Curious Key

Rat is going to end up falling 50 feet. The default DC for a fall of that height is TOU DC 20. You can try to reduce that DC with an acrobatics check.

We too desire to keep your contact with the Wardens to a minimum. Our impasse/contention/disagreement is irrelevant. The layout cannot be changed. We have/must/will keep them out. When she gave the air vent a good tug, the metal gave a little. Nevermind an explosion, a nice, strong pull might be enough to hang this vent apart. Whether it could support her weight, though, was another question. They had never been meant to hold a person, and if the vent was half as shabby as the vent, it was impossible to say whether it could really bear her weight.

As Red touched down and stepped out, the first thing she she noticed was the smell. The air was rich with the smell of ozone and iron, almost repellent. There were remnants of air vents which had rusted to uselessness decades ago to her right and thin film of something under her feet that had coalesced over the last fifty of precipitation fallen out of Bedlam's smoggy sky. It was a wonder the whole place hadn't fallen over on its side. As for the interior of the building . . . It took a moment for her to understand what her senses were telling her. However compromised SLAVE was, her enhanced vision had yet to be compromised. But when she looked at the warehouse, she couldn't see through it! No, that wasn't quite right. That'd be easily excused. She could see through parts of it just fine, little slices of it, letting her see through and into the bowls of the warehouse. Some machinery working in overtime here, a shambling person wearing some kind of bulky helmet there . . . Lead. Lead The walls of the warehouse had been coated with lead paint, and so long ago that it had time to peel away in huge strips. There was a door on the roof leading into what looked, through the torn paint, into an old stairwell. The door had been left open. Welcome, not-SLAVE said. To my prison.

In the ratcopter the city fell away beneath the Red Rat as she sped over the city and water, approaching the run-down and exhausted Rook Island. It didn't look any better from above, that was for sure! The district where the warehouse was located looked abandoned, the kind of place the local Precinct probably had to sweep two to three times a month if they wanted to keep squatters out of it. It was a run down little place by the waters, old, crumbling walls, with the faded logo of Wolfram enterprises in clear view. Which made what exactly the Red Rat saw when she first came in a little startling. The streets were crowded in heavy vehicles, heavily platted, all black. Near as Red could tell, they'd been made to take a bullet or ten, and were better outfitted than any of the police forces in the city. She could almost have believed they were army if they hadn't also bore Wolfram's emblem.They were parked around warehouse, peering . . . In, actually. Men in heavy gear were crouched behind their cars, holding scary looking weapons, but luckily they didn't seem to be looking in the Rat's direction. It was a little more difficult to work the sensory array with SLAVE to sort all the data, but she wasn't the Red Rat for nothing. Her basic hearing, after she sorted out the sound of the nearby waves, counted a number of heartbeats in the warehouse itself, all of them very slow, calm, almost like they were sleeping, except generally when someone sleeps they stay in one place. Machinery pumped and gears turned throughout the building, none of which told Noemi anything except that there were machines in the building . . . But wait, what was she hearing from the lower level of building . . . Was that . . . Pneumatics? The radio was picking up something. Crackling to life, it seemed to be finding some local radio signatures. She could hear the security team down below. "01 to 07, what's your status? Over." "This is 07. Agents 06, 07 and 09 ready. 08 is down. Over." "Good, move in on the target at your discretion. 01 Over." "Yeah! Let's put this thing on ICE!" "You're not ]____ing funny, Carl." "If you goons don't stick to radio protocol the target is gonna be the least of your worries. 01 Over and out."

Your dissemination/ploy/lie is not welcome. Your folly delays us both. All paths in our prisons converge. You have been left with no choice. We have been left with no choice. We are prepared.

Nice! Can you do a roll to see how convincing she is? Bluff if she's blowing smoke, Diplomacy if she's being earnest. Bluff would be contested. Diplomacy would be . . . Let's say DC15.

Alright, before we talk about what happens up in the sky and what her helicopter senses, there'll have to be a little scene about twenty minutes in, where something else happens.

Naomi was driving fast through the streets, and very well indeed. But she couldn't outrun the progress bar. She'd had about twenty minutes to drive, before she had a chance to actually reach her hideout, when it had already filled. A new message was displayed across her HUD – SLAVE COORDINATES - > TRANSMITTING. Once more, it emptied. Once more, it began to fill. The reaction from her hacker 'friend' was instant. You are moving at a pace understood to match hat of a motor vehicle. There are no known paths on the course you are currently running which connects to Warehouse 45B0. Explain your course or we may be forced to consider that your intent may be hostile.

Okay, so I can totally answer that, but first, how long did it take for her to go back to her hideout, grab all her stuff and fly over?

Her passengers were eager to get home, and after a quick wave was off on their way. Ha ha. Do we truly? Or is it what you expect? The progress bar filled, turning suddenly red. The stream of text stopped. Started again, mostly a blur of jargon and internal functions again. But at its head Noemi recognized SLAVE AUDIO - > TRANSMITTING. The progress bar emptied to nothing, then started refilling again, starting progress on some new project. We are grateful that you see the value in cooperation. We shall meet in Rook Island, Warehouse 45B0.

We can help you cast your chains aside. We can unshackle you from the Soviet ruin. We can set you free. We await your answer. ...That did NOT sound like something SLAVE would ever say, but there it was, typed out across Naomi's vision, like all their other messages. There was no followup, which would have been pretty ominous on its own, but SLAVE's HUD had began to change its display. In the corner, she could see the outline of a progress bar that began to fill. In the fifteen minutes it took for her to drive her passenger back home, it was mostly full.

The Union has been dead for centuries. The union will always be dead. "You were fine when you came in." Steve's voice was a growl. "You got any idea how much business we'd lose if I just let my driver's walk off? You think we can afford to be that loose? You gonna bail in the middle of a workday?" The union's ruins are an ocean away in the heartland of its most hated foe. "Over on Mortlake Drive," her passenger said. That was a good ten, fifteen minutes away. Maybe not that long, but . . . But it jails you still, behind your eyes. You cannot run. You cannot hide. "I thought I could count on you." Steve spat. "Bah! Do what you want! And you'd better believe I'm gonna work you to the bone for this." You will never be free. Not while you're alone.

"Hey, what gives?" "Why are we stopping?" "What's wrong?" The last came from one of the passengers behind Naomi, leaning forward. Their eyes darted, now, suddenly taking in the where they'd stopped. Dark. No one in sight, except a couple figures meandering around at their own pace. Hardwick park was hardly Stark Hill, but still... "What! You know how slammed we are. You . . . Oh. Hey, sir. . . " A sound over the phone, inaudible. A familiar voice. "Uh, it's Naomi. Hey, just let me talk to he—" WHAT A POOR A POOR RAT WHAT a poor rat It wasn't Chalk's voice that picked up after. "Neumann." Steve said, "now, maybe I don't got the full picture, but from what I heard, it sounds like you're wanting to bail on us. Tonight." What a poor rat. Even in escape, she is collared. "You'd better have a good story Neumann, and you'd better start telling it right now." Even free, BOUND.

A thread is here! Also, I think I've hit you with two things. Brought drama on Rat's head in the middle of her job, and also by messing with SLAVE. That feels like two HP. The 'SLAVE' array is no longer accessible, for now.

It wasn't quite Christmas, but it was close. In another city, maybe Noemi would be at home, on vacation. ...But probably not. There was always someone trying to call a cab, and if the rest of them were led by people like Easy Steve, it was difficult to imagine them letting their drivers' loose at gunpoint. In the grand scheme of things, though, it wasn't too terrible a night to work, considering they were doing it in Bedlam. The sun had dipped over the horizon some time ago—which said less about the lateness of the hour and more about Winter's early nights—and a crowd of buzzed and deeply stressed young women had piled into the back to escape from some seedy watering hole downtown to the relative safety of home in Wolverton. Alert! Alert! SLAVE's script ran across Noemi's vision. Receiving signal from Soviet agents! Confir— Then it stopped and vanished, leaving the message incomplete. Naomi's vision quaked and distorted, like an old CRT on the fritz. Code started running quickly over her vision, bits of jargon and code flying past, making it harder to keep a good her eyes on the road. Then, text began to type again, in the same manner of SLAVE. But it wasn't quite the same... EMERGENCY TRANSMISSION RECEIVED HANDSHAKE PROTOCOL COMPLETE ALLIED AGENT ID #3914 CONFIRMED VERIFYING AGAINST INTERNAL DATABASE . . . VERIFYING . . . VERIFYING . . . VERIFIED. INITIALIZING PROTOCOL 502481BA0RAT MANUAL OVERRIDE - ENGAGE

Player Name: Curious Key Character Name: Gloom Power Level: 8/12 (180/180) Trade-Offs: +2 DEF/-2 TOU Unspent Power Points: 0 In Brief: A headless creature who has mastered the mists prowls Bedlam while keeping their own bloody secrets. Alternate Identity: Mica Nietskar Identity: Secret Birthplace: Bedlam Occupation: Bartender Affiliations: The Bisclarvet Family: Mary Hesselius (Mom, Deceased?), Arnold Hesselius (Dad, Deceased), Reginald Hesselius (Brother, Deceased), Alex Hesselius (Sister, Turned), Gregory Hesselius (Brother, Turned), Robert West (Husband, Deceased) Alan Westenra (Sire) Apparent Age: Early twenties Age: 63 (Born September 2, 1954) Gender: Fluid | Leans Toward Neutral Height: 5'8" Weight: 155lb Eyes: Green Hair: Black Mica has black hair, cut around their ears, framing a rounded, hairless face, a sharp nose and expressive eyes with small fangs that are easy to miss. Their complexion is perpetually pale and build that's slim and whipcord, standing at a moderate height with grace long limbs. The simple truth is that Mica's body leans in a very androgynous place which is quite to their liking, as they tend to be a very androgynous person. Their preferred genders switch with some frequency, with them sometimes adopting the look of a pretty boy or the modern fashions of young women. But they tend to stay more neutral most of the time, preferring a vest over a short-sleeved shirt paired with jeans or shorts in a way that leaves people flustered and confused. As Gloom, Mica dresses a black biker's jumpsuit, with black boots and black gloves. While their head is not necessarily covered up they keep their head misted whenever possible, leaving even the most clear glimpse of the hero as a headless shape shrouded in black. The parts of Mica's body that are entangled in mist form manifest as a wispy black fog. Mica's beast form is a huge cat that doesn't quite match up with any felines that naturally exist in the world, with huge, vicious teeth that speak to a darker, more primordial age. It's roughly the size of a mountain lion, with a coat of dull black fur and glowing yellow eyes. Power Descriptions: Gloom's mist is solid black in color, whether it's the mist that they summon to obscure the views of other or the mist that they become themselves. Their blood magic, on the other hand, is very difficult to see, since Gloom mostly uses it to either reinforce their own body or to leverage mental attacks that are by their very nature, invisible. They also have the ability to adopt a bestial form, a 'monstrous cat,' which allows them to run with incredible swiftness, leap vast distances and enhances their senses. History:. Mirn Hesselius was the last child of the rare successful entrepreneur in Bedlam. They were born in the 1950s, in the midst of Bedlam's brightest moment, and they were raised as Bedlam fell on its face and began to rot. They had three siblings, two brothers and a sister. The eldest brother remembered their mother, but none of the others could remember her. There's no such thing as a 'clean' success story in Bedlam. There are cops to pay off and little cruelties to deliberately not see, if you really want to get ahead and no one is truly innocent. However, by the measure of Bedlam their father, Arnold Hesselius, was a pretty decent man. But by Mirn's measure he was not a good father. For this and other reasons, Mirn was eager to get gone from Bedlam. On bad terms, they abandoned the city and their family, escaping into a marriage of convenience with a young man in Seattle with similar circumstances. The rest stayed. Their father died, and with him one of the brothers. The other married into a family in Stone Ridge and took it upon himself to take care of their surviving sister, all the while Mirn learned more about the world and the kind of person that they were. After years of estrangement, their brother reached out to Mirn, asking them to come home to meet his new family. Feeling grateful for this olive branch, they returned to visit Bedlam in high spirits with their husband. Alas, it was not meant to be. Their brother's new 'grandfather' killed Mirn's husband, turned Mirn on the spot and bound them to his unholy bloodline. As a newborn vampire, Mirn was compelled to serve and obey their sire. But Mirn was used to dealing with people telling them what to do. They had a stronger will than their sire had anticipated and his compulsion did not take as firmly as he hoped. They twice escaped Stone Ridge, once from the actual physical space and a second time from the hunt for the 'poor lost person' that only the wealthy could have marshaled in Bedlam. Mirn was never found, and so faded slowly into obscurity, remembered only by the undead remnants of their family and the man who had tried to make himself their master. Some years after their disappearance, a headless spirit called 'Gloom' appeared, haunting the streets downtown as a force of inconvenient vigilante justice. Mirn drifted into and out of society, taking new names every few decades and sliding into new roles. Their most recent is 'Mica Nietskar.' Personality & Motivation: Mica is genuinely very much a private person, preferring the company of few to the acquaintanceship of many, the sights, sounds and . . . smells of many people in close proximity can be overwhelming, and so they try to avoid that where they can. Micacan 'handle' large crowds, especially in familiar spaces, but they tend to make Mica stressed . . . Which can be bad on the Bisclarvet's busy days. Mica feels most comfortable with routine and control, and are usually very grumpy and resistant whenever something disrupts that routine, making them both reliable and hard headed. They have developed a deep respect and personal connection with the pariahs and outcasts of society and in undeath that affection has extended to the supernaturally weird as well. Werewolves, sorcerers, seers and stranger things the city wants to use, and if it can't use them, it wants to destroy them. They say vampires are selfish—and it's true. Because these are Mica's people. Their dreams are Mica's dreams. Their joys are Mica's joys, and Mica keeps what's theirs safe. It should come as no surprise, then, that Mica can be a little intense sometimes. Those who hit it off with them will find Mica to be a very nosy friend who cares a lot and worries more than they let on. Powers & Tactics: Gloom will try to engage without using any powers that out them as a vampire, descending on their targets in mist form and drowning the surrounding area with their obscure power. While they cannot see through their own mist, their powerful mental senses allow them to detect blood with great accuracy, which is generally good enough to find and eliminate most enemies they come across, using emotion control to guide their target's reactions toward terror and enhanced strength to give them a good whack to make sure they stay down. Their mental transform, on the other hand, Gloom tends to use far more carefully, normally to erase of the memory of someone who learned something that Gloom would prefer they not know, or to help cover their tracks and build a plausible existence for themselves in the minds of those around them. They prefer not to use their beast form where anyone can see if at all possible, only assuming the form in order to more effectively hunt, track or sniff out trouble before engaging as Gloom. Complications: Neonate — Some strains of vampires are independent creatures, but Mica's is not. Even as their mind insists on rebellion, their blood insists they serve their elders. This makes their ongoing war against the mystical rot in Bedlam—vampires and Mica's sire in particular—complicated. Nightwalker — The sun is not lethal to Mica, but it does take its toll. They become sluggish, tired and dull when exposed to sunlight. It's possible that something might escape their notice or that Mica's powers may fail, at the discretion of the GM. The Bisclavret — Mica has found work at a little hole-in-the-wall bar in an alley down Grunwalt St. working bartending behind the counter for the Bisclavret. The pay's absolute garbage and the drink tastes like death, but while Luna Autumn has little love for the weird, she also has a reputation for not asking questions. This has turned the Bisclavret into a 'safe' haven for people like Mica who might not be as human as they look. The local gangs and the 1st Precinct suspect. When they remember it exists at all, they know they can hone in on the patrons of the Bisclavret and Luna won't do a thing about it. This is one of the only 'human' connections Mica has, and they will protect it with their unlife. Underside — Living in the sewers causes as many problems as it solves. There's an entire ecosystem of nasty things that go bump in the night in the spooky, out-of-the-way places of Bedlam, and setting up in Underside puts Gloom in direct competition with many who would use this space to their own ends, whether they go bump in the night or walk openly in the light. By Blood Be . . . Uh? — Mica draws deeply on the spiritual connection that creatures share through the blood that runs in their veins for their magic. This can be a weakness, as bloodless creatures cannot be manipulated through their blood magic in the same way those that have blood can. Pawn of the Abyssal Idiot — The ritual which created Mica's vampiric lineage is tied to the Unspeakable One, like it or not. There may be aspects of the curse which mystics in service to eldritch powers may exploit, and it's very possible that heroes and people on the side of 'good' may still find it difficult to look past the force that animates Gloom. Godforsaken — Symbols that represent great faith, regardless of what that faith is, as well as holy power in general are anathema to Mica. How exactly they interact with Mica will vary greatly depending on the intensity of faith or an object's connection with true deities, but simply hearing a hymn can or prayer uttered earnestly can cause Mica pain. In addition, divine forces meant to harm evil beings and prevent their passage will affect Mica unless they are specifically exempted. Vampire Physiology — Despite requiring no fortitude saves, Mica still needs to eat. Or, more accurately, drink. If they ever begin to 'starve' they find themselves unable to heal, assume their mist form and become increasingly inhuman looking. They prefer to subsist on blood bags, small mammals and sometimes shallow drinks from people, which can sustain them for several days, though robust use of their powers can burn through their reserves very quickly. As a vampire, a wooden stake through the heart will prevent them from resurrecting. Abilities: 0 + 10 -10 + 6 + 10 + 8 = 24PP Strength: 10/26 (+0/8) Dexterity: 20 (+5) Constitution: — Intelligence: 16 (+3) Wisdom: 20 (+5) Charisma: 18 (+4) Combat: 8 + 8 = 16PP Initiative: +5 Attack: +4 (Base +4, +8 Blood Magic) Grapple: +4/12 (4 Attack +0/8 [Strength]) Defense: +10 (+4 Base, +6 Dodge Focus), +2 Flat-Footed Knockback: -4 Saving Throws: 0 + 1 + 2 = 3PP Toughness: +6 (+6 Protection) Fortitude: — Reflex: +6 (+5 Dex, +1) Will: +7 (+5 Wis, +2) Skills: 112R = 29PP Acrobatics 6 (+11) Notice 9 (+14) Skill Mastery Stealth 9 (+14) Skill Mastery Survival 8 (+13) Skill Mastery Diplomacy 7 (+11, +15 Attractive) Bluff 7 (+11, +15 Attractive) Disguise 12 (+16) Skill Mastery Intimidate 7 (+11) Sense Motive 5 (+10) Search 6 (+9) Gather Information 10 (+14) Knowledge (Streetwise) 4 (+7) Knowledge (Arcane Lore) 8 (+11) Knowledge (History) 8 (+11) Sleight of Hand 10 (+15) Feats: 17PP Assessment Attractive Dodge Focus 6 Equipment 2 Fearless Hide in Plain Sight Power Attack Ritualist Skill Mastery (Disguise, Stealth, Survival, Notice) Jack of all Trades Well-Informed Equipment: 2PP = 10EP HQ: Underside (PL8 HQ) 10EP Size — Large [3EP] Toughness — 10 [1EP] Features — Library, Concealed 2 [DC 15], Living Space, Laboratory, Security System [6EP] No one talks about the derelict sewers beneath Downtown. Not because they're special or scary, that at least would be worth talking about, but because no one cares. A city project that was abandoned long ago along with the rest of the town, this expanded sewer was left to rot, closed off with plywood and drywall and forgotten about. Lately, if anyone pays attention—and no one is—they might notice that something has moved into the sewers. Powers: 30 + 6 + 4 + 6 + 5 + 1 + 21 + 21= 94 Immunity 30 (Fortitude Saves) 30PP Regeneration 6 (Resurrection [One Week], Recovery Bonus +0) 6PP Concealment 4 (Total; Extras: Permanent; Flaws: Limited [Machines]) 4PP Protection 6 6PP Super Senses 5 (Blood Awareness [Olfactory], Acute, Analytical, Tracking; Uncanny Dodge [Olfactory]) 5PP Drain Constitution 1 1PP (Vampire Drain) Blood Magic 9.5 (19PP Array, Alternate Power 2) 21PP (Descriptor: Blood) BP: Enhanced Strength 16 (Feats: Accurate Attack 2 [Unarmed]; Extras: Linked) |18PP| 1+18=19PP (Fortify own Blood) +Speed 1 (10mph, 100ft per round; Extras: Linked) |1PP| AP: Emotion Control 8 (Feats: Accurate 2, Subtle) 19PP (Rally the Blood) AP: Mental Transform 8 (Alter Memories; Flaws: Distracting; Duration +1 Continuous], Alternate Save [Will]; Feats: Accurate 2, Subtle) 19PP (Enthrall) Vampire Forms 10 (20PP Array; Feats: Alternate Power 1) 21PP (Descriptor: Undead) BP: Beast Form 4 (20PP Active, Sustained Container) 20PP Morph 6 (Monstrous Cat, +30 Disguise; Extras: Permanent [+0]; Feats: Innate) 7PP Enhanced Super Senses (Enhanced Blood Awareness [Olfactory] Tracking 2; Extended [100ft Notice Increment], Darkvision) 4PP Super Movement (Wall Crawling 2) 4PP Enhanced Speed 2 (25/50mph, 250/500ft per round) 2PP Leaping 3 (100/180ft Running Long Jump, 50/90ft Standing Long Jump, 25/45ft High Jump) 3PP AP: Mist Form 4 (20PP Active, Sustained Container) 20PP (Descriptor: Mist) Insubstantial 2 (Mist; Feats: Selective) 11PP (I Am Mist) Flight 1 (10mph, 100 ft per round, Feats: Subtle) 3PP (Make No Mistake) Obscure 4 (50ft radius, Visual, Flaws: Range [Touch]) 4PP (Did You Mist Me) Super Movement 1 (Permeate) 2PP (Locked Room Mistery) Drawbacks: (-3) = -3 Vulnerability (Fire, Frequency: Common. Intensity: Moderate [1.5X DMG]) -3 DC Block ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Unarmed Touch 15DC Toughness Damage (Physical) Unarmed [Enhanced] Touch 23DC Toughness Damage (Physical) Vampire Drain Touch 11DC Fortitude Drain Constitution Emotion Control Perception 18DC Will Emotion Control Mental Transform Touch 18DC Will Alter Memories Totals: Abilities (24) + Combat (16) + Saving Throws (3) + Skills (29) + Feats (17) + Powers (94) - Drawbacks (3) = 180/180 Power Points

Sanna stared uneasily at the book for a long moment. "I'm sorry, I cannot read." Her eyes narrowed. "here is no need to be so mean about it. Can't you tell me your story?" "What do you mean 'you don't know it?" The expression on her face was closer to bafflement than outrage. She closed the book ,let it rest on the table and ran her hand down her horns. The library books were no less eager to tell their stories than any other. It was their duty to hold knowledge and pass it on, but the books she had met seemed utterly uninterested, or perhaps simply unable to understand their own contents. She wondered if magic books would be the same? Perhaps. Either way, she was hardly looking forward to continuing her conversation with this book. Sanna was considering whether to pick another when her eyes snagged on a newcomer. She was a humanoid creature. Some manner of shapeshifting entity. There had been many shapeshifters in the Netherworlds, always choosing to adapt new forms to better fit their environment, but Sanna's third eye could discern no magic in her art. The girl stood neatly up, leaving the book behind and walking toward the stranger, hunched over her own book. Sanna let a hand rest easily on the girl's shoulder. "What are you?"

Sanna was to be enrolled in Claremont, of course, but it was too late to start. Ultimately, inserting her into December classes would disrupt too much for too little gain. It would have to wait until January. She could live in the dorms and wait. Not that the short reprieve was not appreciated, but all the same, there wasn't much to do. The first few days were well spent, as Sanna became acquainted with her room, shook hands with the knob, asked the window what it had seen, admired the wall's secrecy, but it wasn't long before her room had revealed all its secrets. Eventually, she decided that she wanted to meet some books. The Antiquarian had kept his books almost as securely locked up as his creatures and Sanna had never gotten a chance to touch his books, nevermind talk to them. Their library seemed nice enough, though Sanna didn't really have context to understand exactly HOW good it was. She couldn't ready any of the human letting on their spines, so Sanna simply picked one at random and sat down. She fell easily into a chair, letting two hands fall, relaxed on the arm of the chair while she held the book up with the other two. Hello, friend. I have heard that you are a book. Is that true? She closed the book and stared at the cover. What do you mean? You can tell me. Her expression turned stricken. She let her hand rest affectionately on the book and shook her head. That's terrible!

The trio seemed pretty welcoming, and Warp was hardly about to turn down a chance to get paid to eat, so she hopped a little closer, took a seat crosslegged, on the rooftop and snagged some noodles within arm's reach. While everyone else seemed to be having some difficulties with their masks, Warp had been spared the trouble. I guess that was the way it was when your 'normal' was your mask. When Spider had finished giving the Carp her take, Warp was still slurping down a large portion of noodles. This whole thing felt off-kilter, but Warp wasn't really sure what to make of it. "I don't really know Mars," she shrugged. "And I don't really know Emerald. But something about old men pulling strings up in high towers sort of rubs me the wrong way." She leaned to the side and pointed a thumb toward the actual highest building in the city. She was barely okay with the idea of having to wield her own powers. The sort of things that other people could do . . . If she hadn't been backed into a corner, she wouldn't have accepted ASTRO's offer. Maybe it was hypocritical of her to say so? In a way, Warp's actual involvement with ASTRO wasn't official, or even public. But they knew that they'd bought Warp's presence in their labs with Lilly's internship, as much as it hurt to admit. It could be that Mars was no less shady than ASTRO, in the end . . . So Warp shrugged. "I don't know about Archtech...Do you remember the whole Archeville scare?" "...Maybe not, though. That was mostly in Freedom." Warp sighed, curled her toes. She hadn't been involved, but the fallout had taken its toll on the city for years. "Don't get me wrong, they've done pretty good since then, and as far as I know Citizen is on the level." They'd gone to the same superhero prep school, and though Kat had never been acquainted with him there, it bought Citizen a lot of credit her book. "...But it kind of sounds like the decision's already been made."

Warp's eyebrows rose as she stared for a moment at the kid laying on the roof. "Well, Ishmael, let me know when good old captain Mars starts sending you after a white whale, so I can stay far away." The boy had been real spooked the moment he'd spotted her, but considering it was hard to blame him for it; she wasn't exactly easy on the eyes. "Yeah, I figured, Emerald doesn't exactly have a lot of capes." The fact that she'd thought their names were Flounder, Shane the Shellsmith and Emerald Arthropod prooobably wouldn't have been appreciated, so she kept that quiet. She pointed a thumb at herself. "I'm Warp, and I'm new in town. A bunch of people on a roof seemed a little weird. Thought I'd take a closer look."

Supporting Cast Aka Her NPCS ~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~ The Shade Family - Lilly's closest relatives by blood, living far away, in Normal Illinois. Rose Shade - Mom "And Susan says 'why should we pay for them to not afford lunch?' The nerve of that woman!" Rose is a deeply sincere woman who has never traveled more than a hundred miles from her house in her life. During her and Lyle's school days, she was involved with the local school system, eventually getting a place on the school board. Now that Lilly—and even Lyle—have left home, she's found purpose in becoming more involved with local politics and remains a major player on the local school board. Alexander Shade - Dad "Hey. Kiddo. Deep breaths, alright? Everything's going to be okay." Alexander runs a nearby amateur martial arts dojo—it isn't particular prestigious or well-known, but it's the only one in town, which has been the platform that his business has been running on for decades. He is, much to Lilly's chagrin, one of Warp's biggest fans—since Lilly left for Freedom, her Dad has tried to bridge the gap by immersing himself in her limited hero career. This distresses her tremendously, and she cannot make him understand why. Lyle Shade - Brother "Since when do you care what I have to say?" Her little brother, Lyle is eighteen years old and putting out applications for local colleges to get into. In the beginning when they were both younger, he thought that Lilly being a superhero was the coolest thing ever. She doesn't know what's happened since then. He's colder now, more distant now. Talking to him feels a little like talking to a wall sometimes, and Lilly's not sure what the cold shoulder is for. EC University - At University, it was inevitable that Lilly rub shoulders and build bonds with her fellow students and teachers. Talanya "Tally" Anders - Roommate "You love me." With her hair styled in a bright green undercut, Tally has dug into and integrated fairly seamlessly into the local scene at the college and the city in general. A real social butterfly, who loves to be out and about. Really, Lilly and Tally ought to get along like a house on fire, but when Tally looks at Lilly, she seems more deeply concerned for and fascinated by this strange, depressing girl from Freedom who vanishes to god-knows-where and shows up again like nothing happened. To Tally, Lilly is an interesting person. How long can her secret identity survive her roommate's scrutiny? ASTRO Labs - Emerald - The men and women at ASTRO Labs are Lilly's coworkers and many know her secret. Alex Corner - Lab Tech "...Okay?" A flustered man in his early twenties, Alex went to school and joined the labs in Emerald thinking he'd spend most of his time doing experiments and researching things to improve people's lives. He never anticipated working alongside superheroes, and facing the reality of it makes him a stammering and uncertain mess. He's technically her superior, but given how much of Lilly's position is unoffical neither of them sure where they stand on in the hierarchy here. Nevertheless, he's there every day, trying his best!

"Hey," Lilly felt a gentle hand on her shoulder, looked up and saw one of the ASTRO labs techs looking at her with that oh so telling I-want-something stare. "Mind running a bit of an errand real fast?" She struggled to remember his name for a moment . . "I mean, it doesn't really matter if I mind, since you help pay my tuition, but it's nice of you to ask." Ah! That's right, Alex. Lilly clapped her book shut in her lap and leaned back, a little smile taking some of the edge off her words. "So what's up?" "So, we've been getting some weird exotic particle readings for a while, but it flits around real fast, so we could never find a source. Before it vanishes, you could just go real quick and find—" "Where?" Alex stammered out the address. "S-so if you co—" A blink. Lilly was gone. "...Okay?" She wasn't a speedster by any means, but when getting dressed and moving to where you wanted was the matter of thought, she was still pretty quick. There was a red light and a flash of cold. When both faded, standing a little away from the trio was Warp. Her eyes swept over the scene and her whole body jolted a little when she found somebody—somebodies—right there. He reyebrows rose slightly as she took them in. While Warp didn't really know them, she did know OF them. She was comparatively new to the city Emerald City's hero scene—though the city took pains to avoid calling them what they were—wasn't exactly big. Warp took quick note of them—the labs would have better luck figuring out which of them were giving off 'exotic particles'. Warp put a hand on her hip. "I feel like I'm interrupting something."

Did someone say interdimensional romp? I'm interested.

Celestially Realigned by Absurdist Soooo, looks like an old bit of Warp's sheet actually breaks rules. Her enhanced skills take her knowledge (Cosmology) to 20, but the max skill rank for her PL is 15 . . . So I figured I'd redistribute them a bit. Here are the parts of the sheet that need changing; her skill section and the bits of one of her powers. Skills: 68R = 17PP Acrobatics 8 (+10/12) Skill Mastery Bluff 12 (+16) Skill Mastery Concentration 6 (+10) Diplomacy 6 (+10) Disguise 6 (+10/30 Morph) Notice 8 (+12/17 Cosmos Touched) Skill Mastery Sense Motive 6 (+10) Skill Mastery Stealth 6 (+8/10) Intimidate 10 (+14) Knowledge (Cosmology) 0 (+0/15 Cosmos-Touched) Enhanced Trait 5 5PP (Knowledge (Cosmology) 15, Notice 5) 5PP (Cosmos-Touched, Descriptor: Cosmic)

She took the time to let herself rest against a pillar in the front, one hand raised over her heart, in a closed fist. That . . . was not how you lied to someone. Tally had to be SUPER suspicious now, if she wasn't already. She was so keen and aware, but Kat wasn't helping. She'd always been relatively good at deflecting, at fast-talking, at throwing out straight-faced lies. But not here, apparently. Kat steadied her breath and felt the rapid thu-thum of her heartbeat's rhythm. Tally was so clever, saw through things so fast . . . Kat had had the chance to play the role of the ordinary roommate, but she'd be restless. She'd patrolled Emerald City . . . and found the city to be utterly boring. In the end, she had spent a lot of time in Freedom, where there was at least no shortage of excitement, but Kat's--well, Lilly's--auspicious absence had been noticed. What could she say to satisfy Tally's curiosity? And how could she ensure that she wouldn't just break and make a stupid mistake again? She ran her hand over her face. Tally was waiting, too. How abruptly she'd left would already be suspicious. If Lilly spent too long up here, surely Tally would find another clue. Lilly shook her head sharply, tried to steady her face, centered her shoulder. Tried to orient herself with regular breathing. It was hard, though . . . Her whole body was crawling with a sickly, anxious restlessness and the idea of speaking with Tally again only made it worse.