked up a little east coast in the last few years, but it’s not terribly noticeable. Do you have any distinctive habits, nervous tics, or mannerisms? Where did they come from, and what causes them? Do other people notice and remark on these habits? Do they annoy you or other people? I guess the more vulnerable or nervous I am, the more wisecracks I tend to make. It’s like a coping mechanism or something, you know? Like, I don’t want to spread my misery to everyone else or anything, so I try to put something fun out there. A lot of people start to think I’m mocking them, though (not that I’m not mocking them but that’s not the point), so your mileage may vary based on how well you can take a joke. History Where do you come from? Well, they always told me a stork was involved or something... Have you made any major moves, or do you live in your hometown? I left home for Freedom a couple years ago. Just needed to… get away from stuff. Before that, it was Kansas City to Iowa, then back to KC before I finally came here. Do you feel loyal to your country of citizenship? Do you consider yourself patriotic? How do you feel about the government of your country? Yeah, not like WWII level or anything, but overall I think we’re pretty cool. I mean, we leave a few things to be desired for sure, but it was all built off some good ideas... How do you feel about the place you come from? *shrug* Where is your home town? What was/is it like? “Home town”. That’s a little tricky. I was born in Kansas City, but we left there when I was about 5… Dad worked for a paper in LeMars, Iowa for a while, and that was alright. Lot smaller than KC, but there was stuff to do. Came back to Missouri just a little before I entered high school and it was nice, but… I never really built that many good memories there.... Growing up, were most of the people you knew similar to you, or were you somehow a minority? How did that affect you? I don’t know if I was a minority, but I was always kind of that “other kid”. In Iowa, I was the kid from out of town. They tried homeschooling me for a while, and that kind of wrecked my social life. High school it started all over again, since I was coming back from Iowa, and by that time I really wasn’t that good at talking to others. I like weird old TV shows and obscure music, so it was hard to find people who shared my interests. I don’t blame anyone, but I mean if they won’t bother with me, I’m not going to bother with them... Is there something you've always been really good at or really bad at? How has that affected your life? I was always good at messing with other people’s heads. I was always just a little more clever than everyone else my age. It made me a little prideful, I guess. Were there any traumatic experiences in your early years (death of a family member, abandonment, orphaned at an early age)? Yeah… a few years back, in my Junior year of high school. Mom & Dad were driving to a New Years party or something, and their brakes went out, sending them right into a crowded intersection, and sending me into foster care for the next year or so. They said it was a mechanical failure, but I know Dad was digging into some nasty dudes around that time. It always seemed a little too convenient for me. Briefly describe a defining moment in your childhood and how it influenced your life. Sort of a two-parter, really. When I was a kid, being the outsider, the weird one, whatever, bigger kids with problems at home (or whatever the heck it is) liked to single me out, take my stuff, you know. Well, we started doing home school and I didn’t have to deal with that anymore until high school. When I got here, though, I started hearing news. All these criminals, muggers, supervillains. They were the same guys. The same kind of people that made me miserable as a kid were still doing the same stuff, just on a larger scale, hurting the defenseless just to get what they want. It made me want to do something about it. I wanted to stop them, and take away all those shadows they hide behind. What stupid things did you do when you were younger? Man, that’s a long list… Well, I’ve always loved exploring and finding new stuff. Empty buildings are great for that, as it turns out. As it also turns out, a lot of those buildings are technically off limits, and cops really don’t like it when you hang out in them. Cops also do not like it when you throw snowballs at them to cover a hypothetical escape over three adjacent rooftops. Or so I’ve heard. Where did you go to school? How much school did you have, and did you enjoy it? Pre-School and high school in KC, with most of my middle school being at home. Home was cool, since I could generally finish stuff a lot quicker and have time to goof off. High school was… high school. I learned, I dealt with inane social stuff and one of the most ignorant age demographics in existence, as one does. College is alright, if only because I can do my own thing now. Do you have any mementos of your childhood? What are they, and why did you keep them? If you have none, why not? I left a lot of my stuff when I moved. Just wanted to keep things mobile. I did keep this… This one action figure. It’s this old “Scarab” doll. It’s like, from the 70’s or whatever. When I was little we’d play with them, where I got to be Scarab and Mom or Dad would pick up a villain and we’d “fight”. It was… fun. When did you decide to become a hero? Why? Did anyone influence you one way or another in the decision? Well, some choices get made for you, don’t they? I mean, when supervillains kidnap you and turn you into Robocop, there’s really only a couple ways to go, and I sure as heck wasn’t going to go villain. Is the reason you give people for becoming a hero different than your real reason? If so, why? I guess it’s not the whole story. I mean, for a while now,, I’ve wanted to help people, wanted to stop the bad guys, and save them from the kind of pain I felt when I lost Mom & Dad. Thing is, I didn’t feel like there was anything I could do. Now, though, I can fight. I can stand up to those guys. I guess gaining powers just gave me an outlet. Do you have any deep, dark secrets in the past that may come back to haunt you? Nah. I haven’t been around long enough to have done anything interesting. Do you represent yourself as being different from who you really are? Why? I don’t think so. I guess when I put on the costume, I do try to be a little… stronger? Like, I don’t know. I guess I just feel like a superhero should be stronger, like someone people can look up to. I don’t know if I’m that person, but if I can put that out there, it’s probably better. If you do have these secrets, what do you fear would happen if the truth became known? How far would you go to protect those secrets? Yeah, I don’t really have a whole lot to hide, and even if I did, I can’t think of anything I couldn’t deal with if it got out. Do you have any sort of criminal record? If so, is it public knowledge? No, not really. *laughs* I’ve snuck into a few off-limits places before, but never got held responsible for it. Family What are your biological parents' names? William and Hannah Randall. Mom’s maiden name was McGrath. Guess which side I get the Irish from? Were you raised by them? If not, please explain and describe who raised you. Yep. I like to think they did a pretty good job. What was their standing in the community? What did/do they do for a living? Middle class, I guess? Dad was a reporter for a couple different papers. Mom taught for a little while. I’m pretty much only good with science because of her. Where are your parents now? They’re... not around anymore. I lost them both a few years ago. Did your family stay in one area or move around a lot? We moved a little. We went to Iowa when I was really young, and went back to Missouri around the time I went to high school. How did you get along with their parents? How do you get along with them now (if applicable). We got along pretty good. I never had many friends, so I think we got a little closer because of that. How do your parents view you now, or how would they? I’m not really sure, to be honest. I hope they’d be proud of this whole “Stinger” thing I’m doing. Do you have any siblings? If so how many and what are their names? Describe your relationship with them. Nope. I heard Mom & Dad talk about it a little, but that never happened. What was your birth order in the family? Well, since I was never given half of a medallion when I turned 16, I assume I was the only one. Where are your siblings now (if applicable)? Do they have families of their own? What do they do? Yeah… N/A here... Do you stay in touch with them or have you become estranged? I can’t talk to Mom or Dad, and I never really knew anyone in the extended family, so I’m mostly on my own. Do you love or hate one member of the family in particular? I was always on good terms with everyone I met. I’ve heard some bad stuff about my Dad’s brother, though, so I dunno. Is any member of the family special to you in any way (perhaps, as a confidant, mentor, or arch-rival)? No family, but I’ve gotten to know my boss, Nattie pretty well. She’s really cool, sort of like the caring but no-nonsense biker mom you never had. She really helped me get my act together when I got here. She’s been giving me superhero advice since I started that out. It was actually kinda’ scary how quickly she knew something was different. Are there any black (or white) sheep in the family (including you)? If so, please explain. I mentioned my uncle, who lives… out west, I think? I was never told what the deal was, exactly, but he was apparently into some shady stuff... Do you have a notorious or celebrated ancestor? If so, please explain, including how it has affected your life. Nobody I know of. You think if I ever have a family, that they’d remember me? That’d be interesting... Do you have a partner and children currently? If so, please describe them. Nope. Honestly, I don’t even know what all the conversion did to me. I think I could have kids, but who knows? If you do not have a partner or children, do you want them someday? How firm are you in your opinion on this, and what might change your mind? Yeah, that’d be cool, I guess. Not any time soon, but maybe once I’ve sort of figured my own life out. Be nice to share my experiences and stuff... What type of person would be your ideal mate? Ooh, there’s a question, huh? I’m pretty open (or maybe just desperate). Someone I could just share stuff with, I guess. Movies, life, whatever. If she had powers, too, that’d be cool. It’d be really nice to be able to share that. Relationships Do you have any close friends? If so, please describe them, and how you came to be close to them. I don’t hang out with a lot of people. There’s a guy named Tucker that I hang out with sometimes. We both work at the cafe, so we end up talking a lot. He’s about my age. Kind of athletic, but a bit of a history nerd. We’ve had a “bad movie night” a couple of times. He shares my sense of humor, so he’s cool. A few months ago, though, I met this girl named Sam. We were looking into some research her grandfather did. She was really cool. Really strong. She knew what was right and did it. It was easy for that passionate motivation to rub off on you. I haven’t seen her since the night I got my powers, though.. Do you have a best friend? If so, how did they become your best friend? How close are you to your best friend? Best friend? No, not really. I mean, I hang out with Tuck, but I never thought of us as that close. If you were to go missing, who would worry about you? Did that once for a night or two. Not a whole lot of people, as it turns out. Have you lost any loves? If so, how did it happen, and what did you do? Never really had one to lose. Do you have any bitter enemies? If so, please describe them and their history with you. There’s this guy running around calling himself Red Scorpion. He’s the one who turned me into whatever it is I am now. The plan was to make an army of assassins. Think tons of me but without the laid back & enjoyable personality. He’s still out there somewhere, probably holding Sam with him. We’re going to meet again. If you have enemies, how do you think they might attempt to work against you in the future? The sucker has Sam captive, and he probably knows at least a little about me. I don’t really know what he might do, and that does keep me up at night. What is the worst thing someone has done to you? Tucker made me watch Highlander: The Source and The Crow: Wicked Prayer in one night. That strained our friendship for a while. Where do your loyalties lie? In what order? There’re only a few people I really care much about, but I guess my top loyalty would go to them. Who or what do you trust the most? Why? Right now, I guess it’d be Nattie, my boss at the cafe. She did the superhero thing, herself back in the day, and knows far more about it than I could hope to. Anyone comes to her, she’ll do whatever she can to help, so I have no doubt she’s one of the good-est good guys/gals I know. Who or what do you despise? Why? I’ve been a victim of some bullying types in my life. The kind of people who take what they want and don’t care who they hurt. Now that I have the power to balance things out a bit, I’d like to give them a taste of their own treatment. Guess that’s not entirely heroic of me, is it? What qualities do you admire most in other people? Are these qualities you possess? I’ve always admired people who were strong. Maybe now even physical strength, but just will. Like, not backing down when some eight-foot-tall dude throws the back of your favorite head up against the wall. The kind of person who could step in and help guys like I was. I try to be like that. Can’t say how well I’m doing, though. What qualities do you hate most in other people? Do you have any of those qualities? I really can’t stand dumb people. Like, nobody knows everything, but you could at least make an effort, you know? Do you have a secret identity? If so, who knows it? Do you hide it from people who are close to you? Why? Yeah, I try to keep stuff secret. I mean, learning about this cyborg stuff has already lost me one person. I’d like to not repeat that. Nattie knows though. It was actually a little scary how she could just tell something was different about me right away. Guess she’s been there, so she knows what it looks like or something? Do you work well on teams and in groups? Are you a leader or a follower? I don’t really like big groups, but I like hanging out with other competent individuals. I don’t like following, but I also don’t feel like a lot of people would follow me, either, so I don’t know where that puts me. Are you on a super team? If so, how do you get along with your comrades? Do you trust them, or do you have secrets from them? I just hooked up with some people and did some time-travelling hijinks. They seemed alright, but we’re still kinda in the feeling stuff out stage, I think. Are you a member of any church, fraternal organization, club, committee, political party, or other group? How much time do you spend on that? I dunno. I haven’t attended a church enough to consider myself a member, and I never really liked politics. Nattie does get me into some community-minded stuff every once in a while, though, and that usually feels cool. Personality & Beliefs Who are your heroes? I always looked up to Mom & Dad. They always helped people when they could. When I was little, Mom & Dad would tell me about Centurion; how brave he was, how he saved the planet. It was cool thinking about someone strong enough to stop any bad guys out there. I always liked him. Scarab was cool, too, in a kind of mysterious way. After I got my powers, I started reading up on the Human Tank. He sort of inspired me to adapt to my new abilities. I have a lot of heroes. Did you ever become disillusioned with former heroes or idols? If so, why and what were the circumstances? Not really disillusioned but, now that I think about it, none of my heroes are still alive. Guess being a good guy doesn’t guarantee you a win, huh? Do you like being a hero? If so, what is the most rewarding part? If not, what makes you keep doing it? Yeah, I’ve only been doing this for a little bit but it’s really cool. Seeing the look on someone’s face when you save them from being shot or beaten up feels amazing. I grew up loving superheroes, so there’s a pretty big rush from just knowing that I’m one of them now. Is there anything that would make you give up hero work, or even switch sides? Right now, there’s nothing better I can think of, so not really. “Switching sides” would mean “being a total butt”, so I don’t think I’d ever do that. What are your short term goals (what would you like to be doing within a year)? I just want to get better at this hero thing. I don't even totally know what I'm capable of right now. What are your long term goals (what would you like to be doing twenty years from now)? You know, graduating would be cool. Getting some kind of engineering job. Toppling an evil underground organization... What is your greatest fear? Why? What do you do when something triggers this fear? Getting someone else hurt or killed. I want to protect people, and that would be the ultimate failure. If I thought that might happen, I’d probably do anything I could to protect them. God help them if I have to avenge somebody... Is there anything you would give you life for? Well, I mean, I really enjoy living… If I could save someone else, especially someone I care about, I’d be ready to give my life for theirs, though. How do you feel about money and material wealth? Do you desire it or disdain it? Are you miserly with what you have, or do you like to share? Is it a mark of success, or a means to an end? Having money is nice, I guess. But I’ve known far too many people who let money and power turn them into serious jerks. I feel like you shouldn’t get too attached to possessions... How do you generally treat others? Well, I usually try to be cool to them, unless they give me a reason not to. It takes me a while to decide how I feel about people sometimes, though. I have to watch them for a little while, which they don’t always like. Are you a trusting person? Has your trust ever been abused? I like most people, but trusting is a little tougher, I guess. It never gets abused, but that’s because I only give it to people I know really well. Are you introverted (shy and withdrawn) or extroverted (outgoing)? Do you have a lot of self-confidence? Little of both? I don’t mind talking to people if they’re interesting, but sometimes it’s cool to just chill out with your own neuroses, you know? How do you act around attractive, available members of your preferred sex? I don’t know, I guess I try to just not think about their sex, honestly. I’m just not that great with ladies, so I try to avoid thinking of them that way... What are your most annoying habits? I make really bad puns a lot. Especially during fights… I also like making TV references, which some people don’t get… Personally, I think those are awesome traits, but I guess there’s no accounting for taste... Do you feel contempt for any general category of people? Who are they, and why? People who think they’re more important than everyone else. They tend to get really pushy and generally act like jerk faces. I have fairly little pity for them. What is your favorite food? Do you prefer any particular type of food? Do you take the time to enjoy your food, or do you eat as fast as you can? Hot dogs, man. You might not think they sound like much, but you haven’t tried one wrapped in a fried corn tortilla. It’s a zen thing, man. Hot dogs. What is your favorite drink (alcoholic or otherwise)? I don’t do booze, really. I actually forgot that I’m of age now. I’ve been drinking a lot of milk lately. It gives me bones of iron! Hahahahaha! Get it? ‘Cause my bones are… yeah... What is your favorite treat (dessert)? I don’t really know. Not as big on dessert. I like Girl Scout cookies... Are there any specific foodstuffs that you find disgusting or refuse to eat? Canned tuna, man. You ever have tuna? *shudder* What is your favorite color? Are there any colors you dislike? Aren’t I kind of obligated to say “blue” now? I’d look like kind of a tool if I said something else… What sort of music do you like? Is there any that you hate? Haven’t had a lot of time for music lately. I like a lot of 80’s stuff, though. Love me some Pet Shop Boys… Screw country, though. Like, really. If you have a favorite scent, what is it? Not... Coffee... I have enough of that for a lifetime. Do you have a favorite animal? I’ve always wanted a pet hedgehog. That’d pry be a horrible idea, but you know. What is your most treasured possession? Why? My Sega Dreamcast. Mom & Dad got it for me on my 7th birthday, and we spent a lot of time playing it. Just takes me back a little. Do you enjoy "roughing it", or do you prefer your creature comforts? I honestly don’t get outside much. I prefer to at least have a TV around... Is there a job or a task you would absolutely refuse to do? Probably. You ever see that one show with the guy who does those things? Yeah. I wouldn’t want to do any of that, Do you consider yourself a spiritual person? If so, how do your beliefs affect your life?How important is it to you? Yeah, I mean, I believe there’s a God and that he lets stuff happen for a reason. Gives me hope that things will work out, I guess. I feel lik that has to be true. Was your faith influenced or molded by anyone special? Mom & Dad. There’re a lot of sucky christian types out there, but they were always the kind of people that you could take seriously as being “good people”. If you belong to a religious organization, how often do you attend? Do you have a specific place of worship, or friends within the organization? How much do you agree with the beliefs of your organization? I haven’t attended regularly in a while. I know there’s a church in the area, and they seem on the level and all. It’s just weird to think of going on my own. I pray a lot. Been trying to figure stuff out. Especially after the whole “becoming a super powered vigilante thing”. Not a lot of verses on that. Could you kill? Have you killed? I really don’t know. I’d feel better saying I couldn’t, but I feel like most people say that... What circumstances led to you forming that conviction, or taking that action? I just… I’ve seen people die. It’s not fun, and I don’t want to see stuff destroyed like that. Even so, there are some pretty bad people out there. People that make me angrier than I thought I could be. Sometimes, I’m a little scared that one of those guys might make me mad enough to do something… not nice. Are there circumstances under which you believe it is permissible to kill? What are they? I don’t think you should go out trying to kill people, no. But I’ve been in the world long enough to know that crap happens, and you don’t always have a choice, especially if you’re fighting against killers every day. I just hope I never end up in that position. How would you react to watching someone kill another person? Would your reaction be different if the killer was a friend or an enemy of yours? I think I‘d at least try to stop them. Especially if it was someone I cared about. How would you react if something important was stolen from you? I’d… get it back? How would you react to public humiliation? Been there. Done that. You live through it. How would you react if a good friend or relative were purposely or accidentally killed? Has it happened to you? Well, considering I’ve lost two relatives and had a friend taken captive… Ta-da... What do you consider to be the worst crime someone could commit and why? Ah… Wearing white after Labor Day? If your life were to end in 24 hours, what five things would you do in those remaining hours? I’d find Sam. Whatever I had to do, I’d find her and save her. I owe her that. Then? Pry get around to watching the rest of Sliders? That’s at least 5 episodes... Career & Training Do you have any special training in your hero skills? If so, where and how did you get it? Not exactly hero training, but Nattie taught me a bit about fighting. She was part of the hero club herself,, so once she heard what happened to me, she started showing me moves in the off hours. Who taught you the most about your heroing abilities? What was your relationship with that person? Again, most of it was Nattie. She runs a cafe now, but was called “Sparrow” back in the day, and knows a lot about crimefighting. She’s always looked after kids in the neighborhood, so that kinda extended to taking care of me. Do you have any particularly unusual skills? How did you acquire them? I guess I’m good at driving and a little bit of free-running. I always liked exploring, and when we got back to KC, I had a lot of room to run around in. After Mom & Dad’s accident, that, and driving really, really fast were how I took my mind off stuff. I have issues with cars after that, so I really got into bikes. Do you do something besides hero work for a living? Have you ever done anything else, or do you plan to? I was a bit of a slacker in high school. When I got to Freedom, Nattie hired me at the cafe, and that’s been pretty cool. She tries to make it a cool place for kids to hang out, so it’s not a bad place to spend your nights. What is your preferred combat style? Krav Maga. But since I don’t know that, I just try to hit as hard as I can. I watch a lot of wrestling and kung-fu movies, so I try to see how those moves work and use them. Have you ever received any awards or honours? I got a bunch of science fair awards when I was little. I got into FC on a science-based scholarship, so that was cool. What skill areas would you like most to improve in? Is there anything you can't do that you wish desperately you could? I’d like to work on my people skills. I’ve spent a lot of time in my own little world, and I’m just now realizing that there’s a lot of stuff going on out there. Social anxiety isn’t very heroic, you know? How do you act around people who are more skilled than you in areas you'd like to improve? Are you jealous, or do you try and learn? Most of the people I know who are really good with talking actually get kind of annoying. Like they’re good at saying words, but not good at communicating. I don’t get jealous as much as I feel like I could do better. Lifestyle & Hobbies What is a normal day for you? How do you feel when something interrupts this routine? Before the powers, I would have gone to class, gone to work, then finished stuff out with a movie or a quick game session. It was honestly nice when something disrupted it. Now, I spend a lot more time patrolling for bad guys, though I do get in a bad movie every once in a while. Do you have any hobbies, or interests outside hero work? What are they, and where did you pick them up? Yeah, I watch lots of cult sci-fi movies. Too much TV when I was a kid, I guess. What do you do for fun? Aside from the movies, I still ride the bike a lot. It’s just cool to do. And really, it’s sometimes cool to hang out at the cafe. Just bust out a laptop or whatever and just chill out. Do you have a costume? What does it look like? When I got my powers, part of it was this fold-out armor. It’s really blue and bug-looking. Kinda dorky, but I can’t really change it out or anything. I added this scarf here. It was Sam’s. It helps keep me focused, and helps remember why I started fighting bad guys. How do you normally dress when not in costume? Eh. I have many pairs of black jeans, and a whole lot of band & tv show shirts. I usually layer, either with a thermal or my lucky flannel. I have a look and it works, I guess. What do you wear to bed most nights? Since me going to bed usually involves me crashing & burning, I don’t generally change into anything special for bed. Do you wear any special jewelry? What is it, and what does it look like? Nope. No bling on this guy. Do you have a special place where you keep your valuables? If it’s really important, I just keep it on me. My apartment isn’t exactly secure... What's your preferred means of local travel? How about long distance? I have a bike, and I get lots of use out of it. Miscellaneous Have you ever made a will, or tried to make arrangements for your death? What provisions did you make? I never really thought about that. It’s not like I have much to leave behind or anything... If your features were to be destroyed beyond recognition, is there any other way of identifying your body? Try looking for a robot skeleton. That’s hard to miss. What would you like to be remembered for after your death? Yeah… Danny Randall hasn’t done a lot, but it’d be cool if people remembered the Blue Stinger as a good guy. Do you believe you pose a threat to the public? Why or why not? In theory, I guess. As much as anyone with powers. I have made trouble with one or two businessmen, but nobody who didn’t have it coming, or anything. What do you perceive as your greatest strength? I’ve always felt like I was fairly smart, and I know I’m fairly clever. Or at least good at smart-alecery.... What do you perceive as your greatest weakness? I… I don’t really like dealing with lots of people I don’t know. I realize that if you’re going to do stuff, you need to, but I just never know what to say. I always spend too much time wondering what everyone was thinking. As a player, if you could, what advice would you give your character? Speak as if he/she were sitting right here in front of you. Use proper tone so they might heed your advice... Danny, dude. You are a really good guy, and if you just let people see that guy, they will appreciate that. You don’t have to put on a big show to get them to listen to you. And don’t be afraid to trust people a little more. You don’t have to bare your soul to them or anything, just get some good will going and you’ll be an awesome hero, man.

Following!

I'm cool with the setup. Danny/Stinger will definitely be the new guy, as he just doesn't have many connections at all right now. That's not to say he won't develop more connections in the future, though, so his initial involvement will likely rely pretty heavily on the time travel angle. He is an ascended fanboy, so he would at least be following/familiar with the careers of everyone else, at least.

Danny stepped away from the knife as it struck harmlessly against the armored logo on his chest. "Seriously, bro? The whole human anatomy to pick from and you go for possibly the most heavily armored part of my suit? You're the kind of guy who would shoot RoboCop in the chest, too, aren't you?" As he bantered, Danny looked around the alley for something, anything, that could help him. Not a whole lot going on. "Crap..." Just then, he picked up the sound of gunshots ringing out from across the way. If these guys were wearing uniforms, there was a pretty high chance that they had friends perpetrating more mischef in the area. "Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap..." He had to take these guys out fast or this was going to get really ugly. He looked around once more. There it was! It wasn't much, but it was something. He swept up the lid off a nearby trashcan and wielded it toward his foes. "Alright, kids. You want a fight? I'll give you a freakin' fight! Time for a Stinger Smackdown! Kiiiiyaaaaaa!!!" And with that, Danny leaped at them once again, swinging the trashcan lid like some kind of wrathful ghetto Spartan.

Alrighty. Move Action: He grabs and arms himself the trashcan lid. Standard Action: Taking 10 to hit and using Takedown Attack to bean them all with the lid like Captain America someone would use a shield. This time we'll use Power Attack to bring the base damage all the way up to 25, plus whatever the lid/shield adds. (I would guess +2? *shrug*)

Ah, right. Duh. Not sure how I missed that. Okay, my notice check (1d20+10) comes just short with an even 20. Not sure if his 1 rank of Extended Hearing helps or not. Before I attack, I should ask what the objects/terrain of this alley are like. (Is there a dumpster/large trash can/petrified hobo/whatever nearby, for example.)

Ah, whoops. Alright. I'll do something else. Sorry. Still haven't used the combat rules much... ^^' I'll just go for a straight up attack, then. 1d20+10 = 13.

"Uhh... yeah what she sai... WHOUUUUFFF!" The big guy's shoulder charge caught Danny completely off guard. It was like getting hit by the team linebacker in high school. Not that Danny played football in high school. He just tended to get on the wrong side of linebackers fairly often. It wasn't his fault, really. When someone torments you daily and has a last name like "Dukhey", the retorts basically made themselves up. Landing back on his feet, Danny's mind snapped to the present once more. The present where, unlike the past, he had more than enough strength to put this guy in his place. He noticed that jetpack girl had disappeared. "Typical," he thought, "they always talk a big game but as soon as the going gets..." he was interrupted by the sound of a jetpack building in the distance. His opponent seemed to notice this too, and Danny seized the opportunity. Thinking of every high school jock of comprable size, Danny ran towards the guy, sliding into a kneel and, doing his best Johnny Cage impression, sent an uppercut right in between his opponent's legs.

Since Stinger goes right after her, I'll have him do a Combined Attack with Seahawk. 1d20 + 10 = 26. Also "Turdis". That made me giggle somewhat immaturely.

Toughness Save: 1d20+10 = 27 Initiative: 1d20+13 = 22

Back in the alley, Danny slowly approached the thugs. "Come on, now, guys. It's clear you have no idea how to treat the lady here, but now you're just being rude." He struck a fighting pose. "Now let's introduce ourselves like civilized people. My name is Blue Stinger, and I'm the guy who's about to make you wish you'd chosen that 9-5 tech support job instead of knifing defenseless ladies as a career." With that, Danny lunged at the first Redcap, attempting a jump kick right to his stomach. Unfortuantely, this thug seemed hardier than most. Heck, he almost looked like he enjoyed it. As he rebounded back into his fighting stance, Danny started to wonder what he'd gotten himself into tonight. His attack did give the woman an opening to escape the alley, at least. "Some heroic rescue. I at least make bronze by getting her out, right?". The Redcaps were in no mood for rapport, though. "Let's show this punk what happens when he interferes, boys. Take him out!" Danny dodged the first thug, but didn't stop to realize that this put him right in the path of his pal with the iron stomach and his knife. He cursed his empty head as he felt the knife strike against his armor. "Really not my night, is it ..."

20Q: The following is a transcript of an AMA session hosted on the Supers-centric online community of r/capes titled "I am the Blue Stinger, Freedom City's newest hero. AMA" thestinger: Hey, everyone. Long have I lurked on these hallowed pages, and I have recently had the privilege of gaining my own powers and taking up The Crusade™ on my own. Now, having started a new account for my heroic persona, I'd like to help you guys understand the life of a masked crusader a little better. Fire away! 1. dabooja asked: Where are you from? thestinger: That's a long one, actually. I was born in Kansas City, MO, but moved away after a few years. I grew up mostly in LeMars, IA, which was okay I guess. We actually moved back to KC not long before I left for Freedom. I hope that covers everything. 2. j.a.son asked: How would you physically describe yourself? You think this is different from how others would? thestinger: Well, without spoiling the ol' secret identity, I guess I don't think I'm anything special. I'm in a little better shape since I got powers, so that's cool. I'm not a hearthrob or anything but do good enough, I guess. Others, though? Guess I couldn't really speak for them. 3. mmawesomek asked: As a hero, do you have distinguishing speech characteristics or recurring mannerisms? thestinger: Umm... nothing I can think of. I confess I did come up with a "Henshin" pose a while back. Don't judge. 4. untermann asked: What is your motivation? thestinger: Well, I want to help protect people and crap... that's what I'm supposed to say right? Heh. Honestly, I guess I grew up as kind of a fanboy, followed a lot of cape types, so I'm mostly just trying to live up to those guys, I guess. Be more like them 5. doctork asked: What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses? thestinger: Well, that would be telling, wouldn't it? I guess I like to think I'm pretty clever. That's a strength. My biggest weakness right now would just be that I haven't been doing this very long. That and my debilitating love of Vienna Beef... 6. weil asked: What do you love/hate the most? thestinger: I'm going to sound like a really stereotypical cape here, but I really hate people who take from others without thinking about it, like who only care about themselves and don't care who they hurt. Really makes me mad. What do I love, though? That's easy. David Boreanaz. 7. gokuderah asked: How would you describe your mental and emotional state? thestinger: That's a weird question. Okay... I guess...? Little bit of depression masked as humorous sarcasm, but overall, I'm good. 8. flutie asked: What do you fear the most? thestinger: Decepticons, mostly. And that one creepy "Return The Slab" dude from that one cartoon with the cowardly dog... 9. negatron asked: What is your greatest ambition? thestinger: Well... I guess it'd be pretty cool to have my own comic book some day. I know a lot of who I am was shaped by comics & capes, so it'd be cool to pass that on with some stories of my own some day. 10. big-d asked: How do you feel about the state of the world and your place in it? thestinger: Well, I admit the world isn't as cool as it once might've been, but we've still got some pretty cool parts we could build on. Me, though, I don't really know. Apparently my place is wearing blue and punching bad guys? 11. jughead asked: Do you have any prejudices? How do you get along with others? thestinger: Prejudices? I don't think so... I don't really trust company people. Which isn't entirely fair, I guess, but I've lost a lot at the hands of connected, corp types. I'm wary of them. In general, though, I think I get along with people. I'm no social butterfly, but I can usually deal with people. 12. schmoogle asked: Where do your loyalties lie? In what order? thestinger: I don't really know a lot of people that I need to be loyal to. There're only a few people I consider friends, but I guess they'd be at the top. And you guys, of course. ;P 13. lindemann asked: Do you have a lover or partner? How do they feel about you now? thestinger: Nope. Not sure why, since I thought the whole skinny dork look would just draw the ladies like crazy. 14. graves asked: Do you have a family? What is the relationship there like? thestinger: Unfortunately, my family isn't around anymore. We were always cool, though. We had fun together. No arguing and stuff like some kids had. I like to hope they'd be happy with what I'm doing now, though. 15. freedomguy179 asked: How would the people closest to you describe you? thestinger: Well, my boss would say I'm "a good but stupid kid" or something like that. My friend Tuck I would guess knows me as the other guy who watches bad movies with him. 16. smiling_man asked: Are you a role model? thestinger: That's a weird thought. I do my best, I guess. Not sure that I'm there yet, though. 17. jboudeville asked: How spiritual Are you? Do you follow a relgious tradition? thestinger: I guess I'm still kind of a Christian type guy. I haven't really attended church or anything since Mom & Dad... since I came to Freedom City. I've found myself praying a few times since I started staring death in the face on a regular basis, though. 18. dudel asked: Are you part of a team, or would you like to be? Why? thestinger: Not as of this post, no. It'd be pretty cool to hang with some other hero types, though. And knowing I'm not the only one out there would be nice. 19. fastjack asked: How do you feel about the place of metahumans and aliens on Earth? thestinger: Well, I was born in '93. I really don't remember a time without metas or aliens, so they've just always been a part of things to me. There was, you know, the whole giant alien death from the sky thing, but by the time I was old enough to think stuff even the wounds from that had kind of healed up, so I've always been cool with aliens. 20. If you could give one piece of advice to your hero, what would it be? jedidalek: I'd tell him to trust people a little more. There're more good people out there than he thinks, and sometimes they can surprise you if you give them a chance. thestinger: Alright guys, duty calls and all. Surprised nobody asked anything a little wackier. Good session, though. I might do this again sometime. Stinger out. *end of thread*

Daniel Randall Gather Info: DC10- Daniel Randall is an Engineering student at Freedom College. DC15- Danny works at Sparrow's Cafe in Southside, and has been known to help out with Sparrow's social relief projects. DC20- Danny Randall moved to Freedom City a couple years ago, after his parents both died in a sudden car accident. DC25- Danny's father was a reporter who, shortly before his death, was looking into the local offices of SpectraCorp, a company alleged to have connection to organized crime. Blue Stinger Gather Info/Knowledge (Streetwise): DC10- A hero in blue armor has een stopping muggings in the Southside area. DC15- His name is the Blue Stinger. He is a younger hero known for motorcycle stunts and a wisecracking demeanor. DC20- He appeared shortly after a large dockside explosion in the Harbor district. Authorities and AEGIS agents cordoned off the area around the same time. Knowledge (History): DC15- The Blue Stinger's armor resembles that of a Golden-Age villain named Red Scorpion, who specialized in robotics. DC20- Near the end of the war, Red Scorpion was rumored to have been working on plans for a cyborg soldier with powers similar to Blue Stinger. DC30- Red Scorpion Defected to the United States, presumably taking his research with him. SHADOW was rumored to be searching for the remnants of this research.

"And it's not necessarily that you need to be a star, just... it's important to know who you are, you know?" Danny grimaced a little. He was going to have to address something that might be a little hard for her to accept. "And... I guess even being a sidekick isn't a bad thing. I've known plenty of way-cool sidekicks who were great people in their own right. But you must have noticed that she's not exactly the person she used to be. Like you said, nobody usually gets hurt, but that's only because the capes usually show up in time. And someday, if someone is a little late, she might decide the show needs a little more audience participation, if you know what I mean." He stopped leaning against his bike and stood up. "You seem alright, Maxi, but this path you've chosen is going to get much less fun someday, and when that happens, you'll have to decide what kind of person you are, and not me or her or anyone else will be able to help you make that choice."