Avenger Assembled

In this thread, Breakdown meets the machinations of the Maestro.

It was the end of the working day for Eddie, the time of morning when the music was beginning to fade and the sun was beginning to come up on the horizon. Keeping this kind of schedule when he was a full-time student was a dicey proposition at best, so summer was a good time to get in those extra hours and extra tips to make sure he'd have plenty of money once the school year kicked up and his schedule was cut back. He was just cleaning up after his final set when he was surprised to see Rufus, the guy who usually worked the following night, coming in. Rufus was generally a stand-up guy, but usually didn't show up when he wasn't getting paid to do it. "Hey man," said Rufus easily, walking up with a stack of CDs under his arm. "How's it hanging?"

For Edge, I would like to buy another rank of Luck Control for three PP. This will raise him to Luck Control 3. I would like to buy the Luck Control rank that allows (You can spend one of your hero points to negate someone else’s use of a hero point or a use of Gamemaster fiat (see Gamemaster Fiat, M&M, page 124). This also eliminates the setback of the fiat, so no hero points are awarded for it.) I would like to spend his other 2 PP on Beginner's Luck and Ultimate Save (Toughness) Edits done by Geez3r

I'm going to be reworking Avenger's sheet quite a bit this month to reflect the many changes in the character since I launched him. Powers-wise, I'm reshuffling his Drains, Insubstantial+Flight, and Strike to allow for a vampire array. Note that the flaw on the main power array below only applies to the base power of the array itself, not to every power in the array. These represent the increase in power he's gained as his undead nature develops, as well as what he absorbed from Melinda's death. His complications change to: Enemy (other vampires who object to his modus operandi) Hatred (is the undead) Reputation (crazy vigilante) Responsibility (Friend: Scarab, Team: Knights of Freedom, protecting own humanity, Keeping Freedom City's vampires on the straight and narrow) Rivalry (Fleur de Joie) Secret (is the undead, Power Behind the Throne of Freedom City's vampires) "Terrifying Vampiric Array of the Undead" 10pp+ 5 APs=15 pp Insubstantial 2 (gaseous; Extra: Linked Flight 1 [10 mph] PF: Subtle Flaws: Limited/night-time) [10 pp] AP: Drain Constitution 2 Extras: Insidious, Flaws: Requires Grapple LINKED Emotion Control 12 Extras: Insidious, Flaws: Limited to love, Range 2 [touch], Requires Grapple PF Subtle [10 pp] AP: Drain Constitution 2 (Extras: Insidious, Flaws: Requires Grapple) LINKED Mind Reading 12 PFSubtle (Flaws: Limited [Probe], Range 2 [Touch], Requires Grapple) LINKED Super-Senses 4 (Postcognition, Flaws: Medium [blood]) = 9PP AP: Drain Constitution 10 (blood drain, Flaws Requires Grapple) [PFs] Precise, Slow Fadex4 (1 hour), [10 pp] AP: Mind Control 12 (Feats: Mental Link, Subtle), Extras: Conscious, Duration [sustained], Flaws: Action [Full], Distracting, Limited [Night], Sense-Dependent [Visual]) [8 pp] AP: Strike 2 (claws and teeth, PFs Affects Insubstantial, Improved Crit, Incurable, Mighty) LINKED Enhanced Feats Fearsome Presence 4 [10 pp] I would like to change his Regeneration to a +9 total recovery bonus with Injured 1 (20 minutes) with the usual Medium: Blood flaw. Drawback: Power Loss (Mind Control) (vs. vampires) (uncommon, minor) (-1 pp) I would like to spend his five unspent PP on Benefit: King of the Vampires! Connected Equipment (2) I would like to drop Fearsome Presence 2 and Stunning Attack and use those three points+the one left to buy Concealment 4 (all visual) (Flaws: Limited; Machines only) Edits done by Geez3r

OK, it's now Malice's turn!

All right, are you guys done? Durf, do you have anything else you want to do this turn?

Huh, when you're right, you're right. I see you guys have it taken care of already. =)

OK, even taken by surprise, that's a miss. Is there anything else you want to do this turn, Ace? (Surge, do something free action-y?)

Scarab is bruised and injured. Arrowhawk is bruised and injured. Ronin is bruisedx2 and unconscious (as well as on a roof some fifty feet away from the blast). Ace, you're up.

War, I just need one quick DC 21 Toughness save from you for Knockback damage.

Ah, Warmonger, don't forget to subtract the damage you've already taken from your overall Toughness score. (i.e, you're bruised as well as unconscious from the mental blast)

The exploding dump truck is a Blast 10 (Explosion Area) effect. I need a DC 20 Reflex save from Arrowhawk and Scarab, followed up by a DC 25 Toughness save. (Modified by success on Reflex save/the Evasion feat, as usual.) Ronin, since you're unconscious, just make the Tou save.

The sheer force of Scarab's mental assault overwhelmed Ronin, driving him to his knees and shattering his consciousness. As he went down, his gloved hand went down to his belt, where belatedly the two heroes noticed the small black box with the little red button. With a click, and a smile on his masked face, Ronin pushed the button before collapsing to the ground. A moment later there was a distinct white flash from the fallen dump truck, followed shortly by the fist of God striking the pavement before the courthouse as the dump truck exploded into smithereens. The truck's explosion ripped apart the blacktop, broke every window in the front half of the courthouse, and carved a massive scar alongside the monument to Freedom City police officers who'd been killed in the line of duty, chunks of flying dump truck far deadlier than the blast itself as the civilians ran screaming. A nearby police car was blown off the street, the speeding car cutting down a fire hydrant and sending a cascade of water into the air. A chunk of metal slammed square into Scarab's force-field, bouncing off and caroming away to decapitate the nearby statue of justice. Arrowhawk wasn't quite so lucky, taking a shard of glass that sliced along his leg like a knife. As for Ronin, the cool air of flight woke up just long to see the roof of the library near the courthouse rushing up to meet him. He heard something break as he hit, then was solidly out again.

Let's see that Will save, Ronin.

Ecal said in chat he does not wish to surge. Scarab, you're up.

Okay, Ecal, do you want to have Arrowhawk surge or anything before your turn is up?

Arrow'd! Let's see that Tou save, Ronin.

OK, I think we just need to hear about Angelion (or whatever James' alt-name is) and we can start doing some adventures here.

It's currently Arrowhawk's turn, Avalon, so don't worry about it. Take your time. Vestige becomes visible, attacks Dark Star, and misses. Ecal? What's the plan?

She went for him in a sudden rage, eyes red and spitting fury, smashing her fist across his face in a blow that rocked his head back. He caught her by the shoulders and pinned her against the wall, her arms above her head as his weight pinned her down. She broke free in an instant, exploding into mist and leaping through him, but didn't flee. "You...why would you DO that!?" The fury and fear on her face were mixed inextricably. "No wonder she wouldn't tell me what happened to you. You pompous bastard! You know what they'll do to you? To ME? To every daywalker in the city!?" "It doesn't have to be that way," said Jack, rubbing his jaw as he focused directly on Claudia. "We can be better than this." He looked her square in the face. "I'm going to kill Melinda. Tonight, where everyone can see." "And what good will that do?" she demanded of him imperiously. "You think whoever follows her isn't going to want you dead too?" "Not if they have other priorities. Melinda hasn't told anyone what I've been doing, right? With her dead, no one but some of her human allies know, and they can be dealt with as well." He went to Claudia, putting his arm on hers. "Think of what we can do with someone like Pitt running the city. No more assasinations, no more orders from on high; no more petty tortures. We can live our lives the way we want to. The way we should." She stared up at him and made a decision. "Jack, I'm not going to help you with this. It's too bloody dangerous. For you, for me, and every other vampire like us." She took a step back from him. "Get out," she urged him. "Get on a bus and get out. There are plenty of cities that don't like Melinda and where they won't follow you. Do your little...self-indulgent fantasy there, or whatever you call it. But get out of this city before anyone else dies." She turned and looked away...and Jack hit her. She was up again in an instant, fury back on her face, but Jack had taken the opportunity to reach the door of the refrigerated vault. The gas-tight, sound-proofed vault. "I'll see you soon, Claudia. You'll be safe in here." And with that he slammed the door in her face, locking his dam firmly in the refrigerator for the duration. This wasn't a good start to the night.

July 17, 2009: Jack stands up in Standing Up

This is the thread where Avenger, Scarab, and Dark Star change the nature of vampire politics in Freedom City.

Licking her extended fangs with hunger, Claudia walked down the basement corridor as she headed for the refrigerated unit downstairs. Normally this kind of work was for slaves, but she was hungry and didn't have time to wait for humans to catch up with her. Everyone was on edge tonight, and she couldn't afford to let her hunger distract her from whatever was going on with Melinda. She'd served Melinda loyally for decades, but the recent attack on the city's leadership had made the queen...different. More like she'd been in the old days, before Kong Wei's death, when Melinda's cult had ruled its section of the night with blood and joy. Claudia had enjoyed the 80s just fine, but she wasn't at all sure it was a good idea to go back to those days now that Freedom City had so very many heroes in it. And then there was the question of what on Earth had happened to her erstwhile favored childe. She stepped into the refrigerator when someone grabbed her from behind, pinning her against the wall. She hissed and popped fangs wide, a second before turning to rip the throat out of her attacker, before she heard Jack's voice in her ear. "Claudia! It's me!" He released her then, and they spun on each other, the two vampires glaring like the caged predators they were. It was cold in the refrigerator, the bagged blood nearly frozen. Jack had known where to wait for Claudia, taking advantage of the fact that she preferred to catch live prey herself. "Jack! What..." She gave him a startled look, something like tenderness flashing across her face for a barely visible moment. "What the hell are you doing here?" She glared at him. "And what happened to your apartment? I was worried!" "What do you mean?" asked Jack, knowing she was lying but pushing past that to explore the mystery she'd left open. "Don't you watch the news?" she demanded. "Or talk to anyone? It burned down last night! And when I called to ask, Melinda said you were involved! She was sure you were dead!" She folded her arms and glared at him imperiously. Jack's jaw dropped, but he pushed aside the human urge to ask what had happened; if anyone had been hurt by the disaster. This was no night for humanity. "I...I was dead." Jack looked Claudia square in the eye. "Melinda staked me and threw me off the Pyramid Plaza." It was Claudia's turn to stare at him, her jaw dropping wide. "But...but why?" She eyed him closely. "What did you DO?" "Claudia...I'm a superhero."

"Thanks, Chris," said Mark with a winning smile. "I'll let you know how it goes." With a quick glance around to make sure no one was listening, he fired a finger gun at Chris. "Who knows, maybe I'll get...lucky!" Chuckling, he dug back into his food, looking very pleased with himself for how well the day was going. It was good to have friends, and good to have people in his life who mattered to him.

Mark shrugged. "I dunno, man, he's never mentioned it to me. It's not like I haven't talked to him about liking Alex." He bit into his pie. "Besides, I told him about it just a couple of minutes ago and he seemed...well, not happy, but you know how Mike is. I still haven't figured out the right way to cheer him up. Anyway, I'm pretty sure Alex would have picked up on that by now, and she was all about hitting the Super Museum with me."