Heritage

Okay, so we say goodbye to the Seven of Hearts (the burn) and hello to the Jack of Clubs (the turn).

Okay, I don't know if we want to have Colby analyze Jack in this thread, or set up another one for that purpose. Colt can come, too!

"...and so that's why Jack was being such a dick!" At some point in the conversation, Grim had made herself a nice comfy high-backed chair, padded with soft red leather, and she'd been sitting in it, gesturing expansively as she regaled Det. Colby with an only slightly abridged version of recent events. For her part, the detective had made a fresh pot of coffee (gingerly filling the changeling's glamoured mug and adding obscene amounts of sugar, per Grim's request), as well as taking detailed notes and asking several questions. Of particular interest to Colby was Grim's description of the demonic invasion back in November, which meshed with a very disturbing series of dreams she herself had around that time. When Grim finally finished, the policewoman dropped into her chair, rubbing her face with a sigh. "Sweet Jesus, that's quite a tale! Though I imagine you had to leave out a few details; I know how you capes look out for each other, which sometimes pisses us badges off a bit." The tiny shapeshifter snorted with mild derision. "Oh right, like cops don't ever form ranks and protect each other? Whadda you call it, the 'thin blue line'?" Colby nodded in resigned agreement and raised her mug. "You're right, you're right. I guess that's one of the reasons you all bug us sometimes; we're both working the same side of the fence, but you guys can get away with so much more, behind the mask and all that. We wear our failures out in the open, for everyone to see." For a few moments, Grim was lost in thought, lips pursued; she'd really never thought of it that way before. How maddening it must be for a beat cop to read about Avenger pounding on bad guys, when if he did the same he'd run up on charges? Whether or not cops were more envious or disgusted by the heroes...well, that was the real question. "I guess...I can see that. But it's not like we just beat up punks to spite you or make you jealous. Plus we help in non-crime ways too, with rescues and stuff-" The junior detective waved her hand as if to clear the air, and she smiled a weary but apologetic smile. "Look, I'm not trying to bust your chops here; I just don't get many opportunities to talk to a cape one-on-one very often. Let's get back to your troubled swordsman for a sec." "Okay, let's." Colby took a big swig of coffee, then tilted back in her chair, cradling her mug and staring up at the ceiling. "So you say he hasn't been himself since this horrifying experience, killed at the hands of the legions of hell." Grim nodded as she sipped her own coffee, sitting in her comfy chair. "Yep, right here in the West End." The policewoman couldn't help but shudder. "That's just so damn creepy. Anyway, his powers are acting differently, he himself is exhibiting much more aggressive behavior, and it's affecting his work; does that all sound correct?" Once again, the changeling nodded. Colby set her mug on her desk and started chewing on the end of a pen. "Well, there are a few options here. First off, do you know if his powers are magic-based, or is he some kind of mutant? Because that could be a big part of it." For a second, Grim looked like she's gonna say something, but then her mouth snapped shut like a trap. "I have absolutely no idea how his powers work." This prompted a hearty laugh from the young cop. "And you guys are part of the same group? Some teammate you turned out to be!" "Hey, I've been busy!" "Yeah, riding around on the back of that cowboy's space chopper; what, you think people don't notice these things?" The diminutive heroine crossed her arms tightly across her chest, looking genuinly hurt; the expression on her face hit the detective in the gut, and she covered her face with her hand. "Alright, I'm sorry; you have the right to date whoever you want and enjoy yourself when you're not bending the law like saltwater taffy. Let's get back on-topic here." "Fine." "Oh Jesus; look, I said I was sorry, okay? Can we just move on?" "Okay, okay, I forgive you..." "Good!" With a firm nod, Colby went back to looking up at the ceiling and gnawing on her pen. "Okay, so we need to find out if his powers are magical or not. He could be tainted by some kind of energy, or God forbid part of the demon is still inside him. But there's one more cause we really need to look at." She turned her head to level her gaze at Grim, who was leaning forward eagerly as the detective rattled off theories. "What? What?" Colby smiled sweetly, and went back to her tasty pen. "Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. He's exhibiting a lot of the signs, and I can't imagine anything more stressful than remembering your near-death, or even worse actual death, at the hands of demonic forces. Heroes, and villains for that matter, often experience bizarre side effects to stress, especially if they're energy wielders" She thumped her chest with her fist. "That power comes from in here; you mess with the source, you mess with the power." Grim could only stare at the mystical detective in awe. "Wow. You're good." Colby beamed as she shrugged humbly, leaned forward and put her boots back on the floor. "Well, I try. What I'd really like to do is meet this guy in the flesh, maybe run a few tests; I'll need a day or two to whip up the equipment in my shop, and then you can either come to me or I can go to you. You know, whichever." "That's awesome!" Grim rose to her feet, the comfy chair melting away behind her, and vigorously shook Colby's hand "Thanks a lot! I really appreciate it." "Forget it, I'm looking forward to trying out some new things." She turned to warm up her coffee, then turned back to her unusual visitor. "So I gotta ask you, how exactly do you-" But the detective was once again alone, Grimalkin having vanished without a trace. Sinking back in her chair, Colby sighed with dismay. "Oh, this is not good..."

Sadly Grim had a mouthful of Coke when Colt made his traditional Jewish toast, which sent the highly corrosive beverage rocketing out her nose into the fire, which guttered for a few seconds before regaining its strength. She laughed hysterically as she wiped her face on her sleeve. "Ow, God, that stings! You need to warn me next time you pull that stunt! Woo!" Shaking her head, the shapeshifter fished a few peppers out of the jar. "Well, if your gonna be that stupid, I can't let you suffer alone; luckily my face is still numb from the Coke explosion. Here, gimme the Jack." Snagging the bottle, she put three peppers in her mouth, then added a big swig of the liquid fire on top of it; she got it all down with a lot of effort, though her face turned bright red. "Oh God! I can feel my blood boiling!" She grabbed a handful of snow and scarfed it down, then got a wild-eyed look about her, like a mad marooned pirate. "Oh man, I see my Grampa Lou! He's smiling and waving at me! I'm coming, Grampa Lou! I'm coming!" Grim fell back on the snow, arms spread wide and laughing joyously. "Ah, life is good!" She raised her head, an evil glint in her eye, and crooked a finger at Colt. "C'mere, big boy! Kiss me while my lips are numb!" :twisted: :P

Sorry for the dumbness here, but do I turn over the next card now?

The shapeshifter nods as she has more of her drink. "Damn, these things are tasty! I'll definitly need another. Yeah, me and Colt and Jack of All Blades are working together; got our own secret HQ and everything." Suddenly she looks a bit uncomfortable. "Our, uh, membership is a bit in flux right now, but I'm sure we'll pick up a few more folks." Looking to change the subject, she wags a finger at Stesha. "And for the record, missy, you kick ass. Back at the Manor, and at poor Taylor's reception? Outstanding work."

I might make passing mention of it in a thread, but yeah, won't waste the elctronic ink on a thread just for that purpose. In a lot of ways, I think teaching is a calling, not unlike the priesthood.

So can I use that roll for a grapple check?

Roll to Snare and retrieve Doc: 1d20+10=25 Am I doing it right? The plan is to shoot out a tentacle and drag the unconcious Doc back from his assailants.

I can't think of anything to say; my mouth doesn't work anymore. At long last, Grim took a deep breath and slapped her hands on her lap. "So, what do we do about these space cowboys? What our options?" She continued blithly speaking, but managed to create a small sign that read simply 'CONGRATS!'; it existed for only a few moments, then faded from view. "Can you trace their interdimensional heat signiture or something?"

Grim was happy to see Colt up and about, and she gave her a firm squeeze to celebrate, but she was a bit distracted; when she gave Taylor a friendly hug, something felt wrong, like she was- No, that's impossible, she can't be...but that would mean... :shock: With tremendous effort, the changeling kept her mouth firmly shut, though she was fairly sure shock passed across her features; it was Jack and Taylor's business, not her's. She took a seat on the sofa, staring blankly ahead for a few seconds. Talk about a lot on your plate!

Notice check: 1d20+15=20 The hug pretty much gave it away, I'm guessing ;)

Grim also saw Ace's quick glance at the mention of childbirth, and her eyebrows rose a bit, but otheriwse she offered no comment; she was far more concerned with Fulcrum's well-being right now. "Maybe we should head out, honey; she's in good hands, and the last thing we wanna do right now is crowd the poor girl. Frankly I just want to get home, collapse in bed and sleep for three days straight."

Yeah, quietly quitting and going back to ASTRO Labs makes the most sense; maybe I can stat up some of the characters who appeared in this thread and work on developing things there. It is not hard to imagine a chemist who's used to working with non-powered college students having a rough time at Claremont. Thanks, guys! :D

Staring down the barrel of a loaded .38, Grimalkin had a little time to consider her actions. So maybe a dramatic entrance was a bad idea. After previously making a few inquiries, Grim had found out what precinct Det. Colby's office was located in; the front desk cop, a cheerful older man, was more than happy to help the adorable twelve-year old girl who wanted to deliver a thank you note from her mother to the detective. Dropping her disguise and then turning invisible, she was able to follow the young officer who offered to take the card to Colby on his way to the armory; the changeling stepped into the office and waited for the officer to leave, moving soundlessly into the far corner, behind and to the left of Colby. She'd given the detective time to read the letter, which produced only a sigh as she dropped it into a drawer, and gather her thoughts before she altered her glamour, shifting to a tall, dark and menacing figure seemingly made out of shadow, which she felt might be taken a bit more seriously than a skinny little Jewish girl. She chose a creepy hollow voice that had more than a little Phantom and Avenger in it. Well she certainly made an impression; in the space of a heartbeat, the young detective dropped her coffee mug, dove out of her chair, and rolled into a perfect shooting crouch, her weapon in hand leveled straight at the glowing amber eyes of the 'thing' in the corner. "Who the hell are you?! Come out where I can see you!" There was fear in her voice, but mostly she sounded pissed. "Whoa whoa whoa, I didn't mean to freak you out! Here-" The glamour peeled away, revealing...well, a skinny little Jewish girl with pointed ears, wearing a black mask and dark leather tights. She held up her hands to show she was unarmed. "I'm so sorry, detective, I'm not used to dealin' with cops, and sometimes I'm pretty frickin' stupid." Colby snorted a laugh, but her gun never wavered."I'll say; why the hell would you sneak up on a cop with a loaded gun? Do you want to be shot in the face?" Grim could only shrug and look mortally embarrassed. "To be honest, I have no idea; it might be the dumbest thing I've ever done. Look, my name's Grimalkin, I come in peace, and I could really use your help, detective." At long last the gun slowly lowered, and Colby got to her feet, looking thoughtful. "So wait, you're Grimalkin, the vigilante all the pimps in the Fens are scared ****less of? You're tiny!" Still holding up her hands, the indeed very tiny shapeshifter laughed nervously. "Yeah, that's me; really, I just have a good press agent. Um, can I put my hands down now? To restate, I come in peace and need your help." Still apparently not entirely comfortable with the situation, the mystical cop finally holstered her weapon and sat on the edge of her desk, slowly rubbing her chin. "I've heard a lot about you; it all seems kinda ridiculous seeing you now, but you really put the fear of God into those SOBs. We haven't seen a working girl roughed up in months." Hugging her sides with her arms, Grim actually flushed a bit with pride. "Really? That's awesome! You claw up a few faces, and whaddya know, you make a difference!" Colby wryly smiles and arches an eyebrow. "Yeah, well, maybe. Technically it's still assault on a private citizen, but I won't argue with your results; you don't get to be a cop in this town without appreciating any help you can get. So how exactly can I help the great and powerful Grimalkin?"

How fast do our medical pods work? Does it take hours and hours, or does a quick dunking do it? I always imagine they look just like the ones from Empire Strikes Back. I can edit my last post if need be. BTW, if it's not clear from the floor plan, the main entrance is the set of double doors in the lower left corner.

"Awesome possum! I'll be downstairs waiting for you, and thanks tons and tons!" Grim snapped her phone closed and crawled onto the bed next to Colt, being careful not to touch him with anything other than her lips. "Okay, she's gonna be here in about fifteen minutes; in the mean time, I think we need to get your ass Underground and stick it into one of Doc's healing vat things. Not just because I'm selfish and wanna snuggle, but because there are only three of us on this team right now, and you're the ony one who can fly that damned cycle." She gives him a quick soft peck on the cheek "Capiche?" - - - - - - Grim was waiting in a glamoured chair by the door in the front stairhall, reading the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly; when she heard Taylor's knock, she sprang easily to her bare feet, tossing the magazine onto the sideboard and dismissing the chair. Beaming at the sight of her former teammate, she greeted Taylor in a loose black cardigan over a vintage Freedom Friends T-shirt and gray sweatpants. "Hey stranger, c'mon in!" She gave her a friendly hug, then led her inside; once the front door was shut, she dramatically waved her arm, taking in the whole of the Brownstone with a flourish. "Welcome to Casa del Interceptros! Colt's downstairs in the infirmary; he got shot with a frickin' laser."

Wow, not one Knowledge skill? You can't keep letting Jack of All Trades do the heavy lifting :P

With a nod and a-ok gesture, Grim uncovered the phone. "Okay, yeah, our place is fine; uh, do you need directions or can you just mystical GPS me? I forget how your powers work sometimes." She made a spazzy face and mimed shooting herself in the head.

She appraised the desk with a critical eye. "Mmm, it's a bit showy for camping, isn't it? I will make us a nice cedar chest, though. After we eat." With a wave of her hand, it was gone as soon as it arrived, the chairs melting away into mist as well. Grim snagged the buns and fixins off the table, which also faded into nothingness, and crunched across the snow back to Colt's side. "There! Don't really need all that junk if we're just gonna eat by the fire, right? Yeah, these bad boys are ready." She gingerly slid the dogs off the fork and into some buns, and set the trimmings on a nice thick blanket she created just for that purpose. "Okay, we've got mustard, chopped onions, relish...a few hot peppers, which will make the kissing really interesting later. Oh, and also chips." Reaching into her parka's pockets, she pulled out two Cokes; she'd sprung for imported Mexican Coke in glass bottles, made with good ol' fashioned cane sugar. "Didn't even see me grab these, didja? Yep, I'm that good." She snapped out two claws and popped the caps in one smooth motion; offering one to Colt, she raised her own in salute. "To being in love and having superpowers; it don't get much better than this."

Grim looked thoughtful, then looked around Colt's room. "Uh...to be honest, I don't mind if you come to our place; we really don't have that much to hide." She put her hand over the phone and looked inquiringly over to her teammate. "Do you mind if Phantom just 'ports over here? She's totally cool."

Grim nodded as she carefully extricated herself from Colt's lap; 'official business' calls always made her want to stand up, for some reason. "Well, the short version is some bad guys from Colt's home dimension smashed their way into ours with a stolen spaceship, and now I guess they're stuck here, and there doing all kinds of typical stupid cowboy stuff like robbing trains and whatnot." She looks at her boyfriend and apologetically mouths 'Sorry'. "I think we were hoping to send their butts back from whence they came, but really any help would be appreciated."

"'Kay." She cycled through her phone list and hit Taylor's number; as it started to ring, she gave Colt a sly look. "Although now that I think about it, Mom might kinda dig you; she's a huge country music fan, y'know. Had a biiiiig crush on Merle Haggard back in the day." She winked, then turned her attention back to her call. "Hi, it's Grim. I need to speak to Phantom."

I'm starting to think having Gossamer teach at Claremont was a bad idea; as conceived, the character has a tendency to avoid hero work, which is kind of a bad idea on a superhero site. There's now talk of starting a new team with Wesley, Arrowhawk and Gossamer as core members, which I also think would make a teaching gig a bad idea. This may seem silly, but I'm having a hard time figuring out how to get Goss out of Claremont; she's a natural academic, after all. Would anyone have an idea for a thread that could help with this character transition? I'd really like her to be more active.

Grim consults with Det. Colby about Jack of All Blade's post-Invasion hellfire issues. May be a solo thread.