Electra

The sudden voice in the dim room had Koshiro jumping about a foot in the air, no boon to his already aggravated mood. The Fens had some amazing abandoned buildings, stuff he was itching to get into, but nothing he could touch without a team. No solo exploring, not ever. That was the rule, and he wasn't about to break it ,especially in a strange city chock-full of weirdness. "What!" he demanded, dropping his backpack with a clunk before turning to face the monitor. "I thought you'd be... processing, or whatever the hell you do at night."

The Sierra Student Coalition float was crammed cheek by jowl with high schoolers from three different Sierra Clubs, which made for a lot of friendly strangers, and made it easy for one more student to go unnoticed. Koshiro had found himself a spot next to a very pretty college freshman in a hemp t-shirt and was pretending an avid interest in old-growth forest while their hands met in the bag of Smarties they were throwing to the kids in the crowd. He was keeping an eye on things, of course, just in case some villain decided they had nothing better to do than ruin a stupid parade. What better way to keep an eye on the parade than by rolling along with it, right? And if he had a good time doing it, so much the better. Though he could've done without the babysitting.

Erin shifted uncomfortably for a moment, waiting for introductions that were obviously not going to be forthcoming. Trevor could usually turn the Midnight persona off for social encounters with civilians, but his dad seemed to bring it out in him. For that matter, she had to assume Ted was capable of stringing together sentences as well. What must it be like to be so stilted with your own family? Hell, she had a better relationship with her Prime family, and they were barely even related. She shifted her grip on the folder, half extending it as she took a step forward. "Mr. Hunter, I'm Erin White. It's a pleasure to meet you," she ventured, using her getting-a-job etiquette. "I have the details of my portfolio here to look at..."

Miss A watched the combat below, wincing in sympathy as Jack delivered a punishing blow to Geckoman. It actually seemed to do some good though, she watched as the lizard-themed hero's personality seemed to seep back into him. Catching the wink, she cracked her knuckles in just such a way as to divert power from her targeting subsystems to the lasers themselves. The moment Willow's attention was diverted to the ground, Miss A fired, the beams sizzling from her fingertips and shooting right into the mad plant controller's chest!

I have limitless wells of hatred for you. All right, surging to try again. 1d20+12=19 Invisible Castle hates me, but it should hit. Down to 1HP remaining, unless you count the complication that is Invisible Castle.

Miss Americana tilted her head ever so slightly to listen to the radio broadcast, then gave Melvin's mother a reassuring smile. "Mrs. Thackery, there really isn't a need for pretense between us, is there? We know about your, mm, double life in the past, and we're not here to bust you for it. As far as I'm concerned, nine years of good behavior is enough to let bygones be bygones. You must have been very young, and it's pretty clear why you left when you did. But from the notes the school has, it sounds like you may be having a harder time putting the past behind you. Do you want to talk about that?" Her voice was warm and concerned, inviting confidences.

Okay, going to take Geckoman up on his offer (at least she's hoping that's what the wink implies!) and go after Willow with all she's got. That means a power attack for 2 on her Blast. That should make for a rank 16 damage effect and get around that ridiculous Impervious. 1d20+12= Hahaha, AA told me I would only miss on a 1. Guess what I rolled! Spending an HP! 1d20+12=25. DC 31 toughness save

For Alderwitch: Psyche: Unraveling the Gordian Knot (1) Gorgon: Plan Bee (2) Bombshell: Gorgon: The Gods Themselves (2) League Rebirth: Swiss Misses (1) Phantom: Gorgon: Unwelcome Guests (2)

Stesha leaned in to untangle Ammy's tiny fingers from Willow's hair, but kept her full attention on the other woman's words. "Swordmaster... Jack of all Blades," she guessed, remembering where Willow's heroic connections seemed to mostly be. She let out a breath, thinking through the situation. "Just to be sure I've got the situation right," she said tentatively, "you and Jack are together, but you haven't told him yet that you love him? And you haven't told him yet that you're pregnant." Her voice was sympathetic, for all her head was crowded with the complications this could lead to. "Do you know yet when you're due?"

Koshiro gets a 29 on Stealth

Koshiro nodded thoughtfully. Lantern Hill would be too ritzy for anybody to let things stand vacant, but the Fens seemed like a good bet. And after living in Detroit, nothing that tame, hero-saturated Freedom City had to offer was going to faze him much. "Aight, thanks," he told Sharl. "Ah, good luck with, you know, telling everyone else about your...computer...thing." He wondered if the others would understand better than he did, kind of hoped for Sharl's sake that somebody would be as het up about it as the computerized kid obviously was.

Erin carefully relaxed her hold on the folder before she creased it with her fingers, then walked over in the direction the woman had indicated. The elevator was quiet and empty, with just a wisp of subdued music. "I hear they have really good pastries in Paris," she told Trevor, raising her voice to a normal volume. "And good coffee, too. That's kind of all you hear about Paris, really. Good food, good coffee, and the Eiffel Tower. And that big Archy-Triumph," she added, deliberately mangling the pronunciation a bit more than necessary in the hopes of eliciting another smile before they entered the lion's den. "Anyway, this probably won't even take that long."

Koshiro put his tongue in his cheek, even as he tried to maintain an appropriately somber expression. "That's good to know. I'll watch out for that," he promised. Once Sharl stopped blocking the door, he stepped inside and dropped his backpack on the bed. "Hey Sharl," he asked suddenly, "I know you're not from around here, but do you know what the oldest neighborhood in the city is? Or like the most rundown one, where the poor folks live?"

"Oh, okay," Koshiro said. "That makes a lot more sense." He pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and began folding it, an idle habit Sharl had already seen a few times. "That's good to know." Eventually, Koshiro figured, if he nodded along, Sharl would either spit out what he had to say, or he'd be satisfied with whatever he had said. He didn't want to alienate this guy, especially since he obviously had superhero friends. Koshiro had seen pictures of Miss Americana in the newspaper, and he certainly wouldn't mind getting an introduction sometime. That meant keeping on the computer kid's good side.

Koshiro narrowed his eyes and made a good faith effort to pick through all of what sounded like a bunch of nonsense, since Sharl was his roommate. It sounded more like something some bum on the street would yell while Koshiro was busy crossing to the other side to avoid him. "So the Matrix is secretly based on the computer world you come from," he said slowly, "and you all live on a computer that's not actually connected to the internet. Why don't you just make a couple backup copies?" he asked offhandedly.

"It's okay," Erin assured him in a low voice as they walked. "I've sort of gotten an idea of what he's like, I won't let him bother me." The building itself was impressive, speaking of power and prestige for all she couldn't understand the actual language of its inhabitants. "He's good at making money work, so that'll be good enough." Seeking to find something to lift his spirits, she cast around in her mind. "You've been to Paris before, right? Maybe after this meeting we can tour around a little before we head home. I'd kinda like to see the Eiffel Tower, the cafes and all that stuff. It's a nice day out."

Koshiro absorbed all that in silence, trying to figure out what the important part was supposed to be. Something about it was important to Sharl, anyway. He raised an eyebrow at the mention of the Curator, an enigma that nobody had yet explained but everybody seemed to want to talk about, but the rest of the spiel seemed desperately unimportant. "So... he finally said, "you are actually from the internet. Only the programs there think it's the real world? Explains why you dress like Keanu Reeves, I guess."

Koshiro's eyes automatically flicked around to check out his side of the room, but everything seemed to be in order with nothing for a roommate to be complaining about. When he'd lived at home, he'd been messy as any guy his age, but going to juvie had taught him to take care of his stuff. Even the bed was made today, since he'd had a couple minutes before class. Satisfied that he didn't deserve to have his ass ridden about anything, he leaned against the wall. "Yeah?" he asked laconically.

Erin grimaced at him, tightening her arms around the manila folder Alex had given her as she took in the large building. She was wearing the suit she'd bought for job interviews, an off-the-rack but decently fit dark grey outfit with a notched collar and taper leg pants. Her favorite part of the whole ensemble, besides the fact she'd found it on sale, was that the inside jacket pocket could conceal her bat. She'd dressed it up a little with her grandmother's necklace and some costume jewelry earrings, making her look at least a few more than her eighteen years. She took a deep breath. "So, here we are," she echoed. "At least we're still running early."

Stesha chuckled a little bit. "I don't think there's any woman who doesn't feel that way before having children," she admitted. "Becoming a mother is terrifying. You go the nine months and you watch what you eat, what you do, but mostly everything is taken care of by your body. Then suddenly you've got this tiny person who needs you to do everything, and to think about doing everything. You have to make the right choices, and every time you make a decision, you wonder if that's a decision that's going to resonate through the years and fundamentally change who that child becomes." Her smile, a bit rueful to start, suddenly warmed. "But it's wonderful as well. There's something so... so pure, I suppose, about the love you have for your own child. And when you do things for them, it's almost like doing them for yourself. And at first it's like pouring water into an opaque container, and you're just filling and filling and nothing is happening, but then there's a moment where your child looks at you and recognizes you, and that first moment when she smiles at you, and it feels like you won the lottery." She took a sip of her tea, smiled at the baby who was now trying to grab for Willow's hair. "My mom said that having children is like taking your heart out and letting it walk around outside your body. I think maybe that's the best analogy I can come up with, too."

Wander Gorgon: The Gods Themselves (12) Going the Distance (11) League Rebirth: Swiss Misses (2) Growth Industry (35) Wiki Page: The Nicholson School Vignette Hell-Q Redone Fleur de Joie Gorgon: Plan Bee The World Laughs in Flowers Into the Not-So-Green Yonder Miss Americana Gorgon: Queen of Heaven The Doktor is In(sane) Vanity Project Papercut Gorgon: Latchkey Kids World Tour: Detroit Minute

September 26, 9pm Freedom City, The North End It looked like the beginning of the end for the city that had seen and survived so much danger all these years. As the moon rose over Freedom City, it was almost lost in the unnatural brightness streaming off the other celestial body in the sky, not visible here yet, but very soon. Erin stood on the roof of her apartment building and stared up at the sky for a few minutes, feeling the knot of bitterness burning at her stomach. Had it all been for nothing? All the fighting, all the trying, all the pain and sacrifice so some cosmic entity could murder them with a thought like a bunch of bugs in a jar? How could it end like this? Even now it didn't seem real, the idea that in mere hours they'd all be dead, standing like statues in whatever position they'd been in at the last. She'd been given the opportunity to go to Sanctuary, the current off-dimension evacuation headquarters for Freedom City, but she'd declined. Her new next-door neighbor was only a few years older than she was, and had two little kids. She'd been grateful to take the spot when Erin had given her the rendezvous location and sent them along. They deserved a chance to live, but Erin couldn't run ahead of dying worlds forever. If Prime was going, she would go with it. But at least she wasn't going to go alone. She leapt into the air and aimed for the gleaming spires of Hanover's science palaces, one hand holding onto the passenger on her shoulder. Charlie had good claws and a firm grip, but the kitten still wasn't used to near-flight travel and she didn't want him freaking out and losing hold. She felt him purring nervously under her hand, but he stayed very still as she bounced over the Wading River and through Hanover, then into Kingston. There was some isolated rioting in the city tonight, but it was more the church revival kind rather than the looting and violence sort, people praying for a reprieve to God or the Freedom League, whatever struck their fancy. Erin was inclined to let them do what they wanted, whatever made them feel less helpless. She wore her uniform just in case, but there seemed to be little that could be done. It would only get worse in the small hours of the night, when that big hideous face loomed down on them from the sky. Erin drew up short halfway through Kingston, surprised to find she wasn't alone on the roof of the five-story brownstone she'd landed on. Her first thought was another patrolling hero, but the person standing on the ledge and looking down didn't have the air of someone watching over the city, but of someone run over by it. Suicides were way up right now, she knew, and suspected that this middle aged man was another potential statistic. "Hey!" she called. "You okay?" He startled, and for a moment Erin was sure she was going to have to leap after him when he fell from the ledge, but he kept his footing and his balance at the last moment. She watched him look her over, see the uniform. "Nothing's okay!" he cried, his voice full of rage and despair. "We're all going to die, haven't you heard? And the heroes, you heroes, aren't doing a goddamned thing! I thought you were supposed to save us! Now nothing can save us!" He turned to the open air again, took a deep breath. "Hey wait!" Erin called before she even knew what she was going to say. "If you don't want to die, why the hell are you jumping off a building?" she demanded. "Why not?" he asked. "Save a few hours of waiting, right? What do you care? I thought all you metas were in some secret bunker off-planet anyway, letting us cook." "That's not true," she told him with a shrug. "People who are scared spread rumors. There are evacuations, but I don't know hardly any heroes who have left, except the ones who are necessary to run things there. The rest of us are staying here, no matter what happens. It's our world too, for however long it lasts." "I can't stand it!" he burst out. "How are we supposed to just sit here and wait to die? It's effing torture, that's all it is! We may as well put bullets in our brains now, or just jump..." "That's a stupid way to think," Erin snapped, loudly enough to catch his attention again. "Every minute, every hour you have is a gift. It's an opportunity to do something good, or to make a difference, or just to make another person a little bit happier. All you're thinking about now is yourself and how you're scared , and that's only going to make it worse. Maybe the Gorgon is going to kill you, but she's not going to make you less of a human being. Don't let her make you be less than you are. Go and do something. Go and call your family, or write a poem, or just give a dollar to a homeless guy because you're a person and you live in Freedom City and the Gorgon can't beat you. Not unless you let her." From her shoulder, Charlie meowed in apparent agreement. The man half-turned from the ledge as Erin spoke, watching her with a strange combination of resignation and interest, one that turned to puzzlement. "Is that a kitten?" he asked. "Uh, yeah," Erin admitted, still a little surprised at her own impromptu speech. "If things don't turn out, and I have to fight tonight or I don't make it home, I wanted him with me." She took a step forward and held the kitten in her hands, reaching out just far enough that he'd have to come off the ledge to reach. "He's friendly. His name's Charlie." There was a beat of stillness, then with a sigh, the man stepped off the ledge, onto the gravel of the rooftop. He extended a hand and stroked the kitten's soft orange fur, making Charlie purr with delight. "I have a cat," he said, his voice gruff. "I should probably... he needs some food and water. And maybe I'll let him finish out the treats in the cupboard." "That's a good idea," Erin agreed quietly. She wasn't sure if Charlie had Oliver's nigh-supernatural ability to calm the hurting, but he seemed to be doing all right at the moment. "I'm not going to count us out yet,"she told the man, looking him in the eyes. "Freedom City has come back from worse than you know, worse than you can possibly imagine. I think we have more good days left." She waited until the man had gone back into the stairwell before heaving a huge sigh. "Let's hope I'm right," she told Charlie, then replaced him on her shoulder and jumped away.

Introduction Who are you? Sum yourself up in one sentence. I'm an interdimensional refugee superhero who has accomplished my lifetime goal by eighteen, so now I'm a security guard. Do you have any nicknames, street names, titles, or nom de plume? My codename is Wander. It's dumb, but I still can't think of anything better. To my friends I go by Erin, even though it's not really my name anymore. What is your full birth name? My birth name is Erin Keeley White. My full legal name is Keeley Erin White, so as to cause marginally less confusion. Where do you live? I have a little apartment on the North End of downtown Freedom City. How old are you? What year were you born (if applicable)? I'll be turning nineteen this fall. I was born November 12, 1992. Physical Traits What is your gender? If not applicable, please explain. Female How would you describe your heritage? Caucasian Mix, not really sure. I know there's some English, Scottish and German, but not where it all comes from. How tall are you? 5'8 What is your body type? Um, spare but muscled, I guess. Not like a bodybuilder, but I have some heft. I can't do a lot of acrobatics and stuff without some, you know, support, but generally my costume takes care of that. Do you have any particular weaknesses, such as allergies or physical disabilities? I have post traumatic stress disorder that messes me up pretty good from time to time, but nothing physical. I'm immune to most anything. How do you carry yourself? Are you graceful, or heavy on your feet? Can you be stealthy, do you walk with confidence? I walk like a fighter, on the balls of my feet and with my head moving. If I think about it I can walk normally, and I manage that a lot, but it's less natural. Describe your skin, eye, and hair color. Very pale white skin since I can't suntan. Brown eyes without much else to say about them, and auburn hair that gets a little redder in the sunlight. How do you wear your hair, if applicable? Do you have facial hair? I used to pull it back in a band, but I got it chopped when I graduated so I look a little older and more sophisticated. Uh, no facial hair besides, like, eyebrows. Do you consider yourself attractive? Do others? Trevor thinks I'm attractive. I've known guys who go for the powerful woman build, so I guess I've got that going for me, but I'm not much to look at altogether. Do you have any scars, tattoos, piercings, or birthmarks? No scars, tattoos or piercings, they won't touch my skin. Just getting a shot is a huge hassle. I do have a little birthmark shaped like Iowa on my left calf. Do you resemble anyone famous? No, not really. I have two doubles, but neither of them are famous either. I look pretty nondescript. Do you have a dominant hand? I write with my right, and hold a fork with it too. I fight equally well with either hand, and often both at once. What kind of clothing do you wear? Worn-out poor people clothing. Well, that's not exactly fair, my clothes are good, they just get worn hard and often. And now that I'm working, I'm gradually getting some newer and nicer stuff. Mostly what I have is jeans and khaki slacks, t-shirts and blouses. I have some work uniforms and two costumes, for when one is in the wash. Do you wear makeup? Sometimes, when I'm dressing up. Not so much for everyday, though again, maybe I can get some now that I have a job and have to look professional. What is your vocal range? Is your voice distinctive in some way? I sing alto. Don't ask me to sing. Do you have any distinctive habits, nervous tics, or mannerisms? Where did they come from, and what causes them? Do other people notice and remark on these habits? Do they annoy you or other people? When I'm nervous or uneasy, I tend to mess with my hair a lot. I don't think people notice it that much, or at least no one says anything. Whenever I come into a new place, I have to take note and count the exits and the ambush points, anything that could come up in a fight, even if there's no reason to expect one. History Where do you come from? I come from Seattle, Washington, on Earth Z-Omega-One(destroyed). Before this May it was "only" (extinct), but Rick Lucas pulled it into the Zero Zone, and now it's totally gone. Have you made any major moves, or do you live in your hometown? I've made a number of major moves. I live in Freedom City on Earth Prime these days. Do you feel loyal to your country of citizenship? Do you consider yourself patriotic? How do you feel about the government of your country? Yes, I guess so. I mean, protecting the whole earth or universe or multiverse comes first, but I definitely want to protect America. I only turned eighteen this year so it's not like I've ever voted, but I probably will. How do you feel about the place you come from? How the hell do you think I feel? Sorry. It just... it still hurts my heart, okay? Going back and seeing it, and now knowing that it's gone forever, it opened everything back up again. Where is your home town? What was/is it like? Seattle's a nice town, I really liked living there. Back before everything went to hell, anyway. I had lots of friends, there was always stuff to do, and it never got really miserably hot like it does here. Growing up, were most of the people you knew similar to you, or were you somehow a minority? How did that affect you? I was pretty much in the majority, though there are parts of the city that are very diverse. I don't know if it had a big effect on me, but it was hard to go from that to being alone. Is there something you've always been really good at or really bad at? How has that affected your life? Not always, but for years now I've been very good at fighting, and it's the only thing that's kept me alive. I've been piss-poor about saving people when it really counts, and being there when it really counts. I'm working on that. Were there any traumatic experiences in your early years (death of a family member, abandonment, orphaned at an early age)? Yes, I'd say so. Briefly describe a defining moment in your childhood and how it influenced your life. When I was fourteen, my whole world was destroyed, and I don't mean that in the typical fourteen-year-old stupidity way. Because everyone else was dead, I wound up crossing the country, then leaving the dimension and coming to Prime. What stupid things did you do when you were younger? I did lots of stupid things. I didn't know how to get by, what food to store, how to eat the right things or set up a proper camp. I didn't know how to keep an eye on someone smaller and weaker than myself. Where did you go to school? How much school did you have, and did you enjoy it? I did my elementary school stuff in Seattle, then ended up at Claremont for high school. I used to like school, but by the time I hit Claremont I was so far behind that it was hell just trying to keep up. I'm sort of almost glad that college isn't in the cards. Do you have any mementos of your childhood? What are they, and why did you keep them? If you have none, why not? I have a few special things, a few more since the trip back to EZO1. Pictures of my family, Megan's jewelry box, Mom's necklaces, Dad's watch and letter. They're all I've got, but I won't forget. I had my old bear, but Singularity needed him more than I do. When did you decide to become a hero? Why? Did anyone influence you one way or another in the decision? When I got to Prime, the Freedom League took care of me and sent me to Claremont. Using my powers to become a superhero came pretty naturally. Is the reason you give people for becoming a hero different than your real reason? If so, why? I don't always talk about my past, so just saying it was a natural choice is easier. Becoming a hero is also a way for me to make up for all the people I couldn't save, or had a chance to save and failed. Do you have any deep, dark secrets in the past that may come back to haunt you? What happened on my world is classified, but not exactly a deep dark secret. I just don't like to talk about it. I'm sure there are villains I've taken down who would be super-happy to know I've lost most of my powers. Do you represent yourself as being different from who you really are? Why? These days I represent myself as Wander, the stupendous fighter who can take down anything, but I'm just Wander the street brawler. If you do have these secrets, what do you fear would happen if the truth became known? How far would you go to protect those secrets? If people knew, they would look differently at me. My relationships would change in ways I don't want. I've already started misdirecting and lying to cover myself. I'm not sure where it will end. Do you have any sort of criminal record? If so, is it public knowledge? I got a literal slap on the wrist for shoplifting when I was really little, but my mom just made me take it back and apologize. So not really. Family What are your biological parents' names? Roger and Clarissa White Were you raised by them? If not, please explain and describe who raised you. I was raised by them till I was 14. After that I was on my own for awhile, and finished out my time as a ward of the state of New Jersey. What was their standing in the community? What did/do they do for a living? They were pretty respectable types, people liked them. My mom was a stay-at-home, so she did a lot with the neighborhood and the PTA and stuff. My dad was a software engineer and made a pretty good living for us. Where are your parents now? They're dead. My mom is buried down in California, my dad in Seattle. Not here, but on my old world. Which is gone. So... I don't know. I guess they aren't anywhere anymore. Hadn't really thought about it. Did your family stay in one area or move around a lot? I spent my whole childhood in Seattle. We didn't really move around. How did you get along with your parents? How do you get along with them now (if applicable). Mostly it was good. They were good people, good parents. I mean, sometimes I didn't like the rules they made, but that's sort of typical. I think if I'd had a chance, we'd have gotten through all of that stuff okay. Now I just miss them. How do your parents view you now, or how would they? I like to think they would be proud of me, and happy that I've made a place for myself here. I hope they know how sorry I am that I wasn't able to take care of Megan, and that they could forgive me for that. Do you have any siblings? If so how many and what are their names? Describe your relationship with them. I have one younger sibling, Megan. She was seven years younger than me, just eight years old. . What was your birth order in the family? Firstborn of two girls. Where are your siblings now (if applicable)? Do they have families of their own? What do they do? She's dead. And like my folks, I guess she's nowhere. Do you stay in touch with them or have you become estranged? It's weird, actually, because there is a replica version of my family on Prime, and a Megan there. We talk occasionally, but it's really not the same. Do you love or hate one member of the family in particular? I'd say I hate myself, but that's not as true now as it used to be. Lots of good therapy went into that. My double on Prime and I still have a hard time relating, and don't even get me started on Singularity. Is any member of the family special to you in any way (perhaps, as a confidant, mentor, or arch-rival)? I guess Erin-Prime and I are arch-rivals, sort of. We compete for the same scarce resources. But she won decisively, so I don't know if that counts. I don't actually want to make things tough for her. Are there any black (or white) sheep in the family (including you)? If so, please explain. I guess it's probably me. From my real family, I'm the only one even left. From my Prime family, I'm just an extra copy of the real deal. Of course, again there's Singularity, so I guess things could always be worse. Do you have a notorious or celebrated ancestor? If so, please explain, including how it has affected your life. My Uncle Aaron was a famous scientist a long time ago, but he didn't get along or make friends and wound up on the outside of the community. If they'd listened to him, my world might have survived. He's the one who gave me the serum that saved my life. Do you have a partner and children currently? If so, please describe them. I have a boyfriend, Trevor. He is amazing, way better than I deserve, which honestly makes me nervous sometimes. He understands the dark parts of me in a way I never really thought anybody would, and when I'm with him,they don't seem quite as dark. Ironic, I guess, for someone who goes by Midnight. Plus he's, you know, rich and good-looking and from a family with roots in Freedom City that go way back, all sorts of things I'm not. If you do not have a partner or children, do you want them someday? How firm are you in your opinion on this, and what might change your mind? I don't know if I will ever be really healthy enough for a long-term relationship that works, let alone parenthood. I have seen other realities where I've apparently had a child, but things don't seem to have gone well there. Right now I'm trying to enjoy what I have. What type of person would be your ideal mate? Someone who puts up with all my quirks and tics and annoying personal problems, and who will just be there to hold onto me, even when I can't reach out. Relationships Do you have any close friends? If so, please describe them, and how you came to be close to them. My teammates on Young Freedom, well, when we were Young Freedom, are the closest friends I've ever had. I'm not even really sure how it happened, but they sort of snuck in there. Alex and Mark, and of course Trevor, Mike and Eve and Corbin, there's not much I wouldn't do for any of them. Do you have a best friend? If so, how did they become your best friend? How close are you to your best friend? Alex and I were roommates when I arrived at Claremont. We're so different, but she's so nice and smart and just has this bubbly personality that's hard to resist. She never pushed me, but she was insistent on being there and being a friend, and it eventually took. If you were to go missing, who would worry about you? It used to be that I thought no one would, but now I have friends and obligation and a home of my own. It's a good feeling, even though it's kind of scary. Have you lost any loves? If so, how did it happen, and what did you do? I lost everyone I loved, but not loves in the romantic sort of way. Do you have any bitter enemies? If so, please describe them and their history with you. Omega... does not like me very much. When he reforms or resurrects or whatever he does, I suspect he may come looking for some vengeance. Unfortunately, since I no longer have most of my powers, he'll certainly find me an easy target for annihilation. If you have enemies, how do you think they might attempt to work against you in the future? I think he's going to disintegrate me with his powers. What is the worst thing someone has done to you? Left me alone and next to helpless in a pitiless world. Where do your loyalties lie? In what order? Trevor, Young Freedom (you know what I mean), everything else that needs saving Who or what do you trust the most? Why? Trevor and Alex. They have always been there for me. Who or what do you despise? Why? Omega and his followers, evil necromancers (which is basically all of them), drug companies, people who betray or abandon their friends. What qualities do you admire most in other people? Are these qualities you possess? Loyalty, perseverance, tactical acumen, the ability to deal well and make friends with others. I have some of them, but not necessarily as much as I'd like. What qualities do you hate most in other people? Do you have any of those qualities? Disloyalty, cowardice, moneygrubbing, arrogance. I am sometimes more of a coward than I'd like. Do you have a secret identity? If so, who knows it? Do you hide it from people who are close to you? Why? Yes, but I don't do much with it. It would not be hard to find who I am just because I rarely bother taking any precautions. Do you work well on teams and in groups? Are you a leader or a follower? I am a follower, but I do work well in groups. It's the best when I have people who will get an enemy all twisted up and then let me hit them. Or at least, that's the way it used to be. I'm still kind of finding my new style. Are you on a super team? If so, how do you get along with your comrades? Do you trust them, or do you have secrets from them? I was on Young Freedom, but we graduated. Now Mark is getting this new Liberty League thing together, which could be cool. I like working with him and Trevor, and Ace and Bombshell are very good at what they do. Are you a member of any church, fraternal organization, club, committee, political party, or other group? How much time do you spend on that? No, not really. Outside of hero work, I'm sort of a loner. Personality & Beliefs Who are your heroes? My friends are heroes to me, as well as some of the heroes in Freedom City. Headmaster Summers is a hero, and Trevor's grandpa, which is part of why he sometimes makes me so uncomfortable. Did you ever become disillusioned with former heroes or idols? If so, why and what were the circumstances? I don't feel quite the same way about the Freedom League as I used to. Not just because they wouldn't let me join. I can see their point, I am more unstable than some people, no matter how hard I've worked. But when they didn't believe us about Omega, just because of their reverence for an old dead hero, that made me mad. Do you like being a hero? If so, what is the most rewarding part? If not, what makes you keep doing it? Yes, I do. It's hard and sometimes thankless, but I feel like when I do hero work, I am saving other people from some of the pain and heartache and misery that I went through, and it makes me feel happier. Is there anything that would make you give up hero work, or even switch sides? If I found I couldn't do it anymore, like if having my powers gone means I can't keep up, or that I put people in danger instead of helping them, I would hang it up. But I don't know if I would ever feel good about myself afterwards. Maybe if I found an equally rewarding non-hero job. I would never go villain. What are your short term goals (what would you like to be doing within a year)? I want to do a really good job as security chief at Dragonfly's company. In a year, I want security to be a well-oiled machine that I feel really good about. What are your long term goals (what would you like to be doing twenty years from now)? It's kind of funny because I didn't used to have goals like that, like I was daring God or something. Now I sort of feel like I at least have half a chance. I want a good job and a home, and friends. Nothing spectacular I guess, just what people have when they're living normal lives. What is your greatest fear? Why? What do you do when something triggers this fear? That I will fail again at protecting what's important to me. When that starts to seem likely, in combat or just in life, I can start thinking irrationally, overreacting, anything to make the threat go away. Is there anything you would give you life for? Yeah, definitely. Threats to the earth, to the universe, to Freedom City... my life is not worth letting other people suffer and die. I thought I was going to buy it back in May and it was scary, but it was okay so long as we won. How do you feel about money and material wealth? Do you desire it or disdain it? Are you miserly with what you have, or do you like to share? Is it a mark of success, or a means to an end? Money is important to have, but it's not the be-all and end-all. I have to think about money a lot, and I am really, really glad to finally be making some, but being rich isn't all it's cracked up to be. Rich doesn't save your life when the end of the world comes, it just means you leave more stuff behind to rot. How do you generally treat others? I try to be nice to people, even if I have a hard time trusting at first. If I can't be nice, I try to be polite, if I can't be polite, I try to refrain from hitting. Are you a trusting person? Has your trust ever been abused? I don't trust easily, no. It's hard for me to let people in, just because once someone is in, that makes them important, and risks my own feelings and well-being. Are you introverted (shy and withdrawn) or extroverted (outgoing)? Do you have a lot of self-confidence? I thought I was introverted till I met Trevor and Eve. Now I guess I'm somewhere in the middle. How do you act around attractive, available members of your preferred sex? It took like six months before I even kissed Trevor. I have a lot of issues, and sex is especially fraught. But these days it's a lot better. What are your most annoying habits? I can't go into a room without casing it, and sometimes I act like I think I'm going to be jumped from behind even when it's totally not that kind of situation. I have also been informed that I am a cover hog. Do you feel contempt for any general category of people? Who are they, and why? Most villains in general, really. They have power or money or smarts, they could use it for good but they don't because they're bastards. The same thing goes for anyone who could do good and doesn't because they're greedy bastards. What is your favorite food? Do you prefer any particular type of food? Do you take the time to enjoy your food, or do you eat as fast as you can? I love fresh fruit especially, and vegetables. I also love brats cooked on the grill with lots of mustard. Chocolate is excellent too. What is your favorite drink (alcoholic or otherwise)? I'm trying to develop a taste for coffee, but it's really not coming. Fruit juice, especially fresh-squeezed lemonade. What is your favorite treat (dessert)? Chocolate is excellent. Chocolate ice cream with fresh cherries sliced up and mixed in may be the world's perfect food. Are there any specific foodstuffs that you find disgusting or refuse to eat? I will not eat the skin on the kiwi, dammit. That's just nasty. What is your favorite color? Are there any colors you dislike? I like purple, especially lavender, and light blue. I don't really like the pukey greeny-yellow colors like puce. What sort of music do you like? Is there any that you hate? I like rock music especially, but I can listen to a lot of things. I'm developing more of a taste for swing now that I'm learning to dance to it, which is pretty fun. If you have a favorite scent, what is it? Bread or cookies in the oven. I'm not much of a cook, but I want one of those bread machines just to have the smell in my apartment. Do you have a favorite animal? I like cats. Well, I don't know if they're actually 100% cats, but close enough. I miss Oliver like crazy, but Charlie is growing on me. I think he may be much more "just a cat" than Oliver was. What is your most treasured possession? Why? The things I brought from home. They're the only memorial, grave marker, obituary, whatever you want to call it, that I have for my whole world. Do you enjoy "roughing it", or do you prefer your creature comforts? I like creature comforts. I've roughed it enough for one lifetime, thanks. I am good at roughing it when the need arises, because there are things you don't forget, but I'd rather be indoors and comfy. Is there a job or a task you would absolutely refuse to do? I don't think I would like to do things like telemarket or repossess cars or something like that. It seems mean to me. Do you consider yourself a spiritual person? If so, how do your beliefs affect your life?How important is it to you? I used to go to church often when I was a kid, and I was a believer. But when my whole world died, and then when I learned about Omega and the Terminus, I became convinced that no loving God would let that happen. So either God isn't there, or he hates us, and I'd rather the former. Was your faith influenced or molded by anyone special? Heyzel, Freedom Angel, confirmed for me that God is not in his heaven anymore, which agrees with what I already thought. Beats the alternative. If you belong to a religious organization, how often do you attend? Do you have a specific place of worship, or friends within the organization? How much do you agree with the beliefs of your organization? I don't attend. I respect people who do, because everybody does what they have to to get by, but I don't think I ever will again. Could you kill? Have you killed? Yes, I could. Yes, I have. What circumstances led to you forming that conviction, or taking that action? I've killed many zombies in order to survive. They were the walking dead, even if the dead was irreversible brain damage, and if I hadn't they'd have starved anyway. It was a mercy when you get right down to it. And I killed Physician Friendly, a living monster, with cold mind and in cold blood so that he couldn't hurt anyone else. Are there circumstances under which you believe it is permissible to kill? What are they? If it's necessary to survive, you can kill the person threatening you. If it's the only way to stop someone from doing something incredibly horrible. How would you react to watching someone kill another person? Would your reaction be different if the killer was a friend or an enemy of yours? It depends on whether it fit the criteria. I can't hold anyone else to higher standards than my own. How would you react if something important was stolen from you? I would get it back. Whatever it took. There aren't many objects that are truly important to me, but the ones that are, are worth the trouble. How would you react to public humiliation? History shows I tend to slink away and sulk about it. How would you react if a good friend or relative were purposely or accidentally killed? Has it happened to you? All my good friends and relatives were killed. It made me sad. I don't know, what the hell do you want me to say? This is a stupid question. What do you consider to be the worst crime someone could commit and why? Putting money and personal gain ahead of the well-being of people. If your life were to end in 24 hours, what five things would you do in those remaining hours? I guess I would try to spend time with Trevor and my friends, eat something nice, find someone to take care of Charlie, and maybe call in to work. Career & Training Do you have any special training in your hero skills? If so, where and how did you get it? I spent two years getting the crap beaten out of me by Mr. Archer and his hellish simulations. It was no fun, but that training is all I've got going for me anymore, so I guess I have to be grateful. Who taught you the most about your heroing abilities? What was your relationship with that person? Well, I'm mostly self-taught, but again there's Mr. Archer. It's kind of a hate-like-hate relationship, where I mostly hate him but have to admire his techniques, and at the end of the day I respect him. Do you have any particularly unusual skills? How did you acquire them? Well, I can fall out of a plane and land okay, and throw cars. I got them in a syringe from my uncle, along with the ability to not die of the hero flu. Oh, and I can swing dance. Do you do something besides hero work for a living? Have you ever done anything else, or do you plan to? I just got a new job as chief of security at Dragonfly's new company. I'm pretty excited because it pays well and shouldn't involve too much world-threatening evil, at least not during business hours. What is your preferred combat style? Generally I hit things with my bat until they fall down. If that doesnt' work, I use my hands. Have you ever received any awards or honours? One time I got to be Most Valuable Player on my softball team. The weird thing about Young Freedom was that so much of our work was the kind that, because we succeeded, nobody ever even noticed. What skill areas would you like most to improve in? Is there anything you can't do that you wish desperately you could? I wish I had my powers back! But that's not going to happen, so I just wish I were better at using what I've got left more effectively. How do you act around people who are more skilled than you in areas you'd like to improve? Are you jealous, or do you try and learn? I want to find someone to teach me. I think maybe Bombshell could, but she's awfully busy and just a little bit intimidating. Lifestyle & Hobbies What is a normal day for you? How do you feel when something interrupts this routine? I'm sort of getting into my new routine. Wake up and have breakfast, feed the cat, look at the weather. Get dressed, run or drive to work. After work, maybe stop by Trevor's or hit up the library or just go home and watch TV while I eat supper. At night, patrolling or sometimes sleeping. It's a routine I expect to get interrupted, just because the world is full of weirdness, especially for superheroes. Do you have any hobbies, or interests outside hero work? What are they, and where did you pick them up? I like to work on cars. A lot of times I work on my own truck, but Trevor's got a whole garage full of amazing vehicles. He's promised to show me his spaceship. What do you do for fun? Spend time at the Manor or with Alex, read, watch TV, play video games. Do you have a costume? What does it look like? My costume is a bodysuit, just like at Claremont, but this one is purple and black and much easier to sneak around in than the blue and gold. How do you normally dress when not in costume? In my everyday clothes or my work uniform. You asked that one already. What do you wear to bed most nights? Now that I don't live in the dorm anymore, an oversized t-shirt or nothing. Do you wear any special jewelry? What is it, and what does it look like? I have some special jewelry from my mom and grandma, but I don't wear it every day. It's too special, and the work I do is too rough. Do you have a special place where you keep your valuables? Not really, on top of my dresser or in the drawer. Things like Omega's armor, I keep at Trevor's for safekeeping. What's your preferred means of local travel? How about long distance? I take my truck or go rooftop jumping to travel in the city. For long distance, I usually hit up a teleporter, usually Mark. Miscellaneous Have you ever made a will, or tried to make arrangements for your death? What provisions did you make? No, I don't really have enough stuff. I mean, one of my friends would take Charlie, and most of the rest of it only has meaning for me. If your features were to be destroyed beyond recognition, is there any other way of identifying your body? Um... what? That's kind of weird. DNA-print Prime Erin or Singularity, I guess. We all have the same DNA, so you could guess me by process of elimination. What would you like to be remembered for after your death? Doing something that mattered, saving people, being a hero. Do you believe you pose a threat to the public? Why or why not? Not nearly as much as I used to, that's for sure. All that training and therapy has made me something close to passable in society, which is sort of a miracle. What do you perceive as your greatest strength? I am very determined, and when I set out to do something, I finish it. What do you perceive as your greatest weakness? I literally don't know my own strength anymore, and it saps my confidence. Losing my powers has thrown me off balance in a lot of ways, not just in a fight. As a player, if you could, what advice would you give your character? Speak as if he/she were sitting right here in front of you. Use proper tone so they might heed your advice... You've come a really long way from where you started, and you should be very proud. Cut yourself a break once in awhile, and let yourself enjoy the happiness you've earned. Don't spoil that happiness with fears or false pride, while you're at it.

That drew a shrug from Erin, who'd been silent (not that it was a huge surprise) on the trip back. "I don't know, I wasn't around in the forties," she pointed out. "He's definitely got a powerful strike. If we can work something out I guess it would be good, but he didn't exactly seem open to reasoning and compromise. I don't know if that's how they all are, or just him. And is the Pact still going to be in place after this, assuming we all survive? I didn't think he was supposed to be able to get here at all."

Koshiro shaded his eyes and watched as Sharl flew away with the broken robot. Something important had obviously just happened, but damned if he understood the first thing about it. He looked over to the others, gauged their expressions, and wasn't much enlightened. Something bad, something to do with the Gorgon and knowing who Sharl was, as though one teenager's secret identity was so important. "So what's a ?" he asked. mangling the pronunciation of the alien word.