Veiled Malice

As an avid player of HERO, I am watching these developments closely. It was fairly funny the first time I heard of it, actually. My friend told me Steve had a big announcement coming up and he was all excited over the possibility of a Champions MMO. I thought the idea was patently absurd, myself. The company was near to bankruptcy only a few years back, and the shear amount of money that they would have to throw at a project this huge would be staggering. It didn't seem like a realistic goal to me. Shows what I know, I guess. (And I know that Cryptic simply bought the rights and is developing the game on it's own, but it's still a move from out of left field to my mind.)

I think you're up, because Nanowire just went.

I think you're up, because Nanowire just went.

No. The only thing that applies to is actual unarmed attacks. With what I suspect you're talking about, you would be using some kind of medium to deliver your damage. To get the same effect, you would need to take Improved Critical (Touch Powers). Hope that helps... kinda. :)

No. The only thing that applies to is actual unarmed attacks. With what I suspect you're talking about, you would be using some kind of medium to deliver your damage. To get the same effect, you would need to take Improved Critical (Touch Powers). Hope that helps... kinda. :)

[Camera turns on. The scene is that of a talk show. Two chairs have been set up. One has Captain Wonder in it, looking proud and upright, and the other has Charlotte Chase] Charlotte Chase: "Good evening, Captain Wonder. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to be here with us tonight." Captain Wonder: "It's a pleasure, Ms. Chase. I always like to make time for my friends in the press." CC: "I think the first thing that's on everyone's mind is, why now? Why choose now to come back, after so many years?" CW: "That's a very good question, Ms. Chase. My generation's end was...ignominious. Between forced retirements, death, and of course the McCarthy hearings, we let ourselves be pushed aside by the tide of history. My own retirement was the right thing to do at the time...but as I got older and other generations came and went, I came to realize that the world still needed the heroes, and the values, of my generation." CC: "So, do you perhaps feel that today's generation of superheroes are... not representing the community the way they should?" CW: "Well...I don't want you to think I'm criticizing them. The Freedom League has done some wonderful work. They've all saved the planet, and we all owe them our lives. But there's a certain degree of...moral leadership that's been missing since the Centurion died. There are values beyond just fighting aliens or supervillans." CC: "I see... let's talk about your relationship with the Centurion a bit then. As some of our viewers might know, you and Centurion were good friends. How did that come about?" CW: "The Centurion was my hero, the way he was everyone else's back then. He was the first superhero I ever heard of, and the first one I wanted to meet after I got my powers." Wonder's enthusiasm at the memory is almost boyish. "I first met him in 1941, the first time the Liberty League tangled with the Ubersoldaten." Wonder shakes his head, raising his hands. "Raising my fists against the Centurion was the hardest thing I've ever done, but it...well, afterwards, once the bad guys were defeated, it turned into a real friendship. He took me under his cape and taught me...well, many things. About being a superman, and just a man. I am honored to have called him my friend." CC: "And the world is a sadder place without him, yes. But there is the question of where you were during the Terminus Invasion. Was there some reason you couldn't have intervened on Centurion's behalf?" CW: "Where were any of us?" The question hits Wonder where it hurts. "I'd been retired for forty years in '93, I wasn't any good to anyone. If you ask me, the problem was that they let the League fall apart back in the 1970s! " He slaps his knee. "I still can't believe the Centurion faced Omega alone. We all let him down that day." CC: Ms Chase nods her head sadly. "Yes, the Moore administration was hard on superheroes of the day. But that brings us to a hopefully happier topic - that for a seventy year old man, you look fantastic. What's your secret?" She asks the last part playfully. CW: Wonder calms down a little before the friendly question, reminding himself that this is a friendly audience. "Good genes, Ms. Chase, and good exercise." He smiles. "I've been doing at least two hours of intense exercise every day since I went into the service. I may be a good Southern boy, but I eat a clean diet and I stay away from fried foods. I tried to keep the old Captain Wonder breakfast cereal healthy, but if you've still got any, don't eat it! I once heard a box sold for five hundred dollars at auction." CC: [Laughs] "I'll be sure not to. Now, I know that many of your old adversaries are still unfortunately active, even in this day in age. You stopped a SHADOW incursion into Riverside Park just last week, and individually, those are among the least of them. Which one would you say still presents the biggest threat not just to you, but to the public in general?" CW: "I can't believe some of them are still active." Wonder faces the camera. "Basil, if you can hear this, it's been almost fifty years. Sell those patents on that baton, or whatever you're using these days, and buy your own record company!" He pauses a moment, obviously having said something he's been chewing on for a while, then adds, "SHADOW. Medea's pulling the same stunts she pulled sixty years ago, or six hundred, and no one's heard of Superior in twenty years. I'm no conspiracy buff, but I believe Wilhelm Kantor is alive, and still running the show." CC: "Really? Then you believe his death was faked?" CW: "He faked it once before, back in the 40s. If a man can do that once, fool all the smart people we had back then, he can do it again." Wonder gives her a pained smile. "I know something about letting the world think you're dead." CC: "I see what you mean. Now, switching gears again, do you have some kind of plan for rekindling old relationships with the current incarnation of the Freedom League? Daedalus's son is very much like his father, at least insofar as his approach to crime fighting. Do you think you'll get along with them?" CW: "I didn't know Daedalus that well, but if his son is anything like his father, I'm sure he's a fine man. And much smarter than I am!" Wonder laughs, then sobers just a little. "The truth is, there aren't many of us left from those days. As far as I know, it's just me and John Wade, if you don't count Dr. Atom or Envoy." He shakes his head. "The new League is made up of fine people. I look forward to working with them the way I worked with the Liberty League; as close friends and allies." CC: "There is a lot of truth to that. What would you say to people that believe your approach to today's crime is somewhat... dated, shall we say? Many villains do not follow the same rules they used to, and many people believe a harder stance is called for - the new, stricter laws concerning metacrime are proof enough of that." CW: "I say that my way of doing things got us through World War II, and there have never been a gang of thugs and villians worse than the Ubersoldaten. I fought some pretty rough customers in my time, but I've never had to stoop to their level. Doing good, real good, is hard, but if you can't make the hard choices, you don't have any business calling yourself a superhero." He pauses for a moment, collecting his thoughts. "As for a tougher stance against metacrime, I'm all for it. But the important thing is to catch the kids when they're young and steer them the right way. That's what the Centurion did for...a lot of kids, and it changed their lives for the better. We need to see more of that these days." CC: "A sort of social service for young metahumans, then? I hear that Next-Gen, the premier superhero group featuring members of that age appeared in the battle in Riverside Park. What was your impression of them?" CW: "If they hadn't been there, I don't know what those SHADOW cretins would have done. Those kids probably helped save a lot of lives." Wonder is quiet for a moment, almost long enough that it looks like he's ready for a new question. "But...I don't know if I agree with it. In fact, I'm sure I don't. Kids need supervision and discipline, and that's not something they're going to get off fighting real villians by themselves. Now, don't think I'm saying teenagers can't be heroes. They certainly can; look at the Arrows and that new Bowman. But if they're going to face that kind of danger every day, they need grownups who can face that danger with them, and to teach them how to do it." CC: "That's certainly understandable. Just a few more questions. I know that you stayed separate from the Freedom League and Liberty League before, but given today's challenges, will you petition for acceptance into that group? Or perhaps another one?" CW: "If they'll need me, they'll ask. I've never been much of a joiner." Wonder actually shrugs a little. "I...had my reasons back in 1945, and I have my reasons today as well. I've been honored to work with some very good teams. But I always did better as my own man." CC: "I know you can't talk about patrols routes or the like, but can you talk a little about what you'll be doing to continue your crime fighting campaign. The vigilante Nightrival has staked out South side as his protected area. Do you have similar plans?" CW: "You can expect to see a lot of me in the West End," says Wonder, perhaps a bit too easily. "As for what I intend to do, I intend to uphold the values of decency and compassion that were the core of my work back in the 1940s. Whether it's keeping street kids away from crime, or fighting villians on the streets of Hanover, I'm going to do everything I can to teach this generation the lessons of their predecessors. I owe them, and those who've passed before, nothing less." CC: "One last thing, and it isn't a question so much as a request." Ms. Chase blushes slightly as she says, "I was wondering if you could say your catchphrase from the good old days, if you wouldn't mind." CW: [Wonder smiles, big, practically a little boy's smile. He takes a deep breath and speaks the words first immortalized on the silver screen by actor Tom Tyler in the 1941 Republic serial The Adventures of Captain Wonder!.] "Holy Sunshine!" Afterwards, he can't help but grin. "Those were the days, eh? Thank you again for having me on your show, Ms. Chase...I hope to be back here again sometime." CC: "And thank you, Captain Wonder. This has been a great experience for me, and all of us here at Channel 5." [Camera fades out, title credits play as Ms. Chase and Captain Wonder talk to one another more.]

[Camera turns on. The scene is that of a talk show. Two chairs have been set up. One has Captain Wonder in it, looking proud and upright, and the other has Charlotte Chase] Charlotte Chase: "Good evening, Captain Wonder. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to be here with us tonight." Captain Wonder: "It's a pleasure, Ms. Chase. I always like to make time for my friends in the press." CC: "I think the first thing that's on everyone's mind is, why now? Why choose now to come back, after so many years?" CW: "That's a very good question, Ms. Chase. My generation's end was...ignominious. Between forced retirements, death, and of course the McCarthy hearings, we let ourselves be pushed aside by the tide of history. My own retirement was the right thing to do at the time...but as I got older and other generations came and went, I came to realize that the world still needed the heroes, and the values, of my generation." CC: "So, do you perhaps feel that today's generation of superheroes are... not representing the community the way they should?" CW: "Well...I don't want you to think I'm criticizing them. The Freedom League has done some wonderful work. They've all saved the planet, and we all owe them our lives. But there's a certain degree of...moral leadership that's been missing since the Centurion died. There are values beyond just fighting aliens or supervillans." CC: "I see... let's talk about your relationship with the Centurion a bit then. As some of our viewers might know, you and Centurion were good friends. How did that come about?" CW: "The Centurion was my hero, the way he was everyone else's back then. He was the first superhero I ever heard of, and the first one I wanted to meet after I got my powers." Wonder's enthusiasm at the memory is almost boyish. "I first met him in 1941, the first time the Liberty League tangled with the Ubersoldaten." Wonder shakes his head, raising his hands. "Raising my fists against the Centurion was the hardest thing I've ever done, but it...well, afterwards, once the bad guys were defeated, it turned into a real friendship. He took me under his cape and taught me...well, many things. About being a superman, and just a man. I am honored to have called him my friend." CC: "And the world is a sadder place without him, yes. But there is the question of where you were during the Terminus Invasion. Was there some reason you couldn't have intervened on Centurion's behalf?" CW: "Where were any of us?" The question hits Wonder where it hurts. "I'd been retired for forty years in '93, I wasn't any good to anyone. If you ask me, the problem was that they let the League fall apart back in the 1970s! " He slaps his knee. "I still can't believe the Centurion faced Omega alone. We all let him down that day." CC: Ms Chase nods her head sadly. "Yes, the Moore administration was hard on superheroes of the day. But that brings us to a hopefully happier topic - that for a seventy year old man, you look fantastic. What's your secret?" She asks the last part playfully. CW: Wonder calms down a little before the friendly question, reminding himself that this is a friendly audience. "Good genes, Ms. Chase, and good exercise." He smiles. "I've been doing at least two hours of intense exercise every day since I went into the service. I may be a good Southern boy, but I eat a clean diet and I stay away from fried foods. I tried to keep the old Captain Wonder breakfast cereal healthy, but if you've still got any, don't eat it! I once heard a box sold for five hundred dollars at auction." CC: [Laughs] "I'll be sure not to. Now, I know that many of your old adversaries are still unfortunately active, even in this day in age. You stopped a SHADOW incursion into Riverside Park just last week, and individually, those are among the least of them. Which one would you say still presents the biggest threat not just to you, but to the public in general?" CW: "I can't believe some of them are still active." Wonder faces the camera. "Basil, if you can hear this, it's been almost fifty years. Sell those patents on that baton, or whatever you're using these days, and buy your own record company!" He pauses a moment, obviously having said something he's been chewing on for a while, then adds, "SHADOW. Medea's pulling the same stunts she pulled sixty years ago, or six hundred, and no one's heard of Superior in twenty years. I'm no conspiracy buff, but I believe Wilhelm Kantor is alive, and still running the show." CC: "Really? Then you believe his death was faked?" CW: "He faked it once before, back in the 40s. If a man can do that once, fool all the smart people we had back then, he can do it again." Wonder gives her a pained smile. "I know something about letting the world think you're dead." CC: "I see what you mean. Now, switching gears again, do you have some kind of plan for rekindling old relationships with the current incarnation of the Freedom League? Daedalus's son is very much like his father, at least insofar as his approach to crime fighting. Do you think you'll get along with them?" CW: "I didn't know Daedalus that well, but if his son is anything like his father, I'm sure he's a fine man. And much smarter than I am!" Wonder laughs, then sobers just a little. "The truth is, there aren't many of us left from those days. As far as I know, it's just me and John Wade, if you don't count Dr. Atom or Envoy." He shakes his head. "The new League is made up of fine people. I look forward to working with them the way I worked with the Liberty League; as close friends and allies." CC: "There is a lot of truth to that. What would you say to people that believe your approach to today's crime is somewhat... dated, shall we say? Many villains do not follow the same rules they used to, and many people believe a harder stance is called for - the new, stricter laws concerning metacrime are proof enough of that." CW: "I say that my way of doing things got us through World War II, and there have never been a gang of thugs and villians worse than the Ubersoldaten. I fought some pretty rough customers in my time, but I've never had to stoop to their level. Doing good, real good, is hard, but if you can't make the hard choices, you don't have any business calling yourself a superhero." He pauses for a moment, collecting his thoughts. "As for a tougher stance against metacrime, I'm all for it. But the important thing is to catch the kids when they're young and steer them the right way. That's what the Centurion did for...a lot of kids, and it changed their lives for the better. We need to see more of that these days." CC: "A sort of social service for young metahumans, then? I hear that Next-Gen, the premier superhero group featuring members of that age appeared in the battle in Riverside Park. What was your impression of them?" CW: "If they hadn't been there, I don't know what those SHADOW cretins would have done. Those kids probably helped save a lot of lives." Wonder is quiet for a moment, almost long enough that it looks like he's ready for a new question. "But...I don't know if I agree with it. In fact, I'm sure I don't. Kids need supervision and discipline, and that's not something they're going to get off fighting real villians by themselves. Now, don't think I'm saying teenagers can't be heroes. They certainly can; look at the Arrows and that new Bowman. But if they're going to face that kind of danger every day, they need grownups who can face that danger with them, and to teach them how to do it." CC: "That's certainly understandable. Just a few more questions. I know that you stayed separate from the Freedom League and Liberty League before, but given today's challenges, will you petition for acceptance into that group? Or perhaps another one?" CW: "If they'll need me, they'll ask. I've never been much of a joiner." Wonder actually shrugs a little. "I...had my reasons back in 1945, and I have my reasons today as well. I've been honored to work with some very good teams. But I always did better as my own man." CC: "I know you can't talk about patrols routes or the like, but can you talk a little about what you'll be doing to continue your crime fighting campaign. The vigilante Nightrival has staked out South side as his protected area. Do you have similar plans?" CW: "You can expect to see a lot of me in the West End," says Wonder, perhaps a bit too easily. "As for what I intend to do, I intend to uphold the values of decency and compassion that were the core of my work back in the 1940s. Whether it's keeping street kids away from crime, or fighting villians on the streets of Hanover, I'm going to do everything I can to teach this generation the lessons of their predecessors. I owe them, and those who've passed before, nothing less." CC: "One last thing, and it isn't a question so much as a request." Ms. Chase blushes slightly as she says, "I was wondering if you could say your catchphrase from the good old days, if you wouldn't mind." CW: [Wonder smiles, big, practically a little boy's smile. He takes a deep breath and speaks the words first immortalized on the silver screen by actor Tom Tyler in the 1941 Republic serial The Adventures of Captain Wonder!.] "Holy Sunshine!" Afterwards, he can't help but grin. "Those were the days, eh? Thank you again for having me on your show, Ms. Chase...I hope to be back here again sometime." CC: "And thank you, Captain Wonder. This has been a great experience for me, and all of us here at Channel 5." [Camera fades out, title credits play as Ms. Chase and Captain Wonder talk to one another more.]

Ren cursed under his breath and severed the connection between himself and the light fixture. The multicolored woman was all over him, and he needed to get her off in a hurry. Instead of making a break past her, which would only bring him face-to-face with her busty companion, he fell back deeper into the stall. What he would need to do next wasn't the greatest, and was in fact likely to be the most disgusting thing he'd ever done, but it beat getting bludgeoned about the head and shoulders by a fuschia colored felon. Maybe. He rammed his hand into the toilet (thank god it had been cleaned recently) and concentrated for a second. The lightning jar went away, suddenly replaced by a small steel barrel that looked like a fire hose. "I hate myself for even considering saying this, but... it looks like you need to cool off!" Water came jetting out of the end of the nozzle, slicing into the woman and hurling her backwards twenty-five feet where she got dumped to the wet floor. "I can't believe I actually said that," he muttered to himself as she slid out of the stall.

Ren cursed under his breath and severed the connection between himself and the light fixture. The multicolored woman was all over him, and he needed to get her off in a hurry. Instead of making a break past her, which would only bring him face-to-face with her busty companion, he fell back deeper into the stall. What he would need to do next wasn't the greatest, and was in fact likely to be the most disgusting thing he'd ever done, but it beat getting bludgeoned about the head and shoulders by a fuschia colored felon. Maybe. He rammed his hand into the toilet (thank god it had been cleaned recently) and concentrated for a second. The lightning jar went away, suddenly replaced by a small steel barrel that looked like a fire hose. "I hate myself for even considering saying this, but... it looks like you need to cool off!" Water came jetting out of the end of the nozzle, slicing into the woman and hurling her backwards twenty-five feet where she got dumped to the wet floor. "I can't believe I actually said that," he muttered to himself as she slid out of the stall.

Well, since I don't want to put Heritage out, I'll go on with another attack. Okay, ew. :shock: But it did hit, and a +12 damage effect is good enough to knock her back. (12 - 5(for impervious toughness) - 2(for regular toughness) = 5, which is twenty five feet of knockback on the chart.) Now, I'm not sure how her Reflective toughness works here, since the description says only damage stopped by impervious toughness gets reflected, and since my attack is Penetrating, the impervious went away. However you want to handle it is alright with me, though.

Well, since I don't want to put Heritage out, I'll go on with another attack. Okay, ew. :shock: But it did hit, and a +12 damage effect is good enough to knock her back. (12 - 5(for impervious toughness) - 2(for regular toughness) = 5, which is twenty five feet of knockback on the chart.) Now, I'm not sure how her Reflective toughness works here, since the description says only damage stopped by impervious toughness gets reflected, and since my attack is Penetrating, the impervious went away. However you want to handle it is alright with me, though.

Man, that utility belt has everything. :D

Man, that utility belt has everything. :D

Conspicuously avoiding looking at the mermaid girl as she dressed, Daisuke puzzled over what the magic girl had just said. It sounded like she was related to the skeleton, which was impossible... wasn't it? He didn't get the chance to question her on it however. "Um... who is that?" he asked the magical girl nervously. "Your dad?"

Conspicuously avoiding looking at the mermaid girl as she dressed, Daisuke puzzled over what the magic girl had just said. It sounded like she was related to the skeleton, which was impossible... wasn't it? He didn't get the chance to question her on it however. "Um... who is that?" he asked the magical girl nervously. "Your dad?"

It's sad, but I'm growing less and less enthused with animated features as I get older. Perhaps it's because most of them are poorly written, or the things coming from Pixar are so good, but whatever the reason, I'm just not the excited by the idea of yet another redux of Spider-Man.

It's sad, but I'm growing less and less enthused with animated features as I get older. Perhaps it's because most of them are poorly written, or the things coming from Pixar are so good, but whatever the reason, I'm just not the excited by the idea of yet another redux of Spider-Man.

Poke him! Poke him with a stick! In any case, I'm good with whatever you guys want to do. Daisuke's just along for the ride.

Poke him! Poke him with a stick! In any case, I'm good with whatever you guys want to do. Daisuke's just along for the ride.

Alright, after a loooong hiatus, we're back! Yay! This one's a little creepy, but it sets the scene for later on. Also, please roll a Notice check.

Alright, after a loooong hiatus, we're back! Yay! This one's a little creepy, but it sets the scene for later on. Also, please roll a Notice check.

Velocity sped down the stairs and across the hallway beyond. The walls down here were made of wrought steel, with pipes crisscrossing them. There was barely enough room to stand up fully, and the iridescent bulbs lighting the way weren't helping. Heat belching out liberally from whatever filled some of the pipes completed the trifecta of uncomfortable sensations as the humidity caused her to break out in a sweat almost immediately. A door stood open at the end of the hallway, looking more like a bulkhead hatch than something one might find in a warehouse. A dull, repetitive thumping sound came from beyond the open portal, like something metal colliding with another surface. Velocity could hear servos whine as she got closer, in the same cyclical fashion as the thumps. Lights cast casting the shadow a cylindrical shape across the floor in the next room. It appeared to be stuck in some way. Velocity poked her head into the next room, pushing the hatch beside slightly so she could get by. It was some sort of prep room, with racks of chemicals and surgical implements lining one wall. A lone steel operating table stood in the center. The overhead lamp was canted slightly to the side, creating the shadows on the floor. But the strangest thing in the room by far was a cylindrical pod, held off the floor by metallic arms connected to the ceiling. It kept running into a supply dolly that had been trapped against the operating table, creating an endless loop of *thump-click-click-click-thump* as it attempted to continue along the ceiling track it was on. The only thing that was better about this room than the hallway was the fact that it seemed to be climate controlled; it was cooler in here. The cylinder was facing away from her, but from her position by the entrance, she could see that the glass door to the pod was ajar. What, if anything, was inside, she couldn't guess. There was one more hatch in the room, but it was closed. A steady red sign above the locked portal clearly read "Sealed".

Velocity sped down the stairs and across the hallway beyond. The walls down here were made of wrought steel, with pipes crisscrossing them. There was barely enough room to stand up fully, and the iridescent bulbs lighting the way weren't helping. Heat belching out liberally from whatever filled some of the pipes completed the trifecta of uncomfortable sensations as the humidity caused her to break out in a sweat almost immediately. A door stood open at the end of the hallway, looking more like a bulkhead hatch than something one might find in a warehouse. A dull, repetitive thumping sound came from beyond the open portal, like something metal colliding with another surface. Velocity could hear servos whine as she got closer, in the same cyclical fashion as the thumps. Lights cast casting the shadow a cylindrical shape across the floor in the next room. It appeared to be stuck in some way. Velocity poked her head into the next room, pushing the hatch beside slightly so she could get by. It was some sort of prep room, with racks of chemicals and surgical implements lining one wall. A lone steel operating table stood in the center. The overhead lamp was canted slightly to the side, creating the shadows on the floor. But the strangest thing in the room by far was a cylindrical pod, held off the floor by metallic arms connected to the ceiling. It kept running into a supply dolly that had been trapped against the operating table, creating an endless loop of *thump-click-click-click-thump* as it attempted to continue along the ceiling track it was on. The only thing that was better about this room than the hallway was the fact that it seemed to be climate controlled; it was cooler in here. The cylinder was facing away from her, but from her position by the entrance, she could see that the glass door to the pod was ajar. What, if anything, was inside, she couldn't guess. There was one more hatch in the room, but it was closed. A steady red sign above the locked portal clearly read "Sealed".

"No, that was definitely something else." Ren walked over to the wall where he felt the pulling sensation and put one hand up. When he didn't immediately feel anything, he frowned and put it back down. "Things like that don't just happen. There has to be some sort of energy behind it." His frown turned even more pronounced as he stared at the wand Lynn was holding. "On the other hand, magic doesn't have to play by natural laws, so it's entirely possible I'm wrong about that." He turned towards Mr. Siberman. "What's behind here? Or is this just next to the alley out back?"

"No, that was definitely something else." Ren walked over to the wall where he felt the pulling sensation and put one hand up. When he didn't immediately feel anything, he frowned and put it back down. "Things like that don't just happen. There has to be some sort of energy behind it." His frown turned even more pronounced as he stared at the wand Lynn was holding. "On the other hand, magic doesn't have to play by natural laws, so it's entirely possible I'm wrong about that." He turned towards Mr. Siberman. "What's behind here? Or is this just next to the alley out back?"