Avenger Assembled

"Oh jeez, it's these clowns." Gina had taught Sharl all about some of the more colorful science villains of Freedom City, and the Factor Four, decades-old mutants who had tried to blend 'magic' and science and had turned themselves into a salutary lesson for scientists everywhere, had been among the most prominent in those lessons. Stupid and powerful. Just like most supervillains. With no secret identity to protect, Sharl covered for the others, trusting on his nigh-invulnerable nature and fast reflexes to protect him as he flew up to confront the four supervillains face-to-face. He knew the pyrokinetic could actually hurt him, and there wasn't much he could do to bother either the rock-man or the gas girl, so instead he confronted the leader of the Factor Four face-to-face. Just like Miss Americana would do...gulp! "All right, all right, I'm all alone here and there are four of you, I'm not stupid. Hey, I'm Citizen, by the way, you must be the famous Professor Fathom." He stuck a hand out to the watery villain, glad the emitter he'd left down at floor level was insulated. "Listen, the museum obviously doesn't put working artifacts out in public display, all that would do is attract thieves and that's the last thing they want with all these civilians, right? Anyway, the real Bauble is down in the basement: let's go down and get it and maybe you can be gone quick before Young Freedom shows up here. They're pretty tough, and you've got to be tired of fighting generation after generation of teenagers, right? Right." he said expectantly.

Do you need a roll from me to catch D-Gray, TT?

Citizen was torn between obeying Miss Americana's orders and coming to her aid. He'd fought the Foundry too, and even with Rogue in prison, he knew them as terrifying opponents who were among the very few people on Earth who could fight him on his own turf. But he picked trusting Miss A over his urge to rush to her defense; she knew what she was doing, and in any event Gina would want him to rescue the helpless civilian? program? over her. He dived into the system after D-Gray, chest symbol flaring to life in brilliant blue, and reached for the wildly tumbling man like Phalanx or Captain Thunder trying to catch a rooftop jumper. "D-Gray! My name is Citizen, I'm a superhero!" he called. "Try and stay calm! We're going to try and pull you out of here, but you've got to trust me!"

Once outside the arrival chamber, followed shortly thereafter by Edge, Archeville found himself in a darkened metal hallway where a faint odor of decay had long since settled in. Lit only by glowing red emergency lights, some of them now faded by time, these corridors looked to have been abandoned for quite some time. "Well, this is unpleasant..." Edge glanced back into the arrival chamber, where Nina was once again distracting the dragon with animated conversation about the filthy beasts who must have laid hands on such a reptilian prince as himself here. "I think we're better off keeping Fafnir from exploring too closely here," Edge suggested to Dok in a low whisper. "If there's something here that might trigger the wrong kind of memory, or some kind of fail-safe..."

Something interrupted Victory, but it wasn't the kids: triple sonic booms sounded overhead, one after the other, so loud that windows vibrated in their frames and the kids screamed involuntarily as the sounds of explosions rocked the base! Steve was briefly torn between his charges and whatever disaster lay above their heads just before a sailor threw open the door to shout, "Sir! Three unknown metahuman hostiles have just engaged our perimeter at hypersonic speeds! Radar Towers Two and Three are down, and they're coming around for another pass!" "Go," said Steve after a few moments, giving his friend a serious look. "I can handle the fallen structures, but I'm not fast enough to catch someone as fast as you are in the sky. We may not have much time for talk!" To his students, he said, "Stay here, and be watchful. Victory and I are old allies; we can handle this trio and return to your side safely. We've all dealt with our base coming under attack before and survived. It'll be all right."

"Mr. LaMarr, I need you," said Vice-Principal Laura Jennifer, appearing at LaMarr's flank and pulling him away from his conversation with his old enemy. The former Marine had risen from the ranks of the school's perpetually embattled art department, perhaps because she'd never quite stopped seeing her work as an extension of war. "Miss Americana and her students are arriving, and I'd like you as part of the welcoming committee. You are our most famous staff member." --- There wasn't really a point to Citizen strapping in, so instead he fixed his emitter to the dashboard as the gravcar took off. "The gravcar uses a variant of Lor technology," he told Glow, "powering a mass-nullifier off a terrestrial electric motor." Miss A could have said it better, and maybe a little more accurately, but Sharl wasn't above showing off a little for the Australian girl. "If there weren't so many restrictions on alien technology, Miss A could be making these for every car in Freedom City." The flight to Joseph Clark was easy enough, the famously efficient and fast-thinking Freedom City air traffic control easily handling a flying car heading through the skies of Freedom City. Sharl was lost for a few moments in thoughts of home, remembering family trips in vehicles not too dissimilar from this, and only really started paying attention after Miss A had set the car down inside the school's open courtyard. "Miss Americana, I'm so glad you could make it!" said the Vice-Principal as she greeted them with what looked like a rare smile on her lined face. "And your students as well. From students to faculty, everyone here at Joseph Clark been looking forward to your visit. This is my colleague, Keith LaMarr." "Now, how did you want to do this? Announce yourself, or should I do that for you?"

Done and done. Midnight is up.

Meaghan hissed wildly and faced Wander down fearlessly; the nasty society girl Erin and Trevor had dealt with earlier gone beneath the hideous snake monster. There was no thought behind those scaly eyes, just snaky hunger! The snake-Meaghan took the opening Wander's attack had offered and struck out with her fangs, only Wander's fantastic reflexes saving her from a bite as sharp fangs skidded against bulletproof skin, foul-smelling venom hissing its way down Wander's arm. A direct hit from one of those fangs could easily have pierced her skin had it gone in at a slightly different angle! At least the monster was now thoroughly focused on her rather than the screaming civilians all around!

Meaghan goes, attacking Wander. (There's a typo in the roll, since Wander's Defense is actually 18, not 20) 28 That hits Wander. DC 23 Tou save for Wander. Midnight is up.

Sense Motive check vs. DC 27: 29 She is not flat-footed, and so an 18 does not hit her Defense of 22. Go ahead and post IC.

Round 1: Wander: 26 (3 HP) A: 19 Midnight: 18 (4 HP +1 Meaghan) B: 18 C: 14 D: 14 Edge: 13 (7 HP) Nina: 13 Ahmed: 11 E: 10 F: 6

Showered and dressed, Steve left Gina's house with a dry farewell at the speakers in the walls before heading out onto the street for a walk back to his own apartment. There was something very nice about leaving Gina's house in the morning instead of the wee small hours of the night, and not just from all the additional sleep he'd gotten in Gina's very comfortable bed. She does care. She really does care about me. He actually smiled as he walked, albeit briefly, daring to feel good about himself as the shadows of the hell-world he'd left the day before lightened ever-so-slightly. There was meaningful joy in the multiverse after all, even for someone like him. It was a good day.

"Wait, you talk to ghosts?" Edge sounded really impressed. "That's awesome. I mean, I know you had one right there in your house, and I know there's a ghost at Claremont these days, but that's really wild. Creepy too, I guess, but maybe living people seem weird to the dead." He looked down at the mask and nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that does look like Malador all right." He scratched his head and added, "Hey, where DID Malador get his mask? I mean I know it's Atlantean and stuff just like he is, but I always figured he made it himself. Was he around back when all this bad stuff happened?"

Custos roared and the swirling mind-insects popped like soap bubbles; the Overriders dropping to the ground like puppets with the strings cut. Roused by the shout, Edge started to sit up on the beach a moment before a swirl of purple and black energy atop a nearby column transformed itself into a bizarre figure: a squat, purple little reptilian man like a minature Gigantosaur or mutant Serpent Person, incongrously wearing what looked like an early-20th century business suit "Greetings!" he called in a voice at once stridently loud and boomingly bass. "And welcome to the Stone Forest!" He gestured somewhere in the direction of the still-invisible group. "I'm Spiegel, your master of ceremonies for today! Do any of you have anything to say before we begin? Remember, today's show will be viewed by uncounted giga-billions across the Hundred Worlds and beyond, so try and be memorable! But brief," he added, checking a watch. "We have a limited amount of time." Down on the sand, the now-conscious Mark didn't so much as blink at the strange set of circumstances. He was sure his friends were there, ready to come to his aid, just like he would be for them if the situation was reversed. "Yes, I want to know something! Why was it necessary to kidnap me?" "Because, my good fellow," said Spiegel, happy to be interlocuted, "our law forbids us from invading your world without an army at our backs. And would any of you have come voluntarily to your own destruction? I think not! Please make sure you don't try to leave," Spiegel added to the others. "The barrier around this area of the planet is quite tough."

Okay, lots of NPCs here: The six serpent mutates have the following stats: http://www.freedomplaybypost.com/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=4109&p=118967&hilit=snake#p118967 initiative A: 19 (Meaghan) B: 18 C: 14 D: 14 E: 10 F: 6 Ahmed who has the following stats: 11: (Before doing so, he makes a Stealth check and gets 19. Welp, once he goes, everyone will be able to see him doing something unsavory) Edge goes on 13 Nina goes on 13 as well! (I'll say Edge goes first; down an HP)

Indeed, it looked like Meaghan and her would-be sweetheart had grown tired of dancing with each other. Scowling, Ahmed wandered off to talk to a small group of Socotran couples while Meaghan herself smoothly recovered to take up a place studying the crowd like the social predator she was. While Mark had danced with Nina before, the sort of wild dancing through the sky that only a hydrokinetic could have pulled off, only a platform of water beneath their feet as the rain fell on them, but this sort of intimate slow dancing was still very pleasant. When her intense dark gaze was locked on his, he could easily forget that he'd ever dated other women. "Do you know anything about that guy?" he asked finally, cocking a head towards Meaghan's would-be sweetheart. "Ahmed al-Kuri," said Nina, wrinkling her pretty nose. "He's handsome enough, but not fit for my company. He has some dull diplomatic post here, not the sort of thing I pay attention to. Not with you around, anyway." They kissed as the song ended, and together made their way to the side of Morakot and Nephthys: the lovely princess had an easy job pulling her elder brother aside, and for her part like most people Nephthys proved amenable enough to Mark's plans. With the royals on the dance floor together, and Mark with his arms around the bride, Daisy Gibbons spun the crowd up into a fast dance laden with the oud and nay, the spinning and twirling the Socotrans employed making them look like the dervishes that had once settled their native island as the music went faster and faster. Nepthys wasn't, in Mark's mind, a terribly good dancer, but she was enthusiastic; even if the fast-paced music meant there was no time for conversation beyond just complimenting each other's technique. As for Nina and Morakot, the royals put on a show for their subjects, spinning high on platforms of wine as only hydrokinetics could, Nina twirling impossibly fast in her brother's hands. Family drama or not, evidently their lives didn't lack for good moments When the music stopped, everyone on the dance floor was sweating a little, and at Daisy's initiative they applauded the slightly-breathless musicians. Until the screaming started. "Aiee! Aiee!" came terrible cries from the crowd as some among them begean to change: a half-dozen civilians in the crowd ranging from security guards to embassy staff to guests began to warp, skin stretching and freezing into scales, eyes bulging with nicitating membranes, fingers growing into claws and faces lengthening and sharpening into terrible fanged maws: Serpent Men! Erin and Trevor, from their position, had plenty of time to see a serpentine Meaghan, the most familiar transformed of the crowd, rip her way half out of her dress, venom dripping from razor-like fangs, before she and her five new best friends, scattered all across the dance floor, hissed and leaped at the screaming bystanders!

He can attempt to do so, yes.

"I have the day off," replied Steve. "Mara felt it was appropriate to give myself and Erin White time to ourselves after yesterday." Of course, that left open the question of what exactly they'd do for the rest of the day. He doubted Gina, who no doubt had to work, would be interested in spending the day watching movies on the couch with him. "...But I am sure you have things you need to do." He rose and carried their dishes to the sink with a busboy's instincts, but let Emerson load them as he headed for the shower himself: that was one room he knew well enough. "Shall we meet tomorrow and visit the FLSCH?" he called to her as he went, knowing sensors in the house would catch every word.

19

"Fierce warriors," replied Redbird: there was no admiration in her voice, just a statement of fact. "And deadly killers. Annihilists don't work together easily. Those six have been allies for an age. Nightmare Doom is their mystic; Hellstorm their weather controller, Omnibeast their hunter, Discordia their killer, Razorwhip their warrior, and Blood Diamond is their leader." She gave the heroes of Young Freedom, past and present, the best rundown she could of the powers and abilities of the Hounds. "Hounds are the Madrigal Martinet's eye and fist. If they are here, and if they have moved against the Dethroners, it is by her will." Meanwhile, down on the island, the mind-controlled Overriders could be seen working on Hard Mama's bike: the unconscious form of Mark Lucas, mercifully free of those swirling, mind-controlling insects, was laid out on the sandy beach in between the pillars. Though he was evidently at their mercy, none had made a move to molest him. Yet. Indeed, by all appearances, they hadn't so much as noticed the arrival of the concealed heroes, even when Max had suffered his ungraceful fall. "

"The leader, Samson Powers, and his associate Kurt Stahl, were a geologist and metallurgist respectively on their own worlds. While the local technology seemed a few decades behind Earth-Prime, it was comparable enough that they and some others could work alongside Dragonfly to build the dimensional teleporter that helped rescue the others." He thought back to that meeting. "I believe Dragonfly has already hired the only agent she intends to secure." It was a little strange to think of himself as a man between two so very different geniuses, but after all he had his own sort of relationship with both Dragonfly and Gina Evans. "They are aware of my nature, but none have seen me in armor." For obvious reasons. "It would be best if Caradoc and Miss Americana pay that visit together. But you should eat first," he encouraged her, having cleaned his own plate. "A healthy breakfast is a good start to the day," he said, obviously quoting his life skills classes.

Mayan Infernalist PL: 10 (150) Abilities: 24 pp STR 14 (+2) DEX 14 (+2) CON 14 (+2) INT 14 (+2) WIS 14 (+2) CHA 14 (+2) Combat: 24 pp ATK: +6 (+10 Xibalba Array) DEF: +10 (+3 flat-footed) Init: +2 Grapple: +8/+20 w/Xic-Patan Saves: 18 pp TOU +10 (+2 Con, +8 Protection) FORT +8 (+2 Con, +6) REF +8 (+2 Dex, +6) WILL +8 (+2 Wis, +6) Skills: 16 pp=64 r Diplomacy 3 (+5) Intimidate 13 (+15, Skill Mastery) Knowledge (Arcane Lore) 13 (+15, Skill Mastery) Knowledge (History) 8 (+10) Knowledge (Theology and Philosophy) 8 (+10) Languages 2 (English, Yucatec Maya, Base: Russian) Notice 8 (+10, Skill Mastery) Sense Motive 8 (+10) Feats: 11 pp Challenge (Fast Startle) Dodge Focus 4 Fearless Power Attack Ritualist Skill Mastery (Intimidate, Knowledge (Arcane Lore), Knowledge (History), Notice) Startle Uncanny Dodge (auditory) Powers: 57 pp Flight 2 (25 MPH, 250 fpma) 'wings of Camatotz' [4 pp] Immunity 1 (aging) [1 pp] Immunity 2 (environmental cold/heat) (Flaw: Limited [Half-Effect]) [1 pp] Protection 8 [8 pp] Super-Senses 5 (Darkvision, Magic Awareness 3 [visual]) [5 pp] Xibalba Array 16 (32 pp, PFs: Accurate 2, Alternate Powers 4) [38 pp] BE: Blast 10 (Extra: Fortitude, PFs: Improved Crit 2) 'Xiquiripat-Cuchumaquic' AP: Concealment 10 (all senses) (Flaw: Phantasm) and Strike 8 (Extra: Penetrating 8 [as DMG 18], PFs: Affects Insubstantial 2, Mighty, Takedown Attack) 'Ahalmez-Ahaltocob' AP: Corrosion 10 (PFs: Improved Crit 2) 'Chamiabac-Chamiaholom' AP: Move Object 10 (Heavy Load: 12 tons) (Extra: Damaging, PFs: Split Attack, Subtle) 'Xic-Patan' AP: Nauseate 10 (Extra: Ranged, PFs: Longer-Lasting 2 [10 rounds]) 'Ahalpuh-Ahalgana' cost abilities 24 + combat 24 + saves 18 + skills 16/64 + feats 11 + powers 57 = 150 pts -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Design Notes: Yuri Valentinovich Knorozov was one of the greatest epigraphists of the 20th century. Drafted into the Soviet Army in 1943 at the age of 21, the archaeology student turned artillery spotter served with distinction until 1945 when he rescued a collection of long-neglected Mayan lore from a Nazi library, wherein he used the book (a collection put together by eccentric Spanish bishop Diego de Landa in the 16th century) to play a major role in cracking the long-lost secret of the Mayan language. Though his Soviet ancestry meant he was unable to visit Mayan sites until the 1990s (despite having been a leading scholar of the field for forty years), Knorozov's insights into written Mayan were sound and form the basis of our contemporary understanding of Mesoamerican hieroglyphs. Unfortunately for Knorozov, anti-Communist sentiment among the leaders in Mayan epigraphy in the United States kept his work from being accepted here for a generation. Also, he looked like a damn James Bond villain. So, what if our self-taught student of Mayan epigraphy above had in fact learned something far darker than the mere Mayan language: what if that book of lost Mayan lore kept hidden by the Nazis had in fact contained the secrets of Mayan sorcery! Xibalba, the Mayan underworld, was an awful place dominated by terrible demons, the mastery of whose power would give a man formidable and terrifying abilities: This courtly European fellow makes a fine surprise for people expecting a Mayan sorcerer to look Native American, and gives a Soviet superteam a surprising magical edge. Perhaps he has secretly warred against the dark gods of the Mayan underwold for decades now, carrying on a lonely struggle where he has only recently begun to recognize that he has allies. He has survived the Six Houses of Pain and has learned to master the power of their terrible creators! Break with stereotypes; not everyone who uses Native American magic has to be a Magical Native American. He also makes a fine acolyte of the terrible death lords of Xibalba, planning to summon his dark masters to Earth with dire consequences!

"" said the dragon peevishly, his breath smoking flame as he peered suspiciously at the metal walls. "" Scanning more closely, Dr. Archeville was able to make some speculations as what had happened to that world when he found the holographic projection units lodged in the walls. "" said Mark, distracting the dragon smoothly before he could get angry again, perhaps by blaming the others for the mysterious loss of his world, "" "" said Nina, reaching down to squeeze Mark's hand for a moment. " "

Steve gave that one some serious thought, staring blankly past Gina's head as he did so. He'd long since learned that she didn't appreciate it when he focused his gaze on her like that. "An appearance by Miss Americana at FLSCH would be appreciated by many. Though she is not the one who saved them, Miss Americana is the sort of person to make a transition to a new life easier. And since I live there, I can invite you, er, her over without any worries." He coughed and sipped his coffee, trying to cover for his brief slip. "I would not worry about Dragonfly. Though I have mentioned that I am in a relationship to my friends, they would not make any assumptions about you. And if anyone asks, I can truthfully say that Miss Americana and I are only colleagues." Steve would have blushed, if he'd had the ability to do so.

"I can take all four of us," replied Edge after a moment's consideration. He didn't worry about going in blind, but he did give it a moment's consideration. If Fafnir was teleported in from there, surely he can fit in there, especially if we're going right onto the transport pad. Nina was amenable to being transported as well, and took Edge's hand as he spoke to the dragon. "" The so-melodramatic words were enough to sway the dragon, and Fafnir crowded close as in a shimmer of mystic energy they were all elsewhere. The world had seemed to fall apart at Edge's command, or perhaps he and his passengers had, and it took a few moments for them to reacquaint themselves with their bodies as they took stock of where they were. They were in a silver-walled room that was clearly the product of advanced super-science, coils on the walls instantly recognizable to Dr. Archeville as souped-up versions of Freedom League-style teleporter technology. Indeed, their illumination in the room, cast in an electric blue light, came from the still-active coils themselves. This was no dragon's lair, at least, no ordinary dragon. "" said the dragon, sniffing the air suspiciously, "" Massive silver doors along the other side of the room, easily large enough for a dragon to pass through, caught Mark's attention, though he was a little busy recovering from the overly large transport to take advantage of them at first.