Avenger Assembled

"...Christ give me strength!" said the angel, looking appalled at what he'd wrought. He'd sensed the outpouring of magical energy while cutting the hole to the other dimension, but withdrawing early would simply have seen his sword sucked into the passageway without actually sealing the entrance. "The power of the cosmic ash is mighty indeed. Well..." He sighed, and did his best to run with this setback. "If the two of you will go to your respective homes," he said, gesturing at the tree, "I will employ the aid of mortal mystics to close the gateway from this end. Donarssdaughter, once through, thee should contact thy grandfather and warn him of the weakening of the passage between worlds. Lokison, as thy father would not, I imagine, enjoy a conflict with the Morningstar, I am sure he will take a similar interest in patching yon hole between worlds."

They got an 18. They're scared of the crazy raptor-eating monkey!

The two raptors at the door ready unarmed attacks against Willow if she continues to look like a threat.

As Willow came charging at the door, the two big males guarding it hissed and snapped at her. "<Crazzzzy plantssss!> " one hissed angrily. "<Not even good to eat! Cut you! Cut you sssso bad!>" By the twitching of those long, wickedly curved claws at their back legs, they had a pretty specific idea of just how they were going to do that. "<Feed you to monkey offssspring!>" They bobbed their heads at her, stretching high, and scraped their claws on the ground, waiting for word or an attack before springing into action. For her part, Bloodfang was content to let the big males guard the door while she glared at Cannonade. "<You...you can talk!?>" Her eyes widened and she reared back, snorting in alarm. "<You can BOTH talk! That wasn't just vocalizing earlier at all, it was...What kind of place IS this?>" She turned back to Runs-With-Claws, sounding distinctly younger than she had just a little while earlier. "<They don't even smell like monkeys! They're like some kind of alien monkey!>" "<This is...sweet Nestmother,>" hissed Runs-With-Claws, scratching her scaly chin with long clawed fingers. "<It's some kind of terrible other dimension! How far did that damnable Kaiju knock us off-course!?>" She sounded appalled, and began pacing, lashing her tail back and forth in the air. "<No people?>" inquired Gamma at her side, flexing his claws and licking his formidable-looking teeth. He looked back at Wander and the kids she was guarding. "<Eatsss?>" The other male at the front jumped up to join Gamma on the stage, and both gave Wander and her charges a sizing-up look.

Freedom Angel considered his options carefully as he studied the giant wolf. He had no doubt that the Fenriswulf was every inch the monster he was in the ancient stories; by his deeds and terrible words in Freedom City, Fenris had made it clear his intentions for humanity. But, he supposed, Fenris was a natural part of Asgardian mythology and had a place in that world, for all that he had none on Earth. All the better to send him back to his dark father, then. Let the so-called gods fight their wars safe from those not swept into their cult! But he's not shamming; he has no idea what's going on! How long has it been since the Fenriswulf was last seen in the flesh... He couldn't remember, but it certainly had been for many centuries. He paced, bright and flaming sword still in hand, proof for these that he was no weak thrall to be ambushed and slain, and continued to speak in the Old Norse he had learned from Olav Tryggvason himself. "Listen, for I have a Truth to speak to you both. You have slept a great many eons, Fenriswulf and Donarssdaughter. The Asgardians and their enemies have fled the Earth and closed up the ancient gateways behind them, particularly for the messengers of other gods. However," he added, before the wolf could take this as excuse to plunder humanity for its flesh, or the daughter of Donar could strike him with her formidable hammer, "icy Niflheim has its own doorways to the world you call Midgard. I can deliver you there, Fenriswulf, where you can choose the path of light or dark of your own will. The children of Yahweh, and the free people of this city, take no side in your conflict with each other." Sword burning with special heat, he added, "But make no mistake, Lokison. He takes revenge on all who oppose him and furiously destroys his enemies. If the free souls of this land are harmed by your war, our wrath will be great. Turning, he addressed Thrude. "I make the same offer to you, Donarssdaughter," he said, pronouncing it as he had been taught while watching that being perform his dread service for the Nazis. "You have slept through the rise and fall of ages. Go home to your family and choose to fight there with knowledge of What Is, not What Was. The god of thunder will be pleased, I am sure, to greet his timeswept daughter home." Despite his disdain for the Asgardians, the angel was ultimately a creature of empathy, and he found himself relating to the girl's plight more than he might have liked to admit. "All-seeing Heimdall's chief vassal is an...acquaintance. I can deliver you straight to her bosom, and so to your family again." As he spoke, he drove his flaming sword into the air itself, cutting a pathway through Creation that burned with the bright, cold light of truth; the winds that blew through matching the unnatural chill of Fenris' own terrible breath. "This is for you, Fenriswulf, a doorway to your sister's realm which only you may use.I offer it to you freely, in the name of peace and love."

Freedom Angel continues to negotiate with perfect sincerity. If Fenris agrees to his offer, he will stunt Dimensional Movement 2 (any Asgardian dimension) (Extras: Accurate, Affects Only Others [+0]) [6 pp] off his sword and will deposit Fenris somewhere near the gates of Hel. (Under the theory that she can handle her brother) If Thrude is also sympathetic to his offer, he will send her to the 'offramp' where Bifrost reaches the gates of Asgard. (i.e., probably about as far as an angel can go without a diplomatic incident) From there Heimdall and Valkyrie can deal with her.

The big dinosaur that had been glaring at the choir (or not, it was hard to read their intentions) kicked at the ground, its claws scraping against stone. From the stage, Runs-With-Claws called angrily, "<Gamma! Back down! Even if some of them are wild, they're not ours, and the last thing we need is to make enemies here! Down!"> she added, when Gamma didn't seem keen to listen. With an annoyed hiss, Gamma turned and bounded nimbly away from Wander, landing at Runs-With-Claws' side. "<Bloodfang, you and yours bar the door. The last thing we need is more monkeys in here."> Bloodfang hissed something that sounded rude, but nodded to the two males at her side, and obediently they began to trot around to either side of the door. For her part, though, the female studied both Cannonande and Wail, cocking her head and sniffing the air. "<Very strange...look, all we want is to talk to your leader, whatever you call her. I'm sure she'll reward you for helping us...>" her hissing going up at the end as if talking to a child or a dog.

"<Oh, this is just perfect! First pervert monkeys, now giant monkeys!>" hissed the female that had recently been snickering at Cannonade's headgear. "<Did we land in someone's freak show or what?>" The two big hairless ones on either side of her snickered, their voices deep enough to suggest maleness. Not that it was easy to tell the gender of dinosoids as large as a man (though not even the biggest male bulked as much as Wail did), but on closer inspection there seemed to be two females: one at the door with two escorts, the other in the process of hissing at the Reverend. Of the four males, two were by the door, another was stalking the aisles, and another pacing back and forth in front of the children's choir. "<Quiet, Bloodfang!>" hissed the leader, at least if her brightly-colored harness and air of command had anything to say about it. "<Show some liveborn professionalism, for pity's sake. And don't call him a pervert, he doesn't know any better.>" Abandoning the Reverend, who gave Wail something like a despairing shrug, the raptor at the podium hissed at the air. "<If anyone can hear me, this is Officer Runs-With-Back-Claws-Open of World VIV. If you can hear me, please respond. I have hungry males here and we don't want to damage your property.>"

At Cannonade's arrival, a trio of the dinosaur-things turned to face him: two bigger ones on either side, flanking a smaller one in a bright blue harness. On closer inspection, and they were certainly getting close, he could see a line of feather running down the smaller one's spine from the top of her head down to the base of her tail. When she (and it was definitely a she) hissed at Cannonade, her words resounded in his head somewhere between amusement and disgust. "<Oh, it's one of those disgusting meaties! I guess _some_ things don't change. Where's your leader, monkey, too busy humping to show herself in public?>" "They came bursting out of the basement!" came a voice from behind Cannonade. "There was a big explosion or something, but before we could go down there to look they were right on top of us!"

"Tell me more about the people there," asked Freedom Angel. "Do they have spiritual lives?" For a moment, it sounded like he was about to start preaching, something neither Nick or Fleur had heard much of from the angel from Heaven. "Can they read and write? Do they have lives beyond survival, even with what you've given them?" He didn't sound judgmental, he sounded genuinely worried for them. "If you need help with education, or anything else that can uplift them, you just need to ask. I can work myself, or direct you to teachers I know. Helping someone survive is a great gift; teaching them how to live is even better."

May 22, 2011 9 AM Lincoln The Church of the Eternal Rock of Justice is the oldest traditionally black church in Freedom City. The congregation dates back to the 1850s when the first large black communities began in the city, while the building itself is a magnificent Romanesque cathedral rebuilt and refurbished in the 1920s thanks to lavish donations from a wealthy parishioner turned beauty shop tycoon. Chester Brown, the Bluesman, once sang in the choir here, at least before he decided to take his magnificent vocal talents, and his fists, to juke joints rather than choir. (The acoustics are still magnificent.) Back in the 1960s, 'the Rock' was a centerpiece of Freedom City's civil rights movement: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke here in 1966, back when today's senior pastor Reverend Thaddeus Q. Stone was just another fervent young believer in the crowd. Now in his mid-60s, Stone is famous for rejecting the support of larger religious organizations who make their financial aid dependent on adopting regressive social politics he and his congregants reject: the Rock, as it has so often in the past, stands for integrity and compassion. Numbers of parishoners are falling these days, as they are in most churches, but it remains a centerpiece of Freedom City's community. Parishioners are running out the door; screaming. "There are dragons in the church! There are dragons in the church!" And sure enough, if one looked past the frightened older woman clinging to the rail as she heads down and away, inside the sanctuary is a scene from a science fiction film: six gigantic reptilians, each as tall as a man with a tail whipping behind them as long as they were tall, paced the hallways as those parishioners who hadn't been able to run cowered in their seats or slipped away where they hoped the new arrivals couldn't find them. Today was children's choir! Standing behind his podium, secure in his faith (if not, if he was honest, his ability to live through the next few minutes,) the Reverend Stone faced down fearlessly the largest of the beasts as it stalked down the aisle towards him. No, not a beast... On closer inspection, all the new arrivals were wearing harnesses and carrying gear, their clawed hands working with an unnatural dexterity. And so it was that as the lizard-thing approached him, the Reverend asked, "How can I help you, Brother?" The thing hissed a reply in English that sounded inside the Reverend's head, its foul breath like rotten meat blasting in his face. "<Monkeys! Where are your leaders!>"

Sharl enjoyed the flight over with Miss A, taking in the sights of Freedom City as if he'd never left it. What an exotic, alien place even after living here for so long! He didn't recognize Dragonfly at first, but the first time he heard her voice, he knew his old teammate was there. Citizen flew up and over Dragonfly's head, having made a neat touchdown alongside Miss Americana nearby. "Hi, Dragonfly!" said the program, looking very pleased with himself. His outfit had been modified from the last time she'd seen him, with a glowing wi-fi symbol over the chest. "Oh man, you've got armor! That's great! You look really badass." He beamed. "Miss A brought me back so I can hang out with our patient inside the computer. Did you miss me?"

Sharl frowned, floating pensively with his hands in his pockets. "I hadn't thought of that, but I guess you're right. We've gotta be realistic, and that means something bad might happen. Not everybody can be saved, not even sick little kids who are getting a lot of help." He gave Miss A a reassuring look, though, and said, "But you're the smartest person I've ever met, or even heard of," he told Miss A, "and I know how good you are at saving people. I bet things are going to be just fine," he said hopefully. "Whatever happens, you're trying to help give a little girl her childhood, and that's good."

"Expect...a lot of surprises," said Archer, a faint smile curving his lips. "The real world is a lot more complicated than what you'll face in the Doom Room, and I want to make sure you leave here prepared for that. Just as long as you don't rip the projectors out of the wall like Megastar did last year, you'll be fine." Mr. Archer's semi-secret final was a common subject of discussion among students, especially seniors, wondering what it was exactly they were going to face. But Erin, like I said, you've already passed the exam that really matters. Just not the graded one."

Flitting around the room, testing his familiarity with his projected body, Sharl said, "I'll take good care of her, really. I always kind of wanted a little sister, and this way I can just be there for the big stuff. And hey, we will have a lot to talk about, though if she's anything like most kids, she'll want to be flying around first." He thought for a minute, then said, "I guess downloading like that wouldn't work really well for Tronik, would it?" He smiled faintly. "Even as awesome as you are with computer stuff, fifty million growing robots would be a bad plan. We'll just worry about stuff like flying and walking, and maybe art. Maybe on the way, I'll make plans for a lightpaint board, and I'll teach her artwork..." It sounded like Sharl was already taking a shine to this idea.

"It's not the first time the League has opted not to pick up a promising student because of something from their past, whether it's a troubled personal history, a criminal record, or anything else." Mr. Archer pursed his lips, and added, "I'm sure you've heard that you shouldn't take it personally, and you shouldn't, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't be angry. The question is how you handle that anger. You have a lot of potential, Erin, and a lot to give back to the community, whether that's Freedom City or wherever you choose to live. Don't let getting turned away here, even by the Freedom League, keep you from doing that."

"At least we'll be going somewhere with more going on than the Sanctum." For all that it had been full of spectacular wonders, a huge empty headquarters wasn't nearly as novel as being around new and different kinds of people. "It's crazy to think about how there's a whole continent full of people over the horizon," he said, nodding in that direction as he moved around the Lab. "This is going to be a great trip. We'll have a great time, you and the other scientists will save a little girl, and I'll have a little sidekick of my own!" Sobering a little, he added, "Will you be okay with the travel and being in Europe that long?" he asked discreetly.

Pint-Size Powerhouse PL: 10 (150) Abilities: 44 p STR 40 [30] (+15/+10) DEX 12 (+1) CON 40 [30] (+15/+10) INT 10 (+0) WIS 12 (+1) CHA 10 (+0) Combat: 16 pp ATK: +4 (+5 w/Shrinking) DEF: +4 (+5 w/Shrinking) Init: +5 Grapple: +20 Saves: 10 pp TOU +15 (+15 Con) FORT +15 (+15 Con) REF +5 (+1 Dex, +4) WILL +7 (+1 Wis, +6) Skills: 40 r=10 pp Bluff 10 (+10/+14) Climb 2 (+17) Notice 9 (+10) Sense Motive 9 (+10) Stealth 10 (+11/+15) Feats: 10 pp All-Out Attack Attractive (adorable) Fearless Interpose Luck Power Attack Second Chance (Grapple escapes) Takedown Attack Taunt Ultimate Save (TOU) Powers: 60 pp Enhanced CON 10 [10 pp] Enhanced STR 10 [10 pp] Immunity 9 (Life Support) [9 pp] Impervious TOU 10 [10 pp] Shrinking 4 (Extra: Normal Strength) (PFs: Innate, Normal Movement, Normal Toughness) [11 pp] Speed 1 (10 MPH) [1 pp] Super-Strength 4 (Heavy Load: 48 tons) [8+1=9 pp] AP: Leaping 8 (x500) costs abilities 44 + combat 16 + saves 10 + skills 10/40 + feats 10 + powers 60 = 150 pts Design Notes: Here’s a Pint-Sized Powerhouse, ready to strike adorable fear into the hearts of criminals everywhere. Though he’s just a wee little man, no bigger than a minute (i.e. in the Small size category, perhaps around 30 inches tall in his stocking feet), he’s strong enough to lift a locomotive and powerful enough to jump over a city block! He’s also a real tough guy, not afraid of anything, and able to take fantastic punishment thanks to his tremendous TOU and high Impervious. Given the number of HP that your average PC has in combat, his Ultimate TOU means he can take some tremendous hits from opponents far above his PL and be no more than lightly bruised. A lot of powerhouses are Intimidate monkeys, but given the size penalties for Intimidate I gave this guy a decent Bluff score and Taunt. I figure he’s learned to laugh at the absurdity of things: that’s one reason why he’s also absolutely Fearless. Is he a toddler given incredible strength and adult intelligence? Or perhaps he’s a Canadian dwarf with superpowers? (Non-comics fans: it's more likely than you’d think!) Another way to build this character would be to give him Density: as it is I didn’t do that, but you can fluff that his adorable little compact muscles are what make him so incredibly tough and strong. That would also help explain his relatively low Dex! That would also help him with his Knockback resistance, something that is a problem for such tiny characters. As it is, with his Leaping and Speed, he should be able to make it back into a fight even if he is knocked very far away from the fight. As you can guess, I’m using Attractive above _not_ to simulate sexiness, rather to show that he has a great deal of appeal to people with interest in adorable-looking types. Though he has that Fearless, maybe give him a Phobia as a complication. Perhaps zombies, or vacuum cleaners. Make sure you go with making him an adult if you play him as a PC, since clearly toddlers are not really what we’re looking for as PCs here. If you go with the crazy superbaby route, though he’d make an interesting antagonist for an adventure where the heroes have to talk him down rather than smack him up! I agree with other Refs that "Second Chance (Grapples)" is too overpowered, but I think a Second Chance on Grapple escapes is reasonable: that gives him an edge when dealing with people taking advantage of the size penalty to grapple checks. Perhaps with intentions of giving tummy kisses! Note that while he does have full life support, he does not have immunity to sleep. Thank God.

"Keep your name on the Freedom League registry," he said immediately, "even if you're on the reserve list, those are still valuable contacts for you professionally. I know you've mentioned an interest in working in law enforcement, and with your background I think you'd be well-suited to that role, either in the public or the private sectors. If you worked for AEGIS or UNISON, you wouldn't even have to give up being a superhero, you'd just have to make sure you put your costume on in your own time. As for the private sector, there are always people looking to hire bulletproof bodyguards, costumed or otherwise. Despite what movies tell you, super-bodyguarding isn't all working for Socotran drug barons or what have you, it's good, honest work."

"In ancient days, the gods of the Alphans lived together in peace," said Harrier, "until the day that dark Omega turned on the rest and began their slaughter. They could not be slain, however, so instead he stitched together their divine flesh and made an unbreakable armor for dark Nihilor." He looked away and said simply, "I have seen their faces from orbit. Some yet weep." Still considering what she'd said about the natural order of the universe, he said, "Early in my career, I assisted Miss Americana and others in the repulsion of the animate dead this October. The Terminus is to decay and entropy what those animate dead are to the natural order of life: the Terminus is not simply the end of all things. It is an end that hungers, that devours, that rises from its place to feed and corrupt on the universal life that lies all around it. And even those that may have left its grasp..." he looked down at his hands, lined as they were with the markings where his armor lay just beneath its skin "are forever altered by its fell touch."

"Awesome!" Sharl exclaimed, studying himself with gleeful pride. "I've been thinking about making a real costume back home, but this is perfect!" He pulled out his shades and put them on, posing as he hovered in the air. "I really look like a superhero now," he said with beaming pride. "Thank you! Sharl, Citizen, Sharl, Citizen! Nice!" he added, taking his shades on and off. "And this is something I can wear at home as a costume without anyone wondering what I am, because it still looks like regular clothes. This was a great idea." He flitted around, going back and forth, until he'd tested himself from all angles, even upside down, looking satisfied from every perspective.

"I was tough on you at first because you were dangerous," he said frankly. "You were the most powerful student in your class when you started, and even though some of them have since heightened their abilities beyond yours, you're still one of the toughest students we've ever graduated. And after that...it was because I knew you could be the best if you applied yourself. I have students who are more powerful; I have students who are smarter, students who are better at strategy. But I don't have anyone in my class who is the complete package the way you are: no one who has worked as hard and strived so much to get where she is today. Whatever anyone else says." He hmmed for a moment. "The Freedom League is to our school what college is like to most private high schools. Most students don't just see it as a goal, they see it as the only choice and the only path to success. But there's nothing wrong with being skilled labor, whether that's working as a reservist, as a super-agent, or any other career path that's open to you. I never made it onto the Freedom League," he said, "and while I may not be the most popular teacher here, I've done a lot of good with my life, and I've had a good one. And I think you can too."

There will be a short delay while Raveled revises the post he made without clearing with the Refs.

"There are many Earths in what mortals call the Cosmic Coil," agreed Heyzel. "Some are dreams of grace and love. Others, nightmares of bondage and despair." All the angels nodded at that, though rather sorrowfully, and the angel of freedom added, "But this world is better than most, thanks to the hard work of the heroes of Freedom. Your work here, all of you, is an inspiration to the blessed souls of Heaven. But then," he admitted, "that was one of the things that drew me from the fastness of Heaven in the first place. The reminder that there are those who battle for eternal justice even in this too-brief realm." He shot a look at his parents, and it sounded as if this had been something of a sore point. "YES, AND THE RIGHTEOUS JOIN US IN HEAVEN, WHILE THE OTHERS GO TO THE PLACES THAT THEY DESERVE," agreed Azrael with fatherly patience. "THAT YOU ENSURE MORE WALK THE SHINING PATH IS A RIGHTEOUS CAUSE."

Sharl thought about that. "So she's not going to have a real body, even inside the program?" He paid attention as Miss A showed him what she had in mind for the little girl, the image reminding him of a sophisticated 3-D gaming platform (one from Earth, anyway, Tronik's being much more realistic) or a high-quality animation. "Okay, yeah, I could see her liking that. Especially if she's been sick for so long, and she's never had a real body she could do something with." He hmmed. "I could take her flying inside the program or something, let her really enjoy herself."