Avenger Assembled

She was quite a bit faster than Jack was in the sky, just as he'd expected. Rather than try and chase her, instead he dispersed his mass enough to vanish and flowed through the air conditioning unit in the second tower, waiting for Taylor to get close before he boiled out of the walls right before her, reaching for her with outstretched hands as he snapped back into solidity. "Gotcha!"

"I don't fly nearly as fast as you yet," said Jack, but as his wife well knew he couldn't refuse a challenge. "But I still think I can catch you!" He made a playful grab for her in the air, not really trying hard. It was always better after a chase. "Bet I can catch you before you reach another tower!" He had to fly fast to do that, so he erupted into smoke to do so, and within seconds there was a cloud of mist with Jack's laughing voice chasing his wife around the sky.

I'll take this one when you're done, Geez.

"It's a fine line between falling and being thrown," said Jack warmly. "But that person's gone now, and I prefer not to think about her. Not when my current company is so much more pleasant." He kissed her in the air, the two of them spinning through the skies together. "Besides, it wasn't nearly as exciting as falling in love. And I do that every time I look at you." Hmm, was she eating more iron? He could definitely hear her pulse more loudly than usual.

When Erik was gone, Jack cracked his neck. "Well, that went well. What a-." He looked apologetically at Jack Jr, who grinned at him in reply. He grinned. "There, no swears in front of the baby," he said with a wink in Taylor's direction. "But I think we got everything we needed." With a deep sigh, he touched the communicator hidden inside his lapel. "And the signal went through too. Let's get out of here."

The following appears in the pages of the Freedom City Ledger a week after the events of The Long Arm of the Law Editorial- Villains and Heroes: How Close is Too Close? It's something of an open secret in Freedom City's superhero community that sometimes superheroes and supercriminals get a little too close for comfort. Sometimes this can be a good thing. Who can forget what happened in 1993, when supervillains like the Red Devil and the Teen Terrors joined forces with friends from FORCE OPS to battle the forces of the Terminus? Or seventy years ago, when Crime League members like August Roman turned away from their criminal past to embrace American patriotism during the Second World War? This newspaper and its editorial staff endorse a balanced approach to crime-fighting, one that offers an opportunity for redemption for costumed criminals who choose to turn their fantastic powers to the cause of justice. But there is such a thing as being too close. Intimate relationships between superheroes and their enemies are a violation of the sacred public trust our society gives to people in masks, relationships that strike at the very foundation of what it means to be a superhero. Would the Centurion have bedded Marionette, or Lady Liberty Tom Cyprus? We trust our lives, our fortunes, and our families to the costumed guardians of Freedom City. If they can't be trusted to keep something as routine as their personal relationships inside the law, how can we trust them with anything more important? And what about our children? Consider the message it sends our young women if the hypersexualized, aggressively promiscuous lady supervillains are given the same treatment by the media or by their fellow superheroes as noble, courageous defenders of freedom like Lady Liberty or Fulcrum. Our society should reward decency and honor, not crime, corruption, and the poor impulse control that so often marks these jailbaits turned jailbirds. Our superheroes need to say no to supervillains. It's been said that true love waits. For a superhero, true love can certainly can wait until after justice has been served. This newspaper is a long-time friend of superheroes, particularly those who've proven their value to this city and to the world time and time again. That's why today we chose to name names. If our friends, whose valor has been proven time and again, do not have the courage to defend their relationship publicly, how can they tell themselves that what they do is true and right? That's why the Freedom City Ledger's editorial staff is asking our friend the Scarab to abandon her intimate relationship with the super-criminal known as Bombshell. Do what's right. Give our people something to believe in.

"Never," Jack promised, as they slipped through the window together and out into the Freedom City night. He looked down at the world far, far below their feet and gave a long, slow, whistle. "Whew. Did I ever tell you about the time I fell off this thing? It took a while to get back to flying. The company wasn't nearly so pleasant back then, though."

I'll let that point bide, shaen.

"A few ideas." He smiled. "Let's fly," he suggested suddenly, slowly rising off the ground himself in time with her. "Neat trick, huh?" He grinned. "I've been practicing! I see this city from the ground so often, but you're lucky enough to see it from the sky. It looks very different up here, and there's no one I'd rather see it with than you, Taylor." One thing about flying was that they could be at eye level without either of them having to exert much effort, and that was nice too.

"This one looks good, with the religious symbols," said Heyzel, pointing to a design that would take a great deal of work but would be gorgeous at the end of it. "If you can get this done in the time allotted, that would be best. But if you can't, this simpler one should be easier." He sighed a little, shaking his head. "Is this a good price?" he asked her seriously. "I don't spend money much, and I want to make sure this is a good deal."

Remember that a lot of her powers aren't Subtle by default, so something weird happens with her Strike and such. But if that's what you're going for, that's great. APPROVED

Concept looks good. Number seem to check out, but don't quote me on that. You had to cut some corners here and there, I see, but that's necessary for such a widely-spread concept. Maybe think about an Enhanced STR AP of the magic? But that's a different issue... Approved

"A better world," Jack agreed. "Something I don't think I could have done without you." He studied her for a moment, then admitted, "That's the hardest thing for me to accept about your work," he added. "The knowledge that there's only one world, anywhere, where you and I are together." And with that, he swept her up in his arms, bestowing a long, slow, deep kiss.

"It was the first thing that came to mind. I didn't have a lot of experience with presenting myself as a normal man." He smiled a little. "It was a nice dinner. I still feel bad about lying to your family, and that's not usually an issue for me. It's funny. You appreciated me for where I was normal, and I appreciated you for...well, the parts where you're extraordinary. I don't know anyone else I'd trust to do what you do."

"I never really understood why," Jack admitted. "I never thought of myself as a very likeable man." He grinned. "As for you, I've got to admit, my initial interest was entirely of the physical nature." He put his hand over her heart, a rather intimate gesture under the circumstances. "I'd never appreciated anyone on a level beyond that...before you." He paused, then added, "So, was it my butt? I thought those leather pants I was wearing would come in handy."

"A dozen touches: that's less than they use in regulation fencing, as I'm sure you know, and it's two for each of your team, assuming you opt to stretch it out between each individual piece on the board. If not, there's no reason why a small group can't do all that in a few minutes. Might as well give everyone a chance to compete. And of course I'll call in and let you know ahead of time that I'm coming. That wouldn't happen in real life, of course, but I think it's a deserved favor for you." When the negotiations were done, Jack perfectly willing to negotiate with everything Erik wanted, Jack did just as he'd promised and paid Erik's bill, flashing a row of crisp hundreds in the process, and Jack watched as Erik rose to leave.

"At least you can make your own clothing," Jack teased in return, "and not hide in the corner nude all day." He grinned, putting his big hands on hers, as he looked around. "You know, I was thinking tonight that if I'd known what our relationship would become, I'd have picked a more appropriate spot for our first date...but now that I think about it, I think this place is very appropriate for us. Just look at that night outside."

Durf, To answer your question, in discussing how immunity to interaction skills worked, apparently the system isn't quite granular as what I hoped. So I went for a straight Immunity to one particular interaction skill instead. I think it's a logical extension of how I've been playing Jack, representing a predator's instinctive knowledge of the true nature of its prey. If nothing else, it's a good source of HP when it needs Fiated away!

Freedom Angel -5 points to spend 2 points in Strength to 24 (+7) (2 pp) 1 point each in Dodge Focus and Protection (2 pp) Takedown Attack (1 pp) PL 11 combat caps, yay! Done by Sandman XI

Make the edits I've requested for Edge already, please. In addition to those, I have five points to spend. Buy Gather Information 12 (+18) (3 pp) Feats: Improved Defense (1 pp) Well-Informed (1 pp) DONE BY SHAENTHEBRAIN

Avenger's edits: spending 5 pp [b]Immunity 2[/b] (Bluff skills) (Flaw: Limited: Not In Combat) =1 pp spent here -Because he's a vampire, and I've been playing him as increasingly difficult for humans who don't know him to read, as well as having trouble interacting with normal humans most of the time. [b]+2 to Dexterity for a total of 26[/b] =2 pp [b]Grappling Block[/b] =1 pp -Because caps have gotsta be met! Will meet caps next month 2 pp here-1 from the array slot I'm dropping=1 pp spent here 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] -Because caps have gotsta be met! Done by Angrydurf

Mark Inspires as a full-round Action. That's +5 to Phalanx, Wander, Geckoman, Hellion, and let's say Fulcrum and Sparksmith, if they can hear him? Sure, why not. He surges for another standard action, switches his array, and drops a Blast 12 Selective Burst Area on every Grue he can see, whether in the air or in the sky. With the Progression he's got, it shouldn't be too tough for hit the entire area and more besides. Remember, that's a Selective effect: he isn't hurting any of the heroes.

Young Freedom's commlinks all suddenly crackled with Edge's voice, their putative leader's words strong and sure. "Our grandparents beat them once. Our parents beat them twice. The Freedom League beat them just six years ago! This isn't an invasion, it's an insult! Just some stupid aliens who like getting beat up! Well if they want to get beat up, by Jupiter, we'll beat them so hard we'll be telling OUR kids about it! C'mon, Young Freedom! LET'S GIVE THEM WHAT THEY DESERVE!" And with that, Mark concentrated, tapping into the core of energy at the heart of his very being, and the world exploded. Everywhere there were explosions: cars erupting in gouts of flame to scorch the Grue on the ground, windows bursting to send showers of glass erupting through the flesh of the Grue in the air, the big behemoths tripping and falling under the own weight, as an eruption of sheer terrible misfortune for all the enemies of Freedom came erupting from the center of Mark Mason Lucas. It was a glorious moment, and he was smiling when he finished.

"I think it makes more sense to make it a group activity. It's supposed to be a team-building exercise for your group. I'm sure you're all more than competent in our own individual areas of expertise." He resisted the urge to speculate in that area, going on to add, "I'm sure you can suggest a trophy better than I can. If it's something a normal-sized person can get out of the building and into a car? It wouldn't be very fair to you to have it just be "Give it to Avenger and he disappears," I think."

(14:09:25) Ecalsneerg: But it's Friday night >.> (14:09:28) quotemyname: So, Shaen, wanna tell me which counts are off? (14:09:40) ShaenTheBrain: Ask Geez. He hand-counted most of them. (14:09:52) ShaenTheBrain: Fair enough, Ecal. Fair enough. (14:09:58) quotemyname: He told me the first page checked out. (14:10:22) quotemyname: Then he had to sign off halfway through the second (14:10:40) Ecalsneerg takes his life and RUBS IT IN YOUR FACE (14:10:54) quotemyname: L_S let me know when you've put your threads up so I can count them (14:11:04) Ecalsneerg: ... did I just get rejected four times in 60 seconds via text?