Gizmo

Chitin Toughness Save vs DC 19; Bruised x1: 1d20+4 9 Jeez louise. Burning another HP. Toughness Save vs DC 19; Bruised x1, HP Reroll: 1d20+4 10 At least that becomes a 20 after the +10. Takedown Attack: Unarmed Attack vs Mike; Power Attack -5: 1d20+6 8 Oof, no dice. Worth a shot! In that case he’ll try to stay up close and in Mike’s face so it’s marginally harder to use the gun.

Chitin Standard Action: Charge; Unarmed Attack vs Chuck; Charge +2, Power Attack -5: 1d20+8 16 I’ll wait to see how that/Mike’s readied attack goes before figuring out the move!

“Your dream is to sell dangerous weapons out of a warehouse? I don't believe that!" Chitin countered without hesitation. He had some idea of what the new firearms the arms dealers had produced were capable just from the sort of waste energy they were giving off as they powered up and the bigger one was going to cause some problems even if the trio manning it didn't manage to hit their target. Shoulder down he lunged forward, a single step launching him all the way to his goal. The same momentum continued into an uppercut the bottom of the massive barrel, the materials bowing with a protesting creak and a disheartened warble of a failed power sequence. Leaving them with their new, unwieldy paperweight Chitin crouched briefly before jumping straight up, far over their heads to disappear somewhere in the lattice of support beams overhead. “Why do you need the money badly enough to do this? That's your dream!" he called down from above, flashes of bright cyan visible against the gloomy metal as he continued to move about. “There's still a chance to make that happen the right way!"

Chitin Standard Action: Charge; Unarmed Attack vs Laser Bazooka; Charge +2, Power Attack -5: 1d20+8 26 That's a DC 20 + 5 Power Attack + 2 Autofire Toughness Save for the bazooka. Move Action: Use Leaping to jump into the support beams overhead, trying to find some cover from Chuck and Mike. -2 Defense until his next turn.

Knowledge (Technology) Check: 1d20+16 25 To recognize anything about the glowing weapons?

Chitin yelped as the crowbars made a pair of solid hit on either side of him, prompting a little warning symbol to appear in the corner of his helmet’s HUD. ”You know they’d be used to hurt people! I’m not going to let that happen! Cyan!” At his call a chunky little robot in the shape of a grasshopper or locust lept up onto a nearby crate from its hiding place in the corner then again from the crate to Chitin’s shoulder, chirping like a little chip-tune battlecry. The armoured teen knocked back the crowbars with both arms to give himself a little room then snatched up the Robug and set it against the front of his helmet. Cyan’s form shifted about like an origami sculpture being unfolded, incorporating into the helmet’s faceplate. The annenate and forelegs framed the mouth place while the rear legs became sharply pointed arches over the multifaceted eyes, which lit up in a strawberry red. “Bush Cricket Instar! Hop to it!” the belt’s roboticized voice announced enthusiastically as brightly cyan armour plating expanded from subspace pockets, kicking up another cloud of dust and attaching over Chitin’s chest plate, vambraces and in particular his legs. The moment the new armour came online Chitin burst into motion, far faster than any normal human. Three rabbit punches connected with his first assailant in a blur and sent the man crashing backward into a crate hard enough that the wood could be heard to splinter. Just as quickly he caught the second thug in the should and launched into a throw that sent them both into a cartwheel, ending with Chitin standing ready on the warehouse floor and his opponent laid out face first. Hopping from foot to foot with unrestrained energy he pointed at Chuck and Mike. “I’ll protect everyone’s dreams from your selfishness!”

Notice Check: 1d20+5 15 ?

Chitin Move Action: Activate Cricket Instar! Standard Action: Unarmed Attack vs Goon 1: 1d20+11 25 That’s a DC 15 + 5 + up to 2 Autofire Toughness Save. Then, should Takedown Attack be an option: Unarmed Attack vs Goon 2: 1d20+11 13

Chitin Toughness Save vs DC 19: 1d20+5 12 HP Reroll: Toughness Save vs DC 19; HP Reroll: 1d20+5 16

Chitin lunged forward with the strength and speed the suit added to his legs and was upon Chuck as soon as the words had left his mouth. One hand shoved the ringleader in the check, knocking him backward a few steps while the other grabbed onto Chuck’s gun and yanked it away in the opposite direction. Gripping it in the middle the masked figure shook the gun in front of himself emphatically. ”This is really what you want to be doing? Hurting people? Killing people?”

Chitin Move Action: Run up to Chuck! Standard Action: Disarm Attempt! Disarm Attack Roll: 1d20+6 21 Disarm Opposed Check: 1d20+5 23

Chitin Initiative: 1d20+10 22

"Aw wrench, why?" Ryder whispered forlornly as he looked down at the offending tool. He maybe had a chance to run back out the way he'd come but even if he got away that left a bunch of guys with guns even more wound up and trigger happy. He looked down at the belt strapped around his waist and swallowed. "Like... seventy percent sure I fixed it." Then he backed up against the wall, rose from his crouch and set his jaw. In sequence Ryder pressed the top of each chamber of the ink cartridge buckle, prompting a cheerful computerized voice to announce, "CYMK! Dream in colour!" Feet planted and hands outstretched the teenager commanded, "Chitin! Online!" Suddenly displaced air set his loose clothes flapping and kicked up a cloud of dust from behind his temporary cover as razor thin lines of light traced outward from the belt, expanding into broad ribbons that covered his body. The sound of ratcheting locking points and humming electronics could be heard faintly as a black jumpsuit was pulled through the gaps to a dimensional pocket and onto his frame, followed by armoured plating cast in white and silver. As the lights vanished as quickly as they'd appeared they revealed a smooth helmet that covered his entire head, dominated by multifaceted oval eyes that gave off a faint white glow. The armoured figure strode through the settling dust and into full view of the searching crew, footfalls echoing loudly against the floor. "Hey!" he called, drawing any eyes that weren't already on him. There was a long, tense pause. "You... you probably shouldn't have, you know. A bunch of guns? Don't you think?"

Chitin Stealth Check: 1d20+2 5 Oh noooo.

Head down, Ryder jogged through the open gate, doing his best to gauge the correct balance of speed and stealth, remembering to factor in situational awareness as he nearly tripped over his own feet. Sticking to the outer edges of the interior of the warehouse he crept from behind one crate to another to a barrel, staying hidden while trying to maneuver into a better position to see what Mike and Chuck were doing with the boxes full of weapons. The noise of machinery helped to cover his moments but also made it harder to hear what was being said. If all they do tonight is move stuff around I can just call in an anonymous tip and the guns can get confiscated before anyone does anything they'll regret!

Ryder blew out a soft raspberry as he watched the feed from the Yellowjacket Robug. ”That is... not great. I was sort of picturing something more like a lemonade stand.” Putting his hands on either side of his face he look up to the early evening sky with a groan. “Uuugh, are they going to use the guns or are they selling them to someone? There might not be time to go tell anyone and I kinda already maybe made things worse.” The teenager looked back down to his backpack and chewed on his bottom lip pensively. ”I know what she’d do, though.” Ryder pulled what looked for all the world to be a chunky colour printer ink cartridge mounted on a broad belt of metal bands out of the bag, holding it up gingerly. “This’ll be fine! I’m like eighty five percent sure I fixed the spatial tearing problem! Yeah!” He used his free hand to tip the backpack onto it’s side. “Magenta, Black, I need you guys to distract the guards. Got it?” Another pair of the little robotic insects scuttled out of the bag, one a praying mantis in pristine whites and pinks and the other a rhinoceros beetle in navy blues and gunmetal grey. The former taped its forelegs together while the latter clacked its mandibles and then they were off!

Backpack slung over one shoulder, Ryder ducked around the corner of a nearby building before he could draw the attention of the wary guards at the gate. "There could still be a completely normal and okay explanation here," he said to himself under his breath while crouching down and dropping his bag in front of him on the alley floor. "Probably not but there could be. Okay, Yellow, you're up!" Reaching into the bag he produced a palm-sized robot in the shape of an exaggerated wasp, chunky metal and carbon fibre components painted in sunny yellow and glossy black. Is scuttled about his hand to look up at Ryder, diamond shaped wings vibrating expectantly. "Bzzz?" "You got it, buddy! Just stay out of sight and get a closer look at what's going on in the warehouse. We should let Mike do this on his own unless it looks like he really needs help!" The drone gave a small hop by way of affirmation then took to the air, heading up over the top of the building Ryder was hiding behind then tracing a lazy spiral toward the source of the clanging machinery sounds.

Mike nearly bowled over a young woman as she entered while he exited by the same door. She wore a long cardigan over a summery dress, her black hair shaved on the sides and tied back in a ponytail so that it pooped noticeably at the front. Spotting Ryder she asked, “What was that guy’s problem?” “Jenny! Perfect!” Yanking the apron up and over his head the teenager tossed it at his sister. “You’re cool to watch the Shack, right? Everything’s probably fine but just in case I think I need to go be just one guy. Boy, that really starts to lose all meaning if you say enough times, huh? Thanks, you’re the best!” “What? Ryder! Ryder!” Jenny shook a fistful of apron over her head in irritated confusion but her brother had already grabbed a backpack from behind the bar and was sprinting out the door, the little bell hanging above it jingling merrily.

"If you think about it, though, we're all just one guy. Except people who aren't a guy but they're still just one person. It definitely sounds like Chuck's just one guy, anyway." Ryder put a hand under his chin, considering. "I guess if someone's making really bad decisions and won't listen then sometimes you have to stay away from them to protect yourself from a pretty lousy relationship. But..." The server put his hands in the pockets of his apron and scuffed the toe of his sneaker against the floor pensively. "It sounds like if nobody does anything then some of your other friends are for sure going to get hurt."

"Mhm, mhm." Ryder nodded thoughtfully, one hand on his chin, undeterred by or oblivious to the flash of anger. "Never good when friends stop listening to each other, sure." He gave Mike a sunny smile and a pair of thumbs up. "But 'going to bury you' means there's still time to fix it, right? There's gotta be something to try that's better than watching a smoothie melt. This Chuck guy wouldn't have started a business with you if he didn't trust you deep down. If you can explain why you're worried about this project in a way he'll understand there's still a chance to work it out!"

Chitin Diplomacy Check: 1d20+5 12 Eeehhh...?

Ryder put both glasses down on the table and frowned. "Well that's just wrong," he objected bluntly, placing his hands on his hips. "There's no such thing as wasted work, Mike. I mess up all the time! Like, all the time. But that just means I'm always learning something for the next time!" The lean teenager pounded a fist against his own chest twice, gesturing animatedly with the other hand, each fingernail painted a different neon colour. A few of the other patrons had started to look over at the conversation but the regulars seemed accustomed to the server's enthusiasm. "And nobody gets to say if your dream is over except you! Why don't you try talking it out with me? Maybe you need a different perspective more than a different smoothie!"

"Boy, you look like a guy who just gave up on his dream! D'you have any allergies?" The chipper voice belonged to a broadly smiling teenager standing next to the forlorn loner's table, wearing an apron splattered in bright fruit and ice cream colours and holding a pair of tall ice cream soda glasses. Messy strawberry blond hair contrasted with dark eyes that tried to make contact with the patron's downturned gaze. After a beat he seemed to realize that his question had lacked context and continued, "See, 'cause you can't fight for a dream when everything seems bad and sometimes the right smoothie is all you need but the one you ordered doesn't look like it's doing the trick so I've got this one that's sort of a chocolate and peanut butter deal but anaphylactic shock would be pretty counterproductive so I also made this other one that's got a pineapple sherbet base? Oh, I'm Ryder, by the way!" He went to extend a hand to shake before realizing it was already full and spent a distracted moment trying to figure out if he could hold both glasses in one hand.

Added Affects Objects and Limited [Objects Only] to the Drain Toughness on the CMYKutters, since that's more appropriate to the character anyway. The CMYKuarrels are now a General Area affect; the Attack Focus [Ranged] remains as a building block for later additions. As for the power stunting, that's a feature, not a bug! Or rather an insect, not a problem. Any power stunting with the armour would represent Ryder having to rework his invention on the fly! He may get a power reserve secondary array later if it ends up being too much of a paint in play.

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