Avenger Assembled

BType, Do you have (or have access to) the Agents of Freedom book? It goes into much more detail about the Freedom City Police Department. STAR (Special Tactics and Response?) Squad is the FC police unit charged with handling super-crime. They get extra money, extra training, extra equipment, and just enough super-science gadgets to keep themselves competitive with super-criminals. (Even if they can't fight a PL 10 monster, they can at least delay or distract one long enough to save the civvies and let the heroes come in.)

"You should stop doing that." The burglar looked up in shock as a flying, winged figure in ancient armor and clothing came swooping out of the sky to land near him. "Oh my God!" "Only one of his agents," said Freedom Angel patiently, his sword and shield both absent from his hands as he tried to speak to the criminal with the crowbar. It was very late in Lantern Hill, or maybe very early, somewhere around six or seven in the morning. With his nighttime chores done and no one else in the church that early, Heyzel had taken to patrolling. "What were you doing?" He listened, unhappily to the man's elaborate story about being locked out of his own house, which was why he'd hit the streets in black clothes and a crowbar, to try and get back in. "You know that lying and stealing is wrong, my brother" He looked the man in the eye, fearlessly ignoring any possible weapons as he put a hand on his shoulder. "You've hurt nothing today but yourself. Go home. Sin no more." They locked eyes for a long moment before the man's eyes widened and he threw away his crowbar. "Thank you!" he said, something like joy on his painted face. "Thank you!" And with that he turned, and ran the other way. With a deep sigh, the Angel of Freedom watched as the burglar disappeared into the darkness. This was going to be a long night.

Kara goes on 13; Lara goes on 1 OK, get your init up, LS.

"You see," said the one in the foreground, "Mr. Cthulu, we are just time travelers from your own future, tourists visiting the modern era of excitement and wonder." She coughed. "But we got separated from our group. So if you could just show me where the nearest time machine is, we'd be happy to be on our way." A crowd was beginning to gather in the mall, drawn by all the excitement and the strange look.

The women frowned, anger and disgust at interruptions in general and at Kid Cthulu's rugose appearance in particular written large on their lovely faces. Of course, they might have been lovelier yet if they hadn't turned to crime. "What are you supposed to be?" the taller of the two spat, her honeyed skin beginning to shimmer ever so slightly. "He's one of their supers!" the shorter one whispered, taking a step in front of her friend to say, "It's okay, sir, we're just a little lost," she said ingratiatingly, waving around her bangle-covered fingers. "I'm sorry about the store, we got confused. If you can just tell us where the nearest time machine is, we'll be on our way."

The mall cop gave Blake the hairy eyeball, and looked like he was about to send the teen on his way when a red light began flashing on the wall behind him. Glancing around quickly, he said, "That's the security alarm. I'll call this in to the station. Good work, kid," he said, rising to his feet and reaching for his belt. A few moments later, there came a terrible sound of shattering glass from the mall outside! Running out, Blake could see that the two hoodlums inside Hot Topic hadn't bothered with the door; they'd simply punched their way out and were leisurely strolling towards the mall's exit.

At the police station, a middle-aged mall cop was sitting behind the front desk reading a magazine. With his mustache and stocky build, he looked a lot like your average mall cop, if in a bit better shape than the average stereotype. "Can I help you?" he asked, looking up and giving Blake a curious, if somewhat jaded look.

"I've been working here three years," she said brightly. "But I really don't think we have what you need here yet. Maybe if you go to that other store I told you about, which sells the gold buttons, they'll be able to help you out? You can always bring them back here." From over on the other side of the room, one of the two women looked their way. "This kid isn't bothering you, is he?" she asked. The smile on the petite blonde's face wasn't friendly, either for Blake or for the young clerk. "No, no, I think he was just leaving," said the young lady behind the counter, giving Blake a wide, frightened smile.

With his keen awareness of the mall, KC knows that she's describing the mall police station.

"I know just the place," she said carefully, shooting a glance at the couple as they moved down the aisle away from them. "You need to go to the store on the upper level of the mall, the one right next to the Champions franchise and above the Gamestop. You know the one I mean? That'll have exactly what you need."

The clerk smiled at Blake, her eyes very big and smile very wide. "Hello," she said cheerfully, "what can I get for you today?" She was certainly much perkier than any Hot Topic clerk Blake had ever met! Outside of the young couple he'd noticed, two women in their twenties standing at the edge of the store looking over the T-shirts for a local Goth band, Blake was entirely alone in the place but for the clerk.

Avenger: Growing Up Vampire One of These Things We Rise Together White Wedding (and GMing) Darkness Rising Crossroads And Blackjack Web of Lies Edge: Beach Party Shadow over Freedom Jungle (and GMing) Title of Show Battle of the Sexes (and GMing) Freedom Angel: Beyond the Door Childhood Dream (and GMing) Well With My Soul Holy Meeting GMing Con Games

Edge is definitely in for it. Er, up for it. ;)

"Well yeah," said Mark with a laugh. "I wasn't saying you should come flying down like Captain Thunder fighting Talos. Just nice and graceful, like you fly. Maybe you can bring a satellite or two down with you, before you put it back." It might have been mean teasing from anyone else, but it seemed like Mark actually thought that sort of thing would be awesome.

"Ooh, ancient Egyptian," said Edge curiously. "What does it say?" he asked Ace, trusting that Mr. Danger knew all about that kind of stuff. "Is it about a mummy? Because if so, I know a guy who has a mummy-killing ax in his room. Actually, it's just a regular ax, but it's magic!"

"I've heard you say that before," said Jack with a nod, a solid, familiar presence next to Taylor. "He is a little strange," he added in agreement. "But he's the best we have right now." He gave her a level look. "Should we find someone better, though?" he asked. "There are others in the city, even if we'd have to lie to them."

11

"Chernobog, attend me! Black Goat of the Woods with a Thousand Young, send your children to my aid!" called Avenger unexpectedly. "Take the eyes and ears of my enemy so he might feed the Great Beast of Night!" Who said vampires didn't know anything about sorcery? At Avenger's words, twisted black shapes erupted from the walls and ceiling, each entangling themselves around the malevolent Dark Star, sinking into his head, his midsection, every part of his body.

"Hey Mike," called Mark from the pool, glad to see Faith and Alex talking. "You know what I was thinking?" he said ingenously. "I bet it would be really awesome if you jumped in the pool from orbit." He floated up and down in the water, a friend full of good ideas. "That way you could do something really cool without having to make a big production out of it." He glanced over at Alex significantly, giving Mike a suggestive look. Who knew what she might think of such a manuever?

"And your smile," Jack added, unable to resist the sudden image of a tiny baby with miniature vampire fangs. It wasn't all deflection, anyway; Taylor really was beautiful when she smiled. "You have a beautiful smile." He reached down and stroked her face. "And your mother's personality," he added teasingly. "So we can stay on our toes."

Jack blinked, taken aback. "Uh, I hadn't really thought about that," he admitted. He rested his hand there over her heart, letting her hold him there as she'd held him to so many places in life. "I suppose I'll probably want to teach him Vampiric, just for safety reasons. And it'll be good to learn Cantonese, too." He'd conflated Cantonese and Chinese in the past and learned to regret it. "The more places he can fit in, the better."

Nothing to do with me. Maybe in reaction to that impulse, Jack said, still smiling, "Jack Jr? It's got a nice ring to it, you have to admit." He thought for a minute, then said, "Something Chinese too, I guess, but you'd know more about that than I would. Jack Chun Faretti?" he suggested. "It has a certain ring to it. We can call him JC."

Heyzel watched the troubled young woman leave, then headed into the dark, empty sanctuary. He looked up at the image of the Creator suffering for the betterment of his creation, sharing a long, silent communion. "Well?" he asked suddenly, his voice almost inaudible. "Say something." But that night, anyway, he was alone.

"Hey-zel," explained Heyzel, "but most people who use my name just make it one word." He smiled faintly. "Freedom Angel is what the newspapers called me, so people outside the church usually call me that." He walked with her down the dark corridor, out towards the sanctuary. "If you would like to come back, the church could always use more people in the soup kitchen. You wouldn't even need to worship in the sanctuary."

"You don't need to use words to pray," said Heyzel quietly. "You can do it with your deeds, and with your heart." He stood up as well, a look of apology on his face. "I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help to you," he added. "All I can tell you is there is justice in the world beyond. Just not in this one, not unless you fight for it." He walked with her to the door and said, "You've never told me your name, Wander."