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January 15, 2013 Blackstone Prison With rumors of clandestine Terminus activity circulating through the city, it was only natural that the Freedom League wanted to interrogate their most high-level Terminus prisoner...and only natural that the most experienced expert on the Terminus would be part of the interrogation. Steve was waiting for Gabriel when the latter arrived on Blackstone Island, standing near the outer perimeter fence in a suit and tie and looking as menacing as any of the prisoners inside. "Good morning, Gabriel," said the former drone, his expression hard to read as he faced an imminent reunion with the monster who had destroyed his life. "Thank you for calling me on this case." With a faint smile, he cocked his hand towards the outer gate where the 'blackguards' were watching attentively at the arrival of the famous Gabriel. "They thought I should wait for you to actually go below. It seems I set off the security system." - Down below, in the ultra-high-security wing where the clone of Shadivan Steelgrave was currently sleeping in his cell, the man in the cell opposite was whistling. Miss Americana had been called in to repair a very high security, albeit damaged computer system; the tough, albeit rigid, circuits inside the cell's door control, among the most high-security in the entire facility and a restricted design trusted to only a few super-geniuses, had fractured into pieces like broken glass the night before. Only a backup system had kept the big impervium door blocking his cell from sliding right up and out of the way. "Yeah, 37042 thinks he's funny that way," Officer McInnis was telling Miss Americana, the stocky blonde rolling her eyes with a guard's amused distaste for a persistent prisoner. "Courts say we can't actually stifle him if he's not attacking people with his sonic powers, and he's been in here long enough to know the score. Nothing says we can't put you in solitary, though, does it 37042? " she called, rapping on the impervium with her billy club and making the whistling stop. "No pretty girls like me and Miss A to look at in there!" The only response was a single, defiant wolf whistle and a wordless grumbling that finally lapsed into silence.

Wednesday, May 2nd, 2012 8:52 PM The night brought a nice chill to Freedom City, a relief from the heat of the day. A mini-heatwave had fallen on Freedom, the heart of Summer right in the depths of Spring. While the weather forecasts said it would break tomorrow, no one was holding their breath. Cannonade was already sweating under his flight jacket; he thought about the possibility of making a costume that'd allow him to run about in just his shirtsleeves, but tonight was not the night for that. So instead, he hung close to the water, taking in the cool breeze that was whipping up off the water. He ran across the rooftops of dockside warehouses, looking down on the scenes below. There was always some game going on by the Waterfront, if you knew where to look. The smaller outfits competed over abandoned warehouses, using them to store or, in some cases, produce drugs. The larger outfits based their fronts out of the docks, using the apparent import of china dolls or stuffed animals to bring cocaine and heroin into the country. Cannonade slowed as he approached the lip of the warehouse roof, pausing to listen to the voices below. "This isn't what we asked for." "It's been a slow month." He crouched down, taking some cover as he gazed down at the confrontation. Five men in pinstripe suits were engaged in negotiations - the kind that involved wagging fingers and visible firearms - stood toe-to-toe with four men in denim jackets, all looking like some matter of metalhead. Cannonade recognized the patch of the Death Road Ministry on their jackets. "We're not letting you hold this place out of charity," said the lead goon in the suit. "If you think you can stiff us..." "Don't think we care," said the lead Minister. He reached into his jacket. "This is our place now. You can go tell your boss where he can stick that cigar of his." The men in the pinstripes went for their guns, just as the Ministers reached into their own jackets. Cannonade dropped down softly into the nearby alley, moving forward. Pretty good as gang negotiations go. Took thirty seconds for someone to do something stupid.

Cannonade, Glowstar, Wail and Gabriel all deal with shark drugs. And we don't mean "drugs for sharks."

April 2012 Steve Murdock didn't have a lot of friends, which was really no surprise. It wasn't that he was anti-social so much as social and he simply weren't on the same team. Of course, that meant when it was time for something important, as in subtly finding out how he should go about pursuing a romantic relationship with his new girlfriend, he had a difficult task before him. Though watching television had taught him a great many things about how the people of Earth-Prime socialized with each other, as had occasional invisible observation, he just didn't know enough. He did know some things, however; a man looking for advice on women certainly never went to his female friends, so Miss Americana, Fleur de Joie, and Dragonfly were out; he'd have to talk to the men he knew like Jack of all Blades and Gabriel. He knew how men were supposed to talk to each other, in smoky bars where sporting events were playing on the television, but one thing he didn't know was how to contact all the people he cared about directly. He'd made a conscious effort to avoid learning the secret identities of his fellow supers, which while good for his peace of mind did make it tough when he wanted to talk to them. So instead, using the new cellphone Gina had repaired for him, he sat in a quiet corner of the bar and called the contact number he'd exchanged with Jack of all Blades after they'd had a few adventures together. This was a social call, but Jack hadn't mentioned this was a line for emergencies only. Some heroes preferred only to be called for emergencies. (Some had stressed that to him specifically) "Hello, Jack?" he said, his slightly mechanical voice sounding much more confident than the last time he'd spoken to the swordsman. "It's...Steve."

Harrier, Jack of all Blades, and Gabriel learn that in vino, danger!

Freedom College, Freedom City, USA Friday, January 13th, 2012 The last class of the day had let out, at least as far as Carson was concerned. And he was glad; the first week back after winter break was always hard. The students never wanted to focus. Luckily, he'd managed to get them involved in a few simple exercises and focus that nervous energy into something other than spitballs and love notes. "Just another day in the office..." "Mister Keefe, sir?" "Hm? Oh, yes, uh...Jessica, wasn't it? What can I help you with?" "Well, I just wanted to give you this book. It's got some short skits I'd like to try doing in class this semester." "Hm. I'll take a look and see what I can work in. Let me see....That's odd. I've never heard of this author before." "You wouldn't have, not here." "What? Why...oh, my head." The contact chemical that coated the paperback took hold, and Carson started to bonelessly collapse. "Jessica" calmly caught him in deceptively small arms, before pulling out an odd-looking metal and plastic disc that she slapped on the middle of the teacher's chest, before gently laying him on the ground and gathering his papers up. The disc started to beep faster and faster, but she still had enough time to extract his keys. "I'll make sure these get put away, Sir. It's the least I can do..." And with a flash of light and a sound like tearing silk, Carson Finbar Keefe was gone from Earth Prime.

June 3, 2011 9 AM Secure in his locked-down office, Warden Drummer stared at the broadcast again, his mouth a tight line of pure rage. "When I find out how he managed to build twenty robot bees in solitary in my prison, I will find whoever is responsible and I will murder them. I have been in the corrections business for twenty-five years. I know how to make it look like an accident!" He sighed, looking again around his office. Too bad there was no one around to hear it; that had been one of his more satisfying rants. With a curse, he picked up the secure landline on his desk and dialed the Freedom League...

This used to be a nice neighborhood, Erin thought ruefully as she leapt from rooftop to rooftop in the Southside neighborhood, looking for the landmarks she'd marked on her map and getting the lay of the land. Some parts of it were still nice, but a lot of it was going to seed. Where she came from, most of it was a burnt-out ruin that had only been stopped by the freeway and the river, so at least it was better than that. It was good to keep low standards sometimes. In any case, she'd set herself the goal of getting familiar with the whole city before she applied to the Freedom League, and this was just one more step. From her perch above a shoe store, she suddenly caught sight of a man running down the sidewalk, looking as though his life depended upon his speed. Curious, Erin watched him, wondering exactly what was causing him to run like that. Victim, villain, or neither?

Player Name: KnightDisciple Character Name: Gabriel Power Level: 15 (250/250PP) (PL 12 Caps) [282] Trade-Offs: None Unspent PP: 0 Progress To Impervium Status: 126/150 Alternate Identity: Carson Finbar Keefe Identity: Secret Birthplace: Limerick, Ireland (Chalk it up to the Almighty's sense of humor) Occupation: Drama Teacher Affiliations: Freedom College, Freedom League (Reserve Member) Family: Angus Keefe (Father), Bevin Keefe (Mother), Brody Keefe (Older Brother), Doyle Keefe (Younger Brother), Riona Keefe ("Baby Sister"), Brogan Keefe (Paternal Grandfather), Bridget Keefe (Paternal Grandmother), Colin Doherty (Maternal Grandfather), Moreen Doherty (Maternal Grandmother) Age: 29 (DoB: March 21, 1984) Apparent Age: N/A Gender: Male Ethnicity: Irish Caucasian Height: 6' Weight: 170 lbs. Eyes: Blue Hair: Red Speech Color: Maroon Description: Tall and fairly thin, Carson is nonetheless a comparatively unremarkable figure in his civilian guise. Often electing to wear jeans and a plain polo shirt, Carson manages to strike a balance between "comfortable" and "professional" that many people find baffling. He almost always has an easy smile on his face. Gabriel is a bit sterner figure, but still one that tends to put innocents at ease when they meet him. His outfit, once reminding others of a heroic priest-figure, now seems more like a warrior-priest. Loose white pants, rugged gray leather boots, a gray cloth belt, and a baggy white shirt form the base of his outfit. Covering everything but his mouth and lower nose is a white mask pulled over his head. Over his chest is a sculpted breastplate; at a glance it looks almost like silver, but its obvious strength and lack of corrosion bely that. His hands have fingerless gloves that seem to have an inner layer of cloth or leather, but an outer layer of fine chainmail (of a material similar to his breastplate); over his forearms are smooth vambraces of the same otherworldly material. His lower legs bear smooth greaves of the same holy metal as the rest of him. And over his head is an open-faced helmet of that polished silver-steel. Most amazingly, the metal seems to actually flex with him when he moves, which seems to make it extraordinarily comfortable to wear. Finally, a predominately white leather duster sits on top of everything else, with a black trim bearing intricate gold patterns consisting of Celtic knots and crosses. The most amazing part of this outfit is its ability to, in a flash of light, exchange itself for his normal outfit (though leaving the, ah, bottom-most layer intact) from its hiding place as an elegantly simply silvered wristwatch. Power Descriptions: At its most basic, all of Gabriel's abilities loop back to his innate mastery of Sound. His Charisma, his more explicit powers, everything. It all goes back to those little vibrations moving through various sorts of matter. (Further descriptions here. Just as noticeable as his armor is Gabriel's new weapon. Where before he relied solely on his sonic powers, he now has a shining spear to help surprise unsuspecting opponents, or those who display unusual resistance to his favored powers. The spear itself is exactly as long as Gabriel is tall (6'), with 10 inches being the the leaf-shaped blade; said blade has a smooth curve, and flares out to 4 inches wide before narrowing down again. The whole weapon seems made of silver, yet notably stronger than said metal has any right to be. The spear has incredible power within itself, shining out when Gabriel wishes it. Just as incredible is its ability to turn into into a great shining silver trumpet, or its ability to turn into a simple silver ring on his right hand (so that it's available when he wants it without being obvious). All in all, Gabriel looks the part of the guardian angel so many already think of him as. History: (Full history found >here.) Gabriel has proven himself a fearless hero of Freedom City, rightfully earning his place in the Freedom League. His soft skills, especially diplomacy, have marked him as something of a diplomat among heroes, as well as an unofficial "go-between" for the Catholic Church to the hero community in Freedom City (though it's not a role that's needed often). Though he is by no means an "elder statesman", Gabriel strives to build bridges, both between himself and others, and between other people in general. As one of the semi-official "protectors of Sanctuary", he can find himself stretched thin, but it's simply an occasion to rise to another challenge. He will continue to stand as a barrier between the innocents of Freedom City (and the world itself) and any evils that might prey upon them. Personality & Motivation: Carson is, at heart, an optimistic people-person. He loves talking to and helping people, be they a close friend or stranger. He believes that most people can, and will, do good things if given the chance and a little encouragement. He believes that if enough people honestly stand up and try their best, the world can be made a better place. He's realistic enough to acknowledge it would be a long, slow, painful process; that people would still disagree and argue and fight and mess up. But the goal, the ideal, is something Carson believes is worth fighting for. This belief in the potential for good in people is what drives him to be a teacher at Freedom College. Seeing that more kids from poor and broken homes ended up there, he sought to be a beacon to the students. Not only does he teach drama/theater classes, Carson volunteers to mentor a couple of kids each year. He views these mentorships as one of his best opportunities. Carson always strives to provide the best positive role model to the students he helps; his words are backed up by sincere actions. He acknowledges that sometimes, students will still make bad choices, and that he cannot blame himself. Once he has done his best, the rest is up to the students. As Gabriel, his focus has often been on helping "the little guy," such that he still stops non-powered petty criminals, instead of focusing solely (or even mostly) on super-crime. Some of these people he tries to help start down the road to redemption; some, he realizes, won't be swayed by his words alone. It makes him sad when he has to use force on a teenager who's robbing a convenience store to feed a destructive habit, or even to try scraping together money to feed themselves and/or their family. But Gabriel believes in the law, and in right and wrong, strongly enough to not let that sadness stop him from doing the right thing. That said, he's not afraid to mix it up with more powerful foes, since they can often offer an even greater immediate danger to civilians. Even as his focus has broadened over the last couple of years, Gabriel's approach hasn't really changed; his heart still goes out to some criminals who he sees as victims of their own sickness (such as Bee-Keeper II). He will show a touch of wrath for the more hardened elements of the super-criminal world, though, especially the ones who deal in the more despicable trades. And his righteous anger in the presence of the Powers of Darkness can shake a building (if not quite the world). Powers & Tactics: Most of Gabriel's powers revolve around disabling foes, rather than directly beating them unconscious. Often times, he will batter a foe or group of foes with a hit from each of his varied tricks, keeping them severely off-balance, leaving them vulnerable to a final knockout blow from his sonic blast. Gabriel's supernatural charisma is, in his mind, his most powerful tool. With it, he can often convince petty criminals to lay down their weapons, and cooperate with the police. In turn, he will speak with the police afterwards to ensure the criminals (often fairly young) receive good treatment, and get as much of their prison time converted to things like community service. It also helps convince civilians to clear the area, and can occasionally allow him to put a more threatening opponent off-guard long enough to get a better hit in. Complications: Demons, Why Did It Have To Be Demons?: Gabriel has had a large number of encounters with demons, with the worst outcome being a withdrawal by his opponent. These encounters have left him with a natural caution for the demonic, and a reputation among their kind that makes them particularly hostile to him (not to mention their dislike of his faith and the One whom he works for). A GM may give Gabriel a Hero Point if he finds himself a specific target of one or more demons, whether as part of a longer-term plot, or the focus of their ire in a fight. I Hate Faeries!: Due to a trip to ancient Ireland, as well as several poor meetings at other times, Gabriel has a bit of intense dislike reserved for faeries, or most anything having to do with them. The only real exception so far is the heroine Grimalkin, whom he has had several friendly meetings with in the course of his hero work. As well, he has now repeatedly thwarted plans made by various factions among the Seelie and Unseelie Courts. A GM may feel free to give him a Hero Point if this dislike drives him to sour an initial meeting with another hero who derives his power from the Faerie Realm, if it causes him to recklessly attack faeries (as opposed to watching out for himself and his comrades), or if it brings down unwanted attention or diplomatic difficulties from various Fae factions upon him. Old Wounds: Gabriel has acquired a fair number of scars during his comparatively short time as a hero; the worst set by far are the large ones across his chest, dealt to him by a "super-ghoul" in October of 2010. Any and/or all of these wounds can occasionally give him trouble, be it due to cold weather, wet weather, or even being around too much necromantic energy (which resonates with the cause of his chest scars). A GM should feel free to give him a Hero Point if the flare-up of these scars is induced, giving him a small to moderate penalty of the GM's choosing, while making sure said flare-ups don't work as a sort of "evil indicator" or the like. Responsibility: Carson is employed as a Drama/Theater teacher at Freedom College. He has to balance his time spent as Gabriel with his job, especially since he views his work as equally important. At the same time, he is also a Reserve Member of the Freedom League. A GM should feel free to give Gabriel a hero point when his hero work and teaching work come into notable conflict. Secret (Identity): Gabriel has several people he wishes to protect, most notably his family. A GM should feel free to give him a Hero Point when trying to keep his heroic identity secret becomes notably difficult. Shepherd of The Flock: Gabriel feels intensively protective of others, especially those without powers to fight back against powerful villains. Thus, he may be borderline reckless attempting to protect those he feels need it. A GM should feel free to give Gabriel a hero point when his protective instinct drives him to reckless decisions. Abilities: 4 + 4 + 6 + 4 + 8 + 10 = 36PP Strength: 14 (+2) Dexterity: 14 (+2) Constitution: 16 (+3) Intelligence: 14 (+2) Wisdom: 18 (+4) Charisma: 50/30/20 (+20/+10/+5) Combat: 16 + 16 = 32PP Initiative: +6 Attack: +8, +12 Spear, +12 Sonic Control Grapple: +11 Defense: +12 (+8 Base, +4 Dodge Focus), +4 Flat-Footed Knockback: -6/-4, -3/-1 Flat-Footed Saving Throws: 8 + 9 + 10 = 27PP Toughness: +12 (+3 Con, +4 Defensive Roll, +5 Holy Armor), +8 Flat-Footed Fortitude: +11 (+3 Con, +8) Reflex: +11 (+2 Dex, +9) Will: +14 (+4 Wis, +10) Skills: 140R = 35PP Acrobatics 8 (+10) Bluff 10 (+40/+20/+15)SMUE Diplomacy 10 (+40/+20/+15)SMUE Gather Information 10 (+40/+20/+15)SMUE Intimidate 10 (+40/+20/+15)SMUE Knowledge (Arcane Lore) 8 (+10) Knowledge (Art) 8 (+10) Knowledge (Streetwise) 8 (+10) Knowledge (Theology & Philosophy) 8 (+10) Notice 12 (+16) Perform (Acting) 10 (+30/+20/+15) Perform (Oratory) 8 (+28/+18/+13) Perform (Singing) 8 (+28/+18/+13) Perform (Wind Instruments) 10 (+30/+20/+15) Sense Motive 12 (+16) Feats: 39PP All-Out Attack Attack Specialization (Sonic Control) 2 Beginners Luck Defensive Roll 2 (+4 Toughness) Distract (Intimidate) Dodge Focus 4 Equipment 6 (30EP) Fascinate (Bluff) Improved Initiative Inspire 5 Leadership Luck 5 Power Attack Rallying Cry Skill Mastery (Bluff, Diplomacy, Gather Information, Intimidate) Ultimate Bluff Ultimate Diplomacy Ultimate Intimidate Ultimate Gather Information Uncanny Dodge (Auditory) Well-Informed Equipment 6PP = 30EP Headquarters (>Monastery) Size: Colossal (5EP) Toughness: +10 (1EP) Features: Animal Pens, Chapel, Communications, Computer, Gym, Isolated, Masterwork Laboratory (+2 to checks to study/analyze and perform research), Living Space, Masterwork Library (+2 to Knowledge checks), Masterwork Infirmary (+2 to Medicine checks), Personnel (Monks), Power System, Masterwork Workshop (+2 to Craft checks) (17 EP) Powers: Super-Movement 1 (Dimensional Movement (Sanctuary<->Earth Prime), Extras: Portal, Duration (Continuous) Flaws: Limited (Others); Action (Standard)) (Dimensional Portal inside the Monastery) (1EP) Freedom League Communicator Communications 5 (Radio, 5 miles; Extra: Area; Flaw: Limited [Other FL Communicators]) [5EP] Communications Link 1 (Freedom League HQ) [1EP] Powers: 8 + 14 + 10 + 2 + 1 + 43 + 3 = 81PP Device 2 (10PP Container, Flaws: Hard-To-Lose) [8PP] (Holy Armor) Features 1 (Quick Change) [1PP] Immunity 2 (Critical Hits) [2PP] Protection 5 [5PP] Super-Senses 2 (Darkvision) [2PP] Device 4 (20PP Container, Flaws: Easy-To-Lose, Feats: Feature [Transforms into Masterwork Trumpet], Subtle [Transforms into a Ring]) [14PP] (Heavenly Spear) Light Control 5 (25ft radius, Flaws: Range [Touch]) [5PP] Strike 10 (Feats: Accurate 2, Mighty) [13PP] (Blessed/Holy, Piercing, Silver) Super-Movement 1 (Dimensional Movement 1 [Earth-Prime and Sanctuary] ) [2PP] Enhanced Charisma 10 (to 30/+10) [10PP] Flight 1 (10mph / 100ft per Move Action) [2PP] Immunity 1 (Own Powers) [1PP] Sonic Control 12 (34PP Array, Feats: Alternate Power 9) [43PP] (Mutation) Base Power: Dazzle 12 (Auditory Senses, Extras: Area [General, Burst, 60ft radius], Selective) [34PP] Alternate Power: Blast 12 (Extras: Autofire ) [34PP] Alternate Power: Communication 6 (Auditory, 20 miles ["Anywhere In Freedom City"], Extras: Area, Linked [Comprehend, Super-Senses], Feats: Selective, Subtle) [14PP] + Comprehend 3 (Languages 3 [speak Any, All At Once, Understand All], Extras: Linked [Communication, Super-Senses]) [6PP] + Super-Senses 3 (Extended Hearing 4 [100,000ft / 20-mile Notice Increments], Extras: Linked [Communication, Comprehend], Flaws: Limited [speech], Feats: Selective) [4PP] (Far-Hearing, The Tongues of Men & Angels, Ventriliquism) [14 + 6 + 4 = 24PP] Alternate Power: Confuse 12 (Extras: Area [General, Burst, 60ft radius], Selective) [34PP] Alternate Power: Drain Toughness 12 (Extras: Affects Objects, Range [Ranged]) [34PP] Alternate Power: Enhanced Charisma 20 (Extras: Linked [Enhanced Skills]) [20PP] + Enhanced Skills 10 (40 Ranks: Bluff 10, Diplomacy 10, Intimidate 10, Gather Information 10 ) [10PP] [20 + 10 = 30PP] Alternate Power: Emotion Control 12(Extras: Area [General, Shapeable, 12 5ft cubes]) [34PP] Alternate Power: Flight 9 (Rank 10, 10,000mph / 100,000ft per Move Action, Feats: Moving Feint, Subtle) [20PP] Alternate Power: Nauseate 12 (Extras: Range [Ranged]) [34PP] Alternate Power: Paralyze 12 (Extras: Range [Ranged]) [34PP] Super-Senses 3 (Ultrasonic Hearing, Extras: Accurate) [3PP] (Echolocation) DC Block: ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Unarmed Touch DC17 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical) Blast Ranged DC27 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Energy) Confuse Ranged DC22 Will Confused Dazzle Ranged+Area DC22 Reflex 1/2 Effect DC22 Reflex Deafened DC22 Fortitude Recover Drain Ranged DC22 Fortitude Drain Toughness Emotion Control Perception DC22 Will (Staged) Special Nauseate Ranged DC22 Fortitude (Staged) Sickened/Nauseated/Helpless Paralyze Ranged DC23 Will (Staged) Slowed/Paralyzed Spear Touch DC27 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical) Abilities (36) + Combat (32) + Saving Throws (27) + Skills (35) + Feats (39) + Powers (81) - Drawbacks (0) = 250/250 Power Points