Avenger Assembled

We're out of initiative: anyone who wants to go, go!

Mark and Marcie were sitting on the cement steps out front, half-looking back at their friends inside, half-looking at each other. "You know, it's funny," said Marcie with a little smile, murmuring to Mark. "I write stories about just this sort of thing happening. Somehow I always knew it would happen to me for real!" She grinned. "Do you ever go on fanfiction.net? I'm MML4EVAH there, and I've got a whole bunch of crazy stories about my friends in Young Freedom. I don't use anyone's real story, of course, but there's so much fun you can have with AUs!" She grinned. For his part, Mark coughed and said, "No, actually, that's one thing I don't do much of. I mean, I write too, but I usually write using characters I come up with. I think it's more fun to invent my own characters and stories rather than just take someone else's story for my own. I like reading herofic, sure, but I'd rather tell my own stories, even if sometimes they are inside someone else's universe. I guess we can't like all the same things." "I guess not," said Marcie, taking a big bite of her dog. "But that's OK. Your loss," she said, "But yeah, I've done stories about people hooking up, having different genders or ages...it was pretty cool." She grinned. "You're still cute, though." "Not as cute as you," said Mark automatically, grinning back as he ate. "I can't believe those flips you do! I mean I work out, but I can't get anywhere near that kind of action." The conversation turned from there to acrobatics, naturally enough, Mark and Marcie paying a great deal of attention to each other.

As it happened, Marcie had a solution to the problem of food before cheering: the hot dog stand/convenience store across the street from campus was open elsewhere, selling the kind of good, if unhealthy food, that teenagers loved across dimensional boundaries. The Lucases turned out to both like the same kind of overloaded New Jersey hot dog, thick beef laden with condiments and sauce, luckily none of which dripped down onto their clothes as they ate. Marcie had paid for Mark, but the Lucases were not rich in this reality either. "Hey Trixie," the middle-class Marcie whispered, "You want to get the rest of this or should I? I don't think our friends have a lot of Susie bucks on them."

It didn't take Marcie long to note the condition of Erin's clothes, and with a wince of sympathy she pointed a finger at her. "The last thing you need is to be stuck with a wardrobe malfunction, amirite? Here, let me help!" Before Erin could reply, a stream of black dots came streaming from her finger and embracing Erin's clothes. When she was done, Erin's clothes were back to normal, and better than new...though changed in subtle ways. Her green blouse now had pink flowers stitched on, while there was a line of sparkles up her jeans, and her newly replaced sneakers were a definite shade of pink that just happened to match what Marcie herself was wearing. "Okay," she said brightly, "That looks better! I've got to go to drills. You're all welcome to come with me and watch," she offered, something Tricia and Aaron were well used to by now. "I'll go," offered Mark, glancing at the others to make sure no one objected. "But maybe after we check in with Ms. Harcourt." A quick call to League headquarters revealed that nothing had changed: the Earth-Y visitors were still due to drop back in 12 to 24 hours, and in the meantime there was nothing to do but sit tight and not get far off the Claremont grounds. "I don't, uh, know what all we can do for socializing, but it's probably best if we make sure to stick close to our double, if not each other. We don't want to start anything...you know, weird."

Avenger: 7 points to spend +1 Defense (2 pp) to 15 +1 Protection (1 pp) to 15 (raise his Impervious to 15; with the flaw he can do this at no cost. Buy Charisma up from 14 to 18 (4 pp) [b]Player's Name[/b]: Davis [b]Power Level[/b]: 15 (241/248pp) [b]Trade-Offs[/b]: +5 Attack / -5 Damage [b]Unspent PP[/b]: 7 [b]Characters Name[/b]: Avenger [b]Alternate Identity[/b]: Jack Faretti [b]Height[/b]: 6'2" [b]Weight[/b]: 180 pounds [b]Hair[/b]: Black [b]Eyes[/b]: Black [b]Description[/b]: As befits a gritty urban righter of wrongs, Avenger's costume is clearly homemade: his face is covered by a hockey mask spray-painted matte black, his hands by black motorcycle gloves with the logos still visible, bulky black combat fatigues supplemented with waist-length storebought cape, and heavy black combat boots. Still, his eyes are cold and menacing behind the mask even as his voice turns from silky purr to low growl. The man behind the mask is no one to trifle with. Jack Faretti is a darkly handsome man with black hair and eyes that make his skin look paler than they ought to be. He seems most at home in the night, and indeed generally wears prescription sunglasses during the day. He is quiet and polite, and especially handsome when he smiles, showing off perfect white teeth. He wears plaid shirts and jeans most of the time, usually white and blue respectively, and generally takes pains to look...ordinary. [b]History[/b]: Jack Faretti became a vampire three years ago, transforming from a college dropout and club-goer to an undead creature of the night. His new life gave him great power but little direction, and he reveled in the delicious hedonism and glory of his undead state. He was a careful predator, always mindful of human life, for all that respect for his fellow man became increasingly difficult to remember as he became more and more alienated from humanity. Though he ran with a pack, and occasionally his sire Claudia, Jack was primarily an independent agent. (Jack and Claudia have a healthier relationship than many fictional vampires and their sires, though that's not necessarily saying much. Claudia is attracted to pretty, impressionable young men who'll do what she says and whose blood she can drink. As happens occasionally with couples, her efforts to make Jack more like her [which is to say, the undead] actually meant he lost the things she found attractive about him. They do keep in touch, though, and back each other up when the situation calls for it. Claudia is a pretty young-looking thing with alabaster skin and curly black hair, who favors the short skirts and cigarettes of her native 1920s. Though more humanist than your stereotypical comic book vampire, Claudia treats humans with the same interest as a ten-year-old girl with her favorite toys, and would feel equally as bad if she broke one.) He didn't find new purpose in his life until only recently, when Foreshadow came calling to break up the pack of vampires that ran the club Eclipse as their own private feeding grounds. Jack had never been more than a hanger-on at Eclipse; the gang there had been territorial and prickly, with a disdain for human life that he didn't share. That left him in a perfect position to watch the fight, and something about the battle...inspired him. There was something truly remarkable about a man pitting himself in single combat against a pack of vampires, especially since he was acting purely out of defense of others. The sight got Jack watching television and reading books about superheroes, and made him think more and more about what he could do with his unlife. Wouldn't it be remarkable if a vampire turned to the defense of others? Not out of a horror of his undead state the way the much-ridiculed Nightrage had a generation earlier, but out of a genuine desire to make a lasting monument to himself and humanity at large? And what better way to make sure _he_ didn't have to fight with any superheroes than hide amongst them behind a mask? With his cunning plan in mind, he began accumulating the accouterments he'd need for a costume, along with a "persona" of a tough, take-no-prisoners street vigilante. The night was about to get a lot more interesting. [b]Personality & Motivation[/b]: Faretti/Avenger is a basically amiable fellow who pretends to be a dark and gritty street avenger. He remains attached to humanity, especially since he can walk among them by day, but it's hard to think too much of people when they're so delicious. He protects the poor through a sense of noblesse oblige, one inherited from his sire and wealthy suburban family background, but is not a "blue collar" guy by choice. If he had more money, he'd live in a better neighborhood. Jack is from a lineage different than the line that produced Melinda, Nightstalker, and Nightrage. His Eastern European lineage is somewhat closer to that of the 1897 Dracula; very tough and powerful, functional in sunlight, but vulnerable to holy items and to a bowie knife through the heart. [b]Complications[/b]: Enemy (other vampires who object to his modus operandi) Hatred (is the undead) Reputation (crazy vigilante) Responsibility (Child: Jack Jr., Spouse: Phantom, Friend: The Scarab, Team: The Midnighters, protecting own humanity, Keeping Freedom City's vampires on the straight and narrow) Rivalry (Fleur de Joie) Secret (is the undead, Power Behind the Throne of Freedom City's vampires) Weakness (needs blood to survive) [b][u]Stats[/u][/b]: 16 + 16 + (-10) + 0 + 4 + 8 = 34pp Str 26 (+8) Dex 26 (+8) Con - (-) Int 10 (+0) Wis 14 (+2) Cha 18 (+4) [b][u]Combat[/u][/b]: 10 + 26 = 36pp Attack +5, +9 @ night, +16 melee, +20 melee @ night Grapple +22, +26 @ night Defense +15, +6 flat-footed Knockback -12, -7 vs. blessed/magic/silver Initiative +7 [b][u]Saves[/u][/b]: 7 + 12 = 19pp Toughness +15 (Impervious 15 [Not vs Blessed, Fire, Holy, Magic, Silver, or Wood/Piercing Damage) Fortitude - Reflex +14 [+7 Dex, +7] Will +14 [+2 Wis, +12] [b][u]Skills[/u][/b]: 120r = 30pp Bluff 14 (+18, +24 Attractive, Skill Mastery) Diplomacy 14 (+18, +24 Attractive) Gather Information 19 (+21, Skill Mastery) Intimidate 19 (+23, Distract, Skill Mastery) Investigate 4 (+4) Knowledge (arcane lore) 6 (+6) Knowledge (streetwise) 6 (+6) Language 2 (Cantonese, English [Native], Old Slavonic) Notice 10 (+12) Search 4 (+4) Sense Motive 6 (+8) Stealth 20 (+27, Skill Mastery) [b][u]Feats[/u][/b]: 47pp Attack Focus (Melee) 11 Attractive Connected Contacts Distract (Intmidate) Dodge Focus 2 Equipment 3 (15EP) Evasion 2 Fascinate (Diplomacy) Favored Environment (Night) 4 Fearless Grappling Block Hide in Plain Sight Improved Grab Improved Initiative 2 Improved Pin Luck 3 Power Attack Second Chance (Stealth) Skill Mastery (Bluff, Gather Information, Intimidate, Stealth) Sneak Attack Startle Takedown Attack 2 Ultimate Skill 2 (Intimidate, Stealth) Well-Informed [b][u]Powers[/u][/b]: 23 + 4 + 30 + 1 + 7 + 15 + 9 + 2 + 3 = 94pp Terrifying Vampiric Array of the Undead 15pp + 8 APs=23pp BE: [b]Concealment 10[/b] (all senses) ([i]PFs[/i]: Close Range, Selective) ([u]Flaws[/u]: Phantasm); [u]Extra[/u]: Linked [b]Flight 1[/b] [10 MPH]: [b]PFs[/b]: Subtle] and [b]Leaping 1[/b] (x2), [Drawback] [15 pp]] AP: [b]Vampiric on Unarmed Damage 8[/b] (Bite) ([i]PFs[/i]: Improved Critical 2, Incurable, Precise, Reversible, Sedation, Subtle) [15pp] AP: [b]Insubstantial 2[/b] (gaseous; ([i]PF[/i]: Selective]; [u]Extra[/u]: Linked[b] Flight 2[/b] [[25 mph] [i]PF[/i]: Subtle; Drawback: Not during daylight]) [15 pp] AP: [b]Drain Constitution 4[/b] [u]Extra[/u]: Insidious, Flaws: Requires Grapple ([i]PFs[/i]: Precise) LINKED [b]Emotion Control 15[/b] Extras: Duration [Continuous], Insidious, [u]Flaws[/u]: Limited to love, Range 2 [touch], Requires Grapple) ([i]PFs[/i]: Mind Blank, Subtle) [14pp] AP: [b]Drain Constitution 5[/b] (Extras: Insidious, Flaws: Requires Grapple) ([i]PFs[/i]: Precise) LINKED [b]Mind Reading 15[/b] ([u]Extra[/u]: Sensory Link)([u]Flaws[/u]: Range 2 [Touch], Requires Grapple) ([i]PF: Subtle[/i]) LINKED [b]Super-Senses 4[/b] ([Postcognition, [u]Flaws[/u]: Medium [Blood]) [14 PP] AP: [b]Drain Constitution 15[/b] (blood drain, [u]Flaws[/u]: Requires Grapple) ([[i]PFs[/i]] Improved Crit, Reversible, Precise, Slow Fadex4 (1 hour), [15pp] AP: [b]Mind Control 15[/b] ([i]PFs[/i]: Mental Link, Precise, Subtle), [u]Extras[/u]: Conscious, Duration [Sustained], [u]Flaws[/u]: Action [Full], Distracting, Sense-Dependent [Auditory]), Unreliable [5 uses a day] [11 pp] AP: [b]Concealment 8[/b] (All Visual/Auditory/Olfactory/Mental/Radio Senses, ([i]PF[/i]: Close Range) [u]Flaws[/u]: Limited [While Moving]; [5PP] and [b]Speed 10 [/b] ([i]PF:[i]Subtle), ([i]Drawback[/i]: Not during daylight) [10PP])- Speed of the Dead [15pp] AP: [b]Obscure 4[/b] (Summoned Bat/Rat Swarm, 1 mile, All Senses, [i]PF[/i]: Slow Fade [1PP/one minutes], [i]Drawbacks[/i]: [Not during daylight hours], [u]Extras[/u]: Independent, Total Fade, Flaws: Action [Full], Range [Touch]) and [b]Immunity 1[/b] (own powers) ([u]Extra:[/u] Affects Others, Ranged) [15 pp] [b]Concealment 4[/b] (all visual) ([i]Flaws[/i]: Limited- Machines only, Permanent Duration) [4pp] [b]Immunity 30[/b] (Fortitude effects) [30 pp] [b]Immunity 2[/b] (Bluff skills) (Flaw: Limited: Not In Combat)[1] [b]Impervious Toughness 15[/b] ([i]Flaw[/i]: Limited [Not vs Blessed, Fire, Holy, Magic, Silver, or Wood/Piercing Damage]) [7pp] [b]Protection 15[/b] [15pp] [b]Regeneration 18[/b] (+14 recovery bonus [+9 total due to no Con], Injured 1/ 20 minutes, Resurrection 3/five hours [not when staked or beheaded]; [i]Flaws[/i]: Source: Blood) [9pp] [b]Super-Senses 2[/b] (Darkvision) [2pp] [b]Super-Movement 1[/b] (Wall-Crawling 1; [i]Power Feat[/i]: Alternate Power 2; [i]Drawback[/i]: Not during daylight) [3pp] [u]AP[/u]: [b]Leaping 2[/b] (x5; [i]Drawback[/i]: Not during daylight) [u]AP[/u]: [b]Speed 2[/b] (25 MPH; [i]Drawback[/i]: Not during daylight) [b][u]Equipment[/u][/b] "The Lair" Size: Medium; Toughness: +20 (Communications, Computer, Concealedx5, Defense System x4 (Suffocate 15 (Aura); air pumps; Paralyze 15 (Aura) (arcane sigils on floor)), Fire Prevention System, Library, Living Space, Laboratory (Arcane), Pool, Power (Immunity 9, Life Support, 9/30pp), Power 2 (Nullify Insubstantial 11, Feats: Progression [Area] 1 [10ft/rank = 110ft radius], Extras: Area [General, Burst], Duration 3 [Continuous], Selective, Flaws: Range [Touch], 56/60pp), Power System (gas & bike pumps) Security System x3 (DC 30), Workshop (Arcane)) [b][u]Drawbacks[/u][/b]: 13pp * Vulnerability (Fire, Frequency: Common, Intensity: Moderate [150% DC]) [3pp] * Vulnerability (Silver, Frequency: Uncommon, Intensity: Moderate [150% DC]) [2pp] * Vulnerability (Wood [Piercing]; Frequency: Uncommon, Intensity: Moderate [150% DC]) [2pp] * Vulnerability (vs. Holy; Frequency: Uncommon, Intensity: Moderate [150% DC]) [2pp] * Vulnerability (vs. Magic; Frequency: Uncommon, Intensity: Minor [+1 DC]) [1pp] * Weakness (Holy Symbols, dazed for one round by losing an opposed Charisma check; Frequency: Common, Intensity: Moderate) [3pp] [b][u]DC Block[/u][/b]: ATTACKS --- SAVE DC --- DAMAGE TYPE: Unarmed --- DC 22 (24 sneak), Toughness --- Bruise/Injured Bite --- DC 24 (26 sneak), Toughness --- Injured Claws --- DC 24 (26 sneak), Toughness --- Injured Costs: Abilities (34) + Combat (36) + Saves (19) + Skills (31) + Feats (47) + Powers (94) - Drawbacks (13) = Total Cost 248/248 Edits done by Geez3r

"Great," said Mark cordially, sitting up while he looked over at the affray. He was disappointed, in an absurd way, that his own Erin hadn't won the fight, but what mattered was that they weren't hitting each other anymore. "Good, uh, hustle, Wanders!" he called, trying to be reassuring now that the battle was over. "I guess there's no better opponent than yourself, right?" He knew how well Erin fought, and knew her body would heal well before her pride did. It had certainly been a very impressive fight to watch. Glad when Trevor moved in with the jacket, he glanced over at Tricia and said, "We usually all have our morphic molecules on, but I'm usually the only one who has his on all the time." "I know, me too!" agreed Marcie. "I mean you never know when there might be an opportunity for adventure. Like the time we accidentally got shot to Erde! I was really glad I had my costume to fight those Nazis, that's for sure." She nodded at that. "That was quite a mission. I bet you were really good at it, though. Did you blow up a lot of robots?" "Did I?! We showed those Nazis that Nazis suck and need to get blown up. It was sweet."

"His sleep cycle has been more irregular lately, with his mother...being around less." Rather than dwell on that problem, Jack added, "I've been concerned about him developing an inverted sleep cycle if he's not given regular bedtimes the way we do, and Erin does, actually." He hmmed, gently stroking the baby's very hairy head. "But yes, ah, he does all those things Erin mentioned." He opted not to mention that he'd seen him walking around just a little while earlier. After all, his adult son was nothing but a walking complication. "He knows his mother and I, and Erin sometimes, though he's not talking yet."

On opposite sides of the Centurion's Sanctum, twin wild melees played out as the heroes of Young Freedom fought fantastic battles for the sake of the survival of the planet. Rift's sonic blast proved the final ingredient in the battle against the Cyber-Centurion: an eruption of energy spurred by Rift's blast was matched by the power erupting from the equipment all around the monster. The terrible mockery of the world's greatest hero gave a terrible shriek as the power of rock activated the dimensional machine Superior had blasted open earlier, and an eruption of white light swept over his body as he was sucked away into realms further and more terrible than anyone wanted to contemplate. "Noo! Not again! Anything but-" And then he was gone, his last cry echoing in the air. The defeat of Superior was a terrible struggle for Wander, Midnight, and Edge, the teen heroes united against a villain whose sole goal was nothing more and nothing less than escape. And anyone knows an animal is always at its most dangerous when cornered. The Ultiman was an animal in the end, spitting and hissing defiance, growling as he leapt for the throat of his primary tormentor. But between the sheer force of Wander's blows, Midnight's well-placed sticks, and the good luck of being around Edge, the Ultiman was finally overmatched and beaten into unconsciousness by the teens yet again.

"Yeah," said Marcie, looking disappointed. She knew Aaron had a lot of issues, but it was always disappointing when she couldn't help her friends be happy, even alternate versions of her friends. I wonder if Mark has this much trouble with his Erin all the time."I guess they have to have a fight to settle their differences." With a sigh, she took Mark's hand again, wiping back a stray lock of blonde hair from her face. "That was still really nice," she told her double, a smile on her face as they joined Trevor and Trixie. "It was," Mark agreed. "And it's okay. Some people need to solve their differences through fighting; it's just personalities being different. I was worried they were really mad at each other, but with Erin, I guess it's more like...this is how you say hello, or get to know somebody. And if it's the same for Aaron, it's only natural they'd do something like that." He watched as the Hunters dealt. "It's like when the Centurion had to fight the gold Centurion when he visited the dimension of gold! They were friends in the end, though." "I think I know Centuria's adventures, Mark," said Marcie superliciously, breaking up into a fit of the giggles as Mark gave her a look. They both laughed, gazing as much at each other as at the game.

"You guys! Stop fighting!" Mark and Marcie exclaimed as one. They ran quickly to the affray, each one fearlessly putting themselves between the White they knew and their antagonist. "Don't you know you're supposed to fight before you team up, not while you team up?" Annoyingly, both Whites were much faster than Mark and Marcie, and they were also much less vulnerable to sweet reason than Mike and Michelle had been. "Hey!" Neither of them seemed to be paying much attention. "Does she do this on your world a lot?" Marcie whispered to Mark as they stood in the middle of the battle. "Not really," Mark whispered back, "she's usually good at hiding when she wants to beat someone up! I don't know...maybe there's a scale or something." "Yeah!" said Marcie, "Trevor and Trixie are just friends, Aaron and Erin are real mad at each other, and you and I..." They exchanged a look, then went back to trying to break up the fight. "Can't we all just get along?"

"Yeah! Let's show them what we can do together!" exclaimed Marcie, still hanging onto Mark's hand. She beamed at him, he beamed at her, and together they extended their hands, glowing with power. Mark could _feel_ the energy coursing inside Marcie as he could with no one else, their linked powers blending together through their connection. "When heroes come together, there's nothing they can't do!" Reality warped at her command just overhead, the pavement softening underneath the giants whose heads rose above the cloud of mist, others who dared become visible falling victim to falling pianos, bursting water mains, and a million other hazards of the city. "We'll send these monsters back where they came from!" When Mark felt the connection open up, he grinned ferally, and opened up on the other side of the street, supporting the boys where Marcie was supporting the girls. "There's nothing we can't do!" he called in agreement. "We'll teach them what everyone needs to know! When you mess with Young Freedom, when you try and hurt innocents in OUR city, you get your butt handed to you! In any reality, in any world, Don't Mess With Heroes!" And then they were in action together, blasting and warping, reality bending to their will as they smashed up any monster fool enough to try and get past the whirling meat grinder of the Whites or the flashing tricks and dance moves of the hunters. He could feel the power building up between them, surging and growing, a mutual combination that threatened to engulf everything. Biting his lip, Mark called "Hey Young Freedom, heads up!" And then together, the two Lucases fired a devastating barrage into the midst of the mist, shouting in triumph and joy as luckily they missed all their friends and allies, the sheer eruption of heroic reality enough to send all the monsters staggering again, just in time for the final assault by the young heroes!

Joan looked tempted for a moment before she shook her head. "No, no, I live on the surface. I travel in the water, I visit under the water, but I live on the surface. My job, my life is on the surface. My family is on the surface." She took a deep breath, then said, "I'll go underwater for tests, I've done that lots of times. But I need to tell myself that I can do business on the surface. Like a normal person." She gave Archeville a shaky smile, her dress slowly retreating up her legs, showing first the sensible shoes and tights underneath, then just the tips of the tentacles below. "You're my doctor. We're just normal people, talking about a condition I have that gives me superpowers."

The two Edges couldn't see much of what was going on, but they did their part, calling encouragements to their teammates and blowing things up whenever a cyclops or cerberus raised their head outside the clouds of midnight mist. Mark found himself appreciating Marcie for reasons besides her nice body; she was cheerful and upbeat, calling encouragement to her teammates with a gusto he heard in his own voice every day, and fearless when a tree-monster briefly erupted out of the sidewalk nearby and they took turns ripping it apart. She had the same powers as he did, right down to the flashing black dots that made the world different, and he entertained thoughts of combinations. Well, new combinations. Despite his distraction, he focused on the team, calling, "C'mon, Young Freedom! Show them how fast we can take out the trash!"

"You," said Sixtus, her eyes narrowing with fury as she glared at Avenger. "I REMEMBER YOU! You shall never take my love from me, do you hear!?! We shall be together in the Necro-Verse where we will-" She said a thing that made even Avenger blink, as she reached back and grabbed at Dead Head where ladies don't grab gentlemen! This left Avenger with a thorny problem: what to do with the nigh-invincible Sixtus without the big guns of the Scarab or Dark Star? He'd mostly distracted her before, come to think of it...."our children shall grow HERE, in my womb!" she said, pointing to her midsection, "and then they will-" Avenger, for the sake of his own sanity, tuned her out as she finished ranting. "Saw you kill a boyfriend before. Going to melt him down for scrap?" Avenger shifted to the right and cocked his head, nodding towards the crypt just behind Dead Head and Sixtus as he distracted her with his taunts. "Or are you just a love 'em and leave 'em gal?" If Dead Head caught the signal, they'd knock her through the doorway together, distracting her enough that hopefully she'd have to blast her way out, maybe burying her under the rocks again. Hey, it worked before... "Oooh!" She slammed her staff on the ground, leaving a black stain behind that sizzled with the fire of a billion screaming souls as they were devoured. "He was a living corpse! Rotting from disease and life! My lover here, _he_ is eternal! Go ahead, darling, show him! Strike him down!"

She wouldn't resist. She'd never think of resisting.

A few words from Marcie had Young Freedom, both Young Freedoms, in the middle of a training scenario that was at once alien and all-too-familiar. They were standing in a version of Freedom City as it had looked in the early 1960s, rather eerie for these teens, who had all survived House of L, but there was no time for that sort of memory. They were standing in front of a red-brick elementary school somewhere in the downtown, the kids all locked down behind the hurricane shades inside. A gigantic tree was visible climbing a rounded tower that was just recognizable as a slightly warped version of the Stromberg Building, what had been the tallest building in Freedom City in 1961: this tree was no redwood, it was easily the size of any of the smaller skyscrapers nearby! But Young Freedom's eyes were soon caught by the lumbering monsters advancing towards them from down the street, a cluster of a half-dozen burly cyclops thrice as big as a man wielding giant clubs easily as big as any of the kids, and at their feet another six big, multi-headed dogs, Cereberi with venom dripping from each of their three heads. Marcie shot Aaron a look, feeling bad that Ms. Archer was making Aaron fight dogs again, and Mark yelled "C'mon, Young Freedom! Let's show these monsters what we can do! Together! No monster is as powerful as the power of...friendship!" They'd run through scenarios of this particular invasion on Earth-Prime plenty of times, though evidently a few small things had been different here. "That's right!" said Marcie, doing an acrobatic cartwheel that immediately distracted Mark. He'd worked hard to get himself not to be distracted by pretty girls in combat after the demonic invasion, but Marcie's half-cape had flipped up and If I worked out, could I get my butt to do that? He forced himself to listen as she cheered "Oh Young Freedom you're so fine, you're so fine you blow my mind Young Freedom! Let's send these monsters back to the dung-strewn Arcadia where they belong! Give them a high, hard one!" And with that, she took Mark's hand, and as their powers combined the streets blew up under the monsters' feet, staggering some of the dogs and sending all the beasts reeling!

Marcie blushed a pretty crimson. "Well I'm sorry! When I see my friend looking different than she did before, I just want to make sure she's okay!" Cheeks pink, she followed the others into the Doom Room, her half-cape fluttering behind her as she went. Mark felt embarrassed for his counterpart, and shot Aaron a look when his back was turned. Nobody knows how to take a friend being concerned for them. But he didn't want to ruin the moment with a fight, especially when he and Marcie were trying not to draw attention to themselves anymore. "So, uh, if we have the same kind of combat programs, I was thinking we'd just do a run-up of the Olympian invasion," said Mark, shooting a glance at Marcie. Unconsciously, he reached over and took her hand. "I don't know what kind of monsters you fought if it was Demeter instead of Hades. Looking for revenge on her daughter being stolen?" Mark didn't know a lot about Greek mythology, but he did know a lot about superhero history! "Oh yes, it was awful. Giant plant monsters everywhere, and Centuria had to turn a whole forest of redwoods into matchsticks." Marcie pursed her lips. "Then the ecologists had some things to say to her, and that's why there's that nice park around the Sentress Statue. Or that's how it started, anyway. Anyway, if we do that, we can fight the Greek monsters like hydras and chimera. It'll be easy enough, and then maybe a Cyclops at the end." She smiled at Mark, squeezing his hand.

"That's why I needed so much work," agreed Joan. "Because my transformation was the result of an accident, there wasn't anything...planned with it." Unconsciously, a sinewy, muscular limb worked a few inches out from under the low-hanging hem of her dress. "They think I'd probably have changed all the way if they hadn't been able to stop it. A six foot octopus with a human brain, for the rest of my life. Luckily, that wouldn't be very long." She smiled thinly, the limb retreating again underneath her dress. "Octopi don't live very long, you know." She watched the presentation attentively, nodding at the sight of familiar faces. She'd made it her business to know something about animal-human hybrids, and she was very good at her business. "I like the water. But...I've always liked the water." She folded her arms, unconsciously mirroring the motion underneath her dress. "Ever since the accident. I used to be real athletic, you know? I was a damn Olympian. But now I can't..." She shook her head. "The only time I can move, really _move_, is when I'm in costume. And it's easiest to do that underwater."

"It's okay," Jack reassured Erin, automatically taking his baby from her and cosseting him lightly. "Doctor Archeville doesn't use metal needles with Jack Jr. Getting pricked makes him do things like pop into other dimensions, and that does nothing for the examination." He gently scuffed the baby's fuzzy head. "He's not a fan of needles." Plus, I prefer not to see his blood leaking out. It's uncomfortable. "Why don't you stay and watch?" he offered to Erin. "Since you've already been paid for the night, you've got the space for it."

Mark and Marcie exchanged looks and spoke in near-unison, switching back and forth who was speaking. "We were just..." "...comparing costumes..." "and we must have switched!" The two Lucases hastily exchanged capes, shooting the others very innocent looks. Marcie took the opportunity to reapply her lipstick, peering at herself in her convenient hand mirror. With his double distracted, Mark took the opportunity to get the attention of the moment off what he and his double had been doing just a little while earlier. "So, uh, I was thinking we'd maybe do just a standard practice session against the baseline opponents? Unless Ms. Archer does something weird on this world. "No, we, uh, do everything the same. Mostly the same, anyway," said Marcie, fluffing her hair as she snapped the mirror shut. "We can probably just pull up the usual...TRIXIE!" She yelped, giving her friend a startled look. "Your face! Are you okay?" She crossed to Tricia's side, looking worried, as she tossed back the last of her coffee. "Do you need to see Nurse John?"

The service was an easy enough one to listen to, perhaps because it neither told the congregants they were wonderful people in a world of sinners, or damned them all to hellfire if they didn't put money in the collection plate. They sang old hymns while the massive old pipe organ played, the little kids came up to hear a message about how David and Jonathan loved each other as very best friends, and the pastor gave a talk about the church's volunteer work with prisoners and their families over at Blackstone Federal. Sharp-eyed Erik easily spotted Heyzel, the angel sitting attentively in the front row, and it wasn't hard to tell that quite a few people were there for the angel of Freedom too: the pastor had had to gently remind everyone not to take flash pictures during the service, but that didn't stop people with cellphones. Just as things were winding up, though, Erik felt a tingle at the back of his neck: danger! The older folks were just starting to pass out the collection plate when suddenly the rear doors burst open, chunks of antique oak flying everywhere as a foul field entered the picture! The congregation screamed as one as a shambling monster hobbled into the sanctuary: a pustulant assemblage of stitched-together bodies that looked like a cross between Frankenstein's Monster and Chunk from The Goonies. "Deathstar Smash!" it howled from its several mouths. "Get Revenge on Church!" The angel of Freedom was on his feet in an instant, flaming sword in his hand as wings spread out behind him as he stalked fearlessly towards the shambling undead half again his size. "I would greet you with mercy, but you have chosen to enter my home with violence! Wretched abomination, thou will begone from this place and these innocent souls!"

Inside, the church was more crowded than they'd anticipated. St. Stephens was an older congregation in many ways, both in terms of the church itself (which had stood since the Colonial period and been expanded on heavily) and the generally older congregants. It was the sort of place where new arrivals got a friendly hello, mostly from nice blue-haired ladies wearing rainbow badges and sensible shoes. But besides the older folks, there was a good sprinkling of younger people and kids: as far as Erik could judge from his experience, this was a healthy, thriving church. It helped that there was an ANGEL doing door-greetings, a flash of the spectacularly divine in the mundane settings of a church lobby. "Hello! Welcome to St. Stephens!" The avatar of Heaven's justice and mercy sussed out the family relationship in a hurry; shaking Gina's hand, then Erik's, then bowing to Ellie. "It's always nice to see new faces here. My name is Heyzel, I'm one of the ushers. Is there anything I can do to help you?"

Ghost Abilities: 18 pp STR: 10 (+0) DEX: 16 (+3) CON: 16 (+3) INT: 10 (+0) WIS: 16 (+3) CHA: 10 (+0) Combat: 24 pp ATK: +6 (+10 melee) DEF: +10 (+3 flat-footed) Grapple: +6 Init: +3 Saves: 12 pp TOU: +10 (+3 Con, +7 Protection) FORT: +7 (+3 Con, +4) REF: +7 (+3 Ref, +4) WILL: +7 (+3 Wis, +4) Feats: 12 pp Attack Focus: Melee (4) Dodge Focus (4) Luck Move-By Action Power Attack Uncanny Dodge (auditory) Skills: 14 pp=56 r Concentration 8 (+11) Diplomacy 4 (+4) Intimidate 8 (+8) Languages 2 (German, Russian) (Base: English) Notice 12 (+15) Sense Motive 10 (+12) Stealth 12 (+15) Powers: 70 pp Ghost Array 20+1=21 pp Concealment 10 (all senses) AP: Strike 10 (Extra: Affects Corporeal) Flight 1 (10 MPH) [2 pp] Immunity 12 (aging, life support, sleep, starvation and thirst) [12 pp] Insubstantial 4 (incorporeal) [20 pp] Protection 7 [7 pp] Super-Senses 2 (Darkvision) [2 pp] Telekinesis 1 (Extras: Affects Corporeal, Perception Range) (Heavy Load: 50 lbs) (PFs: Precise, Subtle) [6 pp] DC Block Unarmed Toughness DC 15 (bruised/injured) Strike Toughness DC 25 (bruised/injured) - Design Notes: A ghost! Boo! This character flies right through solid objects, turns herself invisible, and hurts people on the other side with an eerie, ghostly touch. She’s got a weak Telekinesis she can use to pick up small objects or open doors for her corporeal teammates. With Precise, she can do anything she could normally do with two hands. Stunt something off the big array if you want her to flip cars over or be a really super-strong cinematic ghost: with effective STR 5, her TK is definitely not for combat! I figure the Strike represents a freezing cold, or maybe a cleaving of this world from the next. 'She can see in the dark, because ghosts should. Note that for cost-saving purposes, this is not a ‘dead’ ghost. She is technically alive, she’s just immune to most of the concerns of a corporeal body. She also has the option of becoming solid again: if you want to change either of those things, shuffle points accordingly. Maybe drop the STR entirely and use it to buy Innate on her various ghostly powers, or somehow dig up the 18 points that’ll let you buy a full Fort immunity. She's got generic skills: tighten them up if you want her to have some specific background beyond just "ethereal dead girl." You can power-stunt Possession for her, but that's one power of frankly dubious morality, unless it's to get Whoopi Goldberg to make out with Demi Moore. Is she dead, or just a mutant with powers that run along the theme? Or maybe the victim of a phasing technology accident that pushed her out of our space-time continuum. It’s up to you! Remember to pick whatever she’s vulnerable to while Insubstantial. Given the very large number of people with Affects Insubstantial, I broke with the book archetypes and made her quite tough even if you do damage her. Consider buying Resurrection if she is a supernatural ghost, and don't be afraid to power-stunt things off her TK or even better, off that big ghostly array of hers. Possible Character Names Spectre, Phantom, Geist

Marcie seemed unusually animated today, quickly taking Tricia's pro-offered cup without a glance in her direction. "Erin," she said suddenly, cup in her hand as she drank the heavily sugared coffee that even she had once nicknamed 'hummingbird juice', "I heard that it's tough for girls with melee weapons to keep their hands smooth, but you've got really nice hands! How do you do that?" She looked down at Erin's hands. "Is it because you're bulletproof? Because Aaron is bulletproof and he's got really nice hands." She didn't want Erin, or Aaron to get the wrong idea at that, so instead she added, "Not that I, uh, know a lot about that, it's just important to keep an eye on that." She sipped the coffee, her eyes wide. For his part, Mark coughed, reaching up to adjust and reset his goggles. His mind wasn't exactly on combat, but he didn't want his friends to realize what he and his counterpart had been up to. Talking about your relationships was one thing, going off and hooking up and announcing it everywhere was one thing altogether! He thought again of Hellion and Breakdown and Zephyr, and wondered how that little triangle had played out on this world. "Looks like the Doom Room isn't that much different," he said, peering around and sipping the coffee in his hands. "This is really good coffee, Tricia! I guess we take it the same, huh?" he asked his counterpart, and within a couple of seconds they were both giggling about coffee twins.

"Crap!" Marcie raised her head, cocking it as if listening to an invisible alarm. "We're going to be late! Quick, get your costume all the way on!" Both Lucases generally wore their costumes on underneath their clothes, as Mark and Marcie had both occasion to find out in the last few minutes. They turned away, for modesty's stake, to slip out of their clothes and all the way into their costumes, Mark and Marcie both blushing when they snuck simultaneous glances back at each other. She really did fill out those tights well... He let Marcie lead the way as they headed downstairs, almost running into Girl!Trevor, er, Tricia, as they went. "Oh, hey, Tricia," said Mark sociably, tearing his gaze away from Marcie. "You need a hand carrying those?" he offered. It was a little odd to see a feminine version of the scary Trevor, but she seemed nice enough, if considerably more reserved than the already-glum Trevor. She should date Aaron, he thought, unconsciously mirroring the exact thoughts in his counterpart's head. Then they can be happier!