Dr Archeville

"No, no, he ain't a vampire," he said while waving dismissively, "least, not the blood-drinkin' kind. Guess ya could say he's a spiritual vampire, feedin' on human sufferin' an' death. He's the loa -- that what the Voodoo folks call their gods -- a' death an' the undead, same way Siren's the loa'a tha seas." The zombie shook its head, and his mouth drew tight, "he's a nasty cuss, an' I'd oppose 'im with my last breath -- er, well, y'know what I mean -- even if he didn't seem so danged intent on either enslavin' or destroyin' me. Worse, he prefers workin' through intermediaries, both livin' an' undead, rarely gettin' directly involved, so he's as damnably hard ta catch as any other drug pusher. An' since he's a loa, if'n his host body's ever seriously impaired, he can jes' leap t'another host." He looked up at Wander, smiling (as best as his frozen face could), and tried looking her in the eye. "If'n I ever get word he's nearby, though, you'd be tha first I'd want fer backup."

"Oh, believe you me, there are!," he chuckled, which didn't sound too unnerving. "Spent about a decade goin' all up an' down tha east coast, doin' what I could. Even spent some time down in Louisiana, durin' the clean up'a Hurricane Katrina, helpin' put spirits ta rest an' makin' sure Baron Samedi didn't raise an unholy army." He rocked a bit more again, "but why here? Well, why're so many superheroes an' supervillains here? There's a whole wide world out there," he flung his arms wide, then slowly drew them back in, "but so many of 'em stay here. Why? I dunno, but fer me, it jes' feels... right, that I should be here. An' there no lack'a spirits 'round this city. Shoot, Lantern Hill alone...." his voice trailed off. He cocked his head slightly, "you ever tangled with any'a Samedi's folk? Seems you'd be a natural at that."

Ah, good, it weren't me. Wait, that still ain't good! Dead Head looked back and forth between the two Avengers, finally settling on Other!Avenger. "Yeah, I see ghosts. Yers probably sees a ton more'n I do, though. So, tha 'Revenants' poundin' on yer Freedom City is the vamps what ain't been fed enough? Yer runnin' out'a blood, so ya chuck out tha surplus population, put up barricades like yer in a Romero flick? Sooo... how d'we know that aint gonna start up again if y'all was moved t'another world? I'm guessin' yer Vampire League'd want out, an I'm guessin' the vamped Johnny Rocket goes through a lot'a folks..."

"No ma'am!" the Revoltin' Revenant quickly answered. "An' I don't like bitin', anway! Only time in the past, oh, year that I bit someone was durin' tha Grue Invasion, when I got swallowed up by one'a them giant critters. No room ta punch or kick, only way I could strike at it was ta bite. Tasted nasty, too!" "Now that ain't ta say I cain't make other zombies -- I can -- BUT," he quickly raised raised his hands up defensively, "they're usually the slow, mindless type, more like the way some folks can animate objects like chairs an' furniture. Kinda the same way I can animate parts'a meself what get separated." The zombie casually yanked off its left hand, which scurried around a bit (though never close to Wander). "An' I always ask the previous owners first before animatin' the bodies, an' make sure they get properly re-buried once I no longer need 'em for a job." "Which brings me ta my other big thing: I can talk to tha dead. See 'em, too. An' they know I can see an' ear 'em, so they flock ta me, askin' fer help. Which I do, ta the best'a mah 'bility." "How's 'bout you?" The disembodied hand crawled back to Dead Head, and reattached itself, "what tricks you got, aside from hittin' harder'n a freight train an' movin' like greased lighnin'?"

"Hooo-ee! Y'ain't gotta tell me that's some major bad ju-ju," Dead Head grimaced, "I can almost feel it poundin' in mah head!" The Revoltin' Revenant tightened his grip on his trusty shovel, and shifted anxiously from side to side; as much as he hated cultists for disturbing the dead, he had to admit he loved beating on them as much as most other superheroes loved beating on Nazis. "So, how ya wanna do this? Both rush in? Or have me go in as tha main distraction, you sneak aroun' an' do yer stealthy beatin' thing?"

"Ah, being regularly exposed to tha traumas in yer life to help ya in gettin' over 'em, so's you can better process an' accept 'em," the zombie replied, nodding. "I've heard'a that before. Seems ta help, basically de-sensitizin' ya to tha trauma." "Tell ya 'bout meself? Well..." The Revoltin' Revenant stroked his chin thoughtfully, "ya already know a little 'bout me. I was with friends at a New Year's Eve party ten years ago, when the clock struck twelve green lightnin' lashed outta my head and killed everyone, then I got up again. Dunno why, dunno how, an' if'n there's any more like me out there, I ain't met 'em." "But that's nothin' new ta you, so..." It rocked back and forth slightly, hands on its knees, and took a deep rasping breath. "My name's Burton Lee, but most'a my friends called me Bert. I was born in North Carolina; got a younger brother an' sister, Keith an' Katherine. Far as I know, they, and our parents, are still among tha livin'. I'd wanted ta study medicine in college, become a neurologist, but mah grades were never good enough -- spent way too much time watchin' horror an' sci-fi flicks -- so I went fer a basic biological sciences major instead, thought maybe I could eventually get work as a lab tech or research assistant. I was one semester away from graduatin' when I died."

Dead Head noticed the look Other!Avenger shot at Atlas. Did they have a Grue Invasion, and stop it by feedin' on 'em? "So it's Vamps vs. Zombies on yer world, with you in the city an' them outside? How'd that start?" As soon as he asked that, one thought echoed in his skull. Please don't let it be me please don't let it be me please don't let it be me.... "An' why would we help vampires move t'another world?" He focused on Other!Avenger, trying very hard not to look at Our!Avenger.

He's rattled 'bout somethin'. Best go easy, fer starters, talk up his church. "I 'preciate that, padre," he replied, trying to sound like he was warming a bit but still keeping his distance. "Is the place always this crowded? Cain't imagine ya can keep track'a everyone what comes in. I mean, ya probably do a better job'n the cops do, they don't seem t'care none 'bout us folks what fall through th' cracks."

"Talk, hunh?" The zombie slowly lowered its arms, and put its hands on its hips. "So, ya come ta pick my brra-" It paused, jaw hanging open for a moment before it reached up and pushed it shut. "Well... you know. So...." the Revoltin' Revenant plopped down between two gravemarkers, sitting cross-legged, "what madeja change yer mind 'bout havin' anythin' t'do with me outside'a knockin' ma head into another zip code?"

So... how is he a superhero, exactly? Because that's what we play here. A char like this sounds like a one-shot NPC.

Archeville nodded to Jack, but before he could say anything, Grim & Colt began reading over the letter. His face lit up, and he quickly scanned the letter. "Time travel? You haff time traveled? Dat is fascinating! Vhat vas de method employed? Vhat did it feel like? Vhen did you go, und for how long?" "I mean..., " he paused and cleared his throat, "I haff some experience mit family histories, und how dey can influence you, so if I can be of any help...." Suddenly he had a not unattractive Latina on him, causing him to set his cooler down. "Elena! I must say, I vas not expecting you here!" He returned the kiss, "und, yes, I can still be taught a few dings." Hearing his native tongue, he turned to Talya and gave a curt bow, taking her offered hand and kissing it. "" He smiled back, ""

Ashton and Greenvile were fairly new bedroom communities, only two and a half decades old. Which meant they had few cemeteries, and those they had were small. Which was not to say they didn't have their own restless spirits, same as any centuries-old graveyard. Which is what drew the Revoltin' Revenant to the area. Not any specific spirits, none had come to him from here, but rather as part of his slow but steady rounds of all the cemeteries, crypts, graveyards, and other burial places of the city of Freedom. "Hellllllooo!" he moaned, calling to any spirits in the area. "Do any'a y'all need someone ta-" Then he saw her, in the distance. The one who'd dismembered him once already, and had threatened to do so again. "Sonuva..." Dead Head froze, and swayed slightly in the night breeze.

"Yeah, yer right, I did," the creature... sighed exasperatedly? "There's somethi' weird goin' on, I been antsyier'n a long-tailed cat in a room full'a rockin' chairs lately." [bg=#000000]He's evil! You can't trust 'im![/bg] "Oh, hush up," the zombie suddenly barked at the space behind Trevor, "you already mislead me once." It turned back to address Midnight, trying to put a relaxed look on its rictus grin-frozen face. "As fer why I'm here now, I was chasin' some graverobbers. I think they was taking components fer some spells or rituals, not whole bodies, though they did have a few enlisted corpsemen with 'em already. Like that fella yonder," he added with a nod towards the body on the lawn. "So, what's yer stake in thi-" The zombie suddenly paused, and its eyes widened a bit. "Stake! Are you one'a 'Venger's people?"

" he said as she stepped through the portal, ""

"Apollo, eh? Cain't say I ever interacted with any'a the Greek gods. What's he like?" [bg=#000000]Sunny?[/bg] The zombie shot a look at the spot near him, then turned back to Moira. "He say anythin' specific? Cain't say I heard'a any Greek critters or Hades worshipers roamin' around, but mebe someone knows somethin' they ain't told me yet." The zombie began carefully packing up the items onto the blanket, and tying it into a neat bundle. [bg=#000000]Hey! We are not finished here![/bg] "No, we ain't, but you need ta think 'bout what is is yer really here fer. It ain't 'ta make a flag'!"

Archeville warmly embraced his friend and comrade, "" "" "I met a girl, about a year ago, who shared many of your abilities. And earlier this month she outed herself. Alexandra Albright. Has Summers called on you to assist her?>"

"Turning Lead into Gold is not nearly as difficult as some make it out to be," Archeville replied nonchalantly, "but it is not nearly as useful as it vonce vas. Now, Carbon to Lithium, or an efficient vay to synthesize transuranic elements like Californium -- dat vould be useful!" "Dough... I suppose you do already know de difficulties in dat. Perhaps... tell me, vhat are your plans for de future? I mean, do you plan to attend college after Claremont?"

... three PCs have 20. :lol:

Awkward as the grab was, the sheer strength of Havok's suit won out over Archeville's un-enhanced grasp! The Doktor let out a "Nein!", then disappeared.

Opposed Str check v. Havok's disarm attempt (1d20=4) My Science! No! ... that's the first time anyone's ever tried doing that in the middle of combat, so I'm gonna let it go. Free Action: Maintain Flight Free Action: Switch to Cloaking Field Full Round Action: Switch Pseudonatural Brain Array, using an HP for Heroic Feat (alternate power power feat). ... and hope he thinks Dok teleported away once his Gadget was stolen, and he wastes some time gloating...

TP back? Bah! Science waits for no man, or reinforcements! Initiative (1d20+7=20)

Dead Head's eyes widened at the sudden appearance of the second Jack, but his jaw dropped (not literally, this time) when he addressed him by name. "H-How the devil d'ya know my name?" I ain't even told any'a them that! He quickly recomposed himself, "ya might as well jes' sit down an' get comfortable -- if'n ya know us so well, ya should know ya ain't gettin' outta here."

For future reference, you might want to add on the Limited [Only vs. creatures with a vulnerability or weakness to silver] Flaw on to the Drain Toughness part of the Corrosion. It'd reduce the total cost to 2pp/rank.

2 years, 4 months, 14 days, 1 hour, and 3 minutes ;)

If you want to be. DH's tone has shifted to a move conversational one.