Dr Archeville

Archeville called out to Avenger as the elevator doors closed, "ve'll be in de MedLab, third floor!" Jeff and Ted continued making ready, moving with haste but not hurrying or rushing. The third, the one who'd nearly fainted when Jack and Taylor arrived, had crawled behind the security station and kept looking back and forth between the monitor and Jack. "He ain't showin' up on the cameras..." her murmured, "why ain't he showin' up on the cameras?! In the elevator, Archeville was by Taylor's side. He was clearly concerned for Taylor's and the baby's welfare, and slightly panicking at all that was going on. "Taylor, I svear I shall do all in mein power to deliver your baby safely. I... I do not know how ArcheTech's defenses vill vork against a determined und potent vampire... but dis, at least, I can help mit." "Und since I know dat husband of yours can be a stubborn fool," he added while pulling a cellphone out of his labocat, "I vill call a few of our friends to help."

IRON MAN 2 Movie Clips Grabbing A Quote Mark V Suit Prison Cell Tony's New Assistant

Archeville did a double take between the black hole Dark Star opened and the large device. "It is..." the Doktor began, then paused as he put his left hand in his labcoat pocket and used his right to convert his gadget's sparking cobra-spider setting back into its traditional wand-like shape. "It is a transmitter, von capable of broadcasting a signal across de entire planet. De signal it transmits closely matches dose of human brainvaves, so de device could be used to interrupt or even override human thought on a global scale." "Doctor Frank," he turned to the ASTRO Labs researcher, "who made dis, und vhy? Vas it to be part of some new global communications system?"

Archeville's eyes swept the room, his amazing mind cataloging every item within. Then he looked to "The Finn" and gave him an equally quick-yet-thorough glance. "Doktor. I did not spend several years at HIT just to be called 'Mister'. But you already knew dat, ja?" "I seek information, regarding a recent string of heists. Heists dealing mit advanced technology, such as vhat vould be found in a downed spacecraft at STAR Island, or a supervillain's gear kept in an evidence locker."

Shame on you for not making one of these already Doc's using his Gadgets to make Force Construct 3 (Str 15, Hvy Load 200 lbs.; PFs: Affects Insubstantial 2, Precise, Selective, Stationary, Tether) [12pp] Super-Senses 3 (acute ranged detect medical/physical condition) [3pp]

Archeville turned to the guards, "Jeff! Ted! Secure de doors, und prepare to repel attackers!" "Did he just say 'Dracula'?" one of the guards asked. "Is Dracula coming?" "Ja, he did," Archeville snapped as he went to Taylor's other side, "so prepare to repel an attacker mit all de powers traditionally associated mit Dracula. Mist form, animal control, hypnotic gaze, superhuman strength und resilience... vell? Get going!" "Yes, sir!" the guards replied, then ran off to the guard stations and began locking the facility down. "Attention, please," a pleasant voice over the PA system said, "this ArcheTech facility is under imminent attack. Please report to he nearest Panic Room and await further instruction. Attention, please..." "Given her condition, I hesitate to use any of mein teleportation systems," the Doktor said as he pulled forth his Electromagnetic Screwdriver and began manipulating the controls, "but ve cannot risk you falling through de elevator. I apologize, Taylor, but dis is not going to be very dignified." He pointed the wand-like device at her and pressed one final button, and two tendrils of blue-gray light snaked out. They circled her feet and then spiraled up her legs, forming a large, wide bowl shape under her. It molded into something vaguely chair like for her to sit and recline in, and she found it remained solid to her even when everything else wasn't. Then the whole contraption lifted a few inches off the ground, though it was still tethered to Archeville's gadget. "Av- Jack, are you coming mit, or staying here to fend off Dracula?"

One security guard's eyes went wide at the site, and he simply stood there frozen in panic. The two other guards on duty, being far more experienced, sprang into action. After hitting a concealed alarm button, they ran over to Jack and Taylor, asking them to calm down and explain what was happening. Meanwhile, in his office upstairs, Doktor Archeville was engaged in necessary but unexciting work. He'd made ArcheTech to build, to design, to break new ground, all of which thrilled him. But it also required work, endless paperwork, budgeting, meetings. The flashing alarm interrupted his work. He patched into the security feeds, and saw Tayor and the two guards near here. He saw one appearing to talk to air; that had to be where Jack was standing. A slight dizzy feeling felt by everyone in the lobby presaged Archeville's appearance via teleportation. "Jack! Taylor! Vhat happened?!"

"Oh! Maybe he fed on a real dragon, ages ago, and that's what got him so juiced up?" Dead Head looks at Avenger. Well, at where he last knew him to be. "Hey, who's t'say dragons weren't real? Why would they be more preposterous than vampires or witches or demons or aliens runnin' around?"

Dead Head snorted, "Preachin' t'the choir, man. Jes remember, always support th' head, babies got weak necks." Memories of cultists making sacrifices of babies, using their innocent blood and pure souls to powers their dark and terrible rituals, bubbled up in the revenant's mind. With a shudder, Dead Head shoved those memories down. "So... Dracula... got any theories on why he's so danged powerful? He ain't th' first vampire... is he?" He looked at Avenger, eyes filled with curiosity, "I mean, there's been stories an' legends 'about vampires fer millennia 'fore Stoker's novel, or even before Vlad th'Impaler was kickin' 'round. Did see two flicks that had interestin' theories. One, made by the guy what did them Mafia flicks, said he cursed an' turned from God when he found his wife was condemned 'cuz she committed suicide when she heard he'd been killed in battle, an' God cursed him right back, only t'be finally killed by the reincarnation of his wife, usin' the sword he'd used t' desecrate an altar. 'Nother one said Drac was really Judas, cursed fer what he did t'Jesus, an' could only be killed by hangin' him again. Oh, an' another one -- the one what had that fella from that hero origins movie, th' one that bombed -- said Drac was cursed by God, an' could only be killed by an angel what got bit by a werewolf. Man, where do they come up with that stuff?"

Without using his Enhanced Int (his tentacle-brain was on Enhanced Charisma, to bump his Bluff & untrained Intimidate) or his Gadgets (since it's a freaky sparking spider-cobra thing now), Doc can get a 30 by Taking 10 on a Know/Technology check. What's that tell him about the Quantum Transmitter Captain Thunderbolt, Lady Anarchy, and Johnny Speed and were trying to steal? Or would that be some other type of Knowledge check? (If he "puts his mind to it," and uses all his tools, he gets a 43 when Taking 10.)

:idea: Dead Head just hit PL 13 this month, so I thought I'd revisit plans for Dead Head's ultimate form. Abilities: [14+4-10+4+2+4 = 18pp] Str 24/+7 Dex 14/+2 Con --- Int 14/+2 Wis 12/+1 Cha 14/+2 Combat: [16 on Attack, 16 on Defense = 32pp] Attack +8 (ranged), +11 (melee), +13 (shovel) Grapple +18, +19 w/ shovel Damage +7 (unarmed), +9 (shovel); +2 more w/ Sneak Attack Defense +9 (+4 flat-footed) Knockback -16 (-9 vs. blessed, magical or silver attacks) Initiative +2 Saves: [0+4+6 = 10pp] Toughness +19 (Impervious 14 [not vs. blessed, magic or silver]) Fort --- Ref +6 (+2 Dex, +4) Will +7 (+1 Wis, +6) Skills: [92 ranks = 23pp] Diplomacy 12 (+14) Gather Information 12 (+14) Intimidate 14 (+16) Knowledge (arcane lore) 8 (+10) Knowledge (life sciences) 4 (+6) Knowledge (popular culture) 8 (+10) Knowledge (theology & philosophy) 8 (+10) Notice 14 (+15) Sense Motive 12 (+13) Feats: [16 feats] Accurate Attack Attack Focus (Melee) 3 Attack Specialization (Shovel) Connected Dodge Focus 1 Equipment 1 (Shovel) Fearless Interpose Power Attack Ritualist Sneak Attack Startle Takedown Attack 2 Powers: [3+11+8+3+32+7+2+19+19+24+3+13+1 = 145pp] Anatomic Separation 1 (Extra: Variable Split) [1x3 = 3pp] Animate Objects 2 (Extras: Horde, Range/Perception; Flaws: Action/Full, Limited to corpses [creates basic skeletons or zombies]; PFs: Mental Link, Progression 4/up to 25 zombies) [2x3 +5 = 11pp] Comprehend 2 (languages [understand all], spirits; PF: 2 Alternate Powers, Contacts, Well-Informed) [2x2 +4 = 8pp] AP: Comprehend 1 (spirits; Extras: Affects Others + Self, Burst Area; PFs: Progression 2/25-ft. burst) AP: Super-Senses 8 (postcognition, precognition; Flaws: Unreliable) Enhanced Feats 3 (Affects Insubstantial 2 for unarmed, Jack of All Trades) [3x1 = 3pp] Immunity 32 (critical hits, Fortitude effects) [32x1 = 32pp] Impervious Toughness 14 (Flaw: Not vs. blessed, magical, or silver attacks) [14x0.5 = 7pp] Insubstantial 1 (disturbingly limber; Flaw: Action 2/Standard; Drawback: Cannot squeeze through anything smaller than 6 inches in diameter) [1x3-1 = 2pp] Necromantic Powers 7 (14pp powers; PFs: 5 Alternate Powers) [19pp] BE: Enhanced Anatomic Separation 4 (Extra: Variable Split; brings total to Anatomic Separation 5 [Variable Split]) AP: Enhanced Extra 9 (Alternate Save/Fortitude on Str + Sneak Attack damage [+9]) [9] AP: Enhanced Feats 14 (Fearsome Presence 14 [70 feet, DC 24]) AP: Healing 10 (Extra: Resurrection [up to 10 years]; Flaws: Distracting, Resurrection only, Unreliable [sometimes they Come Back Wrong]; PFs: Progression 9/1 year per rank) AP: Nullify 14 (all magic effects; Extra: 70-ft. Burst Area, Duration/Concentration; Flaws: Limited to necromantic magic effects, Range/Touch) AP: Paralyze 14 (Flaw: Action/Full) Protection 19 [19x1 = 19pp] Regeneration 22 (recovery +14 [+9 total], injured 2/5 minutes, disabled 2/1 hour, true resurrection 4/hourly; Power Feats: Persistent, Regrowth) [22x1 +2 = 24pp] Enhanced Regeneration 6 (injured 2 [to 4/1 round], disabled 4 (to 6/1 round; Flaw: Source/raw meat) [6x0.5 = 3pp] Super-Senses 19 (darkvision, magic awareness, mental awareness, accurate radius ranged detect corpses [mental], true sight; Flaw: True Sight only works vs. undead and necromantic effects; Drawback: Darkvision is Noticeable) [9x1 + 10x0.5 -1 = 13pp] Enhanced Super-Senses 2 (acute and analytical for magic awareness; Flaw: Only for Necromantic magic) [2x0.5 = 1pp] Drawbacks: [1+3 = 4pp] Disability (destitute, Wealth of +0; uncommon, minor; -1pp) Vulnerable (to Mental Blast, x2 DC modifier; uncommon, major, -3pp) DC Block Unarmed -- DC 22/Toughness -- Damage Unarmed, Sneak Attack -- DC 24/Toughness -- Damage Shovel -- DC 24/Toughness -- Damage Shovel, Sneak Attack -- DC 26/Toughness -- Damage Paralyze -- DC 24/Will -- see Paralyze Abilities 18 + Combat 32 + Saves 10 + Skills 23 (92 ranks) + Feats 16 + Powers 145 - Drawbacks 4 = 240/250pp :arrow: left 10pp unspent, for wiggle room and in case anyone else came up with a really good idea. :arrow: A little smarter, a little wiser, a bit more charismatic. :arrow: Upped his Attack some, but even with sneak attack & his shovel he's only PL 12 offensively. :arrow: Massive increases to skills, to better reflect his nature as someone who's very likely to talk to you before hitting you. :arrow: Buffed up his Animate Corpses power, now he can animate any corpse he can accurately perceive, and animate up to 25 at a time. Increased the rank, so now he can animate things like cows or birds (things with Growth or Shrinking). :arrow: Added an Affects Others + Self Burst Area version of his Comprehend Spirits power; now he can make it so anyone within 25 feet can communicate with incorporeal and normally invisible and inaudible spirit beings, such as ghosts. (He lends some of his own energies to give the spirits enough "oomph" to manifest as ectoplasmic apparitions.) :arrow: Increased Necromantic Powers array. His Fearsome Presence is bigger, and he can resurrect beings who've been dead for up to a decade (though there's still the change they'll Come Back Wrong). Added a few new powers to it: :arrow: :arrow: A slot that adds Alternate Save/Fortitude to his unarmed sneak attack strikes, as a "direct attack on the life force" :arrow: :arrow: An "anti-necromancy" aura, using his own necrotic energies to counter and suppress any other necromantic effects. He tries not to use it when Avenger is near. :arrow: :arrow: Paralyze, by filling those he touches with "the chill of the grave". :arrow: Upped his regeneration/resurrection time, now he can come back after an hour. :arrow: added Accurate Radius Ranged Detect Corpses [mental], so he can accurately sense (and thus animate) corpses around him. Such as ones buried six feet under, or in a morgue drawer, or trapped in a wall. Added True Sight (only vs. undead and necromantic effects); he can now, for example, see through Silver Scream's Illusions and see her even when she's Concealed. Doesn't really help him see Avenger, though, that's still a skill vs. skill thing.

Psst... Pyre is in Factor Four (Evil!Mystical!Fantastic Four). Firebug's the pyromaniac member of the Thieve's Guild.

A string of colorful (and quite rapid-fire) expletives escaped Archeville's lips, in several languages. The English ones she knew, and she was passingly familiar with some of the French, German, and Spanish ones. The Arabic ones she could work out, since that language borrowed bits from Persian. The Chinese and Russian ones, though, were completely alien. As the tapestry of profanity filled the air, the Doktor rushed to the side of the Gravity Pad and tried to deactivate it. He put up his belt's force field to shield himself from the energy pouring from Fulcrum, the angry red of her energies clashing against the blue-gray of his energy bubble. "Ease up, Mona, ease up!," he shouted, "become de calm eye in de center of de hurricane!" There was no anger in his voice now -- that had all vented out with the cursing -- now he was all concern and compassion.

I'll leave that up to the three of you.

A minor (or is it?) detail: after collecting evidence from the drug house & the bodies, are you heading straight back to the Interceptor's Brownstone? Calling someone to collect the bodies? Shoving them all in, torching the place, and letting Sweet Mother Fire take care of everything? Summoning velociraptors to eat them?

Good enough for me! :approved:

Why Wander's pet cat is not allowed near the radiochemistry laboratories at Claremont.

Forensic SCIENCE! With his Enhanced Int & his Gadget, he can Take 10 on an Investigate check and get 34. Should be enough to collect some useful bits :twisted: ;)

Archeville waved goodbye to Thomas one last time before he made his way out of the shop. As he tuned the corner, the waitress returned with the bill. "A fine brew, madame," he complimented as he handed her a bill more than large enough to cover it. "Und excellent service, too," he added with a wink. She smiled back, and dashed off to get change, hoping for a large tip. When the waitress returned to the table, it was empty, and had been cleared off. Focusing on the large tip she now had, she assumed one of the other workers had swooped in and cleared it for the next customer. It did not occur to her that the Doktor had collected his own trash as well as that of his guest. Thomas' cup, as well as the straw he'd used to idly beat on the counter and the paper he'd touched to write his cell phone number on, were in forensic-quality baggies; he had also done a quick scan of the areas of the table he'd gripped with the powerful array of sensors in his wondrous electromagnetic screwdriver. These probably wouldn't tell him much -- the heat from the coffee cup would have degraded much of the samples on it -- but it would give him a start, and give him a few ideas of things to prepare for when they next met and he began testing in earnest. ~fin~

"Oh, it's been a pleasure fer me, Zak," the strange being said as he clasped his hand. "It's what I live- er... exist fer!" "An' don't worry none 'bout attackin' me," he said with a friendly slap on Zak's back, "happens t'me all th' time! I'm jes glad ya tried t'hold me, instead'a blastin' me in th' head!" Not because doing so would put him down, like it would most other undead, but because doing so would be quite messy and disturbing to see. "You can go on ahead, though, I gotta close up here." He shuffled down the rows of morgue drawers and double-checked the latches, making sure all were closed securely. "Gotta make sure they're all tucked in fer th' night."

"Seems an awful lot to put on the kid, an' he ain't even born yet. If havin' a kid was a sure-fired way'a makin' a relationship work... well, there'd be heckuva lot less single parents out there." "I hope it does work out for y'all, though, I do!," the zombie quickly added, "but only as long as yer together fer the right reasons. All the right reasons. Ya made the step from bachelor ta' husband, but are ya sure ya can make the step from... not-a-father to father? I mean, can ya really see yerself... well, not settlin' down, exactly, since yer both in the business'a helpin' others, an' she does so on a pretty darn big scale, too, but... whoa." Dead Head froze in his tracks, as did the hand on his shoulder. Before Avenger could ask what was up, if he saw anything unusual, he began to speak again. "She's probably gonna be away more'n you, tendin' t'all that magic stuff, so you'll be the one stuck babysittin'!" Passersby at the edge of the cemetery could just hear a haunting laugh on the night wind.

Please remember to put an entry for this in the Timeline!

Dun dun DUN! Seems like a good place to end this. Unless you've anything further to add, I'll make a wrap-up post.

And now would be when Fulcrum's complication re: using Extra Effort (since the weight's more than she can normally lift) comes into play :shock: (I figured you'd been building to that already.)

"Most liners are in de tens of thousands of tons, many close to or exceeding von hundred thousand. De Titanic vas about 46,000 tons, dough most cruisers of de time vere about half dat. Dey have, of course, gotten much bigger over de years; de Qveen Mary II, set to launch next month, is almost 150,000 tons." Fulcrum gradually realized that the Doktor was studying her face more than he was her body. Was he looking into her eyes for some indication of fluctuating power levels? Many metahumans who manipulated energy had odd glowing lights in their eyes, especially when taxing their powers as never before. Or was it something else he was looking for? "Interesting, as dat is much de same reasony vhy I came to Freedom," he said as his gaze trailed down her face, "to de Hanover Institute of Technology, instead of finishing up at Technische Universität München- er, de Technical University of Munich. De German education system is qvite strict und inflexible, und dey vould not allow me to place out of as many courses as I vould have liked, or taken as many as I felt I could handle. Dey denied me...." Archeville's tone made a noticeable shift, as did the look in his eyes. Several other changes occurred, too: the jaw clench a hair, a slight sneer, a minor furrowing of the brow, a slight clenching of the left fist around his techno-wand. And then, just as suddenly, they all melted away, and he resumed his lighter and more inviting tone. "Vhich is vhy I am so glad I vas able to transfer to HIT. I haff even done a few lectures dere, since returning. You may haff heard about de von from last March," he said as his gaze trailed down her face, "de von crashed by Kapitan Knievel. Lucky for me, Dark Star vas-" At that point, the gravity pad's weight exceeded Fulcrum's utmost abilities to lift, and something lashed out from her.