Gizmo

Initiative. (1d20+3=8)

Jacque I just started off blueside. I've played through Praetoria a couple of times, and it's definitely the superior content and gives you more archetype flexibility, but you don't unlock any of the epic archetypes by getting a Praetorian up to Level 20. I'm trying to focus on Jacque to finally get someone to 50 - I keep jumping to new ideas and characters - but after that I'll probably slog through redside a bit to unlock the Arachnos Soldiers. After that I guess we'll see how the new intro mission content is, but I expect I'll be hankering for Praetoria again, with the ol' palate cleansed.

Midnight nodded in curt agreement, the humourless ghost of a thin smile touching the corner of his mouth beneath his featureless black mask. Sage's suggestion was sound, a strategy that had already proven effective in the field. "Need to know any onboard tech Redbird is carrying," he told the injured Furion. Any equipment available gave him more to work with, and he suspected they'd need every advantage they could bring to bear. Speaking of edges... Turning to his reality warping friend, Midnight rested his hands just under his chin. "Whole city. Up to it?"

Knowledge (tactics) Check. (1d20+15=24) He'll spend an HP to get at least a 25 and the maximum benefit for Master Plan.

Alright, let's do this thing. Jack of all Blades Move Action: Auto-DC 26 Feint vs. Demon 3. Standard Action: Energy Blade Flurry; Power Attack 5. (1d20+15=17, 1d20+15=30) The first attack is against Demon 4; I rolled again in case Takedown Attack comes into play. Let me know how that goes; if he doesn't take out the first one, he'll use Set-Up to give Equinox the benefits of that Feint.

Trevor made a soft note of agreement as he slid into his own sleeping bag, grateful that Erin had thought ahead to gather the camping supplies. "Nothing we can't handle," he elaborated quietly with an understated confidence, the dimness in the tent posing no obstacle for his mutated eyes. There was a long pause before he added, "Thank you for taking care of the repairs. Know you've been pushing your powers for days, keeping us linked up." A wry note at the edges of the friends' telepathic rapport suggested that he was fully aware Eve was more concerned about her team than herself, and that the feeling was mutual.

I've been having a lot of trouble that way, too. I've got a NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M, which isn't one of the listed cards, but...

As they sat down to eat, Trevor gave Corbin a subtle but reassuring look with a brief tilt of his head. The underclassman had been holding up admirably considering how much less experience he had with both alternate realities and truly high stakes missions in general, rising to the occasion. Being sent to the wasteland of Erin's home dimension was hardly the best introduction to that particular minefield of tactfulness, either. For his part, Trevor recognized that the auburn haired survivalist needed some time alone with her thoughts now that initial shock of being back in the husk of Seattle had settled in. He also had to admit to himself that he was reaching the far end of his all too human endurance, and pragmatism demanded sleep while they had the chance, much as he would have rather stayed up just in case. "C'mon," he quietly said to Eve with a nod toward one of the tents. "Bend the boy/girl rule and keep you company." The tents they'd scavenged were massive, and it didn't make any sense to leave his diminutive friend completely on her own for the night.

With a carefully deadpanned expression, Trevor signed to Eve, >>Sleep. Worrying about us will put them off their game more than anything else.<< On one hand, he was probably right; both Erin and Mark were ones to fret over their less indestructible or omnipotent friends respectively. On the other, if he were being completely honest he might have admitted that the way the proud young Frenchwoman was pushing herself to her limits had him a little concerned as well. She might have had far more endurance than her slight build suggested, but her dark haired friend wasn't sure how weariness would effect her mental powers. To the bike he simply nodded briefly and intoned, "Good." Fast-twitch muscle fiber compatibility aside, the stoic vigilante and the earnest AI probably wouldn't have been a good long term match.

"No sweat, Equal-Nox-For-Equal-Pay," Jack assured the practitioner as he did an able job of balancing a piece of in one hand and speaking around a mouthful. "I've been possessed and mind whammied plenty of times." Nearby, Jill cast a skeptical look his way. The younger sibling was for the time being forgoing the pastry in the tied box she carried. While she enjoyed the same impressive metabolism as her brother - one which she suspected was tied to their metamagi abilities, though she couldn't be sure - she was considerably more conscious of what she consumed than he. "You're saying that like it's a good thing..." "No, it is, 'cause now I've built up a resistance, see?" Jack clarified, apparently quite confident. "My mind is all scabby and stuff." "...I don't even know where to begin with that."

I could definitely see Willpower working for Dead Head, it's a good mix of resistances and boosted regeneration that makes sense. As everyone's said, though, CoH is pretty forgiving on the whole, and especially with Scrappers, Tankers and Brutes there aren't a lot of 'bad' choices to make. You're pretty free to follow concept. I practically hobbled Jacque of all Blades by only taking the sword themed attacks from the Fiery Melee set and instead focusing on Super Reflexes, but he's still been hella effective (having better than 30% Defenses while in the low Lvl 20s doesn't hurt). Oh, and minions (pets) are count as others, yeah. They don't count for some effects like Vengeance out of the Leadership Pool, though, fair warning.

Giz is always right! Let this be a lesson!

"Think you need a break," Trevor opined frankly as he strode forward and made a few cursory inspections of the repair job on Redbird. Between the skills she'd borrowed from his mind and her own trained dexterity, Eve had done a commendable job, but it was obvious to her taller friend that she had been burning the proverbial candle at both ends. "I'll drive," he told the Furion vehicle, making it a statement, not an offer. "Need to recuperate here first anyway; relative safety. Can test my 'fast-twitch muscle fibers' in the mean time."

21 - The Daka Man - Uninjured 18 - Thrude - Uninjured - 1HP 18 - Diehard - Uninjured 18 - Khania - Uninjured 18 - Willow - Uninjured - 1HP 17 - Guy Fawkes II - Uninjured 17 - Dragonfly - Uninjured - 2HP 17 - Jill O'Cure - Uninjured 16 - Fulcrum - Uninjured - 1HP 9 - Heka - Uninjured 8 - Blackfire - Uninjured We'll call mimicking the properties of the daka crystal The Daka Man's first turn, so Thrude can start us off. If anybody has any Complications they think apply here, now's the time to let me know!

Heka: Initiative. (1d20+3=9) Blackfire: Initiative. (1d20+2=8) Khania: Initiative. (1d20+5=18) Diehard: Initiative. (1d20+7=18) Guy Fawkes II: Initiative. (1d20+11=17) The Daka Man: Initiative. (1d20+6=21) Jill: Initiative. (1d20+4=17) Just waiting on Thrude.

Trevor followed Erin throughout the house, on guard for any hidden dangers, but refrained from entering the rooms himself, feeling very much the intruder despite everything. He took a tentative step into the room that had once been the young woman's bedroom as his girlfriend took down photographs. He wasn't entirely sure what he should be feeling as he looked about; there was very little there that seemed directly connected to the person he knew in the present. When they finally moved to leave the long abandoned home, he reflexively shut the bedroom door behind them.

The sharp featured receptionist looked as though he were vaguely disgruntled to be dealing with teenagers but was suitably mollified by Eve's manners. Taking a look at the touch screen built into his desk, he made a small sound of approval. "Well, someone actually bothered to call ahead for once. And you're on time, I may faint," he noted is a crisp, well enunciated tone as he picked up his phone. "Miss Americana? We have an Eve Martel and Corbin Hughes here to see your... young friend," he settled on in lieu of a better term. One eyebrow raised slightly as he repeated the petite white haired girl's last name, but if he wanted to inquire further, professionalism prevented him from doing so.

As Erin looked over the firearm, Trevor silently replaced his devices into his belt, listening as she described her nightmares. He kept his expression as carefully schooled as he could, but there was no hiding an acute ache in his discoloured eyes that looked as though he'd just been punched in the stomach. He knew he hadn't historically had the best sense of timing in moments like this, but he set aside an hesitation as Erin put the gun down on the counter and stepped forward to wrap his arms around her in a tight hug. There was nothing he could say, nothing he could do except to reaffirm his presence.

DONE BY SHAENTHEBRAIN Midnight II 2PP - +2 Charisma for a total of 20 (+5) 5PP - Skills +8 Disable Device -1 Gather Information +4 Intimidate +8 Investigate +1 Stealth [b]Players Name[/b]: Gizmo [b]Power Level[/b]: 15 (218/229PP) [b]Trade-Offs[/b]: +2 Attack, -2 Damage [b]Unspent PP[/b]: 0 [b][u]Progress to Platinum:[/u][/b] 79/90 (Gold status earned with [url=http://www.freedomplaybypost.com/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=2517]Jack of all Blades[/url]) [floatr][img=http://www.freedomplaybypost.com/wiki/images/3/3d/MidnightIIHF.png][/floatr][b]Characters Name[/b]: Midnight II [b]Alternate Identity[/b]: Trevor Hunter [b]Age[/b]: 17 [b]Gender[/b]: Male [b]Height[/b]: 6'2" [b]Weight[/b]: 165 lbs [b]Hair[/b]: Black [b]Eyes[/b]: Black Sclera With Red Irises [b]Description[/b]: Trevor Hunter is a tall, lanky teenager with dark hair just a little too long to be kept tidy and a relaxed demeanour. Although over six feet he's still growing into his full height, giving him a thinness accentuated by angular features. Dressing largely in subdued browns and blacks, he eschews logos and accessories, preferring plain long-sleeved shirts and jackets with a generally uncluttered appearance. His one concession is a battered black fedora which he wears whenever convenience allows. As the second Midnight, he wears a costume only slightly altered from the one used by his grandfather, starting with a lightly armoured jump-suit. Trevor has shortened the trench coat to a jacket to make it more practical for riding the Night Cycle, and added a matte black utility belt containing an array of gadgets. His featureless mask and fedora are in fact the very same ones used by Travis Hunter, although the mask’s functional elements had to be replaced. The entire costume is pitch black save for glowing red eyes. [b]History[/b]: Shortly after the Liberty League disbanded in the late 1950s, the mysterious vigilante known as Midnight disappeared, never to be seen again. Remaining active but underground for several years, chemist Travis Hunter eventually settled down and raised a family. Though the occasional crisis would bring him out of retirement, it was never for long and always without public knowledge. The years of exposure to his ‘midnight mist’ had left a greater mark of Hunter than he realised, however. With his son forced to move often due to his job, Hunter’s grandson Trevor came to live with the now elderly, though still remarkably vigourous, chemist in his sizeable estate. This turned out to be fortuitous, for when Trevor’s metahuman abilities manifested at puberty, his grandfather instantly recognised the familiar light blocking gas he produced. Calming the confused youth, Hunter revealed to him the long abandoned ‘Midnight Manor’ hidden below their home and explained his history as a masked crime fighter. The moment the old, flickering lights illuminated the glass case containing the Midnight costume, Trevor’s fate was sealed. He knew his destiny was to follow in his grandfather’s footsteps and, seeing the boy’s determination, Hunter had to agree. Trevor’s training began immediately, with the condition that he was not to venture out into the city until he earned his license and refurbished one of the Manor’s decrepit vehicles to drive himself there. To Hunter’s chagrin the mechanically inclined Trevor not only met both conditions with surprising ease, but insisted on claiming the Night Cycle as his transportation of choice. The new Midnight’s first forays into the world of super heroism caught the attention of Duncan Summers, who recognised the modus operandi of the hero who was in many ways the spiritual predecessor of the Raven. Sending his daughter out to make contact with the teen, Summers invited Trevor to enrol at Claremont Academy. With his grandfather’s blessing he accepted, eager to give a new generation of villains a very good reason to be afraid of the dark. [b]Personality & Motivation[/b]: Trevor is outwardly reserved without being cold. He’ll smile slightly rather than laugh, and he’ll narrow his eyes rather than shout belligerently. What sense of humour he does display is bone dry, often leaving those he interacts with uncertain if he made a joke or not. Slow to anger, he has little interest in social drama and is unfailing genuine in his sentiments. Content to let others have the spotlight, when he does speak his words carry a weight that belies his years. Fighting crime is a point of family pride for Trevor, one he takes very seriously. The exploitation of the innocent is one of the few things sure to draw a reaction from the typically demure teen, and he takes a good deal of satisfaction from utilising fear against the villains who make it their stock and trade. [b]Powers & Tactics[/b]: Trevor is able to produce clouds of “midnight mistâ€, the gas invented by his grandfather, at will. The mist blocks out light, plunging those caught in its wake into darkness. Using his specially designed goggles, Trevor takes advantage of the cover to terrify his foes and strike undetected, leaving no trace of himself save unconscious criminals. A secondary power clouds his presence from telepathy and other mental senses, making him a shadowy figure even on the mental plane. Supplementing these powers are an array of compact gadgets secreted about the pockets of his coat and belt. [b]Complications[/b]: [i]Camera Shy[/i] (Trevor prefers to remain unseen by the public; the shadows are where he does his best work.) [i]Disarmed[/i] (Trevor's coat and belt need to be removed to completely deprive him of his gadgets, but many of the individual items are hand held and can be disarmed as normal.) [i]Don’t Touch the Hat[/i] (Don’t. Touch. The [i]Hat[/i].) [i]Erin White[/i] (Dating. It's complicated.) [i]Frightening[/i] (The Midnight costume is great for scaring bad guys, not so great for reassuring civilians, especially kids.) [i]Honest[/i] (Trevor’s a lousy liar, to the point of bluntness) [i]Legacy[/i] (Living up to his inherited code name means the world to Trevor.) [i]Loyalty[/i] (Trevor insists he's only a part-time member of Young Freedom, but his teammates know better and deep down, so does he.) [i]Mental Familiarity[/i] (Trevor and Eve Martel have developed their telepathic rapport to the point where she is unaffected by his otherwise difficult to read mind.) [b]Abilities[/b]: 8 + 6 + 6 + 4 + 4 + 10 = 38PP STR: 18/26 (+4/+8) DEX: 16 (+3) CON: 16 (+3) INT: 14 (+2) WIS: 14 (+2) CHA: 20 (+5) [b]Combat[/b]: 18 + 12 = 30PP Initiative: +3 Attack: +9 Base, +15 Melee Grapple: +19 Defense: +13 (+6 Base, +7 Dodge Focus), +3 Flat-Footed Knockback: -4, -2 Flat-Footed [b]Saving Throws[/b]: 4 + 5 + 8 = 17PP Toughness: +10/+16 (+3 Con, +4 Defensive Roll, +3 Midnight Costume/+9 Protection) Fortitude: +7 (+3 Con, +4) (+2 Sensory Shield) Reflex: +8 (+3 Dex, +5) (+2 Sensory Shield) Will: +10 (+2 Wis, +8) (+2 Sensory Shield) [b]Skills[/b]: 128r = 32PP Acrobatics 7 (+10) Craft (mechanical) 13 (+15) Disable Device 8 (+10) Drive 12 (+15) Gather Information 5 (+10) Intimidate 20 (+25) Investigate 8 (+10) Knowledge (Streetwise) 3 (+5) Knowledge (Tactics) 13 (+15) Knowledge (Technology) 3 (+5) Language 2 (ASL, French, English [Native]) Medicine 3 (+5) Notice 8 (+10) Perform (Dance) 1 (+6) Sense Motive 13 (+15) Stealth 17 (+20) [b]Feats[/b]: 43PP Attack Focus (Melee) 6 Benefit 2 (Wealth 2) Blind Fight Defensive Roll 2 (+4 Toughness) Distract (Intimidate) Dodge Focus 7 Evasion 2 Equipment 10 (50EP) Hide in Plain Sight Jack of All Trades Luck 3 Master Plan 2 Power Attack Second Chance (Intimidate) Skill Mastery 2 (Acrobatics, Drive, Gather Information, Intimidate, Medicine, Notice, Sense Motive, Stealth) Sneak Attack Startle Takedown Attack 2 Well-Informed [quote name="Equipment"]5 + 1 + 3 + 4 + 17 + 20 = 50EP [b][u]Collapsible Escrima Sticks:[/u] Strike 3[/b] ([i]Power Feat:[/i] Mighty, Subtle); [i]Cost:[/i] 5EP [b][u]Gas Mask[/u]: Immunity 1[/b] (eye and lung irritants); [i]Cost:[/i] 1EP [b][u]Grappling Hook[/u]: Super-Movement 1[/b] (Swinging), [b]Speed 1[/b] (10 MPH); [i]Cost:[/i] 3EP [b][u]Midnight Costume[/u]: Protection 3[/b] ([i]Power Feat:[/i] Subtle); [i]Cost:[/i] 4EP [b][u]Night Cycle:[/u] Speed 5[/b] (250 mph) [list][u]Stats[/u]: [i]Size:[/i] Medium; [i]Strength:[/i] 20; [i]Defense:[/i] 10; [i]Toughness:[/i] 10; [i]Features:[/i] Disguise, Hidden Compartments, Nitro Injectors, Remote Control, Subtle; [i]Cost:[/i] 17EP[/list] 20EP contributed to [url=http://www.freedomplaybypost.com/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=5370]The Midnight Manor[/url][/quote] [b]Powers[/b]: 4 + 1 + 27 + 5 + 19 + 1 + 6 = 63PP [b]Concealment 2 ([/b]All Mental Senses, [i]Extras:[/i] Duration [Continuous], [i]Flaws:[/i] Permanent[b])[/b] (Mutant, "Shadowy Presence") [4PP] [b]Concealment 1 ([/b]ESP Effects, [i]Extras:[/i] Duration [Continuous], [i]Flaws:[/i] Limited [Mental/Psychic Effects], Permanent[b])[/b] [1PP] [b]Gadgets 3 ([/b]15PP Variable Power, Any Power, Multiple Powers At Once, [i]Extras:[/i] Action 2 [Free], Duration [Continuous], [i]Flaws:[/i] Hard-To-Lose[b])[/b] (Utility Coat & Belt) [27PP] [b]Immunity 10 ([/b]Mental Effects, [i]Flaws:[/i] Limited [1/2 Effect][b])[/b] (Mutant, "Telepathic Resistance") [5PP] [b]Midnight Mist 8.5 ([/b]17PP Array, [i]Feats:[/i] Alternate Power 2[b])[/b] (Mutant) [19PP] [list][u]Base Power[/u]: Midnight Mist [16 + 1 = 17PP] [b]Obscure 4 ([/b]Visual and Olfactory Senses, 50ft radius, [i]Extras:[/i] Action 2 [Free], Independent, [i]Flaws:[/i] Range [Touch][b])[/b] (Gaseous Cloud) [16PP] [b]Speed 1 ([/b]10MPH / 100ft per Move Action[b])[/b] [1PP] [u]Alternate Power[/u]: Supersaturated Muscle Tissue [8 + 9 = 17PP] [b]Enhanced Strength 8[/b] [8PP] [b]Protection 9 ([/b][i]Extras:[/i] Force Field [Free Action, Sustained Duration][b])[/b] [9PP] [u]Alternate Power[/u]: Mist Form [5 + 12 = 17PP] [b]Flight 2 ([/b]25MPH / 250ft per Move Action, [i]Feats:[/i] Subtle[b])[/b] [5PP] [b]Insubstantial 2 ([/b]Gas, [i]Extras:[/i] Action [Reaction][b])[/b] (Gaseous Cloud) [11PP][/list] [b]Sensory Shield 1 ([/b]Visual[b])[/b] [1PP] [b]Super-Senses 6 ([/b]Counters Obscure [Visual Senses, All Descriptors], Infravision[b])[/b] [6PP] [b]DC Block:[/b] [code]ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Unarmed Touch DC19(21*, 25^) Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical) Escrima Sticks Touch DC22(24*, 28^) Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical) *Sneak Attack, ^Supersaturated Muscle Tissue Abilities 38 + Combat 30 + Saves 17 + Skills 32 + Feats 47 + Powers 63 = 229/229 Power Points Example Gadgets DONE BY SHAENTHEBRAIN

Trevor let out a quiet breath and nodded in understanding. For all he's been through alongside Young Freedom in the past year, he was very much still growing into the role of Midnight, and with all of the constant fighting, he was still out of practice at the more investigative aspect of the job. On a scene several years old, however, he suspected they'd only be able to discover rudimentary clues anyway. He just hoped the answers were ones Erin could live with. Removing what looked like a long, thin flashlight from his belt, the young man shone it about the floor, casting a black light over the unmaintained kitchen tile. Simultaneously, a miniaturized camera at the tip of the matte black cylinder sent information back to his palm sized tablet for analysis, creating a portable if crude crime lab. Before long, the telltale glow of blood was revealed, and even without regarding the calculation on his handheld computer, Trevor recognized the distinctive splatter of a gunshot wound. Bending over, he peered about under the cabinets and cupboards, eventually using the light to fish out an abandoned handgun that had evidently been dropped and slid underneath. A cursory examination confirmed that it had been fired once and he looked up at Erin wordlessly from his low crouch, knowing that she could draw the obvious conclusion for herself. He watched her face intently for her reaction, raking his mind for anything he could do to make the revelation easier.

Another school year had finished, but at Claremont Academy, attention had already turned to the coming semester. The private school, secretly specializing in teenagers with superhuman abilities and the starting place for many new heroes, was looking at one of its largest groups of new enrollees ever in the coming year, leaving Headmaster Duncan Summers with a few logistical challenges even before they arrived. A number of the school's most accomplished students had graduated, but in the process a few of their younger peers had proven themselves to be trustworthy and able leaders. It was thus that Eve Martel and Corbin Hughes were assigned a most unusual extracurricular assignment. Summers tasked the pair with picking up four new students before the new school year, traveling across the globe to gather them together. Luckily, the first of the would-be-Claremonters was already in Freedom City, and was to be found at the Lab in Hanover. Inside the lobby of the expansive center for experimentation and learning, a well groomed man in a sharply professional outfit manned the desk, scanning a number of monitors in front of him and greeting new arrivals. The headmaster had been somewhat vague about the abilities of any of the students Eve and Corbin would be retrieving, supposedly as a matter of privacy and security, but the remainder of Young Freedom got the distinct impression that the entire trip was also something of a test for all involved. Of course, when Summers was involved most things were. Now that they were there, the telepath and ringbearer had little to go on besides an unusual name: Sharl Tulink.

While Nick communed with the local spirits, Jack and Jill slipped away into the town proper. A little while later, a gregarious pair of siblings in plainclothes walked into a diner on the edge of the community, introducing themselves as Andy and Anne, respectively, the elder brother talking a seat at the counter and ordering a stack of pancakes and a piece of pie while he chatted up the waitress while the younger sister flipped idly through the selections on the jukebox in the corner which happened to be within earshot of the hushed conversations taking place in the booths nearby. Andy mentioned some vague comment by a gas station attendant the pair had met on the way into town, and learned that a trio of teenagers had gone missing on their way back from a high school some miles away, along with a local farmer who had never shown up at the market the week before. In each case, the missing persons' vehicle and home had been found abandoned with no trace of their owners. As the sienna toned young man listened with rapt interest, slipping more than a few compliments about the waitress' eyes into the exchange, Anne eavesdropped on the group eavesdropping on her brother, who grew uncomfortable at the topic, noting the strange way the pillars of the community, the sheriff, grocer and elementary school principal had been reacting to the disappearances strangely, making excuses to secret themselves away and seeming distracted. One diner patron brought up the idea that they might be behind the vanishings in the first place, but was quickly hushed by the others in his booth. The siblings excused themselves once Andy had secured an entire pie for the road, and not long after Jack and Jill reappeared to share their gathered intelligence and pastry.

For a long moment Trevor stood there in silence. Any tactician worth anything had to know where his weaknesses lay, and the young man was painfully conscious that that his sense of timing in moments like these was often lacking. There as no way he could make seeing her childhood home in such a state any less painful, but as Erin explained why she'd needed to come, he realized that it was the uncertainty, the not knowing that would have been most difficult for him. It was at least a place to start. "Do... you want me to... Might be able to turn up a clue," he finished lamely, unsure how to phrase the offer.

Feel free to get up some reaction posts, but roll initiative for me while you're at it.

"That's my little ray of sunshine," Ellie drawled, stepping over to slip an arm over Mara's shoulder with a wry smirk that turned a little more serious as she looked to Willow. "She's right though; wouldn't want to live in the dark ages or anything, but we've still got--" The rest of her thought was cut off as the sound of a brick wall being broken into pieces came from further down the street. Outside, a group of six figures were clearly making not attempt to blend with the civilian population at all, and their 'shopping trip' looked to be more of a 'smash and grab'. Most of them were immediately familiar to the young couple: the ornately dressed alliterative arsonist in the white mask with painted mustachio was the Guy Fawkes II, entertaining himself by lobbing small cherry bombs at any citizens who didn't have the sense to run immediately. Next to him, Diehard, the Chinese martial artist in the crimson jumpsuit adorned with a black stripe up either side, practically quivered as he looked about for threats, his eyes open just a little too wide. In dark, flowing robes, Heka floated a few feet in the air closer to the middle of the street with a proud bearing, the ancient sorcerer making a haughty show of being bored with the whole affair. The villain who had been the Fearsome Five's de facto leader when they'd fought Dragonfly and Jill O'Cure was missing and in her place a clearly inhuman albeit gorgeous young woman with emerald green skin and a brobdingnagian hairstyle circled about over the jewelry shops rooftop, idly adjusting the straps on her impractical costume. The quintet's final member waited patiently by the gaping hole in the storefront, a seemingly normal man with a striking square jaw and dusty blonde hair, wearing a cream coloured dress shirt and simple brown pants. Appearances were deceiving, however, as this was Blackfire, the thug turned android. As he waited, a sixth villain, a broad-shouldered bald man with a nose that had obviously been broken repeatedly stepped out of the building clutching something in his hand and grinning broadly. "You were right, Johnny Boy, you were right!" he crowed, opening his palm to display a jeweled earring in his palm. "It's real daka crystal! Gen-u-ine!" He emphasized each syllable separately, as though unused to using words of that length. "I've told you, Marco, it's Blackfire," the inconspicuously dressed robot corrected with a note of a sigh. "Speaking of which, we're really going to need a name for you, 'old chum'." Grinning even more widely to expose the teeth of a man who'd seen more than a few fist fights over the years, Marco used his free hand to cast his trench coat aside. Bizarrely, underneath, he was wearing only a pair of bicycle shorts striped in alternating brown and orange. "I was gonna call myself Stoneface or Pavement Pete or somethin'," he admitted, tightening his grip around the crystal jewelry again, "but with this, you can call me..." As he paused for effect, the fingers of his hands changed, a transformation the passed up his arms to quickly transmute his entire body into the distinctive diamond sparkle of Dakana's most famous export. "...the Daka Man!"