Gizmo
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Earth-Prime Trevor cracked his neck in each direction before standing in the middle of the cordoned off room for a silent moment, belatedly realizing that it was dark thanks to the super-vision to which he was still adjusting. It was a little disconcerting to be returned to exactly the same position he'd been in, especially since the version of the lab on either world were so similar, giving his a momentary, paranoid twinge of doubt. The stoic teen gave Mark a look as if he were about to say something but thought better of it and instead turned to Erin. "Well. Different, anyway," he judiciously opined. After another beat, he added in an unreadable deadpan, "Think you make the sparkle pants work for you." Earth-XX "Well," Tricia spoke up after their visitors had disappeared, "different, anyway." For a few tense moments she considered reneging on her promise to Trevor; it wasn't as if he'd ever find out. The willowy young woman frowned, silently reprimanding herself. Stepping over to Aaron, she gave him a serious look, then, before he could remove his thumbs from his pockets, leaned forward to quickly kiss him. It wasn't nearly as enthusiastic as the one Marcie and her counterpart had shared earlier, but it was certainly earnest. Stepping back, Tricia straightened her newsboy cap, nodded emphatically and turned to walk out of Freedom Hall without another word, colour rising in her cheeks as soon as her back was turned to the others.
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Trevor's eyebrows lowered so far they disappeared behind his sunglasses. An infinite kaleidoscope of Lucases... Nnngh. Trying not to dwell on the implications, the lean young man looked between the adults. "Set to go, then?" Tricia stepped forward a pace to give him a small wave. "Safe trip, I suppose?" she told him, placing a hand on the back of her head. Trevor responded with a stony look, causing her to do a subdued double take in surprise and shoot him a questioning frown. He masculine counterpart folded his arms and raised an eyebrow. Understanding, Tricia sighed lightly, blowing an unruly lock of black hair off of her forehead. "Alright. After you leave, though." His visage softening into a small smile, Trevor moved forward and gave his slightly shorter double a brief hug which was returned in kind before each Hunter stepped back, waiting for the others to say their goodbyes.
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"Uh, well," Jack answered Colt with a shrug and a nod toward his sister, "her, basically." Jill folder her arms and shifted her weight, giving her brother a flat look. "Epic introduction there, hermano. Really seizing the theatricality of moment." The swordsman sighed, by this point resigned to the inevitable but by no means enthused. "Alright, short version: our dad showed up again for the first time since before Jill was born, which led to a whole bunch of exposition and the mother of all throwdowns between the House of Staves and the rest of the Jacks." He pointed to Eli by way of example. "You'd remember Rose, Zip; she took some serious heat. Denari... Coinpurse Jack didn't make it, which ends up being relevant 'cause it turns out a pointed lack of respect for the laws of nature sorta run in the family." "Introducing!" Jill grinned, raising both hands in front of her, striking a pose and making a pair of fists. "Jill O'Cure!" Her left hand lit up with pale blue light, dappled in the manner of sunlight pouring through the trees of a secluded courtyard. Her right was surrounded by a virulent green glow, flecked with spots of darkness that drifted about like rotted flotsam. "One hand heals, the other one... not so much." She unclenched her hands and the lights faded away. "I can do force fields, too, though I'm still sorta working that one out." Jack sighed wearily. "And since she's way to stubborn to listen to reason-" "Pot, kettle?" the younger sibling interrupted. "...I figured if she's going to be out taking names might as well be where I can keep an eye on her." Jill snorted, placing a gloved hand on her hip. "Yeah, you're the wind beneath my wings, here." "You're breaking my heart," Jack drawled, rolling his eyes. In a moment's pause, he glanced between his teammates, expression growing difficult to read. "There's, ah, one other thing, too."
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Pausing in the middle of picking up his dry toast, Trevor blinked, looking between Mark and Marcie. "That's... actually a good point. Huh." The lanky young man frowned, breakfast still in hand, as he considered what variable for which they had failed to account. The look Tricia gave Marcie suggested that her world view had been seriously challenged, but she composed herself quickly. Unlike her counterpart, she was in the midst of spreading a dollop of marmalade over her bread, but had chosen bottled water over his glass of orange juice. "Could be what's keeping you here?"
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"Better you than me, ol' buddy," Jack greeted Colt with a wry grin, though his tone held no true heat. The swordsman had already gotten his congratulations out of the way and had settled into his customary teasing instead. He turned to Mona, straightening his greatcoat reflexively. "Yeah, well," he replied, a little self-consciously, "seemed like the thing to do." Jill released Grim's hand to accept Fulcrum's handshake, imitating her serious manner. "Hmm, yes, just transferred in, wot. Truth! Also: Justice!" Smiling broadly, she gave Colt a wave as well before hopping off of the console bank. "I don't do crinoline," she warned Lynn, raising a finger before her dire expression wavered. "...unless I have to. Obviously I'm there."
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The lanky teen nodded in deference. "Trevor, then." He tapped the sides of his sunglasses absently. "Might as well keep them on. Still adjusting to seeing infrared." His mouth curved downward, however, and he eyebrows flattened as the subject of teleportation. "Like my molecules scrambled as little as possible, frankly. Wheels and a road any day."
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I assume Sil is using her Well Informed to make a check on Midnight's Reputation Chart? It'd be DC 15 to recognize him as Midnight specifically. He keeps a low profile, naturally.
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IC post is up, and it's Sil's turn. 23 - Midnight II - Uninjured - 3HP 6 - Silhouette - Bruised - 1HP
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The pipe came down out of nowhere, striking Midnight solidly about the temple. Hour upon hour of condition combined with carefully woven protective gear let him shrug off the blow with a grunt, made raspy as it grated through his mask's air filter. Careless. Cracking his neck slowly, his back towered menacingly over his diminutive attacker until he whirled without warning, striking out with a body blow meant to knock the wind out of the third party in the alleyway. Control situation, he thought silently to himself, end quickly.
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Midnight II Move Action: Startle Silhouette. Auto-30 with Skill Mastery (Intimidation), -5 for speeding it up to a Move Action, so DC 25. Standard Action: Escrima Sticks, Power Attack 5. (1d20+10=27) Sil doesn't have any ranks in Intimidate or Sense Motive, so she'll be opposing the DC 25 Startle with her Will Save. If she fails, she'll be flat-footed against his next attack. It hits either way, but if she's caught off-guard, it'll get an extra 2 to the DC from his Sneak Attack. DC = 15 + 2 Strike + 3 Strength + 2 Sneak Attack + 5 Power Attack = 27.
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Notice check. (1d20+10=11) He doesn't see her coming, so she gets a surprise round, and he's flat-footed. 22 beats his flat-footed Defense of 13, so he's rolling against a DC of 20 (15 + 1 Strength + 2 Improvised Club + 2 Sneak Attack). He only gets +6 on the check, because he can't use his Defensive Roll. Toughness Save vs. DC 20. (1d20+6=23) He makes the save, so he's uninjured. I'd suggest that Sil gets an HP from her Secret complication, having been caught out of costume, while her assumption that Midnight is a bad guy nets him one from his Frightening complication. Initiative. (1d20+3=21) 23 - Midnight II - Uninjured - 3HP 6 - Silhouette - Uninjured - 2HP
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"Oof!" Jill struggled to remain seated on the console as Grim all but tackled her, putting an arm around the shapeshifter's shoulder and grinning in spite of herself. "Easy, hermana mayor," the coltish teen chuckled, her new haircut bouncing as she leaned to one side to regain he balance. "Yeah, it's been a busy we- wait, what?" Jill's eyes went wide in the holes of her crimson mask as she took Lynn's hand to examine the ring. "Ohmigod! Did you know about this?" she asked her brother, her tone accusatory. Jack stopped his pacing to shrug broadly, the corner of his mouth turning upward as he exchanged a glance with Dynamo. "She wanted to tell you herself," he explained, some of the stress he'd been feeling slipping away. He was, after all, among family.
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In the shadows atop one of the taller buildings in the fens, red lenses narrowed as the brunette woman wandered clumsily into the alleyway, the man following several paces behind her pulled a blade from is jacket, gleaming obviously to the hidden observer. In a burst of sudden movement, a piece of the shadows peeled away from the darkness, silently streaking across the empty street to the run down business overlooking the gap the pair below had slipped into. Another leap brought the stealthy figure down into the alleyway, landing in an easy crouch before drawing up to easily over six feet of coiled muscle clothed in matte black. A quick inspection of the scene revealed the unconscious mugger lying in a heap on the cold ground and brought a pair of sticks the length of the figure's forearms to its hands with a graceful snap.
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"Men as women, women as men," Trevor replied, spreading his hands mildly. "Novelty." Hands folded behind her back, Tricia took advantage of their shared body language to give Trevor a significant look between him and Erin, one eyebrow arching above a black and red eye, he expression apprehensive. Her visiting counterpart gave her a reassuring nod, and Tricia let out a sigh of relief in spite of herself. Raising an eyebrow of his own, Trevor placed his own hands behind his back and made a series of quick gestures, signing, We're not our parents. You know that, right? Mouth curving with a hint of rueful smile Tricia unfolded her hands to reply, Obviously. Still. Don't like seeing couples fight. Trevor tilted his head to one side in a shallow nod. Agreed.
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Tricia ducked her head in from the opposite side of the common room, hand holding her newsboy cap in place before she stepped inside. Dark jeans and grey tank top blended into her jacket, the white stripes on her elbow length fingerless gloves being the sole spot of brightness in her ensemble. She'd consciously left her sunglasses off again, but they hung ready from her pocket. "Were you here all night?" she asked, her voice carrying a note of distress. "Didn't want to bug you, but..." Finishing his stretching, Trevor shook his head mildly. "Were fine. Alternate universe television; fun times." Waiting until everyone looked ready to move on, the dark haired young man started off toward the cafeteria, tipping his hat down a notch to cover some of his face, hoping to avoid too many questions from passersby along the way.
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Date: Early September, 2010. Beneath the streets of Freedom City's West End, the swordsman known as Jack of all Blades paced back and forth, royal blue greatcoat flapping restlessly around his legs. His newly reworked costume had refined its colour palate to match his bandanna mask to his coat, while touches of silver added flourishes to his black jumpsuit. Wardrobe, however, was clearly the least of his concerns. Nearby, his sister sat atop on of the Underground's banks of monitors, legs swinging beneath her. With a deep crimson jacket and matching mask, she looked every bit her sibling's counterpart, her long hair cut short and dyed black. "You sure about this?" "Little late to change my mind now," he snapped back, running a hand through his wig reflexively. "Besides, it was your idea." "And a good one, too!" a voice chimed in over the base's speaker system as Vince winked into existence of one of the larger monitors, wearing his own version of the siblings' uniform decked out if black and neon green, flared pant legs and a jaunty ascot making it look more like a leisure suit. "...too much?" he asked, turning his simulated body around to display the back of the outfit. Jack stopped pacing to place a hand over his face and grit his teeth. "Vince..." With a sigh and a snap of his fingers, the AI changed his outfit to his more customary three piece suit. "Alright, alright. I called the rest of the team, they oughta be here soon. Loosen up, buddy!"
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Stifling a yawn, Trevor retrieved the squawking comlink from his belt and thumbed the button to reply. "We're on your way." He and Erin had spent the remained of the night on the couch watching talk shows and dated movies made considerably more entertaining by the reversals from the versions they were familiar with on Earth-Prime. Not wanting to get up to retrieve another cup of coffee, the lanky youth had dozed off once or twice, imminently comfortable. Cracking his neck and adjusting his fedora, he stretched and waited for Mark to arrive at the common room en route to the cafeteria.
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Letting out a breath around a grimace, Trevor nodded shallowly to one side, conceding the point. "True enough, Ms. Lawlett." Pulling his sunglasses down his nose, he briefly revealed his ruby irises, luminous against glossy black sclera, before replacing the lenses over his eyes. "Process light better than normal. Superior night vision, resistance to sudden flashes." He shrugged in muted apology. "Nothing personal; colouration tends to unsettle people." Listening to Liz explain the process of setting up the base, he rubbed his neck and pulled a face. "Nnh. Teleportation..."
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Fumbling slightly with awkwardness of his own, Trevor slipped an arm around Erin's waist, a faint smile ghosting over his lips even as his eyes remained concerned. "Heh. Beautiful and willing to put up with stupidity." Leaning forward he gently touched his forehead to hers before pulling back. "Must have done something right," he decided softly, sliding over to close the remaining distance between them on the couch.
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For once there was nothing subtle about Trevor's expression, as acute distress played out over his features. "I didn't mean-" For a moment it appeared as though hair was writhing in dejection as thin wisps of midnight mist mingled with his dark locks, stopping short of forming a literal cloud over his head as he clamped down on his emotions. "Not a hero thing," he said quietly and tonelessly. "Don't need saving. Know that." Truthfully, seeing how hard Erin was on herself stirred up a directionless anger that sat in his gut, a nagging need to find someone responsible and kick their teeth in. The feeling was all the worse because he had no idea what to do with it, and the guilty knowledge that it wasn't about him. "Stupid," he repeated. "Won't happen again."
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As Trevor's face fell into an appropriately abashed expression, Tricia cleared her throat and rose, swinging her long legs out and onto the floor. "Actually, ah, have to run back to my room for a bit. Be alright on your own?" Trevor glumly nodded an affirmative and his distaff double made good her escape, hastily replacing her cap on her head as she went. After several long minutes of silence, he spoke up. "...sorry." Slouching forward is a manner that made even his lanky frame seem small, he covered half of his face with a palm. "Knew it was stupid second I said it. Just..." A mix of frustration and self reproach flickered across his set features as he struggled to school his expression.
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"Very true," Trevor agreed after a long moment before adding offhandedly, "Should probably stop beating himself up over it, then." Sitting in a chair next to the couch with her legs tucked under her, Tricia frowned mightily before leaning forward and removing her cap to swat Trevor about the head. "Stop that." Her masculine counter part raised a hand to defend himself. "I was just-" "No," she insisted, interrupting him with another swipe of her hat. The slim girl gave Erin a remorseful look, having revealed a dark bob with long, uneven bangs. "He really does think he's helping."
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"He's so angry a lot of the time," Tricia was explaining quietly, tugging on her cap as she struggled to articulate to Trevor her dilemma. "But then sometimes he's just sweet and you can tell he just want to keep everybody safe, and even when he's sad at least it's... it's real, and he... he just..." "Can lift a truck over his head with one hand?" Trevor supplied in an immaculate deadpan, from his seat on the couch next to Erin. Without his black jacket, his overall look was much lighter and open apart from his disconcerting eye colouration. Tricia's cheeks coloured darkly, but the corner of her mouth twitched upward. "First time we trained together, thought midnight mist was going to shoot out my ears," the willowy teen admitted.
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Midnight gritted his teeth behind his featureless mask as the villainous mimic rose into the air. Dark Star and Breakdown... Against that kind of power, what could be possibly do? For a moment the teenage vigilante felt impossibly small. Seeing Arrowhawk purposefully draw Nexus' ire, however, galvanized the youth in an instant. His hand flew purposefully to the pouch on his belt his grandfather had warned him was to be utilized only in the direst of emergencies. Sprinting forward, he stooped to snatch up an arrow shaft left on the ground, it's tip snapped off, and skillfully fastened the small, matte black cylinder about half the size of his fist in its place. Even as he did, he drew in a deep breath and raised one hand, a jet of midnight mist spilling forth from the sleeve to momentarily catch the mimic's attention, buying precious moments. Catching up with the Scottish archer, Midnight presented him with the hastily crated quarrel. "What do you know," he asked soberly, the red lenses over his eyes flashing, "about the Zero Zone?"
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Trevor smiled widely enough to show a hint of teeth as Erin set to work with the PDA, his own mood improving along with hers. Even so, his left eyebrow twitched uncertainly as Mark and Marcie made their excuses to run off. No. There's no- Not even Mark ... No, wait, of course he would. The lanky youth let out a soft sigh, squeezing his eyes shut for a moment. Further down the bleachers, Tricia came to a similar conclusion. "Explains the capes, anyway..." she mumbled to herself, a look of glum embarrassment passing over her features. With a light cough, she turned to the remaining teens. "Ah, yeah. The common room makes sense, unless there's somewhere else you wanted to see while you're here." She doubted keeping the Whites together for any prolonged period of time would end well, but it didn't seem like a good idea to abandon their doubles, either.
