angrydurf

Diplomacy Check for Connected (1d20+20=40) Don't hate the Player Hate the game. Ace calls in a favor to have Jacks Car impounded.

Ace had his suspicions Jack was pulling something, one didn't survive as long as Ace Danger without getting a sense for these kind of things. The juvenile prank was really exactly the kind of thing he should have expected form Jack but he honestly was surprised when it was simple as that. 'Fine, Jack you want to play games we can play games.' he thought as he quickly noted down Jacks license plate number and pulled out his cell phone to make a call. "Joey. It's Ace, How're the kids? Listen I got a favor to ask..."

So inspiration for the new Malice? :D

"Fights seldom are Taylor." Ace replied sardonically. Having taken a basic measure of their skills ace took a step back to adress them both. "So what is your goal with this? Both of you have fare better means of defense than fisticufs at your disposal so what are you wanting to work on?" His tone was without judgement he just wanted to know how to focus thier training.

Ace shrugged, "If you say so Jack," he said, Jacks need to keep this secret was a little odd to Ace but the man was more than a little secret obsessed. He stepped out of the car and turned to get the bags, "So long as we still can use the elevator." He said with a smile.

Ace noddded as he explained, "I used to work with her uncle, but we actually met at a bank robbery. Needless to say the attempt was foiled." He chose not to go into the details of the pitched battel that had followed or the strange sarcophagus. "After that I recognized a piece of jewelry she had as having belonged to my former associate. We got to talking about it and realized the conection." He said with a smile. "I find I meet alot of interesting people in our line of work wouldn't you say?"

The vampire nodded confidently, "Of course, well I'll not bother you any further then." He said smoothly and vanished into the shadows of the ally, or rather would have as Taylor looked away but for his rather obvious swagger back out into the street. He seemed to have believed her lie at the least or was very good at covering for not believing it which seemed unlikely given his utter incompetance displayed thus far.

The creature before her snarled slightly at the demanding tone but managed to calm himself before doing anything truely stupid. When he spoke is was somewhat garbled by the fangs he was still unable to fully retract but he did manage to keep them form being visible. He answered her question with a question of his own, "When was the last tiem you saw Mr. Farratti?" Hurridly adding awkwardly, "I work for him."

Ace rolled his eyes at the obvios posturing and slipped the bags into the back seat before dropping into the pasenger seat and fastening his seatbelt. "I'm sure you tell all the girls that." Is all Ace said as he settled in with a wry smile.

The man frowned slightly his eyes flashing red for the barest second at the rather obvious duplicity. Seeing Taylor down the hall however he looked confused for a moment, "Sorry I must have the wrong apartment." He said with a toothy smile before turning to hurry down the hall towards Taylor. "Ms. Chun, I need to speak with you in private." He said, as he approached cloaser Taylor felt the brush of magic in him, barely noticeable but definately there and more focused when he last spoke.

"Just about." Ace replied as he added the last few things into the case. He took a final look around the room and turned to Jack, "I'll arrange for movers and storage as soon as your cleaners are done. She shouldn't have to worry about such right now." Ace was trying hard to be on his best behavior. He didn't like Jack and thought he was bad for Taylor, of course that was most of his apeal well that and the chiseled good looks couldn't fault her there. He also knew that direct interferance would only drive her closer to him. "Ready when you are." He said to jack as he hoisted the bag he had packed and another containing her schoolbooks and notebooks.

When she opened the door Stesha saw not Mrs. Everly's wayward canine but rather a Slightly built man of mediterainian descent dressed in tight black jeans and a fine black silk shirt crouching across the hall in the shadows of a plant likely her eyes would have slid right past him had the slight wilt of the plant not drawn her attention back to it. When it was clear he had been seen he nervously stood and asked "Is there a Taylor Chun staying here?"

Ok and the stage is set for Stesha and Taylor to enter the fray. It is not taylor at the door however who is it? Well you'll just have to look and see.

Across town Taylor waited for Jack to show up for thier schedualed date. Staying with Stesha complicated things a bit but they had agreed to meet at this coffee shop over two hours ago and Taylor knew only too well the look the barrista was giving her. That half mocking half sympathetic 'You got Stood up Look' It certainly wasn't the first time Jack had been called away for one reason or another but he had always called her before. Back at her appartment Stesha stared at the rapidly cooling dinner she had cooked for Derricks visit. It was not like him to just not show up like this it took but a thought for him to tap into the cellular network and call her. She heard a small sound at the door and while she was glad to offer Taylor a place to stay she wasn't lookign forward to faceing her after being stood up like this. Especially not if Jack might be with her.

The mastermind behind his capture largly ignored Dark Stars inevitable protestations that others would stop him. He knew better however these two wouldn't be missed for days possibly weeks. Already the base was shielded from psychic senses as well as even the most advanced devices that could be used to trace their were abouts. However when the power readings suddenly dropped to nothing he whirled, eyes blazing with a mad light, "Inconceivable!" He spat in outrage, "All the readings show that it should take you hours to achieve that state." He was furiously sorting through reams of data on one of the giant monitors. He stalked over to Dark Star and with a dark smile spoke suddenly calm and collected once more, "Very well. We shall have to find another way to ... coax you into cooperating. I have time on my side after all, your friends hav no hope of finding you, this facility has the most advanced defenses against sensors available and even your little pet psychic won't be able to defeat my psychic screen." Satisfied that Dark Star was sufficiently cowed he whirled to adgust the settign on jacks device trying to squeeze from his mind the secret that Dark Star would sacrafice the world for. As he worked he mumbled under his breath, "Come my pet show it to me, show me the girl there is always a girl."

If Ace was startled by Avengers sudden appearance he body language didn't betray the fact whatsoever. He glanced at the bag casually with a sly smirk, he had his doubts Taylor woudl have real need of dipilitory creme for the duration of her convelesence but what harm was there. He continued to neatly fold Taylors favored outfits and tuck them efficiently into her overnight bag as he spoke, "Well I do try and make myself usefull." He paused as he folded another shirt before broaching the somewhat less comfortable subject of cleanup, "Ahem," He cleared his throat to get Jacks attention not that it was really necissary, "There is also the matter of cleanup, without police involvement crime scene cleanup can be difficult to arrange." He turned to look at Jack, "I may be able to arrange something but I have a feeling you might be able to do so with greater alacrity." 'There you go Taylor dating a shadowy mobster had to be good for something right?' He thought to himself as he awaited Jacks reply.

Ace watched each of the other Knights arrive, greetign them each in turn with a nod and warm smile. He listened with intrest to the begining of Dark Stars explanation his face impasive as the gravtic hero appologized. "You did alot of good that day Dark Star and despite your eratic behavior I think are one of the main reasons there wasn't greater tragedy that day. That trick with the water was a great boon to the firefighters." He said kindly, heroes such as Dark Star were usually thier own harshest critics and while he was certainly curious about the cryptic message that had pressaged Dark Star leaving he felt Dark Star had earned the right to explain that in his own time.

Is there one guys who looks like the leader or anything?

Ace strolled in a few moments later giving Dark Star a friendly smile and nod and ducking down to give Elena a quick kiss on the cheek before he took a seat on her left. He leaned back in his chair and looked to Dark Star, "So whats this all about then? Or would you rather wait until the others arrive?" He said with a friendly smile. Ace was well aware there was tension between several of the knights over many issues, it was part of the reason he was here after all, but saw it as his place to keep things as congenial as possible, besides he liked Dark Star, saw the ephemeral energy being as a rare breed of hero not common in recent years. Avenger he ignored entirely, Ace was not without his own prejudices after all.

Have an HP for the setback up him having a Nullify Dark Star Device set up and another for failing the power check to keep going anyway . You are fully concious as everything continues to happen while he uses you to charge his nefarious device but it is an exceptionally painful process. AA The dream was disrupted by those events briefly before he was able to reinstate them feel free to have that come out in your posts. This iteration of the black mercy is not as robust so there may be more holes in the story than before I'm gonna give Cy a chance to have DS give the pithy "You'll never get away with this" speach then I'll intro Fluer/Phantom

Avenger flew through the wall of the device in Dark Stars Telekinetic grip. Just as Dark Star turned to leave the now malfunctioning device the field that had been growing behind him suddenly stabalized and expanded shutting down all of Dark Stars powers as the finely tuned gravimetrics of the device matched in perfect resonance to his own energies. Avenger fell to the ground, his mind still lost in the fantasy realm, his body lifeless. The door to the device sprung open and Dark Star could see now the Villian who had entrapt avenger and himself. He was a tall man of eastern european descent from his features, the side of his face twisted by what apeared to be some kind of burn marring his otherwise attractive form. He was well dressed and held in his hand the delicate device that had proven Dark Stars undoing. "And so the mighty shall be brought low." Said the man with a mad gleam in his eye, "It was quite the lucky coincidence that your friend here," He aimed a wicked kick at Avengers unconcious form, " happened upon my lair." With a gesture Dark Stars form was pulled from the device by some mysterious force. "I had thought it would take weeks more before I was able to lure you into my grasp, but lady luck has shined upon me today. Soon now the world will quake in fear of the name of their new overlord, Vaslev Tcheny, Muah HA Ha HA haha." He flung Dark Star into position between two strange pillars and with the flip of a switch they began to siphon the Gravtic Energies of the hero to power the terrible Black Hole Generator. As the siphons began Dark Star knew pain like none he had ever known before. As he watched the man who had been his undoing carefully strap Avengers limp form into a chair next to the device and fit him with a strange electronic crown. "Yes my friend," He said patting Avengers masked cheek, "Soon the secrets of your little band of friends will be mine and NO ONE will be able to stop my DESTINY!" Avengers thoughts once more began to play themselves out ont he screens as the villian looked on and tried to decipher the knights secrets from Avengers dreams.

Quick note I think we need to establish what has/will happen with the investigation into the explosion. Does Hawky get caught? punished? is it a great unsolved mystery still at this point? Just something that may be relevent to future discussion :D

The assembeld thugs are thrown into disarray once more as gravity reverses itself as they fall to the ground all but one are knocked unconcious by the fall. The one who remains scrambles to his feet and makes a break for it down one of the allys and is quickly out of sight.

Reflex(Evasion) followed by toughness (if needed) (1d20+8=14, 1d20+6=25, 1d20+8=15, 1d20+6=9, 1d20+8=14, 1d20+6=7) One still standing after it all. He runs for it dropping his weapon. Edge is Up

Basically right Cy. Two unarmed girls run out of the car and are shot by Arrowhawks flurry of arrows. One drops the other is fine (Due to VP use). Ther guy i the car had a pistol but it heated up/misfired when you blasted all the weapons and is lying on the ground where he dropped it. He is caling for one of the Girls "Natasha". Half the thugs are unconcious the others have grabbed their unconcious brethren and are preparing to run. The thug leader is hacking between firing bursts from his rifle at you due to Arrowhawks tear gas arrow. Edit: Yes that was blinks last VP