Dr Archeville

He practically slammed into her, he flew into her, open-armed, with such force, and gave her a deep, long kiss. The impact, she barely felt, but the kiss, well... "Oh, liebchen," he said when he finally pulled back, then spun around in the spacious loft. "I-" He paused a moment, and put both hands on his chest, "whoa, I... ran into you a bit harder than I had anticipated..." His smile returned, and he resumed rolling and spinning about in the air, though a bit slower now. "Oh, but that does not matter, my flesh can heal..." He stopped again, and zipped back to Mona, "as has my mind!" He circled her, "I had never dared hope -- dreamed, yes, but that as all -- that this day might come! But it has! And it seems real, permanent; I have been testing myself for four weeks now! And it is gone!"

Intelligence check/Untrained Knowledge to see if he recognizes Gabriel (1d20+1=7) Dead Head has no idea who Gabriel is, at least not at first glance.

Who the heck's this guy? Man, I really ain't got time t'stop and chew tha fat. "I'll 'splain," the creature said, showing no sign of slowing, "but I ain't stoppin'! Chasin' down some organleggers. If you wanna know more, try an' keep up!" If Gabriel did not stop him, the creature runs by him -- and passes close enough that his appearance and aroma give no doubt that it is some sort of preserved undead -- and hops anther fence, out of the cemetery and into an alleyway, leading to a busy street.

"'Ah," the Doktor said curtly. He retrieved his Electromagnetic Screwdriver from his pocket and made a few quick adjustments, including unspooling a length of wire from one end and connecting it to a port on his Gravimetric Belt. "'Hold tight!" Arrowhawk had never been through Archeville's teleportation system before. When the Knights were together, they'd mainly used Scarab's teleport systems. Those had been fairly smooth rides, but this one was a much rougher. Though maybe it was just his own injuries that made it feel rougher. They appeared in the heart of Archeville's automated surgery and operating theater, in the sub-basement of his home in Hanover. Lights were already one, and drawers of equipment and medicines were sliding out of recessed spaces along the walls and extending toward the Doktor on robotic arms. Robotics arms also extended out from the bed and assisted him in laying Valkyrie on it, while devices dropping down from the ceiling above ran scanning beams across her. Holographic displays of her insides appeared in mid air above her. As he looked over it all, Archeville let out a low whistle. He pointed to another bed a few meters away, though did not turn from Valkyrie. "Lay there, please, and the automated systems can begin work. Though I am betting you would prefer to treat your wounds yourself." He began removing what armor remained on her.

"Possibly..." the Doktor said after a moment's thought, "though messing with a mind like that is, I feel, uncomfortably close to mind control, one of the few avenues of research I do not pursue." He was chewing his lower lip; this was something he was not keen on. "Besides," he said, his tone lifting slightly, "before we delve into what you might could do, I feel we should explore what you know you can do." He looked around the pool and the gymnasium beyond, then back to the Aerostar and Lynn. "When you create something, do you have any control over it? Could you, for example, make a marionette and have it move on its own, either as if by manipulated by some unseen hand, or by... 'putting a bit of yourself into' it, giving it some semblance of sentience? Like, ah, a golem?"

Archeville nodded, then knelt down and addressed the goo, with concern and compaasion in his voice. "Sir? Sir, can you hear me? I am Doktor Viktor Archeville, and I am here to help." He turned slightly towards Miss Americana, "I would like to see your scans, please. I may be able to piece together what went awry." Then back to the goo, "Sir? Has anything like this happened to you before?"

As Powerhouse was (groggily) explaining the special needles the other doctors had needed to use on him, Archeville had been attempting to insert a needle into his arm to get a blood sample, and watched as the needled bent. "I see... team, make a note: his skin is immune to standard needles." "Doktor!," one of the nurses called, "there is some... some interference with the monitors. They're not getting any readings!" "What? Let me see!" He did a quick visual scan of the monitors, noted that they were attached to the patient properly, all the wires were connected, but there were no readings. "Jennings, based on what has been observed, list possible reason for interference." The nurse's brow furrowed, "thick skin preventing penetration of standard needles, and muffles vitals signals?" "A sound hypothesis," he replied, keeping one eye on Powerhouse. "Recommendation?" The nurse, a girl-next-door green-eyed blonde in nurse's scrubs, waved a hand in front of Powerhouse's face. "Stronger needles and biomonitors capable of deeper penetration." Archeville nodded, but he was not idle. He withdrew his Electromagnetic Screwdriver from his pocket, made a few quick adjustments, and waved the wand-like device over Powerhouse.

Chevalier's head cocked to one side, "Dzey... like you?," the synthesized voice questioned. "Ah, but of course; dzey weesh to use you, non?" "As for dze culteests, I do not believe I have fought any of dzees 'Yellow Sign' cult, dzough I cannot say for sure. I do not leemeet myself to an one cult, dzough," he said with a shrug. "An eveel cult is an eveel cult, non? Les Avocats du Diable, dze Seex-Feengerd Hand, La Confrérie du Mauvais Loup, dze Circle of dze Scarlet Moon, dze Final Church... all dzose and more weesh harm upon us, so we must fight dzem unteel our last, non?"

"Crazy -- and desperate -- is often used to describe supervillains," he replied to Dragonfly, "but while I would like to believe that there are no so crazy that they would try and attack this fine facility while you all are here, I also know that it is best to hedge one's bets." "Actually, Miss Americana," he turned to the scintillating secret cyberkinetic, "I agree with you fully, 100%. This is your show," he stretched his arms out to the assembled Brainiacs of Freedom, "and, in fact, I would prefer it if my name was mentioned as little as possible. You are the ones who designed this, you are the ones who built this, and you are the ones who will be working here to make the world a better place. Besides," he added with a sly grin, "confusion about who is actually running this place aside, can you imagine what they would write if they saw me up on the podium, surrounded by four highly intelligent and highly skilled blue-eyed blonde women?"

A reminder (because I believe this is pertinent to some of Breakdown & Muse's plans): the night of the first opera was also Thanksgiving night. Which means the following day is Black Friday....

There are three more nights of opera, or would be if the show runs its full course. I do plan for it to be interrupted at some point, though probably not in the way anyone's anticipating. If you wish to back out of the thread, now (between the first and second shows) is a prime time to do so.

8pp for Dead Head! Remove 1 rank Dodge focus (9pp to spend) Add +1 'base' Defense, raising it to +6 (+3 flat-footed) (7pp to spend) Add 5 feats: All-Out Attack, a second rank of Attack Spec (Shovel), Power Attack, Takedown Attack 2 (2pp to spend) Trad-Offs change to +1 Attack/-1 Damage; Defense/Toughness remains the same Add 1 rank in Protection (1pp to spend); this will alter his Knockback. Add 1 rank to Super-Senses, for Magic Awareness (0pp left) Code blocks for pertinent changes: [b]Power Level[/b]: 11 (167/167pp) [b]Trade-Offs[/b]: +1 Attack/-1 Damage, -5 Defense / +5 Toughness [b]Unspent PP[/b]: 0 [b][u]Combat[/u][/b]: [8 on Attack, 10 on Defense = 18pp] Attack +4 (ranged), +8 (melee), +12 (shovel) Grapple +14, +15 w/ Shovel Damage +6 (unarmed), +8 (shovel); +2 more w/ Sneak Attack Defense +6 (+6 Base, +0 Dodge Focus), +3 flat-footed Knockback -13, -8 vs. blessed, magical or silver attacks Initiative +2 [b][u]Saves[/u][/b]: [0+4+6 = 10pp] Toughness +16 (Impervious 10 [not vs. blessed, magical or silver attacks]) Fort --- Ref +6 (+2 Dex, +4) Will +6 (+0 Wis, +6) [b][u]Feats[/u][/b]: [15 feats] All-Out Attack Attack Focus (melee) 4 Attack Specialization (Shovel) 2 Equipment 1 (Shovel) Fearless Minion 15 (free from Player Reward) Power Attack Ritualist Sneak Attack Startle Takedown Attack 2 [b][u]Powers[/u][/b]: [3 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 31 + 5 + 3 + 16 + 39 + 1 + 3 = 107pp] [b]Anatomic Separation 1[/b] ([i]Extra[/i]: Variable Split) [3PP] [b]Comprehend 1[/b] (spirits) [2PP] [b]Enhanced Feats 3[/b] (Affects Insubstantial 2 for unarmed, Jack of All Trades) [3PP] [b]Feature 1[/b] (internal compartment) [1PP] [b]Immunity 32[/b] (critical hits, Fortitude effects; [i]Flaw[/i]: Limited [can be critical’d by blessed, magical or silver]) [31PP] [b]Impervious Toughness 10[/b] ([i]Flaw[/i]: Not vs. blessed, magical, or silver attacks) [5PP] [b]Insubstantial 1[/b] (disturbingly limber; [i]Drawback[/i]: Action 2 [Standard]) [3PP] [b]Protection 16[/b] [16PP] [b]Regeneration 37[/b] (recovery +14 [+9 total], injured 6 [no action], staggered 5 [move action], disabled 5 [1 minute], resurrection 7 [1 minute]; [i]Extra[/i]: True Resurrection (free); [i]PFs[/i]: Persistent, Regrowth) [39PP] [b]Speed 1[/b] (10 mph / 100 feet per Move action) [1PP] [b]Super-Senses 4[/b] (darkvision 2 [[i]Drawback[/i]: Noticeable], magic awareness, mental awareness) [3PP] [b]Totals: Abilities 10 + Combat 18 + Saves 10 + Skills 7 (28 ranks) + Feats 15 + Powers 107 - Drawbacks 0 = 167/167pp[/b] DONE BY SHAENTHEBRAIN

Archeville was up in his office, engaged in a video conference call with city officials in Dalian, China, to discuss the construction and operation of a new ArcheTech branch in that port city. The city had much to offer: a technology base, university background, and proximity to both Japan and Korea. And, to be honest, they could use ArcheTech's help, since four months ago two oil pipelines exploded, releasing tens if not hundreds of thousands barrels of oil into the Yellow Sea. But bureaucracy tended to slow things down, and the men he was talking to seemed to love their bureaucracy. Which is why, as important as getting this set up was, Archeville was relieved for the interruption. "" he said in perfect Mandarin, and bowed slightly to the video screens, "" Before any could protest, he appeared to collapse in upon himself into a pinprick of glue-gray light which then winked out of existence. Simultaneously, a blue-gray pinpoint of light appeared in Miss Ameircana's laboratory, and the Doktor appeared there. "Hello, Miss Americana!," he greeted her warmly. "What seems to be the- oh!" he exclaimed as he saw Slick's amorphous form.

"I am called Chevalier," the synthesized voice replied, "French for 'Knight'. A name given to me by odzers, I would add, due to my constant battles against culteests and ze forces of darkness. I suppose it fits, so I do not object. And, oui, it was pursuit of culteests dzat lead me here to Freedom City." "You have tangled with dzem, too, oui? Dzat is... dzat is how you came to be as you are now? Cursed with an inhuman form by evil culteests, using your new abilities to strike out at zhose who would do dze same to odzers?"

"'Hawk?!" Archeville said in response to the vigilante's voice coming from nowhere, a trick of the advanced and concealed speakers spread throughout his house. He teleported down to his sub-sub-basement laboratories, where the main communications hub was located. From here he could access equipment at Freedom Hall and ArcheTech, and use them and the gear at his home to triangulate the signal from Arrowhawk's communicator. "On my way!" A pinprick of blue-gray light appeared in the elevator with Arrowhak and Valkyrie, and a slight feeling of vertigo came over them as distorting gravitational fields played hob with their inner ear. Archeville appeared, carrying a blue paramedic's case. "Oh!" He had arrived just as Val had fainted, and moved to support her side opposite Arrowhawk. "What happened here?"

"I shall certainly try, young man," Archeville said reassuringly while doing a quick check of his vitals. "The last thing I wish to do is prove Fleur wrong!" "Gentlemen," he said to the two guards, "I will require assistance in getting him to the medlab, in case he starts seizing again." Powerhouse was taken up an elevator to another floor, to a room filled with advanced medical equipment and a handful of nurses and doctors, who'd already been briefed by Ngon. "Elevated heart rate, pupils dilated and bloodshot, responsive but groggy. Excessive hair growth, advanced keratinization of nails, receded gumline," he called out, "I will take blood samples; get monitors on him, fluids, and..." He paused a moment, though for his superhumanly fast mind a moment was like a few minutes. "... and set up a drip of that Arnica-derived antitumor medication, 0.1 mg/kg/minute." Now it was the others who paused in the midst of hooking up monitors to the young man. Butt hey trusted Archeville, and did as instructed. Archeville attempted to draw two vials of blood...

Wherein Dok joyously tells Mona that his Other side has been 'exorcised,' and flashbacks to the time when he first told her of his Other side.

Date: September 15th, 2010 (Wednesday). After Welcome to The Interceptors, Jill O'Cure! The cool, clear summer day perfectly reflected Doktor Archeville's mood as he flew along the Waterfront. He had flown over the coastline all the way up from Wading Way, twisting, spiraling, and barrel-rolling through the air, much to the delight of the children (and some of the ladies) along the shore. "Ha ha! I cannot wait to tell her!" "Her," of course, would be Mona Teymourian, his lover of the past eight months, better known as Fulcrum. Which is why he was headed for her loft apartment northeast of the Freedom Aquarium. Though, had he been thinking more clearly, he would have just teleported there. "Liebchen?," he called as he landed on her balcony, "are you home?"

Wherein Arrowhawk brings a badly-injured Valkyrie to Doktor Archeville, and later Evil!Dok has a tete-a-tete with Valkyire.

Date: October 15th, 2010 (Friday) Friday night, a night for partying and debauchery. And, of late, that is what Doktor Viktor Archeville had been doing with Mona Teymourian, but not tonight. Tonight, Fulcrum's patrol had brought her into conflict with vile undead creatures, and Archeville had been busy at Freedom Hall coordinating and cross-referencing all incoming reports about the increase in "cultist activity" over the past two weeks. As he worked, Archeville came across recordings of symbols left at certain attacks or at certain sites of theft. "I have seen those before... but where? Perhaps in some of those occult tomes I acquired form that estate auction." He slapped the tabletop, "and I have not gotten those scanned into the ArcheTech databases yet! I will need to return home to get them. Hrm... should not be a moment..." He set the systems to alert him of any incoming reports, and teleported back to his Hanover home to gather books. But something would keep him there for far longer than a moment. Not very long ago, Arrowhawk and Valkyrie had recently gone up against Nacht-Krieger, Ragnarok, and other SHADOW goons, and come out much worse for wear. Both needed medical attention, especially Vivian, the kind not even Freedom's advanced hospitals could provide. Fortunately, John knew one man who had the skills and the technology to help, and he knew exactly where he lived.

"I didn't thow 'em!," he protested. "Well... not that time...." "See, I was chasin' some drug smugglers," he explained, "were usin' corpses as their drug mules. Figured customs wouldn't look too close in a dead body. I tracked 'em to an airport, an' knocked out all but two, an' they'd fled to a lil' prop plane. They took off, an' as I was tryin' ta figger out a way ta get after 'em, I remembered tha 1983 Indonesian horror film Mystics in Bali, which had a leyak, a Balinese versions of a penanggalan. So I concentrated -- this was back when I still had all my mojo, mind you -- an' next thing I know, my head's tearin' itself outta my body and pullin' mah organs out, my lungs is flappin' like crazy lil' bird wings, an' I'm flyin' up after 'im!" He was chuckling now, and slapped one knee a few times with his remaining hand. "I glanced back an' saw the rest'a my body was still there on the ground, an' had keeled over. I went up an' scared the daylights outta them two smugglers; they almost crashed! I managed ta get 'em down safe, then went back and slithered my bits back into my body." So, not only horrifying, but flying in the face of aerodynamics, too.

Safe to assume this is taking place in early December?

Indeed it can! The Dimensional Pocket power is just Super-Movement (Dimensional), so changing it out of your active array slots means the door is closed (or, rather, no longer exists), but the stuff there still stays there.

A pinprick of blue-gray light appeared in the room with the assembled super-scientists, and they all felt the slightest twinge of vertigo as gravitational fields twisted and folded space into a microwormhole. Doktor Archeville suddenly appeared, in highly polish black rubber-soled workboots, neatly pressed khaki slacks, a white dress shirt, and an immaculately clean labcoat. His teeth gleamed, his eyes smoldered, and his hair was almost as luxurious as Gossamer's. "Hello, Ladies...," he said with an easy grin and a voice as rich and flowing as melted butter. "And Supercape." "Hope it is alright for me to drop in like this," he continued, walking about and admiring the room. "I know I am not officially a member of this fine organization, and me being seen here could stir rumors that this is connected with ArcheTech, when we know it is its own entity. But I would be happy to lend my keen eye to monitor things from one of the non-open areas, while you all show the guests and paparazzi around. A place like this," he spread his arms wide, "is bound to attract attention, particularly supervillain attention. I believe it would behoove you to have someone on monitor duty while you do the meet-and-greet, so that you do not miss anything while socially engaged. And as it so happens, my schedule for the next..." he glanced at the A. Lange & Söhne watch on his left wrist, "two hours, so I am both willing and able to offer my services for such monitoring."

Archeville joined in the enthusiastic applause for Victory's performance. "Excellent work, Lieutenant, simply excellent!" When Sleaze McRock started up, Archeville appeared slightly pained by the torturous (though not as torturous as expected) tones. "If that is what passes for popular music nowadays," he said to Mona, raising his voice to be heard above the din, "I can almost sympathize with Maestro..." "There are a few allies here I would like to introduce you to," he continued, squeezing her hand, "though it appears one," he nodded towards Gossamer, "is already engaged. I believe Miss Americana and Joan Collier are still inside, though. As are those wealthy science-donating, art-appreciating senators and congressmen!"