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Ellie Espadas paced nervously back and forth in the foyer of her family's modest home, tugging absently at the bottom of her vintage vest as she made a conscious effort not to look at the clock hanging nearby. Failing miserably, she noted with some irritation that the hands hadn't moved perceptibly from the position they'd been at when she'd checked moments earlier. "You're going to dig a rut in the linoleum, hermaita," her brother noted dryly as he stepped downstairs. Erik Espadas had donned one of his nicer dress shirts at his sibling's insistence, though he'd left the collar unbuttoned. Perhaps more telling, however, was that he'd taken time to shave without being asked. Stopping in her tracks, Ellie turned to give him a baleful look before sighing. "I just want this to go well, okay?" she told him with an emphatic gesture that gave way to running her fingers through her hair. "It's important." "Worried we'll embarrass you, dear?" Gina Espadas asked her daughter, raising an eyebrow as she wheeled herself out of the first floor bedroom, tilting her head slightly to one side with a faint, amused smile. "Yes, exactly!" the youngest member of the family answered immediately, throwing her hands up in the air.

April 5th, 2011, 6:26pm Mara sat on the floor of her warehouse, back against the wall that held her monitors; usually this position would have gotten a lot of concerned curiosity out of Puppy, but she'd long since turned him off to silence his whirring and beeping. Normally innocuous noise had been pretty painful when she'd woken up this morning, and her head had only gotten worse since then - at the moment she had both hands on her skull like she was trying to keep it from exploding, grimacing at every car that drove by, every loud and unidentifiable noise from the warehouse district beyond the walls that, thankfully, blocked most of the light. The small bottle of extra-strength migraine medicine on a nearby bench got an accusing, hurt glare for failing to be even remotely effective. bad day - been a long time - months? - call her - don't want to bother her - call her - leads to questions - trust her - call her Very, very carefully avoiding the few shafts of light that shone through the windows near her roof, Dragonfly made her way to one of the benches, shifted aside some miscellaneous junk (hissing at the noise a piece of metal made when it fell off and hit concrete), and did something truly rare: physically dialed a number.

Late afternoon in Greenbank saw a crimson and black blur darting from warehouse rooftop to rooftop, acrobatically picking its way across the city. The days had just started to get perceptibly longer again, enough to light the way, but it wouldn't have done for Ellie Espadas to be spotted walking about the admittedly sketchy area, so it was the masked medic Jill O'Cure who finally arrived at the side of one warehouse in particular, messenger bag slung over her shoulder. Making certain there was no one else about, she rapped quickly on the door, humming absently through a small smile and brushing her unruly bangs out of her eyes.

The cold weather and grey skies in Greenbank that late afternoon lent themselves to trudging slowly, hands in pockets, staring at feet. If one had cared to look upward, however, one might have caught a glimpse of a figure in crimson, black and silver leaping from rooftop to rooftop. The old railroad neighbourhood wasn't far out of the way of the West End's protectors, but even so it was unusual to see Jill O'Cure on patrol without her older brother. The young woman certainly seemed to be moving with a purpose, pausing only briefly at intersections to peer down at street signs below. Eventually, she made her way to an unremarkable looking warehouse with a sturdy curved roof. Sliding down a drain pipe into an alleyway, she quickly crossed the street and looked about, vaguely disconcerted. Well, this is the place. Unless I got the address wrong... With a deep breath, she located the buzzer by the front door and pressed it, looking over her shoulder with feigned nonchalance as she waited.

January 13th, 2011; 6:23pm The Lab arched up into the winter sky, its egg-like shape playing tricks on the eyes of anyone who stood at the base and looked up. Thirty stories of the best science and engineering this side of ArcheTech, even just after normal business hours it still had its share of people coming and going for one reason or another - workers, visitors, scientists, hopefuls. Up in her office, Dragonfly frowned in front of a whiteboard. Her rooms may have been equipped with the finest simulation and design technology money could buy - and she ought to know, she'd contributed her fair share of that money, not to mention personally installed most of the electronics in the room - but few things could beat a good, old-fashioned whiteboard and some dry-erase markers. Some thoughts needed to be physically written down, and while erasing paper was a pain, chalk boards got too messy.

December 23, 2010 It's a cold and dreary day in late December, at least here in the Northern Hemisphere where most people live. It's no better in Freedom City, where a heavy snowfall last night has transformed into dirty ice and slush by the unaesthetic mechanics of life in a major urban area. It's a good day to be inside with a strong cup of hot cocoa or eggnog, letting ceremonial libations shake away the incipient holiday blues. Luckily this is generally a quiet time for superheroes: most supercriminals are people too, and even the ones without Christmas cheer have been socked away at home thanks to the lousy weather. You need a good reason to be out tonight, whether it's carrying out the duties of a government agent's patrol, hunting for last-minute Christmas presents, or else dealing with problems that have nothing to do with the season. - "Growing tired of these lies," said Avenger, leering malevolently down at the snitch he'd cornered in the Fens back alley. There were new heroes active in the Fens, he knew, but these were _his_ streets, and he was possessive enough, and secretive enough, that he preferred to keep his own council even when dealing with notorious criminals. "Christmas will be difficult in prison. Worse in prison hospital." He grabbed the frightened man by the collar and jacked him up against the wall with one hand, a murderous look in his eyes. "Where's the shipment?" "Oh God, don't hurt me, please!" Mondale Tommahan whimpered, still wearing the shattered sunglasses that Avenger had broken on his face and then neatly put back there after dragging him away for interrogation. He'd heard all about the notorious vigilante, about his brutality and uncompromising violence, and watching him tear through his friends in the Irish mob in their favorite bar that evening had certainly put the fear of Avenger into him. "Look, the X-Ray stuff was just a joke, man? What kind of scuzzball would take naked pictures of Lady Liberty-" "A SCUZZBALL LIKE YOU!" Damn, Jack loved the look in their eye when he _yelled_. "Already know you inside. Time to show you!" He went for the machete on the wall, the one that usually had them wetting themselves before his hands were on the blade, but his nighttime exertions were suddenly interrupted as a brilliant white light shone on the wall in a pattern of brilliant hexagons!

"Wait, seriously?" "Mm." "You built that - all of that - without a college degree." "Yes." "You’re not even a student?" "No. Never put a foot on a campus." "Huh." A dim glow illuminated a cramped metal room that didn’t have much room to spare after accommodating the two trapped heroes - could an observer see in the inky blackness (and, dear reader, why not?) they might note the curious contrast - the sword-wearing, goggled, longcoat-clad Gaian Knight at one end cross-legged on the floor, and the technologically-gifted, gauntleted, visor-obscured Dragonfly leaning back at the other, feet propped up on a wall as she stared up at their metal prison. "Seriously, though," the earthmover probed, mostly to fill the silence. "Never? Not even a single class?" The inventor only shrugged. "No. High school, either. GED, though. Safety nets...mm. Why? That surprising?" "Well, I mean...well yeah. You don’t think it’s a little weird to build all that stuff with just a GED?" She tilted her head, apparently pondering that for a minute. "Maybe," she conceded. "Not sure someone who doesn’t breathe can talk about ‘weird’." He had to laugh at that, throwing up his hands. "Hey, hey. Alright. In my defense, I normally DO breathe. I just don’t really have to when I’m underground." "Mm." There was silence again, filled only by fidgeting and the quiet, almost imperceptible noise coming from Dragonfly’s gear. Far, far above the metal roof came the noise of machinery and shouted orders. "So, uh, I don’t mean to pry. But...why?" came the question that once more broke the silence. "Didn’t really see a point. Know plenty...could teach half the classes. By proficiency. Experience poor, patience...mm. May not be suited for it. But have the knowledge." "Well, sure, okay. But there’s so much more to it than that! I think you’d gain a lot by getting a-" He barely managed to cut himself off before saying ‘proper education’. "...a solid college experience." She turned her head and raised an eyebrow, her shifting audible in the close quarters and silence. "Examples?" she challenged. "Like....erm. It’s a whole...social....I mean, it’s not what you learn, it’s what you....that is...." He trailed off, and he could see (Bless you a thousand times, fancy and expensive goggles.) her flat stare, the full force of a stubborn and unamused young woman turned in his direction (Curse you a thousand times, fancy and expensive goggles.). "You could...meet people your own age?" he finished, rather weakly, his hands spread in an unseen gesture of helplessness. She snorted, turning her head back up to look up at the ceiling. The noise was changing, now, the dim sound of machines being turned on and sending vibrations that made the metal walls hum. "Little use for people my age. ...am not that young, anyway." There was silence again, though this time the sounds from above were muffled by the terrible awkwardness that filled the air. Both heroes, magic and science, cheered inside as they heard a loud and reverberating hum through the ground, as if some massive generator had been switched on up above ground. They stood up, adjusting their respective coat or jacket and making sure they were leaving nothing behind. Her gauntlets were already charging, lines of blue and quietly illuminated glass; his hands glowed a soft golden brown in the darkness as he reached out with his senses and felt the earth above them. "Ready?" "Mm. Ready. Teleporting in five...." Then there was a flash, the sound of air rushing to fill a vacuum, and nothing. The little metal container sat silent again and empty, deep beneath the earth while sounds of fighting broke out on the surface above.

Player Name: Fox Character Name: Dragonfly Power Level: 14 (187/233pp) Trade-Offs: +2 Defense / -2 Toughness Unspent PP: 46 Progress to Platinum Status: 123/120 In Brief: Bitter young genius out to apply her mind on her terms, and no one else's. Alternate Identity: Mara Hallomen Identity: Secret Birthplace: France (Dual-Citizenship, French/American) Occupation: Full-Time Inventor/Superhero Affiliations: Ironclad, Jill O'Cure, The Lab Family: Alexander "Hollow Man" Hallomen (Father) Age: 20 (DoB: December 1991) Gender: Female Ethnicity: Caucasian Height: 5'5" Weight: ~110lbs, ~160lbs in armor Eyes: Dark Blue Hair: Dirty-Blonde Description: On the short side, slim and modestly proportioned but not exactly muscular, Mara tends to take just enough care of herself to maintain her shape and stay alive, but not much else. She nearly always looks a little strung-out, hair disheveled and eyes tired, like she doesn't sleep well (which she doesn't) or spends long stretches distracted by some project or idea to the neglect of all else (which she does). Her clothing is simple, practical, and subdued in color (shades of gray and black being popular, dark reds, blues, and purples being runners-up). Makeup is practically a foreign concept. Her power suit is built to be sleek and afford her full range of motion, colored in greys and gunmetal blacks with neon blue highlights. The gauntlets are, relative to the rest of the outfit, bulkier and have plating that can shift and rearrange for the task at hand, including deploying a number of small tools; the back of the suit carries a smooth 'backpack'-like piece that extends four short articulated nodes to generate and control her wings in flight. Various parts of the suit, most notably the helmet, can be commanded to pull back or fold away for convenience (though this may, of course, invalidate the suit's life support functions, and there are safeties in place to try to avoid that happening). When not in use the suit is exchanged with a heavy, flexible metal choker that rests at the base of the user's neck; it has no visible clasp and does not look terribly valuable, being made of non-precious metal and what little detail there is being quite obviously glass. Power Descriptions: When Dragonfly's Datalink is active small lights 'dance' behind her eyes; this effect is not very bright, but is highly piercing (being subtly noticeable even through her helmet's lenses, which are otherwise not see-through from the outside). Failed attempts to penetrate her Mental Immunity are met with psychic "static," resistance, and unintelligible echoes of her multiple running thoughts. Her technology-based spatial effects typically manifest as shifting, churning distortions or fragmented space. Some effects are tinted the same distinct neon blue her suit (especially at the gauntlets) emits at the seams and glasswork when charged. In flight the suit creates four thin wings of that same neon blue-tinted energy which leave a soft trail behind her: they are insubstantial, if tingly, to the touch and designed to look like stylized and blade-like dragonfly wings (though they do not flap, but can and do adjust position for in-flight control). History: In certain parts of the underworld you don't buy or sell weapons without knowing the name Hallomen. Word is that for the right price he can get you anything: designer drugs like Max or Zoom, the very latest in illegal technology, and even, once in a rare while – if you can afford it – gadgets from caught supervillains that got 'lost' on their way to the incinerators or science labs. From the back alleys to high-class black market auctions, he supplies whole armies if the price is right and by luck, bribes, and exceptional planning he never seems to get caught; those who've dealt with him jokingly call him the “Hollow Man†(through rarely to his face) in honor of how the police raid into his storehouses and labs to find empty – 'hollow' – rooms. What customers only very rarely know is where most of the new and custom items came from. Hallomen is a cold and ruthless man but a man none the less, and around the turn of the 20th century had a short tryst with a villainess and frequent buyer. He was completely uninterested in the child she bore (what use did he have for a wailing, disgusting baby?) until several years later, when he got word that the child was displaying superhuman traits – signs of high intelligence (for a child of that age) and her mother's ability to control computers by thought alone. Now and only now was the girl useful to him and when the mother was killed (something he calmly claims he had nothing to do with, of course) the daughter fell into his care. Little Mara Hallomen was indeed predicted to be brilliant when she grew older but that simply wouldn't be enough (or soon enough) for the Hollow Man – no, anything good can be made better. He invested considerable resources into her 'education', and so it was that young Mara grew up all but alone in a barely-staffed lab, under a constant regimen of 'vitamins' and 'medicine', supplied with a never-ending stream of knowledge and information; her only human contact was a rare visit from her father, a scant few researchers or guards, and the occasional empath or psychic paid to enhance her mind in ways conventional science could not. Even this was cold comfort, however, as anyone who set foot in the building was under strict orders not to talk to Mara unless absolutely necessary so she could concentrate on her real purpose: designing new and improved tools of crime. From death rays to personal teleporters to battlesuits, she made them all. Old-school and cutting-edge, energy to gravity to good old bullets, she designed a veritable panoply and Hallomen made money hand over fist. Kept docile, driven, and borderline insane as an intended side-effect of her constant "health treatments," the only thing her father could never have predicted was the net effect it was taking on her mind: redundant and parallel in some places, warped and enhanced in others, bit by bit her brain was growing resistant to outside influence. The older she got the more treatment she underwent and the more treatment she underwent the more resistant she became; the more resistant she became the more disquieting her life seemed. Finally, near her 18th birthday, she was resting in what passed for her private room when a lone dragonfly wandered its way through the barred window and caught her eye. To anyone else it wouldn't even have been a remarkable specimen of a dragonfly, but to her the darting little bug was the most beautiful thing in the world: free. Then and there she made up her mind to be as free as the dragonfly was: to escape and feel the wind under her metaphorical wings. Less than a month later, the guards came to wake her and found the room empty, the majority of her research and designs completely destroyed, and a very large sum vanished from her father's own personal bank account. She's managed to stay a step ahead of her father and his goons ever since, figuring Freedom City and its relatively high hero count to be the perfect place to hide out…and test some new designs on her own terms. Personality & Motivation: Mara's more than a little bitter about not having had much of a childhood, and not amazingly socially skilled (which she typically deals with using snark and mistrust). When presented with a puzzle or new idea to build she's energized and almost manic as her brain kicks into gear to solve the task at hand. She's very intelligent and highly rational, but a combination of chronic bad sleep and frequent headaches (both side-effects of her altered brain and assorted substances that are even now still washing out of her system) can make her snide and irate (though continuing social exposure and her ongoing relationship are alleviating many of these problems). Given her life so far, she has a fairly intense dislike of criminals. She's softer at heart than she'd ever admit, having an especially strong drive to aid children, but by and large she's more driven by the victimizers than their victims. It's occurred to her that she could accomplish many of her goals by villainy (at the very least as the sort of villain who hunts other villains as often as they break the law), but believes heroism's just more rational – being strictly on the hero side of things provides more advantages than disadvantages...not to mention helps her sleep a little easier, particularly if she gets her own creations off the streets. Powers & Tactics: Mara dabbles in many areas of technology but most of her combat tech is based on spatial distortions, something she developed under her father's thumb but didn't work the kinks out of until she'd escaped. Her devices, her gauntlets especially, are built to warp and fold space to provide any number of effects. Her Datalink power she finds useful, but more for utility than combat; her mind's resistance to outside influence is something she tries to keep well-hidden as her ace in the hole against manipulation. When given half a chance she plans her battles quickly and efficiently, well aware that she relies on her devices and that those devices have limits. Against an obviously inferior foe she might be careless, but against anything or anyone challenging she is methodical and deliberate, striking when she'll have the upper hand and analyzing the situation for any advantage. Complications: Enemy: The Hollow Man. When she left she dealt a huge (if sadly not crippling) blow to her father's business, not to mention the very large sum of money she took with her. He wants her back, preferably in good condition, though the longer he has to pretend that the key to his most popular items hasn't vanished the more and more flexible he gets as long as she's alive and her head's in one piece. Hatred: People taking advantage of or endangering children, anyone using the creations she thought up, and to a lesser extent organized crime or high-end weapons dealers. HUD: The power suit device communicates most of its Super-Sense powers through Dragonfly's normal senses, and thus may be lost to the appropriate dazzle or similar sense-impairing attack (eg, all visual senses and Uncanny Dodge are lost when visually dazzled; radio signals cannot be 'heard' if deaf; etc). Legacy: Against her best efforts, some of her creations are still being made here and there, and there are still quite a number of older designs floating around through the underworld. Anyone savvy enough, or connected enough, can link this (often quite lethal or empowering) technology to her. Relationship: With Jill O'Cure. Responsibility: Mara now owns and runs Hallomen Advanced Experts (HAX), and is responsible for being the boss and keeping the place going and its people employed, not to mention protecting the rather valuable projects and secrets therein. Secret: Identity. Side-Effects: Powerful depressants and some other compounds (like Zombie Powder) react badly with chemicals and conditioning still in Dragonfly's system; depending on the dosage used she'll range from being slightly neurotic (as her sense of identity fights the old conditioning) up to complete if temporary regression to a happy and disturbing little worker bee that almost mindlessly devours any technical projects put in front of her. Suit Lite: Dragonfly's suit, while in choker form, is severely limited in what it can do - generally speaking, it's capable only of the Dimensional Pocket, Force Field, Shield, and Teleport powers. The device is, of course, only Subtle when in choker form and not actively being used. Abilities: 2 + 4 + 2 + 14 + 2 + 2 = 26PP Strength: 12 (+1) Dexterity: 14 (+2) Constitution: 12 (+1) Intelligence: 24 (+7) Wisdom: 12 (+1) Charisma: 12 (+1) Combat: 10 + 10 = 20PP Initiative: +7 Attack: +5, +11 Spatial Control Grapple: +4 Defense: +13/+5 (+5 Base, +8 Shield), +2 Flat-Footed Knockback: -6/-1/-0 Saving Throws: 6 + 5 + 7 = 18PP Toughness: +9/+1 (+1 Con, +5 Protection [impervious 5], +3 Force Field) Fortitude: +7 (+1 Con, +6) Reflex: +7 (+2 Dex, +5) Will: +8 (+1 Wis, +7) Skills: 92R = 23PP Computers 10 (+17)Skill Mastery Concentration 4 (+5) Craft (Electronic) 13 (+20)Skill Mastery Craft (Mechanical) 13 (+20)Skill Mastery Disable Device 8 (+15) Knowledge (Physical Sciences) 10 (+17) Knowledge (Technology) 8 (+15) Languages 4 (English [Native], French, Japanese, Russian, Spanish) Notice 4 (+5)Skill Mastery Perform (Stringed Instruments) 9 (+10, +12 Masterwork Instruments) Sense Motive 9 (+10) Feats: 15PP Ambidexterity Eidetic Memory Equipment 5 (25EP) Fearless Inventor Luck 2 Master Plan Online Research Skill Mastery (Computers, Craft [Electronic], Craft [Mechanical], Notice) Speed of Thought Equipment: 5PP = 25EP 1 + 1 + 1 + 5 + 16 + 1 = 25EP Masterwork Double Bass [1EP] Masterwork Violin [1EP] Multitool [1EP] The Lab (HQ) [5EP] The Warehouse (PL10 HQ) [1 + 1 + 14 = 16EP] An outwardly-unremarkable warehouse tucked away in Greenbank, no local gangs or criminals seem to want to talk about it. Funny, that.... Size: Medium [1EP] Toughness: +10 [1EP] Features: [14EP] Concealed (+10 DC) Computer Defense System (Blast 12) Fire Prevention System Garage Laboratory Library Living Space Power (Communication Link [Dragonfly's suit]) Power System Security System 3 (DC30) Workshop Alternate HQ [1EP] Hallomen Advanced Experts [2 + 1 + 13 = 16EP] A solid, simple lab building in the North End that houses one of Freedom City's newest up-and-coming technology consultant groups, with a little something extra hidden in a sub-basement that's not on the building plans.... Size: Huge [2EP] Toughness: +10 [1EP] Features: [13EP] Concealed (+10 DC) Computer Cover Facility Defense System (Blast 12) Fire Prevention System Laboratory Library Personnel Power System Security System 3 (DC30) Workshop Powers: 9 + 2 + 74 = 85PP Altered Brain 1.6 (8PP Container [Passive, Permanent], Feats: Innate) [9PP] Immunity 10 (Mental Effects, Flaws: Limited [1/2 Effect]) [5PP] Quickness 6 (x100, Flaws: Limited [Mental Tasks]) [3PP] Datalink 2 (Mental, 100ft) [2PP] (Mutation) Device 18 (90PP Container, Flaws: Hard-To-Lose, Feats: Restricted [Datalink], Subtle) [74PP] (Powersuit, Technology) A high-tech armored suit capable of warping space to various effects. It requires Datalink to be properly piloted. When not in use it exchanges (via spatial technology and Quick Change) with a solid-looking metal choker that rests at the base of the wearer's neck. Auxiliary Power Array 4 (8PP Array; Feats: Dynamic Base Power, Dynamic Alternate Power) [11PP] Base Power (Dynamic): Flight 4 (100mph / 1,000ft per Move Action) [8PP] (Auxiliary Power Allocation: Flight) Alternate Power (Dynamic): Super-Strength 4 (STR 30 [Heavy Load: 1,600lbs]) [8PP] (Auxiliary Power Allocation: Strength) Communication 5 (radio, 5 mile range; Feats: Subtle) [6PP] Features 1 (Improvised Tools) [1PP] Force Field 3 (Feats: Selective) [4PP] (Spatial Control) Immunity 9 (Life Support) [9PP] Protection 5 (Extras: Impervious) [10PP] (Armor Plating) Shield 8 (Feats: Evasion 2) [10PP] (Spatial Control) Spatial Control 11 (22PP Array; Feats: Accurate 3, Alternate Power 3, Precise) [29PP] (Spatial Control [unless otherwise noted]) Base Power: Blast 11 (10 110ft Range Increments / 1,100ft Max Range) [22PP] Alternate Power: Strike 11 (Extras: Penetrating [DMG 22]) [22PP] (Spatial Blade) Alternate Power: Dimensional Pocket 10 (Feats: Progression [Cargo] 1 [100 tons], Quick Change) [22PP] Alternate Power: Stun 11 [22PP] (Electricity, "Taser-Hand") Super-Senses 6 (Analytical Visual Senses, Communication Link [warehouse HQ], Direction Sense, Infravision, Spatial Awareness [visual], Uncanny Dodge [Radio]) [7PP] Teleport 1 (100ft per Move Action, Feats: Turnabout) [3PP] (Spatial Control) DC Block: ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Unarmed Touch DC16 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical) Dimensional Pocket Touch DC20 Reflex Trapped DC20 Will (+1 per round) Escape Spatial Blade Touch DC26 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Energy) Spatial Blast Ranged DC26 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Energy) Taser Hand Touch DC21 Fortitude (Staged) Dazed/Stunned/Unconscious Abilities (26) + Combat (20) + Saving Throws (18) + Skills (23) + Feats (15) + Powers (85) - Drawbacks (0) = 187/233 Power Points