Heritage

Well, I guess it's too late to say that is not a good place for the storyline, I guess I will back out of the story, as I can come up with no reason why Velocity would be in the Fens.

Oh crap, I had no intention of bumping you out of the story! Might you chase a bad guy into the Fens from another district of Downtown, or been taken there against your own will or something?

Well, I guess it's too late to say that is not a good place for the storyline, I guess I will back out of the story, as I can come up with no reason why Velocity would be in the Fens.

Oh crap, I had no intention of bumping you out of the story! Might you chase a bad guy into the Fens from another district of Downtown, or been taken there against your own will or something?

Well, I guess it's too late to say that is not a good place for the storyline, I guess I will back out of the story, as I can come up with no reason why Velocity would be in the Fens.

Oh crap, I had no intention of bumping you out of the story! Might you chase a bad guy into the Fens from another district of Downtown, or been taken there against your own will or something?

"Don't worry, we don't hurt people for a living or anything," he said, then played it back to himself in his head. "Let me rephrase that - we don't hurt people. Period. Well, at least I don't. I can't speak for Heavy here."

"Grimalkin... Grimalkin..." Nanowire rumbled, seemingly thinking about something. "Hey wait, I know that name! From Macbeth, right? The witch's cat." he looked her over then nodded approvingly. "Pretty apropos. So, are you a witch or something? Maybe a shapechanger?"

Grim claps her hands, points at Nanowire with both hands and gives him the thumbs up.

"Yes! See, no one gets that!"

She begins to pace about the street, gesturing and becoming more animated as her New Jersey accent becomes more pronounced.

"Here I am, trying to be original and avoid possible copyright issues, and everyone's like, 'Your name is Gray Manikin?'. Pisses me off no end! I mean, I know I'm not the only one who read that play in sophomore English, and it's not like I even got an 'A' in that class."

The young super pauses to catch her breath and runs a hand through her hair as she grins sheepishly.

"Sorry, clearly a sore spot for me. Um, am I a witch? I'm not sure, though I think my powers might be magic-based; my origin story, which you do not get to hear because you're a 'bad guy', was kind of vague and confusing. I don't mind talking about my powers, though, because I kinda need to work on my rep, and if say you're in a bar, talking amongst your fellow bad guys and my name and abilities happen to come up in casual conversation, they might learn to fear me."

She stops and looks sharply at Nanowire, as though expecting him to be smiling somewhere behind his skull face.

"What, it could happen!"

She holds up her hands and shakes her head.

"Okay, fine - yes, I am a shapechanger, and I use my abilities to move undetected through the criminal underworld, protecting the people the law doesn't seem to care about; I'm thinking of printing up cards that say that. Like the guy I was trying to find before the two of you showed up? That sicko cut up the face a girl I'm trying to get out of 'the life', and when I find him-"

She flicks out her hand and each finger sprouts a wicked claw; when she speaks, her voice has lost all of her usual humor.

"I plan to do unto others."

"Don't worry, we don't hurt people for a living or anything," he said, then played it back to himself in his head. "Let me rephrase that - we don't hurt people. Period. Well, at least I don't. I can't speak for Heavy here."

"Grimalkin... Grimalkin..." Nanowire rumbled, seemingly thinking about something. "Hey wait, I know that name! From Macbeth, right? The witch's cat." he looked her over then nodded approvingly. "Pretty apropos. So, are you a witch or something? Maybe a shapechanger?"

Grim claps her hands, points at Nanowire with both hands and gives him the thumbs up.

"Yes! See, no one gets that!"

She begins to pace about the street, gesturing and becoming more animated as her New Jersey accent becomes more pronounced.

"Here I am, trying to be original and avoid possible copyright issues, and everyone's like, 'Your name is Gray Manikin?'. Pisses me off no end! I mean, I know I'm not the only one who read that play in sophomore English, and it's not like I even got an 'A' in that class."

The young super pauses to catch her breath and runs a hand through her hair as she grins sheepishly.

"Sorry, clearly a sore spot for me. Um, am I a witch? I'm not sure, though I think my powers might be magic-based; my origin story, which you do not get to hear because you're a 'bad guy', was kind of vague and confusing. I don't mind talking about my powers, though, because I kinda need to work on my rep, and if say you're in a bar, talking amongst your fellow bad guys and my name and abilities happen to come up in casual conversation, they might learn to fear me."

She stops and looks sharply at Nanowire, as though expecting him to be smiling somewhere behind his skull face.

"What, it could happen!"

She holds up her hands and shakes her head.

"Okay, fine - yes, I am a shapechanger, and I use my abilities to move undetected through the criminal underworld, protecting the people the law doesn't seem to care about; I'm thinking of printing up cards that say that. Like the guy I was trying to find before the two of you showed up? That sicko cut up the face a girl I'm trying to get out of 'the life', and when I find him-"

She flicks out her hand and each finger sprouts a wicked claw; when she speaks, her voice has lost all of her usual humor.

"I plan to do unto others."

"Don't worry, we don't hurt people for a living or anything," he said, then played it back to himself in his head. "Let me rephrase that - we don't hurt people. Period. Well, at least I don't. I can't speak for Heavy here."

"Grimalkin... Grimalkin..." Nanowire rumbled, seemingly thinking about something. "Hey wait, I know that name! From Macbeth, right? The witch's cat." he looked her over then nodded approvingly. "Pretty apropos. So, are you a witch or something? Maybe a shapechanger?"

Grim claps her hands, points at Nanowire with both hands and gives him the thumbs up.

"Yes! See, no one gets that!"

She begins to pace about the street, gesturing and becoming more animated as her New Jersey accent becomes more pronounced.

"Here I am, trying to be original and avoid possible copyright issues, and everyone's like, 'Your name is Gray Manikin?'. Pisses me off no end! I mean, I know I'm not the only one who read that play in sophomore English, and it's not like I even got an 'A' in that class."

The young super pauses to catch her breath and runs a hand through her hair as she grins sheepishly.

"Sorry, clearly a sore spot for me. Um, am I a witch? I'm not sure, though I think my powers might be magic-based; my origin story, which you do not get to hear because you're a 'bad guy', was kind of vague and confusing. I don't mind talking about my powers, though, because I kinda need to work on my rep, and if say you're in a bar, talking amongst your fellow bad guys and my name and abilities happen to come up in casual conversation, they might learn to fear me."

She stops and looks sharply at Nanowire, as though expecting him to be smiling somewhere behind his skull face.

"What, it could happen!"

She holds up her hands and shakes her head.

"Okay, fine - yes, I am a shapechanger, and I use my abilities to move undetected through the criminal underworld, protecting the people the law doesn't seem to care about; I'm thinking of printing up cards that say that. Like the guy I was trying to find before the two of you showed up? That sicko cut up the face a girl I'm trying to get out of 'the life', and when I find him-"

She flicks out her hand and each finger sprouts a wicked claw; when she speaks, her voice has lost all of her usual humor.

"I plan to do unto others."

Nanowire turned back towards Heavy, who seemed to be having some trouble extricating himself from the sidewalk/dumpster. With a casual grab, he pulled Heavy up onto his feet and stood him up straight. "He'll be fine," his metallic tenor rumbled. As long as she wasn't going to do something stupid like attack them, Nanowire had no problem with her being there. "I've hit him harder than that before."

"And this is just armor. I'm Nanowire. This is Heavy." He turned back towards the girl, towering above her at a full seven feet tall. "And you are..?"

She trembled just a bit when she saw the two of them standing there on the shattered pavement, but as was often the case, her mouth started moving first.

"Much smaller and more breakable than you, apparently. Oh, and I'm Grimalkin, or, y'know, just 'Grim' if you're being attacked and don't have time to yell out the whole thing. Not that there's much I could do to help you, if someone bigger and nastier came along and decided to pound your face into atoms."

Grim looked around at the empty street, and then back to the two metal monstrosities before her, and flashed her most winning smile.

"Ah, technically, I fight crime, but if you two old buddies are criminals, I...suppose I could look the other way this time. Though I guess Heavy here's only crime would property damage-"

She looked up into the night sky.

"Unless the FAA was somehow involved."

Nanowire turned back towards Heavy, who seemed to be having some trouble extricating himself from the sidewalk/dumpster. With a casual grab, he pulled Heavy up onto his feet and stood him up straight. "He'll be fine," his metallic tenor rumbled. As long as she wasn't going to do something stupid like attack them, Nanowire had no problem with her being there. "I've hit him harder than that before."

"And this is just armor. I'm Nanowire. This is Heavy." He turned back towards the girl, towering above her at a full seven feet tall. "And you are..?"

She trembled just a bit when she saw the two of them standing there on the shattered pavement, but as was often the case, her mouth started moving first.

"Much smaller and more breakable than you, apparently. Oh, and I'm Grimalkin, or, y'know, just 'Grim' if you're being attacked and don't have time to yell out the whole thing. Not that there's much I could do to help you, if someone bigger and nastier came along and decided to pound your face into atoms."

Grim looked around at the empty street, and then back to the two metal monstrosities before her, and flashed her most winning smile.

"Ah, technically, I fight crime, but if you two old buddies are criminals, I...suppose I could look the other way this time. Though I guess Heavy here's only crime would property damage-"

She looked up into the night sky.

"Unless the FAA was somehow involved."

Nanowire turned back towards Heavy, who seemed to be having some trouble extricating himself from the sidewalk/dumpster. With a casual grab, he pulled Heavy up onto his feet and stood him up straight. "He'll be fine," his metallic tenor rumbled. As long as she wasn't going to do something stupid like attack them, Nanowire had no problem with her being there. "I've hit him harder than that before."

"And this is just armor. I'm Nanowire. This is Heavy." He turned back towards the girl, towering above her at a full seven feet tall. "And you are..?"

She trembled just a bit when she saw the two of them standing there on the shattered pavement, but as was often the case, her mouth started moving first.

"Much smaller and more breakable than you, apparently. Oh, and I'm Grimalkin, or, y'know, just 'Grim' if you're being attacked and don't have time to yell out the whole thing. Not that there's much I could do to help you, if someone bigger and nastier came along and decided to pound your face into atoms."

Grim looked around at the empty street, and then back to the two metal monstrosities before her, and flashed her most winning smile.

"Ah, technically, I fight crime, but if you two old buddies are criminals, I...suppose I could look the other way this time. Though I guess Heavy here's only crime would property damage-"

She looked up into the night sky.

"Unless the FAA was somehow involved."

"Heavy?"

So a giant metal thing landed next to the first thing, and suddenly Grim felt way out of her weight class; she lived in a world of street crime and small change, whereas these guys lived in...some crazy flying robot world.

"Is that you, Heavy? You look... different."

It was then that he first noticed the woman standing nearby. "Friend of yours?" he said, jerking his head towards the brown-haired girl.

The young woman in the sleek leather suit put a hand to her chest and did her best to look innocent, or as innocent as one can while wearing a domino mask.

"Who, me? Noooo, I'm just a concerned citizen, doing my part to help falling people; I would actually be more hands-on with the helping if I knew he wasn't, y'know, radioactive, and might kill my future babies."

She gently patted her stomach with a small gloved hand, then looked back up at Metal Man Number Two with a touch of embarrassment.

"Sorry, that was an overshare; my guidance counselor said have I boundary issues."

Grim cautiously took a few steps closer to the crater.

"Do you think he's alive? I mean, would a guy like you survive a fall like that? I'm not very technical, but I'm guessing a guy with a freaky metal skull for a face might know that kind of thing."

"Heavy?"

So a giant metal thing landed next to the first thing, and suddenly Grim felt way out of her weight class; she lived in a world of street crime and small change, whereas these guys lived in...some crazy flying robot world.

"Is that you, Heavy? You look... different."

It was then that he first noticed the woman standing nearby. "Friend of yours?" he said, jerking his head towards the brown-haired girl.

The young woman in the sleek leather suit put a hand to her chest and did her best to look innocent, or as innocent as one can while wearing a domino mask.

"Who, me? Noooo, I'm just a concerned citizen, doing my part to help falling people; I would actually be more hands-on with the helping if I knew he wasn't, y'know, radioactive, and might kill my future babies."

She gently patted her stomach with a small gloved hand, then looked back up at Metal Man Number Two with a touch of embarrassment.

"Sorry, that was an overshare; my guidance counselor said have I boundary issues."

Grim cautiously took a few steps closer to the crater.

"Do you think he's alive? I mean, would a guy like you survive a fall like that? I'm not very technical, but I'm guessing a guy with a freaky metal skull for a face might know that kind of thing."

"Heavy?"

So a giant metal thing landed next to the first thing, and suddenly Grim felt way out of her weight class; she lived in a world of street crime and small change, whereas these guys lived in...some crazy flying robot world.

"Is that you, Heavy? You look... different."

It was then that he first noticed the woman standing nearby. "Friend of yours?" he said, jerking his head towards the brown-haired girl.

The young woman in the sleek leather suit put a hand to her chest and did her best to look innocent, or as innocent as one can while wearing a domino mask.

"Who, me? Noooo, I'm just a concerned citizen, doing my part to help falling people; I would actually be more hands-on with the helping if I knew he wasn't, y'know, radioactive, and might kill my future babies."

She gently patted her stomach with a small gloved hand, then looked back up at Metal Man Number Two with a touch of embarrassment.

"Sorry, that was an overshare; my guidance counselor said have I boundary issues."

Grim cautiously took a few steps closer to the crater.

"Do you think he's alive? I mean, would a guy like you survive a fall like that? I'm not very technical, but I'm guessing a guy with a freaky metal skull for a face might know that kind of thing."

Okay, we're rolling. Here's what Nanowire looks like, for future reference:

'cept without the Gatling gun. For now.

Criminy, that's pretty darn scary! Can he change his appearance, or does he always look like that?

Okay, we're rolling. Here's what Nanowire looks like, for future reference:

'cept without the Gatling gun. For now.

Criminy, that's pretty darn scary! Can he change his appearance, or does he always look like that?

Okay, we're rolling. Here's what Nanowire looks like, for future reference:

'cept without the Gatling gun. For now.

Criminy, that's pretty darn scary! Can he change his appearance, or does he always look like that?

Any chance of someone reviewing 'Paragons' and 'Iron Age'? I know I'm getting 'Hero High', can't resist that concept, especially since seeing 'Sky High,' but these other two I'd like to know more about.

Any chance of someone reviewing 'Paragons' and 'Iron Age'? I know I'm getting 'Hero High', can't resist that concept, especially since seeing 'Sky High,' but these other two I'd like to know more about.

Any chance of someone reviewing 'Paragons' and 'Iron Age'? I know I'm getting 'Hero High', can't resist that concept, especially since seeing 'Sky High,' but these other two I'd like to know more about.

When the guy in the blue and yellow suit stepped out of the alley, sporting a funky pair of gloves, Grim had to smile; this was why she moved, sorry, ran away to Freedom City, the chance to live somewhere where stuff like this was common, far from the stifling trailer park world of Tilton Terrace. Wait, could this be Briefcase Guy? It was possible, but she really hadn't paid close attention to his face or build, so distracted was she by his pretty green money in her cup. In the long run, it probably didn't matter, but it would be kind of cool if she got to watch him beat up those punks for no good reason.

A few seconds after Pulse exited the alley, a young man dressed in the typical garb of a "street warrior" entered that same alley from the other end. He was nearly running, so it only took him a few seconds to pass through the alley and come out right behind Pulse. As soon as he came out under the street lights, the five young men who had been loitering in the park began running directly at him. The two who were in the lead pulled out pistols and began shooting. The boy from the alley took cover behind some of the theater-goers, drew out his own gun, and returned fire.

The gangers managed to miss each other completely but several stray bullets hit the line of people waiting for coffee. Half of them hit the ground, trying to get below the line of fire. The other half began running in all directions. The scene was complete chaos.

"Oh crap."

In an instant, she willed her form to change, her street kid clothes swirling like pale gray mist about her, leaving in their wake Grimalkin, the extremely pissed-off street avenger; when she spoke, her voice bore an edge of steel.

"Hey! Kill each other in your own sandbox!"

Her first thought was of the bystanders, the same people she was making fun of but seconds ago; like a silent shadow she is suddenly among them, quickly checking for the injured with concerned but untrained eyes.

"Who's hurt? Everyone stay the hell down!"

When the guy in the blue and yellow suit stepped out of the alley, sporting a funky pair of gloves, Grim had to smile; this was why she moved, sorry, ran away to Freedom City, the chance to live somewhere where stuff like this was common, far from the stifling trailer park world of Tilton Terrace. Wait, could this be Briefcase Guy? It was possible, but she really hadn't paid close attention to his face or build, so distracted was she by his pretty green money in her cup. In the long run, it probably didn't matter, but it would be kind of cool if she got to watch him beat up those punks for no good reason.

A few seconds after Pulse exited the alley, a young man dressed in the typical garb of a "street warrior" entered that same alley from the other end. He was nearly running, so it only took him a few seconds to pass through the alley and come out right behind Pulse. As soon as he came out under the street lights, the five young men who had been loitering in the park began running directly at him. The two who were in the lead pulled out pistols and began shooting. The boy from the alley took cover behind some of the theater-goers, drew out his own gun, and returned fire.

The gangers managed to miss each other completely but several stray bullets hit the line of people waiting for coffee. Half of them hit the ground, trying to get below the line of fire. The other half began running in all directions. The scene was complete chaos.

"Oh crap."

In an instant, she willed her form to change, her street kid clothes swirling like pale gray mist about her, leaving in their wake Grimalkin, the extremely pissed-off street avenger; when she spoke, her voice bore an edge of steel.

"Hey! Kill each other in your own sandbox!"

Her first thought was of the bystanders, the same people she was making fun of but seconds ago; like a silent shadow she is suddenly among them, quickly checking for the injured with concerned but untrained eyes.

"Who's hurt? Everyone stay the hell down!"

When the guy in the blue and yellow suit stepped out of the alley, sporting a funky pair of gloves, Grim had to smile; this was why she moved, sorry, ran away to Freedom City, the chance to live somewhere where stuff like this was common, far from the stifling trailer park world of Tilton Terrace. Wait, could this be Briefcase Guy? It was possible, but she really hadn't paid close attention to his face or build, so distracted was she by his pretty green money in her cup. In the long run, it probably didn't matter, but it would be kind of cool if she got to watch him beat up those punks for no good reason.

A few seconds after Pulse exited the alley, a young man dressed in the typical garb of a "street warrior" entered that same alley from the other end. He was nearly running, so it only took him a few seconds to pass through the alley and come out right behind Pulse. As soon as he came out under the street lights, the five young men who had been loitering in the park began running directly at him. The two who were in the lead pulled out pistols and began shooting. The boy from the alley took cover behind some of the theater-goers, drew out his own gun, and returned fire.

The gangers managed to miss each other completely but several stray bullets hit the line of people waiting for coffee. Half of them hit the ground, trying to get below the line of fire. The other half began running in all directions. The scene was complete chaos.

"Oh crap."

In an instant, she willed her form to change, her street kid clothes swirling like pale gray mist about her, leaving in their wake Grimalkin, the extremely pissed-off street avenger; when she spoke, her voice bore an edge of steel.

"Hey! Kill each other in your own sandbox!"

Her first thought was of the bystanders, the same people she was making fun of but seconds ago; like a silent shadow she is suddenly among them, quickly checking for the injured with concerned but untrained eyes.

"Who's hurt? Everyone stay the hell down!"

Out of the corner of her eye Grim caught a flash of movement just before there was a thundering crash that nearly dislodged her from her post; a few car alarms went off in the distance, making her wonder who would bother to have a car alarm in the Fens. She looked from Petey's to the rough direction of the impact less than a block away, and then back; someone could be injured, and it's not like anyone around here was eager to call the cops...

"Damn my civic-minded self."

Grim quickly scampered up to the roof, found her bearings and then proceeded to lightly jump from rooftop to rooftop until she found the spot where the object hit. And by 'object', she meant 'dude in armor', or possibly a robot; a metallic leg was sticking out of a huge hole in the shattered pavement, and a ruptured city dumpster had been split wide open, hurling bags of trash up to twenty feet away.

She dropped down to a fire escape below her, then did a slick back flip that landed her in the street across from the impact site; she was about to cross over and check on Sir Smacks-A-Lot when she remembered all those stories about radioactive stuff falling out of space, which gave her pause. She decided it was safer to merely call out to the thing from a safe distance.

"Uh, sir? Mister Space Robot? Are you fully functioning, or whatever, and do you have some sort of Geiger counter in your housing thing? I'd like to help, but I kinda want to keep my teeth and hair."

Out of the corner of her eye Grim caught a flash of movement just before there was a thundering crash that nearly dislodged her from her post; a few car alarms went off in the distance, making her wonder who would bother to have a car alarm in the Fens. She looked from Petey's to the rough direction of the impact less than a block away, and then back; someone could be injured, and it's not like anyone around here was eager to call the cops...

"Damn my civic-minded self."

Grim quickly scampered up to the roof, found her bearings and then proceeded to lightly jump from rooftop to rooftop until she found the spot where the object hit. And by 'object', she meant 'dude in armor', or possibly a robot; a metallic leg was sticking out of a huge hole in the shattered pavement, and a ruptured city dumpster had been split wide open, hurling bags of trash up to twenty feet away.

She dropped down to a fire escape below her, then did a slick back flip that landed her in the street across from the impact site; she was about to cross over and check on Sir Smacks-A-Lot when she remembered all those stories about radioactive stuff falling out of space, which gave her pause. She decided it was safer to merely call out to the thing from a safe distance.

"Uh, sir? Mister Space Robot? Are you fully functioning, or whatever, and do you have some sort of Geiger counter in your housing thing? I'd like to help, but I kinda want to keep my teeth and hair."

Out of the corner of her eye Grim caught a flash of movement just before there was a thundering crash that nearly dislodged her from her post; a few car alarms went off in the distance, making her wonder who would bother to have a car alarm in the Fens. She looked from Petey's to the rough direction of the impact less than a block away, and then back; someone could be injured, and it's not like anyone around here was eager to call the cops...

"Damn my civic-minded self."

Grim quickly scampered up to the roof, found her bearings and then proceeded to lightly jump from rooftop to rooftop until she found the spot where the object hit. And by 'object', she meant 'dude in armor', or possibly a robot; a metallic leg was sticking out of a huge hole in the shattered pavement, and a ruptured city dumpster had been split wide open, hurling bags of trash up to twenty feet away.

She dropped down to a fire escape below her, then did a slick back flip that landed her in the street across from the impact site; she was about to cross over and check on Sir Smacks-A-Lot when she remembered all those stories about radioactive stuff falling out of space, which gave her pause. She decided it was safer to merely call out to the thing from a safe distance.

"Uh, sir? Mister Space Robot? Are you fully functioning, or whatever, and do you have some sort of Geiger counter in your housing thing? I'd like to help, but I kinda want to keep my teeth and hair."

I started an IC thread called 'Slow Night' in the Fens forum, not sure how well it works in terms of the normal way of doing things (shrug).