Avenger Assembled

As it happened, there were already people on the way to see Danica - as they found out not long after stepping out into the hallway together. "Hey Danica!" said Judy cheerfully, giving her friend a big hug that showed she was just as warm as a heated rock, as usual. "Ah made something for you - who's your friend?" She handed Danica a hat with a familiar coloration - with its green face and black and gold shell, the crocheted tortoise hat wasn't a bad match for Danica's own coloration. Judy was about five six and pretty, with big dark eyes and long black hair, and a gold cross around her neck that looked pretty against her tan skin. She wore a shiny dark ring on her finger, a story that Danica had heard all about already. Behind Judy, a stocky, dark-haired girl scowled at Mia with a face that looked like it had seen a whole lot for eighteen. Crossing her arms over her chest, she studied the new girl skeptically over the top of her dark sunglasses.

Sorry, just slang! she typed with a smiley face when her cute space friend checked her grammar. Probably can't be too careful with ten thousand different languages up there. Believe me, boys or girls are the last thing on my mind right now. Working around kids sucks. She considered for a moment, then added: I like being around men, and I thought that was it for me for a long time. But I think there's more to me than that. She smiled, and then went on. So if I ever sound weird about anything when we're talking, that's why. I wanted to get that out of the way before I talk about how I've been thinking about taking you on my motorcycle all week. There are places around here where you can be alone on the road and drive as fast as you want.

When did you first realize you liked girls? Laying in bed while Judy took a rare power-draining nap on the bed next to her, Ashley was glowing brightly and wide-awake. Did I come on too strong? Crap I bet I came on too strong. Well there was no going back now. Sorry if that's heavy. Just curious.

Fall 2019 The message came in from an alien on a distant planet in the depths of space - but then most of them did when you were in the Scout Service. Can i ask you something personal?

Aquaria extended a hand - her grip was wet, cold and just a little slimey when she closed a three-fingered hand around Lulu's. "Hello," she croaked softly, her voice higher when she wasn't trying to project to a whole room. "Yes, the folk-tales, and the question. Thank you for your words. They were kind." For her part, Aquaria had gone through most of a whole jug of water by herself just during the party. She sipped from her cup, which required pouring it down her throat, then turned her upper body so she could watch Lulu with one big eye. "They had reason to be afraid."

Fall 2019 8PM The night of Sea Devil's talk in Dagon the King The reception had mostly, but not entirely, cleared out. Aquaria had seriously considered skipping it but the food was free and she never would turn down free fish. She'd stood by the snack table, picking up kippers and eating them like a Surfacer would eat canapes, and chatted with a few faculty and students who were interested in what she had to say. By the end of the evening she was feeling, perhaps not perfect, but better. Some few of those who had come had been willing to listen, and even that Atlantean prince had been willing to sing to her for a little while. Even if he has no manners. Sweetest of the Fallen indeed! But now the Atlanteans were gone and it was just the monster and the men, and some of the students were milling around with the knowledge that curfew didn't technically apply if you were attending an on-campus event like this.

Powers: 12 + 10 + 5 + 1 + 11 + 12 + 2 + 50 + 2 + 20 + 3 + 14 = 142PP Concealment 10 (all senses, Extra: Affects Others, Flaw: Phantasm, PFs: Selective, Variable Descriptor 1 [entropic/psionic]) (mutation, entropic/psionic]) [12PP] Enhanced Feats 10 (Defensive Roll 4, Dodge Focus 4, Luck 2) (mutation, precognition, psionic power) [10PP] Enhanced Skills 20 (Concentration 3, Search 10, Sense Motive 7) (mutation, psionic) [5PP] Immunity 1 (aging, Flaw: Half Effect) (mutation, temporal) [1PP] Immunity 10 (psionic effects, Extra: Affects Others, Flaw: Limited [Half-Effect], PF: Innate) [11PP] (training, prowess) Impervious Will Save 12 (mutation, psionic) [12PP] Protection 2 (mutation, entropic) [2PP] Psi-Powers Array 20 (40 points; PFs: Alternate Power 9, Variable Descriptor 1 [Entropic/Psionic]) (mutation, psionic, entropic) [50PP] BE: ESP 5 (Clairvoyance; Auditory + Visual Senses, 5 miles, DC 25 Notice; Extras: Action [Free], Duration [sustained], No Conduit, Simultaneous; PFs: Rapid 2 [Full Action to Search 1 mile diameter area, 1 minute to Search 5 mile diameter area], Subtle; Complication: Medium [living creatures]) {38/40} AP: Damage 12 (Entropokinesis/Telekinesis; Extra: Range [Perception]; Flaw: Action [Full]; PFs: Knockback 10 [Total 20], PFs: Precise, Stunning Attack, Subtle) {40/40} AP: Damage 12 (precisely applied telekinesis, Extra: Alternate Save [Fortitude], Range 2 [Perception]; Flaw: Action [Full], PFs: Precise, Sedation, Subtle) {39/40} AP: Drain Charisma 12 (precisely applied telekinesis 2.0, Extra: Range 2 [Perception], PFs: Insidious, Precise, Subtle) {39/40} AP: Emotion Control 12 (suggest; Extras: Mental, Secondary Effect; PFs: Insidious, Mind Blank, Subtle) {39/40} AP: Illusion 10 (all senses; Extra: Duration [Sustained]; Flaw: Phantasm) {40/40} AP: Mental Transform 12 (Memory Alteration; Extras: Alternate Save [Will], Duration [Continuous/Lasting], Mental, Range [Perception], Flaw: Action [Full], PFs: Precise, Subtle) {26/40} AP: Mental Blast 12 (mental stab, Flaw: Action [Full], PFs: Precise, Sedation, Subtle) {38/40} AP: Mind Control 12 (compulsion; Extras: Conscious, Instant Command; Flaw: Action [Full], PFs: Mental Link, Subtle) {39/40} AP: Move Object 12 (Telekinesis; Str 60, Hvy Load 48 tons; Extra: Range [Perception]; PFs: Precise, Split Attack, Subtle)) {39/40} AP: Stun 12 (subjugation; Extras: Alternate Save [Will], Mental, Range 2 [Perception]; Flaws: Action [Full]; PFs: Sedation, Subtle, Variable Descriptor [pain/sleep]) {39/40} Shield 2 (mutation, psionic) [2PP] Super-Senses 24 (Danger Sense [Mental], Acute Radius Ranged Mental Sense, Mental Sense Counters Illusion, Counters Concealment, Penetrates Concealment, Postcognition [Flaw: Uncontrolled], Precognition [Flaw: Uncontrolled], Psionic Awareness 2 [Mental], Uncanny Dodge [Mental]) (mutation, psionic) [20PP] Super-Senses 1 (Communications Link 3 [Mental] [Fast-Forward, Thoughtspeed, Holly]) (mutation, psionic) [3PP] Telepathy 6 (12PP Array; PF: Alternate Power 2) [14PP] BE: Communication 6 (Mental, 20 miles; Extras: Linked [Comprehend, Mind Reading]; PFs: Rapid 3 [x100], Subtle) {10} + Comprehend 2 (Speak And Understand 1 Language At A Time; Extras: Linked [Communication, Mind Reading]) {4} {10+4=14/14} AP: Mind Reading 12 (Extras: Mental, Penetrating, Flaw: Duration [instant/Lasting]; PF: Subtle) {13/14} AP: Move Object 3 (Telekinesis; Str 15, Hvy Load 150 lbs.; Extras: Damaging, Range [Perception]; PFs: Precise, Subtle) {14/14}

APPROVED

I did my thing - sounds like you're up, @Fox!

Sea Devil It's not working! It's not working! Aquaria could see the Atlantean man smiling and knew why - whatever moment she'd had with the prince of Atlantis had been taken away by the shouting boy and the fleeing girl. She hardly paid attention when the other girl tried to distract the others with Surfacer folk-tales, instead looking down at her hands spread flat on the stage in front of her and imagining the blood on them. They will see Deep Ones and they will kill them, because of what I taught them. She could hear what was happening in the theater; the elders who were chastising the girl who had cast her spells, others talking about 'getting a trace' on the one who had vanished, and no doubt others following the beautiful boy with the terrible words. She pulled her hand from the floor with a wet sticking sound in preparation for a leap up to the ceiling - when suddenly a Surfacer's hand was in hers. No, not a Surfacer's at all. "It is a hard thing to be alone before alien eyes, sweetest of the Fallen," sang Prince Telemachus to the Deep One. "Be thee not afraid." And Aquaria took his hand and squeezed it in her own and sang in return, "I thank you, Prince of the Light, but I am not alone." She thought of those she loved, and all who had brought her here - to the Hell Above. The headmistress was on her way back down to the stage to restore order, but all that was on the Sea Devil's mind for the moment were the words of prayer she'd learned as a young spawn. What was lost will be regained, and what was taken will be returned. In strange aeons - even death may die! It would up being, all things considered, a very interesting talk.

Aquaria hunched down at Heroditus's words, squatting on the stage with her rear legs folded up behind her and forelimbs and hands spread out before her. The camera that was keeping track of her movements for the people in the back took a moment to pan down at her. "It is...bad for them," she croaked, after a time. "It is the true power of the Mother and the Father, and it is bad for their brains, it makes them rot. Someday they will be ready, but not this day." But not soon. Not in Jessie's lifetime. She scrubbed a hand across her broad face, thinking sad thoughts. "P-pardon me," said Prince Telemachus, raising his hand and rising to his feet, his face flushed with nerves now that he'd spoken in front of everyone. His stutter drew out his question as he stumbled over Aquaria's name, and thinking of other people like him she'd met in therapy, croaked softly "Why don't you sing it?" The Atlantean teen hesitated, swallowed, and then in an Atlantean melody translated by the room's subtitles: "When will that day be, sweetest of the Fallen?" Aquaria inflated her throat, deflated it, looked like she wanted to say a few things even though of course she knew the Atlantean poetry (if it could be called poetry in her considered opinion) and then said, "We believe that one day there will be a day of great transformation and change. That the stars will be right, and the first will be last and the last will be first, and the sea will give up its dead, and wrongs will be undone, and justice will prevail."

"Oh, she was! It was terrible, the ones with powers took her from her home, and did terrible things to her brain, and-" Aquaria was vigorously waving her arms about and hopping around, evidently a gesture of real excitement, when she was interrupted cooly by the headmistress, who had appeared on-stage with her with a swift professionalism. "Just to clarify Ms. Innsmouth's remarks, the heroine known as Singularity was held at a version of Claremont in another dimension, then liberated from there by Claremont students. It was a difficult and dangerous mission, and not one that should be repeated." "Yes, thank you! It was another dimension!" said Aquaria loudly. "I was going to say that part. But yes, that happened to her in another dimension. Did any of you have the thing where you met the ones who were you from another dimension? That was...that was very interesting!" she added awkwardly. "Does anyone have any other questions?" Another question about music got her singing - a deep, throbbing base that she said was a song for "the word in your language is romance, but it means something different in ours. The female sings it for the male and asks for his spear." There was some light tittering and she hastily added, "No, people think that, but our - oh, I am not supposed to talk about that, I am sorry!"

October 2019 The Extradimensional Birdwatching Club is sponsoring an expedition to Earth-Vacant-X, a parallel world where human never evolved. Swim in an ocean that's never seen a whaler, climb Habbakuk Hill in a world that's never known a logger, and look for birds in a world that's never known a hunter! What. Could. Go. Wrong?

Thanks, @Grumblefloof and @RocketLord - didn't mean to skip you there! Cheval: His spirit is present and it is _dead_, possibly one of the more ominous things you have ever seen. It appeared someone killed this man and then killed his spirit, which would certainly require some powerful magic. Persephone: The plants are still shaken by the arrival of the anti-living thing - but they did indeed witness the taking of another life nearby and recently. "But we do not want it! It has the same bad taste as the anti-living thing!"

You may if you like! We can also just figure out what happened.

Geez robot lady what's your deal. But there were other things to deal with than friendly robots. "I'm fine," Riley said to Persephone without removing his nightvision gear. "Work to do." "No pockets. Work clothes?" Woodsman searched the body, and the area around it, a scowl in his voice even if his face wasn't visible. Can't see a damn thing. Nobody leaves footprints on solid concrete, except - "Look." He shone his flashlight at marks around the body, a circle of what might have been footprints, almost completely washed away by the storm. "Nothing comes. Nothing leaves. They just dump him here. Will join others in moment." He'd already taken out an all-weather camera to start snapping pictures. - Taking the greatest role in working with the people of Weston meant that it was initially Persephone who got the tearful thank-yous, the embraces, and even the surprise pictures being taken. It was obvious the people here were grateful for their help - after all, people in Vibora didn't have quite the familiarity with superheroes that people in other parts of the world did. But as everybody went about their night's work, rescuing the injured, tending to broken power lines, it was clear _everyone_ was getting attention - whatever they'd done to stay in the shadows before this, it wasn't going to work for much longer. This was especially true after emergency services, somewhat belatedly thanks to the storm, arrived to work alongside them - police, fire, EMTs, sailors from the nearby base, everyone in Vibora pitching in to clean up after the storm and the beast's rampage. People had died tonight, it was clear, in the dozens maybe - but prompt action by Vibora's defenders had turned what could have been an apocalypse into a near-disaster. Woodsman kept his nightvision gear on as he worked; it made it easier to spot people in the darkness of the pre-dawn hours. Eventually, the wounded were in hospitals and the dead identified - and the rain was, as if by a miracle, beginning to stop. Before the heroes left, they all had a message passed to them - Mayor Barker wanted to see them the next day. The next morning, the news was full of stories of the horrific "Croczilla" that had attacked during the night's torrential storm - and of the mysterious heroes who had saved the day. There were at least shadowy pictures of all of them out now, and clearer ones of those who hadn't been careful, or at least discreet, during the post-disaster cleanup. DOES VIBORA BAY HAVE ITS FIRST SUPERTEAM?

Okay, I'll let people decide what they're gonna do at this point!

Aquaria hopped in the air slightly, and Heroditus had the idea she sounded pleased by the question. "Yes. That is a good story. Some time ago there were terrible things in the stars," she said, gesturing to the sky above them, "and whole worlds died. There is a group called the Spectrum Knights," and at this one of the Lor students gasped aloud, "who wanted to use those terrible things to rule. So they took people from all over the stars and gave them armor, and told them to use it to kill everyone who was their enemy." Sea Devil tapped her armor and said, "But I did not do that. Oh, I had many adventures in the stars; my friend saw a rockman and she had to punch off his face. He is better now though. And so now this armor is mine! It makes it easier for me, because I can keep it moist. Otherwise my skin dries out in the air and it feels bad." She moved around a bit in her armor, and Crimson Spoke was polite enough to subtitle (squelching noises). Another student asked a question about Deep One politics, and Aquaria did her best to answer - Deep Ones were divided into a variety of groups politically, without the unity of Atlanteans. There were the Deep Ones who lived in the great cities on the ocean bottom, the ones who lived in isolated tribes like Aquaria's, and others who "were close with Surfacers. But that does not work,", Aquaria emphasized. "It is a bad idea. Surfacers should not worship Deep Ones, or our gods. It is not good for them." Another student, the Lor who had jumped a little at the mention of the Spectrum Knights, asked, "Is your friend who fought the rock creature the same as the one with the dog?" "Oh yes! She is Singularity, she is my best friend. We met when we were in Project Freedom together." Aquaria waved her hand. "She did not want to come today, because when she was your age, she was held prisoner under Claremont and they did very bad things to her. I told her it was a different Claremont but she stayed home to make pictures."

"Yes," said Aquaria, "some of us look very different from each other. There are some who look like me, who live in very shallow seas or by the mouths of rivers, and some who lives down in the deep waters, the Dark Brothers. Those are the ones with the bigger scales and the teeth that always stick out." She pointed to her face to demonstrate how when she closed her mouth, her teeth entirely disappeared. "When I was in a city, I once saw a female who had a head like an anglerfish, with the part here that glows and dangles, and ohhhh she had a fine set of teeth!" she croaked enviously. She spread her hands, then said, "When many of us are together, we...are more alike than you are," she said, picking over the words. "But we are not like fish who swim in schools, who only think one thing."

For his part, Comrade Frost tended to take a rather low opinion of American monsters - who could turn to crime around all this wealth and so many heroes? He made a dead run at Cyprus, disappearing into mist just before he struck the beast, and grabbed him from behind again. At his touch, dead flesh froze and living plants withered, the plant creature's body stiffening and cracking as deathly cold suffused its frame. Frost dived away from Cyprus rather than press the fight to the finish - he didn't want to be at ground zero when the other members of the League opened fire.

Okay, guys, how about we do (in no particular order) - Frost freezes him solid, Fleur fries the plants in him, Gaian Knight grabs him in rocks, and then Velocity and Gabriel smash him?

The place was packed, but having "called ahead" Ashley wasn't too worried about that. Luckily most of the crowd here was fairly young and fairly well-behaved, within certain limits. Because going to a Christian concert means you're going to behave yourself in public. She treated herself to some mental laughter about that one while scoping out the situation, flashing her fake ID at the door with the scowl that probably meant she was going to grow some lines on her face. Once they were all inside, she let the way through the crowd, scanning as they went. "We are a little standoffish," Judy admitted to Corinne in the noise of the crowd, "but that's just because things are so different here. Back home Ah had...well Ah thought I had friends anyway, but that didn't work out very well at all!"

"I had full discretion on deciding who the team's new Captain Thunders were going to be. I just had to make sure neither of you thought you _were_ the next Captain Thunder." Bolt rose, a smile in his automated voice. "Come on. It's time to meet the team."

Frost considered several responses on the way back to the transporter before he said, "Consider this. The Centurion was not the strongest of us because he showed us all the things he could lift with his muscles, or because he chided us when we were weak. He showed us how to be strong. Let that be your guide, Terrifica."

"No!" Aquaria croaked with great force. "Those are terrible things!" Grateful for Leroy's interruption, conscious of the damnable tiny eyes of the Atlanteans as they stared at her, she quieted, breathing wetly for a moment before she said, "We will survive if there is peace. For adults to know their children will always have enough food, and for children to know they will be able to grow up. To sing our songs and pray to our gods in the knowledge that we might live. And we must learn that we _can_ have a peace. We have to believe that this is possible - that one day the stars will be right and the first will be last and the last will be first and the land will be at peace with the sea." There was applause from at least one Atlantean - but his smile was just as predatory as Aquaria's. "A noble speech! But then why are you here?" asked Dalekos from his seat. "Why are you here among the surface-people, Ackweera? Why not go and take this happy message to other Deep Ones?" Summers was on her feet now, moving quickly to the Atlantean's side and whispering in his ear firmly, but Aquaria kept speaking anyway. "Because this is my home."