Avenger Assembled

Electronic dampening field or not, Avenger grabbed Archeville by the shoulder and pulled her close. The vigilante smelled like a rough men's aftershave and dirt, blood and the mixed scents of the city on her skin as she leaned her masked face close to Archeville's ear. "I can't. Do you understand?"

Hopefully Avenger's soon-to-be-arriving buddies will save him from the gallows if he gets in a big fight. :)

I look forward to it with interest!

Now, let's see if Dr. Archeville dares step into a private room with the woman of her dreams... :)

When we're through with this, Avenger owes Scarab an apology. He'll have to make up for his mistake in the next few minutes. :twisted:

Eh, I thought I'd avoid getting into a grapple as my first action in a new city. It seems declasse!

Jack winced in automatic sympathy, imagining the agony the other vampire must be in. He'd tasted magical injuries in his own time, but that wound looked excruciating. It was hard not to imagine his fear, as well. An open magical uprising in a building owned by a vampire? If the press got wind of the first, how easy would it be for them to get wind of the second. And public exposure would likely be his death warrant. Indeed, exposure was one of two sure death warrants in Freedom City's vampires. Melinda would have gladly let him rip the throats out of every one of his tenants and a brace of nuns aside, if it stayed out of the papers. "I generally restrict my mortal blows to those who've transgressed against Melinda. If it became known that I was freelancing, well..." He waved his hand, then folded the fingers forward to study whisper-faint scars on his pale wrists. "You've seen Melinda's punishments. And her pleasures; the two are one in the same with her. I have some status, but you know how the others of our kind enjoy seeing daywalkers brought low." He sipped his glass meditatively, then added, "But there are other considerations. It's worse, I'm afraid, than you think. Your tenant, you know the one I mean, has begun turning to the costumed freaks that permeate the skies of this city for help." His wicked smile faded slowly as he went on. "My friends have ears in this city even among the petty godlings of the day. But I'm sure you know the danger the girl's turn to the capes puts us all in. Even if we kill her now, the danger is still great." It put Pitt in far greater danger than Jack himself, something the two men were most intimately aware of. The risk of a pogrom caused by a clash with superhumans was a problem; the risk of Melinda's vindictive rage was a disaster. "But I have not come here to be a grim prophet of doom for you, not in your lovely accommodations on this, a lovely evening." He sat his own glass down. "I confess a certain bluntness has served me best in the world of business. If I were to remove the girl from your consideration, what would it be worth to you? To have tenants loyal to you, as peasants should be to their rightful overlord?"

Alphabetical order, oh my! I hope what I posted is what you had in mind, Mark. :)

Jack was in an alley in an instant, the sheltering darkness of two particularly towering townhouses small comfort indeed in the sudden onslaught of madness. It was only through a heroic force of will and the pressure of the daylight outside that he kept a mortal gaze on his face, Oh, he could grow fangs and claws in broad daylight if he wanted to, but it hurt, the sun rebelling against the undead beneath it. And the sun was... The sun. Have I gone mad? But would madness give him the sharp scent of dung everywhere, the rumble of wagons nearby, the shouts and cries of a city transformed? He heard a clatter behind him, and exchanged a look with a startled servant who'd just walked outside with a small, fancily-groomed dog on a leash. As the solid wooden door closed behind the man, Jack closed on him. Or was it transformed? Was it...something else? "What year is it?" There must have been something in his eyes, because the servant backed up against the closed door behind him, the look of fear on his face growing. When he spoke again, it was with Avenger's voice. "THE YEAR?"

The historical implications of the room were unfortunately lost on Jack, whose knowledge of history came from what he'd picked up from older vampires and a few half-remembered college classes. But he knew that these were things of respect, items of importance to a vampire Pitt's age, and that he'd do his best to respect them as well. "I hope you won't mind if I take our refreshments first." He poured the blood with class and distinction, the carefully preserved vintage from someone named "S. Cline" sparkling ever-so-slightly as the mysterious green light from the fire washed through the liquid. He raised his glass to Pitt and said in the Old Slavonic that was the language of courtly vampires of a certain generation. "To the blood." When they'd made their toast and drunk their liquid, the fluid warm and sparkling as it filled him, Jack finally spoke. "You're a powerful man. I sit here in your domicile and marvel at the edifice you've built. Here, and below." He waved his free hand dismissively in the direction of the peons beneath. "But even the greatest house has termites. I would help you deal with your pests, sir, to the betterment of both your servants and yourself."

In any event, between the darkness and the way Avenger has the semi-conscious Vulture positioned, the boys aren't going to get the whole story anyway. So bring on your penalty, I says!

Well, if Fox is Noticing Avenger instead of Noticing his feet, he's going to break his fool neck jumping off those trees, so I'm not too worried about him. (Penalty-wise, Vulture probably isn't even a medium load for Avenger. I doubt that carrying him is going to be that much of a hassle. Besides, vampires specialize in Stealthily dragging people off into the shadows... )

Oh, I see it now! When I said "the boys can't see Avenger," I meant they can't see him when his Stealth is up. As it was during the surprise round, and as it is now.

From your post on April 15: "EDIT: None of the Bad Guys can see Avenger, God of Stealth..." ;)

After several long moments, Jack's conscience finally won out...sort of. "Private conversation is best, Avenger said. "Prefer not to discuss my medical history in public."

Forgot about my enhanced Will save! But I fixed it, with a little help from my HP friends. That was a Move Action Hide in Plain Sight to disappear off the face of the Earth, since we've established that the boys can't see Avenger and Avenger's friends are busy in melee combat. That attack is a full +5 Power Attack for DC 31 damage. Vulture is stunned, after all, and what could be more surprising? There's no stated reason on Avenger's sheet that he can't do non-lethal damage with his claws. (But how on Earth does he, you ask? He uses his claws to cut open the boy's suit, allowing him to hit him all the harder by use of his strike.)

Avenger ignored Shark's bite with contemptible ease, looking up at the other boy with a malignant look in his red-rimmed eyes. "You're next." With that, while Shark was looking at him, Avenger vanished. In the shadows a few feet away, once he was sure he was perfectly concealed, Jack flipped the stunned Vulture around and whispered in his ear. "You're mine, now. I hope you like knives. I know I do." And with that, he extruded his claws and rammed the bony talons through Vulture's back. He pulled the pointed tips back the moment the damage was done, his now-ragged motorcycle gloves stained with blood.

Yuck. Not killing these boys is going to be a fairly serious exercise in role-playing, especially for Avenger's "first case." Ah well, since it's the Bronze Age, hopefully we can get them to die suitably karmic deaths.

Jack knew the smiles of his own kind well enough. The friendliest vampire in the world smiled like a shark; after all, it's what they were. "If you would grant me the pleasures of your domicile for a little while, I thought we might partake of an old vintage." He lifted the bottle up higher, so the older vampire could see it. Watch him, he reminded himself. Frail vampires didn't survive the predatory dealings of their fellows. This may be his true body, but the weak old man is not his true face. "It's from Melinda's private stock." He gave the old man a predatory smile of his own. "I thought it was high time I got to know some of the powers in the city as more than just a pretty face."

Some thoughts on how other vampires see Jack: (Pitt should know this if he stays in touch with vampiric society at all. It's a small community!) -He's very young, having been a vampire for barely four years now. -He's something of a "party guy," a habitue of clubs and the 'scene', coming from a long line thereof. -He's a daywalker, a member of a somewhat-mistrusted but necessary minority in vampire society. -He's considered something of a "weak sister", almost never killing humans. -He's known to be a very loyal follower of Melinda despite his wussy morals, and has done some of her dirty work. -He's a good fighter.

I saw it in IMAX. It must be seen by all.

"Pitt!" Jack called cheerfully, peering easily through the darkness and past the various artifacts. Kitsch, obviously, and not worth his time."It's Jack Faretti. You know me, remember? From the Black Mass last All Hallows Eve. I was with Claudia." Better not go there.

Jack was torn between a desire to help her friends (not to mention herself) and the firm, rational realization that betraying her secret was a potentially suicidal maneuver. She wanted her body restored and this profound personal mutilation reversed, but not so badly that she wanted to die, or see her friends die. Her other friends, the ones with whom she shared the bonds of blood and death. It was Geckolass who solved the problem for her, a glimpse of her jailbait legs that made him realize the true nature of his own situation. I want her. My urges haven't changed. They're not a man's. Or a woman's. I am a monster. "Will be unable to provide you with what you require." There was something new in Avenger's gravely, feminine voice, an unaccustomed emotion. Regret? "Inform me if this will impede your efforts. After tech suppliers have been dealt with."

Sounds like they'd get along 'well' with vampires. Hmm!

I had nothing yet. Jack's going to take Debbie home and have a fun time.