Avenger Assembled

Knights of Cydonia - Song and Lyrics by Muse "Reckon there's still things about this dimension that fascinate me. One'a those things is yer music. We never really had any of this high budget musical numbers back home, but I reckon I quite like it. One song'n partic'lar I heard on the radio the other day I really liked." Ahh Ahh Ahh Ahh Ahh Ahh Ahh Ahh Ahh Ahh Ahh Ahh Come ride with me, Through the veins of history, I'll show you a god Who falls asleep on the job. And how can we win, When fools can be kings, Don't waste your time, Or time will waste you, "This song really reminds me of my life. I've spent a lot of time moving around from place to place. Never really had much of a home. It really was all due to my lifestyle as a shooter. But honestly, it was one of the few ways to make a living back home. An' thats why I did it. See, where I come from, ain't anybody there ta watch over people. Never really believed in god meself. This song really reflects my desire to make somethin' of meself because there ain't anyone ta do it for ya." Ahh Ahh Ahh Ahh Ahh Ahh Ahh Ahh Ahh Ahh Ahh Ahh No one's gonna take me alive, The time has come to make things right, You and I must fight for our rights, You and I must fight to survive, "Can't tell ya how many Times I heard that line. 'Ya ain't gonna take me alive!' It's cliche, but true. Some'a the men I met'd rather be pushin' up daises than rottin' away where I put'em. But that's just the problem. I gotta take'em in on account of the fact that I'm fightin' on the side'a good. Reckon that's why it always comes down ta fightin'. Them fightin' just ta stay outta' prison, an' me fightin' ta put bread on the table." No one's gonna take me alive, The time has come to make things right, You and I must fight for our rights, You and I must fight to survive (solo) No one's going to take me alive, The time has come to make things right, You and I must fight for our rights, You and I must fight to survive. (solo to outro) "It ain't bad livin' though. I reckon I enjoy it quite well. It keeps me honest, keeps ma shootin' sharp, it's excitin, and ya get ta meet a ton'a interestin' people. Sometimes, they bring trouble back ta you, but that Can't be helped. I like ma job, an I ain't quitin."

Eddie gazed down at the visor and headphones that he always wore whenever he went out to do his hero thing. He remarked at how it was such a useful tool. It allowed him to put aside all of the things that tied him down. His parents, his friends, school, everything. But at the same time, it seemed to make him more vulnerable whenever Zoe was around. Suddenly a certain song came over the radio and washed over all of his senses. As he hummed to the tune of the song, he began to re-work some of the lyrics in his head... Sung to the Tune of "Starlight" by Muse (some of the lyrics have been changed) Far away This mask has taken me far away Far away from identities Of the people who care if I live or die. THE limelight I will be chasing my stardom Until the end of my life don't know if it's worth risking anymore Hold you in my arms I just wanted to hold you in my arms My life You've inspired my rock songs Let's continue to rock for All the souls that would die just to hear a song. I'll never let you go If you promise not to fade away Never fade away secrets and explanations Time Warps and derevations Our hopes and expectations Rock shows and revelations Hold you in my arms I just wanted to hold you in my arms Far away This mask has taken me far away Far away from identities Of the people who care if I live or die I'll never let you go If you promise not to fade away Never fade away secrets and explanations Time Warps and derevations Our hopes and expectations Rock shows and revelations Hold you in my arms I just wanted to hold you in my arms I just wanted to hold

Late September ================================================================================ Sanctum Sanctorum. Home. All around her, Nadia's barren windowless apartment echoed with the ghosts of jobs past. The only decorations were a weapon here, or a scrap of uniform there. This was not a place of creature comforts, there was no area to relax, kick back and enjoy. It was a safe haven, and designed to give its occupant an edge, and a place to sleep without worrying about those ghosts which had so unwillingly gave up the tokens on the walls. Standing in the stainless steel bathroom, she let the warm shower water run down her face. Yet, the reflection that looked back at her in the polished walls was not truly hers. With a frown, the face shifted again to someone else from some other time; one of the many ghosts that seemed to demand more and more of her attention. As the steam danced across the surface of the polished walls, so too did the myriad of faces that looked back at her. Who was she? It was a question that oft been on her mind lately as a strange and budding sense of morality was conflicting what was a very ordered and simple life. The face looking back at her in the reflection shifted again, showing some past victim, or mark. Did it really matter? What was a face anyway? It was something to fool the millions of sheep who bleated their way through life every day. So why couldn't she remember her own? Wrinkles appeared on her brow as she concentrated, willing the flesh to mold into a more familiar visage. While she could recall people from years past, associates, enemies, a scant few friends; none of those faces was her own. Would it matter if she could never find it again? As she struggled with the reflection, a small led flashed red. There was someone in her apartment. Instantly, the struggle with her looks fell to the wayside. Porting directly out of the shower into her family room she saw the man with his back turned, looking at her sparse decor. Whirling like a dervish, her Caproia powered kick streaked out towards his unprotected head. Yet her predator was no helpless burglar. Somehow he had sensed her and his fist, a grip of iron, wrapped around her ankle, tossing her to the ground. With catlike grace, she rolled and was springing to her feet when a familiar voice spoke out. "Nadia? Is being some kind of joke, no?" came her father's heavily Russian accented voice. "Father!" she stammered, "I'm sorry¦ I forget you were coming¦" "Is fine, always is to be expecting trouble. Happy only to seeing daughter,' he replied with the faintest hint of a smile. "Even if being wet like fish." It was then that her recalcitrant face snapped back into place; its true form. To her father, no disguise would matter. He saw only his little girl, now and forever. With that revelation, the mask disappeared and the daughter emerged, beaming and happy.

"Wonderful, you two, just wonderful!" called Jack, an enthusastic host if nothing else. He couldn't quite resist the urge to yell "Encore, encore!" if only because the look of embarassment on Dark Star's face was amusing in that way only a harassed friend with such good nature could be. They made a lovely couple, he decided, and Derrick was unlikely to have the problems he'd had with Stesha.

I do...okay, I guess?

Sigh That's still a 14 for both with my field up; still a failure. I do spend my HP from my Responsibility legacy to help out Psyche. (Forcing a reroll) A Lucas doesn't let the ladies keep him from doing the right thing!

Gosh, look at the date! Er... Avenger Danger Mansion Invasion: 6 posts Riverside Invasion: 5 posts Blackjack: 3 posts Edge Gate Invasion: 4 posts Giving Thanks: 6 posts Dust: 2 posts

I spend the HP from my leadership complication to make the mouth-demon reroll that REF save.

Mark fell into a fugue of sex and lust, sinously writhing bodies sucking at his soul as surely as if they'd sunk their talons into his flesh. At the sound of Erin's shout, though, Edge shook himself all over, pulling his mind out of the filthy gutter where it had fallen. This is bad! What would the Centurion do? It took him only a minute to remember. "I wish you'd stop doing that!" he shouted out loud, and suddenly the air around him erupted. A great spontaneous explosion erupted from the still-standing lightpoles overhead, cascades of artificial lightning sheeting down on every demon within two hundred feet of Mark, a great white arc even rising up to kiss James, the eruption of Mark's power far greater than any he'd ever shown before.

Jack kissed Taylor back, watching as she disappeared into the thick of the fighting. "I love you too, Taylor," he murmured softly. And with that he was a monster again, an easy, terrible transformation that he'd tried so hard to avoid for so long. A vampire is ultimately a predator, a killing machine that gains power from the blood of others. And so Jack was in that last terrible fight, falling among the demons like a hyena among lions, ripping and tearing at their vulnerable parts, pulling them down and ripping open their throats, hissing madly as he drank their foul blood, his sheer presence startling enough to focus the horde around him on the invisible predator that gave bad deaths to all their number without so much as showing himself for a fight. This was a battle for survival. For _all_ of them.

(17:13:14) ChatBot: AvengerAssembled rolls 2d20 and gets 9,2. Sigh.

Confronted with a more organized enemy, Jack changed his tactics to match. He disappeared from view, focusing on his prey, and concentrated on those demons who seemed to be giving orders to the others. It was those he targeted as he moved amongst the demons, cutting and tearing, an invisible force that pulled and ripped and tore and feasted on the blood of the damned.

"For family and friends," said Mark with a little shrug. "I mean, we've been to Hell and back together, that's got to make us family, right?" He grinned. "Besides, we're teammates, my folks are used to me bringing folks home. And as for the invasion, don't worry, my folks were fine with that. My dad gave me my Christmas present early; he said it was my coming-of-age gift for surviving my first extra-dimensional incursion. Which also means I can pick you up here and take you there, even if I'm not supposed to tell anyone else about the E-s-c-o-r-t till after Christmas."

"You're welcome," said Mark, glad he'd put a smile on the face of his sometimes dour friend. "I like to take care of my friends. And I thought after this month, we all deserved something special." Sitting down opposite her, he asked, "Hey, there's something else I wanted to ask you. How would you like to come over to my family's place for Thanksgiving?"

"Sure, go ahead," said Mark with a smile. "Like I said, it's way late." Inside the box, Erin found a fluffy knit pillow emblazoned with a cheerful smiling sun. Holding the pillow to her face, she could feel the fabric inside crinkle, and smell roses and lemon inside. "It's an herbal pillow," commented Mark, "it's supposed to help you relax. A friend of my mom knits them. If you don't like the stuff inside, the back opens up and you can put in a bag of whatever you want."

"Oh, you're a sweet boy, aren't you?" Mark petted the kitty's head for a little bit, still talking to Erin. "Well, er, this is actually why I came over. Two reasons, anyway." He smiled and handed her the package, a bulky-but-light paper box wrapped in cheerful Freedom City-themed wrapping paper. "I'm sorry this is so late, Erin, but happy birthday. I meant to get this for you before everything went crazy. Hopefully your birthday kitty was present enough in the meantime."

"Hi, Erin," said Mark with a smile, hefting the box in his hands. "I was looking for you, actually, and...oh, you've got a kitty! Hello, kitty!" Mark liked animals, especially cute ones, almost as much as he liked people. He smiled at the cat, kneeling down and reaching out to see if the cat liked petting. "I didn't hear about this. Where did he come from?"

Holiday madness.

Between one thing and another, it was a very busy November for every Claremont student. It wasn't until the third week of November that Mark Lucas finally made it out shopping with his mother, buying a present for a friend who'd had an especially hard time of it that November. He headed for Erin's room on the evening of the 21st, taking advantage of the warm Saturday, a big box under his arm that hardly smelled of the herb-stuffed and scented pillow he'd bought in the city's art district. It had the promise of a good day...or so he hoped, anyway. Between one thing and another, things had been...unsettling for the scion of the house of Lucas. Erin, despite everything, was one person who he could count on to be herself.

As a man keenly aware of appearances, Jack quickly acted to change the subject. "Hey, everybody!" When Jack shouted, the air popped, the sheer force of personality that he kept bottled up around humans when he wasn't wearing the mask suddenly boiling out. "My name is Jack. Some of you know me as Avenger. This is my city! If you want to join me in keeping it free of demons and other unsavory elements, listen up!" Drawing on his combat experience from the Knights, as well as his fairly extensive experience in ripping dangerous supernatural entities apart to bear, Jack began issuing orders. If people didn't listen, well...he couldn't exactly make them do it. But he had to do something, and if it kept them from hassling Phantom, more power to them. "Flying people, I want you in the air! Hit anybody who breaks through that line of trees Fleur de Joie gave us; don't give them time to form up for a charge! Anyone with any kind of reach, get behind the front line and reach past their heads. You're our spearmen in this. Atlas, get yourself a bat. I think Fleur de Joie's kindly provided us with a few hundred. Marksmen; stealthy types, kill their commanders. If you've got something that can hit a large area, put yourself in the front line: same if you're a hand-to-hand fighter. I want them running on the backs of their own dead by the second wave. And beyond all that..." He trailed off for a moment, then shouted, "This is FREEDOM CITY! This is the Centurion's city! This is August Roman's city! We can beat anybody, anytime, anywhere if we work together. Let's show them how heroes fight!"

(23:51:40) Cyroa: oh. yeah (23:51:53) ChatBot: AvengerAssembled rolls 1d20 and gets 13. --- A total of 19, below 21. While I've still got a couple of HP from my complications and one from Luck, I think I'll be a team player and let Edge suck up a failed save for once. Cy, do your worst! :kaboom:

Jack said something else. "I love you." He smiled at her, because he didn't know if he'd be able to say the words again, because he didn't know if he'd be able to smile again. "Let's go kill some demons." He thought, fast, then turned to Atlas. "Atlas. Break the street. Make the non-fliers stack up in a hole in front of us or slow down the others as they come. I'll take point at the edge of the ravine. Dead Head, that shovel gives you reach, I want you in the back stabbing over my shoulder. Phantom, the sky is yours. As for me, I'm going to rip the throats out of their friends and make them watch."

When she finished, Jack applauded the birthday girl with a cheerful whistle. When she came down to join them, Jack leaned in and kissed Taylor on the lips. "That was great, Taylor," he told her warmly. "Though I have to admit, I don't have any dimes." His arm easily around her, he turned to the others. There, who says I'm not a perfectly human being who isn't thinking about drinking my girlfriend's blood tonight...ah, damn. "Who will take the challenge?"

Avenger gave Phantom a grateful smile as she wiped the blood from his face, discreetly wiping his filthy hands on his clothes before putting his hand on her shoulder as they faced the whirlwind together. "Take anything you need from me," he suggested softly. "Power it with necromancy, anything...anything that'll help save those people. I've seen too much death today already."

Fixed