Avenger Assembled

Jack hesitated a moment, glancing at Taylor, before he spoke. "We have evidence that Taylor is..." Jack, a master of deception, had trouble coming up with the right words for this one. "carrying a certain medical condition. I don't want to bias you ahead of time, but she needs a full physical workup. There is some evidence that I may have impregnated her with a dhampir," he finally said, placing the blame for the condition where it belonged.

A few blocks away "Thank you, Freedom Angel!" Heyzel repressed a tiny sigh at once again hearing the name the Freedom City newspapers had given him. The human love of drama was one complication he hadn't expected, nor was their tendency to conflate him with superheroes. Instead he smiled down at the girl as he handed her the kitten he'd just rescued from the tree, the tiny animal looking cold and sad as it clung to the girl's coat. "You're welcome," he said. "Now run along home, child, your mother will be looking for both of you. And make sure you keep your friend indoors from now on," he added with a nod towards the kitty. "It's far too cold and dangerous for your pets to be outside." When the girl nodded, wide-eyed, Heyzel flapped his wings and took off, rising high above the narrow streets of Lantern Hill before turning back towards St. Stephen's. As he headed back towards his residence, he took a moment to be grateful for the generosity of the congregents of St. Stephen's, who'd gladly allowed him to stay in their building since his arrival on Christmas Eve. Finding a home of his own early on, without the chance to make friends and influence people, would have been very difficult. He was clearly visible as he approached the church, his fluffy white wings and shining armor clearly visible in the crisp winter air, just as down below various people were also visible. He'd expected an encounter with the various super-powered beings of Freedom City...but not so many! And not, perhaps, these particular individuals. He picked the figure in the trees first, flying down behind the yew tree and looking with a frank expression at the animate dead before him. Was there...a mind behind those eyes? "Hello, friend," he said cautiously. "I don't think we've been introduced."

"I am Hey-Zel," said the angel with a warm, beneficent smile. Everything was going well so far; the worshipers were interested in him and what he had to say, there was a boy here with the taint of the infernal eager to have his soul cleansed...perhaps all his worries about his mission had been overblown! There were a few more questions from the congregation, mostly about matters of theology, which Heyzel answered to the best of his ability. The Logos had spoken the multiverse into being uncounted eons ago, the Creator of All Things did not actually care what gender, name, or divisions were imposed on him, nor for that matter did the Adversary. It was nature, not name or ritual, that carried a soul into eternity. He caught sight of the giant girl in the rear and gave her the same friendly smile all others had gotten, and took a moment's pause to invite up the boy from below who had tried to catch his attention. He greeted Quark with an outstretched hand when the boy joined him by the podium. "My friend, I understand there's something you'd like to tell me," he said with understanding.

It pained Jack to break away from Taylor, as if he might turn around and she and everything about this dream-like day would simply disappear. But he did want to greet his friend, and so headed over to clap Viktor Archeville on the back. "Viktor! I knew the finest scientist who doesn't live in a tin can would make an entrance worthy of the name." He grinned, looking uncharacteristically honestly happy. "I knew our mutual investments would pay off well."

30 on the Mind Control check, with the HP

"You!" Peering malevolently at the cultist with the amulet, Avenger focused his gaze directly on the bad guy. You didn't have to be Phantom to know that was some bad mojo, and that he needed to stop it fast before they were all in serious trouble. "Drop that toy before I FEED IT TO YOU!" he shouted, meeting the cultist's gaze and pouring his will down inside him like a torrent from a volcano, the sheer power of his undead nature washing against the man's fragile soul like a wave against a lone swimmer at the beach.

"You find them, I'll grind them," said Avenger, driving one fist into another with something Taylor recognized as good cheer in his eyes. It was the holidays, Jack thought; why not split the difference. "Will save plenty for you," he added with a wicked leer. After all, he'd been blasted in the chest by Phantom often enough to know that Taylor was quite thoroughly formidable in a fight. "Ghostface Killahs have a fake Santa on Ash Street. Have been meaning to deal with that."

"Yeah, I'm sure it's..." Jack shook his head, falling silent for a moment. God, look at us, talking about this like it's normal! Like it's anything other than... He reached over and squeezed Taylor's hand, giving her a reassuring smile. "It'll be all right. We'll get through it together. I'm sure he'll be just as interested in what's going on with me these days. He probably doesn't get a lot of chances to look over the inner workings of vampires..."

"Satellites, even the cameras on the Lighthouse, have been pointed at the area, but so far they've found no sign of either the White Lion's plane or the missing search patrol." Edet sighed softly, shaking his head. "UNISON knows; it was one of their planes that disappeared. All that is known is that a strange energy surge was detected just before they vanished..." He pulled out a printed sheet of paper and placed it on the table where all the heroes could see, the readout showing a complicated piece of super-scientific observation. "The UNISON flight disappeared nearly twenty miles from the last location of Lion-1." Mark had helpfully provided a map of Africa, with two dots visible on the northern part of the Congo. "Over the rainforests of the Congo." "I think we may be better off teleporting in," said Mark with as much thought as we could muster. "I mean, it'll be a lot faster than grabbing a jet or seeing if we can get the use of the Pitchoo. If this is a rescue mission, time is of the essence. What's it like on the ground there, Edet?" "Rough," said the Star of Africa. "The jungle there is very heavy, and the region has been torn by wars. The White Lion is not loved by the warlords of Africa, who hate him for his wealth and his honor. He would fare poorly as their prisoner."

Edge, Hellion, Psyche, Phalanx, Wander, and Geckoman take a little trip

Late one crisp Friday in January, the various members of Young Freedom sat around the conference table in their headquarters and listened to the Star of Africa. Edet Chereno was the only Claremont student from Dakana, the richest nation in sub-Saharan Africa, and as he spoke with his faint English accent the daka crystals embedded in his red-tinted body glistened in the light of the overhead lamps. "The White Lion has disappeared." He looked from one to the other of the students there before looking back at Mark, the Young Freedom member who knew the African student best. "The great African hero," Mark murmured. "The King of Dakana. He's a friend of my family too," he added before letting the Star continue. Even Mark looked worried for this one, or at least as worried as Mark ever got. "He was returning from a conference in South Africa, along with the Prime Minister and the Queen, when his plane disappeared completely from Dakanan radar. Two follow-up missions have failed to find him; indeed, one of the rescue missions has now disappeared." Edet swallowed hard. "My country is at peace, but we have many enemies. The other nations tell mad stories about us, that we harbor a secret cure for cancer that is only for the elite, that a king keeps a monster chained up in the mountains, that our wealth comes from trade with the Grue." He rubbed one of the crystals in his skin and said quietly. "We cannot win a war against all our neighbors while at the same time choosing a new king. Even a victory would mean the death of tens of thousands." "And you came to us because teenage American heroes going to Africa will attract less attention than the Freedom League?" Mark had actually not wondered about that question at all; Edet had come to them because they were superheroes, naturally. But Edet had explained it when he'd first approached Edge, and so Mark had decided to bring it up himself. "Yes," agreed Edet. "Even the news of the king's disappearance would be a disaster. We must do all we can to prevent that. And...because it will allow me to come with you," he added. "I would not see my mentor, my patron suffer and be unable to come to his aid. Please, help," he asked them. "Before my homeland falls into a war that none shall win."

Avenger: 83 posts Invasion: Riverside 2 Abra Kadabra 20 Wish You Were Here 11 Darkness Rising 2 7th Circle 4 And Blackjack 3 Coo-Coo 14 White Wedding 4 Growing Up Vampire 10 Gothic Christmas] 10 Pressing Concerns 3 Edge: 37 posts Invasion: Gate 6 Giving Thanks 9 Beyond the Veil 22 GMing: Con Games 4 (2)

Sure, Darius.

Heyzel's eyebrows furrowed for a moment as he found the right answer. It was difficult to summon up these concepts into words, but fortunately he'd been trained by the best. "There is but one faith, sister, and that faith is in righteousness, justice, and mercy. Those who follow that path and who pledge themselves to the Creator can expect to pass into the glories of Heaven. As for those who do not...well, I cannot tell you how to go to Valhalla, or Heliopolis, or Nirvana," he admitted. "I can only show the path to the Almighty himself. Neither," he added, with a significant look at Psyche, Phalanx, and especially Quark, "need I tell you the path to the Adversary. His agents are well-known to some of you." He looked at the crowd again. "This, among a few others, is a city of miracles. I am here to show you that the miracles of this world need not overshadow what follows. The justice of Heaven is infinite, and the rewards that follow just."

Sharp-eyed, Heyzel spotted the young lady's movements right away. "Ah, yes, hello," he said, pointing to her. "You had a question?" So far, his mission was going very well indeed! "You might as well stand up," he suggested, "so everyone can hear who wants to."

The burning candle flame before him helped steady the young angel's nerves, reminding him of the purpose of his visit to Earth. His keen eyes scanned the crowd, picking out those who looked out of the ordinary. A place of wonders indeed. I haven't even spoken yet, and I feel sure in my mission. This place had been struck hard by the invasion of the Adversary, but the resolution had left it cleansed of the taint of the Others. Or had it? His eyes narrowed, just a bit, as he picked over a few in the crowd. There was nothing in his heart but pity for them. Now. When the young man with the brush of the infernal approached him, Heyzel was pleased, but he didn't want to interrupt the worshipers around him. He rose from his seat and smoothly laid a finger across the boy's lips, gesturing to the crowd around them with a smile on his face. At the end of the song, he leaned very close and whispered in a voice like a harp's deepest notes, "You shall have what you seek." When the sermon came to an end, the game Reverend Dickinson invited "our very special visitor" to the front, a look of deep concern on her face as she made way for Heyzel. Conscious of her nervousness, Heyzel spread his wings, the candles in the crowd glinting off his divine armor. "Good evening, everyone. Thank you for letting me be part of your community this evening." He smiled at them. "My name is Heyzel. I am an angel of freedom, come among you as Ambassador of the Realm of Heaven. I have come to live among you as a man, to show the virtues of justice and mercy to the world."

Finally the service came to its climax, a powerful performance of Hark, the Herald Angels Sing! The choir and congregation were all on their feet, singing with joy and enthusiasm, when something unusual happened. The teenage heroes, perhaps a bit less intent than the crowd on the song, were the first to notice a glowing, shimmering light just inside the roof of the church, like a candle's glow scaled up to be as large as a man. Gradually, the light silently faded to reveal the figure of a man, or rather an angel. With great white fluffy wings, shining metallic armor, and the symbols of the Christian faith emblazoned on his vaguely Romanesque outfit, the dark-haired man looked very much like many of the images of warrior angels about the church. He looked down at the crowd with a beneficent expression on his face and was soon singing along, his voice ringing along as part of the chorus as the song came to an end. High above the crowd, Heyzel smiled as he swooped down neatly, landing next to a startled Reverend Dickenson at the pulpit. "Pardon me, sister," he said with a warm smile, his voice ringing out to the edge of church. "I didn't mean to interrupt." Raising his voice a little, he said "I would speak with the congregation at the end of the service, but I would never dream of interrupting the worship of the Creator. Pray, continue." With a few flaps of his wings, which were far too small to support his body, Heyzel rose up and made a neat landing at the back of the church, sitting respectfully in one of the free seats for the overflow crowd. There was a momentary pause before, rolling with it, Dickenson had the lights dimmed for the candlelight portion of the service. The crowd was very quiet, and it took them a moment or two to find the words for Silent Night. Inside Heyzel was a bit concerned by that, but shook it off hopefully. Surely the arrival of an angel in church on Christmas wasn't so surprising to the faithful, not in a city like this. Besides, he'd just been carried away by the sheer power of the music. He was just honored to be there, especially when someone handed him a hymnal. He politely declined, though; after all, he knew the words by heart.

"Excellent," said Jack. "8 o'clock it is." They made arrangements for the place as well, their planned destination at one of Archeville's labs that Jack was already familiar with. "Oh, and Viktor..." Jack hmmed. "Bring those skin samples you took of me, you may still have them. And data you have on treating incorporeal patients." He gave Taylor a small shrug when she looked at him, and added, "I'll explain when we get there. Jack out."

"The Fens," agreed Jack, who was feeling rambunctious enough to pull down his new mask just enough to kiss Taylor deeply on the lips as her cloak swept up around them both, carrying them into the darkness between dimensions. They reappeared on the roof of a burned-out old arcade that had seen much much better days, a place that gave them a perfect view of the worst parts of the Fens, a region of porn theaters and petty drug dealers, a place where the most violent criminals did their business with no law to protect them. It was a good place for a street hero on Christmas.

The service began with a brightly-robed choir bursting into glorious song, raising their voices to Heaven as they sang Adestes Fidelis in the original Latin, then smoothly shifting to the English that was the native language of the congregation. The choir was very good here, the joy in faith and music they felt ringing from the high vaulted ceiling. Afterwards, Reverend Dickinson, the round-faced Methodist minister who usually presided over services, led the congregation in a short prayer before the Christmas pageant began! The short service, mostly put on by older folks with a few small children as the 'angels', was very much like most others, with the highlight being a really very cute baby Jesus who was just old enough to cheerfully burble at just the right moment. After that, Reverend Dickinson introduced the various speakers they had for the evening, Father Guimont going first. He was a good speaker, as always, his clear tenor voice reaching the whole congregation as he told them of the importance of the birth of Christ in the Catholic tradition. "Let us remember always," he finished, "that we need not doubt miracles today. We live in a world full of them. What matters is how we embrace those miracles, here on this most miraculous of days." The other speakers were compelling in their own way, but any Claremont student would agree that their pastor was the best. After the various talks came more singing, this time for the whole congregation! Joy to the World!

"I usually don't burn," said Mark contentedly. "I just sort of get a really deep tan. Just..." He shook his head, an odd look passing over his face as Oliver jumped out of his arms. "Well, I was going to say just lucky, but that's not really true, is it?" He looked a bit unsettled, but still much improved from how he'd been just a few seconds earlier. "I'll see you later," he said to Erin, giving her a serious look. "I really appreciate you coming out for me. It means a lot to me."

Freedom Angel's Christmas Eve debut

Date: December 24th, 2009 St. Stephen's Church had been completely rebuilt after the incident before Halloween, the antique graveyard repaired by Dr. Metropolis and a legion of grad students from Freedom City's universities. That made this year's Christmas Eve service especially joyous and happy for the parishoners of Freedom City's oldest continually-active house of worship. There were all the usual trimmings of the holiday; candles for the worshipers, holly and mistletoe on the walls in a tasteful complement to beautiful old stained-glass windows bearing symbols of the Old and New Testaments. Today was a particularly special day for the Claremont students who had made their way out to the church: as part of a joint inter-faith celebration of the holidays, Father Henry Guimont, the priest attached to the chapel at school, was going to talk to the congregants about Christmas in the Catholic tradition alongside an Armenian Orthodox priest, a Lutheran minister, and Baptist preacher each talking about their own faiths. Guimont was a popular man on campus, even for those who didn't attend his chapel regularly, and he'd made sure to pass out invitations to students he liked who'd be in the area for the holidays. The big Christmas dinner ahead of time didn't exactly hurt, nor did the promise of coffee and hot chocolate afterwards.

"You bet!" said Mark jovially. "James knows some really awesome places," he confided to Erin. "When I broke up with Alex, he took me down to Miami and we..." He thought about those memories for a moment and decided not to share all of them with Erin. "We had a really nice time. I don't suppose you can take us down to Miami Beach again, can you?" he asked James with a snicker.

"Yes, it's me, Viktor," said Jack, keeping his voice even as he drove. "Taylor and I need to set up a conference with you at your earliest convenience. We've had an unexpected situation come up that requires someone as trustworthy as he is intelligent, and there's no one I know who's better than you at both those categories. Are you available this evening?"