Galatine

Pharos would certainly be up for it.

"Convenient that. I usually have to knock them out before I can turn them over." He put on a thoughtful expression before adding with a good natured chuckle, "I'm jealous!" He laughed at the question, "You noticed eh? I could ask the same question of you, since last I heard most plants needed a little sun to grow. And is it that unusual for me to be out after dark? Just because it's night doesn't mean there aren't people who need help, you know?"

"Hah, I don't think we have met. Where are my manners?" Pharos turned and offered a small bow. "Pharos. I'm new to the city so I'm not surprised we haven't run into eachother." He cocked his ear for a second, listening. "The police are over at the store he and his friends just tried to rob, so we can drop him off with them. Now the question is though, how do we get him down?" He turned a quizzical look to Fleur.

Pharos had just finished up tidying up the other two burglars for the police. He hadn't been all that concerned about the runner, already flying after him in pursuit. He knew exactly where the guy was. He probably didn't even need his enhanced hearing for it with all the noise the man was making. It was the other sounds coming from that direction that confused him. A scraping and grinding sound he had never heard before followed by a yelp of surprise. Flying over the area, he was able to pick out what the noise had come from. It wasn't every day when you managed to see a daffodil that enormous. He descended, cape fluttering behind him as he did so, his costume white and sun gold. The concentrated sunlight he used to power his flight faded as he touched down to earth in front of the green woman holding the loot bag. He looked up at the bulging daffodil which oddly enough seemed almost content with the thief being held in its cup, a look of amusement on his face. "Wow. Certainly saved me the trouble there." He turned his head back towards the green woman, chuckling. "Thanks for that."

OOC thread for Pharos and Fleur.

He panted heavily, his sweatshirt torn by branches and bushes as he tore through the park. Twigs snapped and sounded like gunfire. Every rustle of dry leaves sent shivers down his spine. He still had the bag. Still had the jewels. Still had the ski mask on. If he could get away. If he could just get away he would make out of this scot free. No need to split the loot into shares. But only if he got away. It had happened so fast. He and his friends had cased a jewelry shop that afternoon. They weren't stupid, they were cautious about it. He brought his girl in to look at the product, complained about how they didn't have the money to afford them. The owner never saw anything more than a girl and her put upon boyfriend. And that night, tonight. Tonight he and his girl had brought one of his pals along. Broke the window. Started grabbing what they could carry. The cops wouldn't show for about thirty minutes, he knew. They didn't last ten. This guy came at them out of the sky. So damn fast. They had guns sure, for all the good they did. He had barely escaped, just as the hero was dealing with his girl. He thought he heard her yell for him. Heh, sorry babe. After this he could always find another one. But only if he could get away. He stumbled into a clearing of the park. There was moonlight, illuminating everything. Damn. Now he was lost. There were plants rustling to the side. He pulled his gun and pointed. More for his own good than anything. Menaced with it in every direction. The ski mask was too hot. Too stifling for the summer. So he tore it off, still breathing heavily from his run. One second. Two. The thief sighed in relief. He had gotten away. Scot free.

Pharos: Spending an HP to ignore Fatigue. Using movement phase to fly down to the bridge again, right in front of the advancing robot hordes. Using an HP to stunt an Alternate Power off of his Solar Furnace: Damage 12 (targeted AOE; Extras: Area (Cone)) [24pp] Using extra effort to do this twice (will style it IC as simultaneous). One cone is 120 feet long, wide and high, an equilateral triangle. As such the two will be arranged so that they form a rough hemisphere 120 feet in radius. Since this is a targeted AOE, there is an attack roll (which I am taking 10 on since there are only minions in the area). Thus there is no reflex save to mitigate damage 18 to hit DC 27 Toughness saves to every robot inside a 120 foot radius hemisphere going out towards the main bulk of their horde.

His name was James Harwood. It used to be he was known as The Human Jet, back in the fifties. He had been a hero once. Fighting the good fight over the skies of St. Louis. He still remembered his fights against the Red Duke over who ruled the skies. Busting the mafia organization of The Big Cheese. Matching wits with the trickster spirit Coyote. It was a long career. One that ended when he had his last duel with the Duke, fighting to protect his wife. The Duke had fallen into the Mississippi, and hadn't been seen since. But not before he broke Jame's back with his force gauntlets, making sure the Human Jet could never use his signature jet-boots ever again. James lost all feeling in his lower body. The nerves had been severed, crushed. He was paralyzed below the waist. But he had found comfort in his wife, and the son they had. James Jr. eventually became Ramjet, using an upgraded version of his father's boots. James Sr. was proud to see it. Proud to see his son in the papers, fighting the good fight. And in time Junior even got married himself. To one of his former enemies in fact: Firebug. And their child, James' granddaughter, was so beautiful. James' life...was idyllic. Blessed. Until the Terminus Invasion. When Omega invaded Ramjet and Firebug took to the skies to fight off the armada over St. Louis. And James had watched in horror as his son was torn apart before his eyes by the blast of one of Omega's warships. Half of Firebug was caught in the blast. She died two days after Omega was driven off. The doctors told him it was peaceful. That she couldn't feel anything in the end. James...could only hope that. The grief had been so much for his wife. He thought that loosing their son had broken her. Caused her body to simply stop one day. James still had his granddaughter though. He raised her well. Poured all his love into her. She had always been hot headed. So much like her mother. They fought so often, but would always make up. The last time...the last time. He couldn't remember what stupid thing they had fought over. He hated that. He hated that he couldn't even remember that. Because that had been the day the Grue invaded again. One of their monstrosities had held her hostage, killed her, before the heroes had ever arrived. And now here was James Harwood. Alone. His family dead, his friends and compatriots all gone. The last of the old generation of heroes in St. Louis. Here he sat in his apartment. So empty now. Quiet. Except when the nurse came with his medicine, trying to cheer him up. He was young though. He couldn't recognize the signs of what was truly wrong. James Harwood was a man waiting to die. Waiting for his body to run down like his wife's had. He sat alone in the dark, looking out the window as a songbird perched there, flapping here and there. Blue jay. It had been his wife's favorite. The painful memories brought tears to his eyes. All the pain and fear and despair swelling up as an out of control flood. He hated this. He hated living with the ghosts and the memories. He hated that he had been the one to bury his child and grandchild. He hated that now he was truely alone. He broke down sobbing. "Why? Whywhywhywhy!? Why God? why...." His tear-fogged gaze focused on the bird. To fly. He had loved flying. His wife had, his son had. It was in his family. In his blood. He wanted to simply jet away from the pain. "Please...just once more....I want to fly away from this..." James grabbed his windowsill, head down, and sobbed weakly in his utter misery. Tap. Tap. Tap. It was the bird...or the wind brushing something against his window. He looked up, tears still obscuring his vision. Even then though, he could see the bird was gone. All he could distinguish were white and gold. He wiped his eyes and looked again. There was a man floating in the air there, a white cape fluttering the the passing breeze. He couldn't see the man's face...the sun was right behind him. A warm voice wrapped around him. "You aren't alone Mr. Harwood. You are never alone... Do you...Do you still feel like taking that one last flight?" More tears flowed as James opened the window. But these were different. Memories of better times swept in with the breeze, clearing out the dark, stagnant air. Kissing his wife where he had flown them to atop the Arch. His son showing him his Ramjet costume for the first time. His granddaughter whispering 'I love you Gramps', even as she left that last time.... A smile cracked across his lips, as he took the hand outstretched before him.... ---- The nurse knocked on the door. "Mr. Harwood, sir? I'm here for your checkup." There was no answer. "Sir?" He unlocked the door and stepped inside. There was his wheelchair, at its usual spot next to the window. But the window...it was wide open, a blue jay chirping on the windowsill. "Sir!?" He dashed forward, sticking his head out, looking down to the streets far below. But nothing. No one crowded around a fallen corpse, no onlookers. No sign of Mr. James Harwood. It might have been his imagination, since he had never heard the sound. But somewhere far off, the nurse thought he heard Mr. Harwood's voice...giving a laugh of joy...

Writing sappy stories, ones that bring tears to my eyes, is something I like to do when I feel down. The purpose of this thread is to give a place for those, and any stories anyone wishes to share. A collection of the Crowning Moments of Heartwarming on the site. Unrestricted by canon or continuity. A chance for even the site's darkest characters to show that fighting evil is not all there is to being a hero. If you think of any stories you want to share, then please write up a short vignette and post it here.

24 Toughness against Talos' heat aura. Another bruise.

The pavement beneath the bronze titan burst upwards! The fist of the sun careening into what was left of Talos' jaw as Pharos surged back into the fight! "Don't start picking more fights when you haven't finished the first one!" With the giant in the air for a brief moment from the force of the blow, Pharos landed; ignoring the heat as he grabbed Talos by the foot. "Round Two starts now!" Then with a mighty push, he rocketed up into the sky! A white and gold blur of motion, carrying a bronze streak along with him! Past the top of the bridge. Past the low hanging cloud layers. A mile above the earth before Pharos looked down at his foe. "Look around Talos. Here is our world. A world I have been guarding for four billion years. If you want to take it, you are going to have to try better than that!" Holding the giant out with his superhuman strength, Pharos spun! Faster and faster! Until cloudstuff started swirling around them so great was their speed! And with a yell of supreme effort, Pharos cast Talos down from the sky. Sending the bronze man hurtling back down to the Earth almost a mile below!

Using Extra effort to surge another Movement action. Since I control th grapple with Talos we are going to be flying 4000 feet up. And then I am going to toss him. Mechanically just using a free action to drop him.

alright then here we go. Pharos attacks by coming up through the bridge, directly underneath Talos: 20 DC 27 Toughness save Spending an HP to gain the effects of Improved Grab. That attack counts as the roll to initiate a grapple in addition to doing damage. Grapple Roll....well if this doesn't hit I dont know what will: 45

Quick question for Shaen: If Pharos manages to catch Talos completely by surprise, how would that affect a grapple roll?

Pharos couldn't understand what the angel was saying. The speech was just as garbled and unintelligible as that of the demons. And then the swarm masses. Flying, clawing, scraping towards them. Cackling madly. Pharos remembered demons. He could remember facing them before in his many past lives. Merciless, cruel, almost to the one. These specimens seemed particularly vicious as three leapt towards him. But their claws simply couldn't penetrate the solar fire suffusing his body. He stared into their eyes. And found only madness staring back. Sadly, he sighed. "You were warned." He swung one hand in an arc, directing a flare of brilliant sunfire as it streaked outwards. One demon was utterly cremated by the blast, turned into nothing more than ashes in the wind by the pure light of the Sun!

Pharos Attacks: 22 If hit: DC is 27

Characters Name: Petrolasaur Power Level:13/14 (195/210) Trade-Offs:-5 Attack, +5 Damage; -5 Defense, +5 Toughness Unspent PP: 0 Alternate Identity: none Age: Two months Gender: Asexual Height: 75 ft. / 150 ft. Weight: 300K lbs. / 2 million lbs. Eyes: yellow Hair: none Description: Petrolasaur is a towering monster, looking vaguely like a twisted Tyrannosaur. Its scaly brown hide is covered in a thin sheen of petroleum that causes it to appear to shift colours slightly in the light. Its broad head is filled with ripping teeth specially adapted to tear through the metal of holding tanks and pipelines. Four bright yellow eyes with hourglass irises allow it to sense heat through the thickest of smoke, allowing it to track its "prey". It possesses long, lanky forelimbs wrapped in impossibly strong muscle and tipped with long clawed hands that drag on the floor when it is on the surface. Its powerful hind legs easily support its lumbering form while on land, and its broad tail allows the creature to swim with great swiftness while also assisting in its balance on land. History: In May of this year the the Poseidon Oil Derrick under construction in the Gulf of Mexico, owned by Advanced Energy Conglomerates, suffered an accident in its pipeline due to cost cutting measures and poor safety. The resulting explosion destroyed most of the Derrick, though local superheroes were able to save all of the workers. However, the Derrick's destruction meant that massive amounts of oil were now billowing up into the pristine waters of the Gulf. Facing legal sanction from the United States, and with Atlantis petitioning the UN to add sanctions of its own on the energy company, AEC announced that it would accept full responsibility for the accident and would shoulder all of the clean up duties. For this purpose they unveiled what they proclaimed to be the greatest advancement in their "green oil technology". The Petrolium Feaster. This microbe, genetically engineered by AEC's top scientists, would revolutionize oil clean up. When unleashed on a spill the microbe would eat all the free petroleum in the area, allowing AEC to put a cap on the broken pipe and leaving the waters of the Gulf as pristine as they had been before the accident! In the press conference for this announcement, the CEO of AEC admited that the microbe was still in testing and that the company had been planning on announcing its existence by installing the microbes as an emergency measure on the completed Poseidon. "But desperate situations call for desperate measures." While some argued that using an untested, genetically engineered microbe would be irresponsible; and that AEC was simply trying to draw attention away from the cost cutting and regulation breaking measures it had taken while constructing Poseidon; the corporation was allowed to go ahead and release the microbe. The Petroleum Feaster worked exactly as planned. Within a week the culture had contained the spill, and AEC had capped the pipe. But the Feaster worked a bit too well. While gathering the now massive and sprawling culture, AEC scientists found that the microbes had mutated and catalyzed the petroleum. And they were still changing. AEC top brass, not wanting yet another PR disaster, ordered the scientists to keep a lid on their findings, reasoning that the mutation was an irregularity and would go away. But the problem would not go away. Over the next week the microbe culture continued to mutate and grow. And in the vast holding tank AEC placed it in, it changed. The tank incubated it as the culture coalesced into something...more. And then it awoke. The creature hatched from its metal egg on one of the Poseidon's relief rigs, where it greedily ripped through the facility and devoured all the oil it could find before escaping. Now loose it has been the terror of the Gulf oil industry, attacking oil barges, shore refineries, mining derricks. And all the while growing. The media found out about AEC's chicanery, and that the beast was their untested microbe, now unleashed upon the world. They dubbed it the Living Disaster of the Gulf: Petrolasaur! Personality & Motivation: Petrolasaur is an animal. A very hungry animal. It attacks and destroys oil derricks and barges not out of malice, but out of a desire to feed on the crude oil within. It is a predator hunting for prey, with all the behavior that implies. Powers & Tactics: Petrolasaur is as direct as most animals. Stomp in, rip through the hold of whatever it is attacking and slurp up that delicious oil. Its mind is always on its next meal and it will generally ignore humans, not even noticing if a few get under foot. If it does suffer a damaging attack it will turn to defend its "kill" with all the ferocity a predator of that size can muster. If over matched, however, Petrolasaur will yield the "kill" and escape to seek easier prey. Complications: Petrol Power!: Upon devouring enough crude oil (precise amount to be determined by the GM), Petrolasaur powers up to PL 14. If he can keep a steady diet of oil he can maintain this state. But if denied access to his food he will eventually power down back to his base PL 13. In Brief: Mutated Oil Cleanup Microbe run amok. Stats: 4/0+0/2+20/19-6+0+0/2 = 18/17pp Str: 46 (+18)/ 48(+19) Dex: 10/12 (+0/+1) Con: 46 (+18)/ 48(+19) Int: 4 (-6) Wis: 10 (+0) Cha: 10/12 (+0/+1) Combat: 16/18+16/18 = 32/36pp Attack: (+8/+9)- 8 = +0/+1 Grapple: +40/42 Defense: (+8/9) - 8 = +0/+1 (+0 flat-footed) Knockback: -32/33 Initiative: +4 Saves: 0+5+5 = 10pp Toughness: +18/19 (+18/19 Con, +0 other) Fortitude: +18/19 (+18/19 Con, +0) Reflex: +5 (+0 Dex, +5) Will: +5 (+0 Wis, +5) Skills: 60r = 15pp Climb 10 (+10) Intimidate 10 (+18/+19) Notice 10 (+10) Search 10 (+10) Survival 10 (+10) Swim 10 (+10) Feats: 20pp All-Out Attack Aquatic Adaptation Fearless Fearsome Presence 10 Improved Initiative 1 Improved Grab Improved Grapple Improved Overrun Improved Sunder Takedown Attack Startle Powers: 49/58+13/14+3+26/28+3+5 = 100/112pp Growth 16/19 (Extras: Duration(Continuous); Flaws: Permanent; Power Feats: Innate) [49/58pp] Impervious Constitution 13/14[13/14pp] Super Senses 3 (Infravision, Tracking 2)[3pp] Blast 13/14(Fire Breath;Power Feats: Alternate Power; Extras: Area (Cone); Flaws: Range (Touch))[27/29pp] AP:Blast 8/9(Toxic Fume Breath; Alternate Save (Fortitude), Area (Cloud); Flaws: Range (Touch) Immunity 3 (poison, pressure, drowning)[3pp] Swimming 5 (50 MPH) Drawbacks: 0+0+0 = 0pp DC Block: Unarmed --- DC 33/34 Toughness --- Bruised, Staged Fire Breath --- DC 33/34 Toughness --- Bruised, Staged Toxic Fume Breath --- DC 23/24 Fortitude --- Bruised, Staged Costs: Abilities (18/17) + Combat (32/36) + Saves (10) + Skills (15) + Feats (20) + Powers (100/112) - Drawbacks (00) = 195/210pp

Init for Pharos (1d20+2=14)

Toughness Save: 27 another bruise

Second Grapple: 41

Toughness vs. Aura: 24 Bruised Grapple: 31 No control.

Pharos punches! Attack: 20 +8 DC 27 + 5 for the crit = 32

Pharos paused in midflight, cape flaring out behind him as he took in the scene on the bridge below. There were so many people who needed help here. The robots were everywhere, devouring everything in their drive to create more of themselves. Fortunately there were others here. His eyes tracked one blur as it rescued a man from a car. And his ears picked up the distinct twang of guitar strings, drawing his attention to another hero rescuing a family from assaulting spider bots. But all this chaos had an epicenter. Talos. The bronze titan was advancing casually on a frantic policeman, who was desperately attempting to ward the supervillain away from his unconscious partner. The giant was casually disregarding the hail of bullets directed at it. And heaven knew what would happen to the officer if the construct came closer. Perhaps crush the man, or maybe Talos wouldn't even notice as his great feet simply stomped the officer to paste, continuing on his inexorable path. Whatever Talos intended though, was not something Pharos was going to let happen. With a whoosh of displaced air, he flew at incredible speed, racing against the bronze man's measured stride. Pharos came up behind Talos, floating to be at eye level with the giant as he rapped the bronze shoulder to let the villain know he was there.. "Why don't you pick on someone your own size?" As Talos' turned his head towards the query, he was met with the oncoming fist of Pharos, the blow connecting in a thunderous crash with the full power of the Sun itself behind it! Unstoppable Force met Immovable Object as shock waves from the connecting blow shattered what intact windows remained nearby! Sparing a brief moment, Pharos turned to speak to the officer before engaging Talos again. "I'll hold him off! Get you and your partner to safety!"

Pharos Initiative: Initiative: 1d20 + 2 = 19

"I don't care if he's in a meeting right now!We have a robot army tearing up one of our bridges!" City Hall - Freedom City. As usual one of the many boardrooms had been repurposed into a situation room for city government to handle the current crisis. Mayor O'Connor, Commissioner Kane, and the eight members of the Freedom City Council were busy coordinating the response over a real-time digital overlay of Centery Bridge. On speaker was a secretary for AEGIS Director Powers. "I am sorry sir but the Director is in a high level meeting with UNISON officials. I will be sure to relay your concerns to him once the meeting is over." The speaker cut off. O'Connor sighed and slumped down into a chair, pressing a hand against his temples. "Looks like the MAX suits will be a while. Barbara, how far away is the STAR squad?" Commissioner Barbara Kane indicated a bright blue police star marker on the digital overlay. "Here. Traffic from fleeing citizens is holding them up. It will take them five, ten minutes to get to the area. And I will say again sir, the STAR squad can handle this without the MAX suits. We don't need a Federal Agency to hold our hands in this..." The officials continued their arguments. Whether the police department would be sufficient. Whether to buldoze their way through red tape to get to Director Powers. Whether they might need Super-MAX suits deployed. Whether the Mayor should use the red-line and call in the Freedom League proper to help deal with Talos. And, as usual, no one noticed the janitor as he quietly exited the room... ---- Moments later, in the sky over Centery Bridge, a few rays of brilliant sunlight pierced through the smoke rising into the air above the warzone. More and more rays found cracks in the clinging smoke before a great white and gold flash burst through, shredding the remaining smoke and allowing the full brightness of the Sun to light the bridge unhindered as Pharos descended on the battle from above like a bolt of white and golden light.