Avenger Assembled

Avenger goes on 29 the 10 thugs go on 19 The Monster goes on 22 Avenger: 29 Monster: 22 Mad Dog: 19 Thugs: 19 I'll get an IC post up shortly.

"Anya is a friend of mine; she's the other vampire active in our business. As for...what they're doing, it's practiced as a way of maintaining humanity," said Jack, looking deeply uncomfortable as the mating progressed. At least his doppleganger and the undead Moira Morley had moved out of the 'camera''s view. "Or as a means of reinforcing nest dominance, as they seem to be. God, look at something else," he suddenly interjected, looking away as excited hisses and growls came from just off-screen. "Find the other Taylor!" A moment's work, and Phantom's spell had found her doppleganger in the other dimension. The other Taylor Chun was inside a room Phantom recognized immediately from her experience with other sorcerers on Prime: it was the private sanctum of Adrian Eldritch, though there was no sign of that worthy in the other dimension. The room looked battered and decayed, as if a tornado had passed through years earlier and it had never been cleaned. Rather, Taylor Chun was hard at work pacing the lines of a mystic ritual drawn on the floor, the ritual markings made in a dried brown substance that was obviously some species of blood. Taylor and James, the two experts in dimensional magic in the room, both recognized the spell the other Taylor was trying to cast: it was a dimensional portal! But whatever she was trying evidently didn't work. She muttered a foul curse in an infernal language and sat down in the middle of the circle, looking annoyed. Her eyes red, she chewed absent-mindedly on the back of her hand with thick fangs. "Dammit, Eldritch," she muttered out loud. "Knew I should have saved some of you..."

Actually, Joan thought, "he argued in favor of contacting you first. I was the one who persuaded him that the ethics of the trade required us to treat everyone the same, even if he knew you from old times. As for the security tapes from the museum, you could just as easily argue that she stopped because someone was there to catch her." She blinked, then tapped the side of her head and said out loud, "And I'd be careful who you call sloppy, sister. You're not my first esper."

Character Name: Avenger Theme Song: People Are Strange, The Doors. Combat: Wilhelm Scream, Distant Drums Romance: Bad Romance, Lady Gaga Tragedy: God's Away on Business, Tom Waits Story Arc Specific: World of Darkness The Earth Died Screaming, Tom Waits Character Name: Edge Theme Song: Mr. Lucky, John Lee Hooker Combat: The World is Just Awesome, the Discovery Channel Romance: Let's Get Physical, Olivia Newton-John Tragedy: I Will Go Sailing No More, Randy Newman Story Arc Specific: House of Lucas Once in a Lifetime, Talking Heads Character Name Freedom Angel Theme Song: Battle Hymn of the Republic, Julia Ward Howe Combat: A Mighty Fortress Is Our God, Martin Luther Romance: Love Makes the World Go Round, Powerpuff Girls Tragedy: Hellfire, Hunchback of Notre Dame Story Arc Specific: Imma Bee Imma Bee, Black-Eyed Peas Character Name Fusion Theme Song: I crush everything, Jonathan Coulton Combat: I crush everything, Jonathan Coulton (Not a typo) Romance: I Made it, Kevin Rudolf Tragedy: Under the Sea, Little Mermaid Story Arc Specific: All the News That's Fit to Print Trouble, Pink

OK, I think it's fixed now. APPROVED

Ozoe: make the edits Shaen's suggested, and I'll get you back on track to approval.

"Oh, but this is great!" exclaimed Jack warmly. "Now we know we don't need to worry about the baby at all! I mean he's right here, so obviously we do things right and he turns out okay. That leaves a load off my mind, I can tell you that." He looked around at the others, especially at Taylor. "Right? I mean, time travel does work that way, doesn't it? Because otherwise this is an even more obnoxious night than I thought."

"Yes," agreed Summers. "I have already spoken to your mother by telephone. We had much to say to each other." Leaving _that_ particular sword to dangle over her head, he said, "Ms. Albright, I find it most useful in these situations to give you an opportunity to make use of your talents as well as contemplate the relative merits of your actions. My colleague Dr. Javier Charleton works at the Foucault Facility for Criminal Psychics in eastern Pennsylvania. Recently the Freedom City natives Parker Psion and his grandchildren were incarcerated there in expectation of trial. I want you to go there and join Dr. Charleton, commuting back to school via your teleporter, for the next two weeks as an intern, working alongside him in understanding the minds of the most dangerous criminal psychics in America. When inside the facility's nullifying field, you will rely on your intelligence and wits rather than your superpowers to better serve the cause of justice. Your job is not to suffer, Ms. Albright, or bitterly rue your assignment: it is to think. I doubt you will find it harsh. I hope you will find it illuminating."

"Shinnosuke Koyama has been assigned a semester's worth of sensitivity training, as well as special therapy with Mindforce to better protect his mind against emotional manipulation. Mike Harris will be spending the next few weeks in the school library thinking very hard about how a hero conducts himself. And Daisy Gibbons will be spending the fall session with her parents in Allen, South Dakota, wearing the power nullifers she is legally required to wear when within one hundred yards of her biological family. That leaves me the question of what to do with you, Ms. Albright." Summers turned and looked at her. "You are a Terminus-empowered telepath who altered the memories of dozens of innocent bystanders to prevent another student from embarrassment; you are a young heroine mentalist who risked personal disaster to protect a family member from abject humiliation and personal exposure. As I mentioned, you've given me a difficult case." He gave her a look, and not for the first time, she was aware of being tested. "What punishment would you prescribe in your case?"

"Welp, you ladies have fun," said Fusion, shaking her head at the antics of her younger friends. Thinking a moment, she said, "I have a Yashimata comm-link at home. If you ever need me, my radio frequency is 4.53 on the red band," she added, speaking for the benefit of the battlesuit-wearing girl, who'd probably be able to understand the technical jargon. "Nice working with you all." And with that she vanished, a barely visible blur against the wall behind her as she changed colors to match the scenery, then swung away on the streetlights, then over the buildings.

The view showed what looked like a luxurious suite of rooms: the honeymoon suite at the Plaza, maybe, or something similarly lush and expensive at one of the many finer hotels in Freedom City. But a closer look revealed things subtly wrong: the mirrors were missing, with still visible marks on the walls where they'd once hung, as were several other items of furniture. The carpet was just this side of threadbare and the huge rumpled bed's sheets were thin, as if from frequent use and lack of replacement. The room looked as if it had been a long, long time since anyone had replaced anything there. There was noise just 'off-camera', and suddenly two figures stepped into view. Both were instantly recognizable to the people watching: one was Jack Faretti, dressed in a skin-tight black leather outfit, his shirt open to expose the chiseled abs beneath, his hair mussed artfully; the other was Moira Morley glad in a white, diaphonous gown that left little to the imagination. Both were energetically kissing; and both had fangs. When they pulled apart, the other Jack said, "You know you're my favorite, baby. Taylor's busy with her ritual and Anya's busy with the pigs, so you've got me all to yourself tonight. C'mon, let's crack open the stock..." The stock turned out to be a champagne bottle full of blood, something Jack and Moira took big swigs off before resuming their makeouts, which on closer inspection was something more like watching sharks mate. "Oh, my God," the real Jack breathed, trying not to look.

What, you're judging him because he used to drink? That mental voice was no less skeptical, for all that Joan was still trying to cover for what she was learning. I see five thousand years of life hasn't made you any more tolerant of other people's mistakes. For the record, he's been on your side through this whole process. She jutted her chin out defiantly. Wearing a costume and having fancy powers doesn't make you any less of a human being, Scarab, or one that's any less prone to making mistakes. Or make you any less subject to the same laws as the rest of us. If your relationship's so innocent, be open about it! And stop her from actually committing crimes!

Joan flinched, but like a good reporter didn't drop her pen. She fired back with defiance, more out of shock than anything else. Yeah, I heard all about path you've been inspiring each other down. Joan's mental voice was profoundly skeptical, very much how a reporter's should be. (Or so she liked to think, anyway.) She tried to get her pulse to settle. Certainly took me by surprise. Usually it's the men who think a nice butt makes you redeemable. As for Bombshell's record, if fighting Nazis made you a good guy, there'd be a statue of Joseph Stalin up here!

"Gah!" Jack took a step back, holding a hand in front of his face as if the cross was a searchlight being aimed directly into his eyes. "So you prove your bona fides by waving a glowing cross at me?! That's...that's..." He blinked. "That's exactly what I would do. Son of a..." He shot a look at Taylor, then amended it to, "Son of a witch! You really are him." He stared at JJ, then suddenly grabbed him in his arms and hugged him to his chest. "My BOY! What in Perdition's name are you doing here?"

Why does like every deity I know talk like they're from Shakespeare? Fusion thought. Hachiman did the same thing, and he was from Japan! Oh well, maybe it's how divine talk gets translated into English. Out loud, she gave Valkyrie an elaborate wink. "Let's just say I'm...out of this world." When the EMTs arrived, she divested herself from the group long enough to make sure the injured bystanders were being treated, then swung back to rejoin everyone with a "Well, that wasn't nearly so bad as I thought it was going to be. You said you knew what this thing is?" she asked Divine.

OK, LS, post your action and roll Initiative.

As the two grim avengers watched the even-grimmer animal abuse being played out before them, the mobsters began their work with the dogs. It took Avenger only a few seconds to realize what was going on as the men pulled out the dogs and began strapping one down. As one of the big guys pulled a big carving knife, the kind used in butcher shops, Avenger made the connection. The dogs are drug mules! The Customs guy they bribed thinks they're smuggling fighting dogs or something, not drugs! And with that, Avenger was on the move, rushing down the side of the building to interrupt the slaughter!

You don't threaten other superheroes with lethal weapons. You don't threaten to break into their houses and attack them. The fact that it was stopped in chat and/or you were told to edit the post doesn't actually mean it's not a problem. In re: justifications I have a feeling are in the offing: if you were just jokingLOL/playing in-character, then it should be even easier to avoid this problem in the future! I'm sure there's something semantically wrong with what I just put together up above. I don't actually care. ;)

That's an easy success, durf. OK, Fleur is up.

How long we going to wait for Darius, Geez?

Taylor turned and moved through the dark alley, acutely conscious of the monster at her heels. And then there was Zealot, planning something dire and completely beyond her vision! Just when she reached a dead end, she heard his hissing voice "Foul temptress! The world will be cleansed of your-awp!" Avenger had grabbed Zealot around the back of the neck, lifting him high in the air, and looked very, very angry indeed. "NOW!"

"I don't know," said Mark, looking doubtful. "I've never really had to think about the cost of my powers. I just sort of reach out and do them, and that just makes everything better." He demonstrated on the belongings, glancing around to make sure no one was watching before he slowly began knitting things together all at once. "I'm working with Mr. Dark Star's friend Fleur de Joie to learn how to fix things up, and she told me it's important to respect what you make. I'm trying that, I guess."

"That's only true for some queens, anyway," Heyzel admitted to Talya. "But that's another story. As for the Episcopals, I've always found a certain tranquility about the more High-Anglican varieties: if one must have ritual in faith, it shouldn't be scrimped on." Tucking his wings in carefully, he kept a close eye on the crowd, confirming the speculation shot his way from the loud young woman with the fast mouth about his nature with a simple, "Yes, I am an angel."

"Any question I'm likely to ask, a good telepath or good mystic could easily have already found the answers in a dozen different ways." Jack smacked the poker against his hand, resisting the urge to suggest to the other man that he wasn't too big to put over his knee. If I say _that_, I've given away that he seems more credible than he should... "All I'm hearing is a lot of half-answers and speculations from you anyway. I ever tell you the first thing I said when I changed my son's diaper?" he asked the other man challengingly.

"You've placed me in a difficult position, Ms. Albright," Summers said, his voice low and gravely. "I don't need to tell you the legal penalties that you yourself would face if it became known you violated New Jersey's laws about mental tampering, as well as the possible fallout a subsequent investigation of our school might bring." He held up a hand. "And yes, I am fully aware of the resources we have available for dealing with such situations. That a ship may have life boats and pilots, Ms. Albright, does not give you the right to put icebergs in its way." He hmmed, studying her closely. "That said," he added, "on an ethical note, I find it hard to dispute the morality of your actions. While your family is...non-traditional," he said in what might have been a quip, "I recognize the ties you have amongst each other, and I will not much fault a mother's desire to protect her daughter." He rose from his seat to gaze out the window, still keeping one bloodshot eye on her. "You're fortunate," he commented, "that of those students who retain memories of what happened and are not friends of yours, that each of them have their own reasons for keeping silent. Mindforce is from a society with both a strong social acceptance of telepathy and a powerful nudity taboo, while Prometheus retains an authority-driven social complex that makes him naturally accepting of the actions of others. But that's speaking to others for now: tell me how you feel about what you did."