shazam

The Captain looks at Archeville suspiciously, as if half-expecting the man to implant Hitler's brain in him as soon as his back is turned. "Yes, let's...let's go to your place, shall we?" Captain Wonder fears no giant robot, or so he tells himself, anyway.

Okay, anything left you'd like out of the thread?

Far below, Fred's beginning to get a little dissatisfied himself. Mark's students performed well enough, but poorly-done Greek tragedy is not his cup of tea. "I think I need to use the restroom too," he finally says, carefully making his way across the seats back to the men's bathroom. That gets him a sigh from his son, but what doesn't these days? Maybe by the second act, things will be a little more interesting.

I'm down with the montage idea.

I'd like to buy: +2 Strength (for a total of 32) and put 2 into Equipment for The Invisible Pyramid! Captain Wonder's headquarters has stats of: Invisible Pyramid , Security System, Workshop, 10ep] Where does it come from? Why, from an upcoming thread... Updated by V_M

"You just tell us who did this, and we'll go give them what for." Wonder punches one fist into his hand. "Lousy punks. Never did like these street hoodlums. If you can afford a robot, you can afford a real job!"

Fred starts as he looks up, taking in the sight of the gigantic Norseman overhead. "Jehosaphat!" He almost loses his hat. "What's that, for Beowulf?" "It's a superhero, Dad," says Mark in that tone of exasperation and indulgence that children reserve for their elderly parents. "He's some kind of super-Viking. Billy, don't do that to your sister!" Mark's wife is paying the bills for this one. "There are a lot of them in Freedom City." "Yes, I know," says Fred testily as they head inside, grousing as only an old man can do as they file their way in to find their seats in the crowded theater. "I do know what superheroes are."

There is a brilliant flash of light as Wonder throws his hand over his face, and Malice feels the supersonic projectile that is the Captain of the Sun and Stars blown off his chest. For a moment or two, it looks as if he's ended the decades-long career of Captain Wonder with a single blast from the Malice Cannon! (Obviously the latest upgrade was well-worth the money!) A second or two later, though, Malice is able to make out a gold and white figure tumbling freely in the air, back over the horizon and disappearing behind the city skyline after being hurled what must have been at least a half a mile. Captain Wonder doesn't reappear. It's going to be hard to chase him towards Midtown without the Freedom League showing up at an inopportune moment, though. He doesn't have what he came for...but he's got something very special, nonetheless.

Actually, you know what? I dropped the ball on this one; I thought Invisible Castle would save the results of my lousy roll while I was off on the holiday weekend, but it didn't. I'd feel pretty dishonest if I re-rolled, since I did so poorly last time. Soooo, I'll post a resolution that gives Malice the result he deserves without fighting over who rolled how.

Quick question, Don't you need to make a Concentration check when you take damage while using a power as a full-round action? If not, let me know and I'll post the results of my counter-action. (Which is, unfortunately for me, preserved for posterity on Invisible Castle.)

"That'll teach you punks to come into my neighborhood and threaten an honest businessman!" yells Wonder at the beaten punks, sounding rather like an angry old man as he shakes his fist in their direction. He turns back to the Emissary and nods. "Yeah, uh, you do that. I'll just speak a little to these boys about mindin' their manners."

There be fighting afoot! I'll leave it up to you to determine how much knockback they both take, since I don't know Malice's knockback score. I'm sure it's whatever is dramatically appropiate. Wonder automatically passes his Toughness save, since +8 damage is below his Impervious.

Wonder thinks about that for a moment, then nods. "All right." Maybe he's not a Next-Gen punk, but evidently Captain Wonder can be baited as well. "Just one thing, though?" He points to the nearby street, mostly empty of cars at this hour. "Let's do this over the street, all right? No use busting up any more buildings today." As soon as they move out over the double-yellow, Captain Wonder moves off a few hundred yards, studies Malice...and suddenly disappears. He is a flashing blur of gold and white as he disappears up into the sky, rocketing up far above the skyscrapers. A moment later, though, he reappears in a rush of speed and power, both massive fists out in front of him as he flies. For a single glorious instant, before he makes impact, it is instantly obvious how he came to be called The World's Mightiest Man. And then he hits. He doesn't punch Malice, he doesn't grapple him. Captain Wonder lowers one remarkably massive shoulder and simply slams into him at upwards of Mach 1! The sheer force of the impact is enough to send both men hurtling across the city, the cops overhead looking up in amazement as armored figure and golden paragon go flying halfway out of the neighborhood.

Wonder looks highly dubious yet of going into action alongside anyone's robotic assistant. But he's willing to keep his peace. "All right, I can make a rendezvous there if necessary. We can also get some practice out in the real world if y'all think that's best, I know a few places nearby that could use some low-powered assistance."

What a swell idea! (Now that he's been called out, Captain Wonder will _have_ to do it...and yes, this gets you out of that readied action. ) I propose we both get a hero point for doing something so awesome. If you agree, I shall post my response and action forthwith! If not, well, I still will, it'll just be a different action.

OK, readying an action here. (Man, what a good thread this is!)

The sirens start as if on cue, echoing through the nearby blocks and easily audible to the two men in the air. "You think I'm one of those Next-Gen punks, doesn't think about what he's doin'? You forget who yer talkin' to, son." Wonder raises his fists. "That buildin's got a police substation init. When you went through the wall there? You set off alarms in half the stations in the North End." Wonder sets his improbably square jaw. "Now, I'm sure a big fella like you can handle a few civil servants tryin' to make their pensions. And maybe that tin can of yours can handle me, too. But I'm bettin' we can hold you down till the League gets here, whereupon which I will peel that thing off you and throw it into orbit." "But I'll give you this. You gave two old men a chance back there. Some folks like you might not have done that. So I'll give you one back." When he slams one fist into his open palm, the sound is as loud as a mortar shell hitting concrete. "I gotta lotta work to do here. Up to you how we handle this."

Captain Wonder gives Dr. Archeville a very suspicious look. "Did NERGAL go crazy and try to kill you? Because that's what usually happens with robotic assistants, in my experience. Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever met a robot that wasn't trying to kill me...besides, er, Emissary here. But you're different, you're more of an android."

"I agree with the lady," says Wonder. "We need to make sure we can do this like professionals before we get into any shenanigans. Ah know Velocity and Emissary have worked with groups before, how 'bout the rest of ya?" He listens as Emissary talks, considering the scenario he's laid out. "Mebbe we should all do some hero practicing, just so we get our team-buildin' in and so we all know what we can all do."

OK, well, that's taking 10 on the attack roll for a total of 20, and a subsequent Toughness difficulty of 25.

Fred has no idea what the Foundry is, but Captain Wonder carries the Wisdom of Imhotep. Dangerous thugs, powered by super-science. Why are super-scientists always evil? "Gentlemen! I'm afraid all we have for you are some fists!" With that he raises his balled fists and goes to work, falling on the thugs and their robotic friends like the wrath of Ra.

Down on the crowded street, an old man slowly follows a small, bustling young family as they make their way into the theater. His youngest son, Mark, the only child of his third marriage, teaches set design in Freedom College's drama department and he's brought along both his two kids Billy and Mandy and his father to see his students perform. Billy and Mandy are still young enough to appreciate their grandpa, and eight year old Billy runs back to Fred as he makes his way through the crowd. "C'mon, grandpa! Daddy says we're gonna be late!" "Your papa kin..." Fred definitely doesn't want to say a bad word around the grandkids. His relationship with his children isn't perfect, maybe because of all his divorce and remarriages, and he doesn't want to alienate them now that he's in his golden years. "Wait for us just a minute." He eventually makes his way to the rest of the Fawcett family, just in time to wait in line at the box office.

Though hitting Malice with the truck gives Captain Wonder a tactical advantage, to exploit it he'll actually have to go down into melee inside the building below. That would be too risky, though, both in terms of damage to his neighbor's building and in potential damage to himself. Even Malice would be at risk if the building came down on them from an errant blast. Instead he floats above the small office tower, keeping his eyes on the exits, waiting for his foe to emerge. He's pretty sure he's hurt the guy in armor (and has no idea of his rapid healing), and is willing to wait him out.

Okay, sure.

"You should have a kissing booth. Ladies may be different these days, but everyone likes a good old-fashioned kissing booth. We'll be able to give them something other fairs can't." Wonder nods.