Gizmo

Erik had been conspicuously quiet since the news about Ace's father had been delivered. What initially might have been played off as a respectful silence had stretched into the car ride and it wasn't difficult to guess what was on his mind. He could practically feel the immortals in the car watching the sand run through his proverbial hourglass and while he'd never been one to dwell overlong on the idea of his own death the thought of the people he'd be leaving behind gave him pause. Even if he didn't meet an untimely end - unlikely given his lifestyle - what of old age, when he'd look to be Talya and Min's withered grandfather? Worse, if the children were as mortal as he was... It was probably fair to say Ace wasn't dealing with the situation well but the swordsman didn't imagine there was any good way to do so. When Dimitri addressed him he muttered a distracted, "Sure, yeah. Lots of problems," and continued to stare out the window.

Alkahest Toughness Save vs DC 27: 1d20+17 32

Winifred blinked a few times as she processed the apparent faux pas before fixing the closest hound with a glare that was no less acidic than some of her bottled concoctions. "Is anything not a vulgarity here?" she grumbled folding her arms and seriously considering walking out lest there be any further misinterpretation of her words. Ultimately she was less inclined to be run out than she was to succumb to embarrassment. Her lips twisted into a sour expression while she folded her arms. "You should know that the last time someone presumed to tell me my business in... such matters it ended quite badly." Her face clouded over even further at that train of thought and she looked dour and distracted through Rivera's entire list of options. "Mmph. Whichever you think best to begin with, then. When I said I intended to be rigorous I meant it."

Just enough light penetrated the cloud to make out the vaguely humanoid silhouette of something massive moving with startling speed before the entire control room shook as though it was about to come loose from its subterranean walls and slide into the Doom Room below. Metal groaned in protest and weaker materials burst into flying fragments as the Alkahest slammed lumpen fists into the space where Prestige had been moments before. Naturally the duplicitous archer had immediately slipped away after striking and as the monster felt only the residence of whistling air where it desired meat and bone it began to trash in all directions, taking loud snorts of the foul smoke and ignoring the stench as it tried to find and squash the threat.

Alkahest Free Action: Regenerate Bruise. Move Action: Demoralize Prestige: 1d20+7 12 Standard Action: Unarmed Attack vs Prestige, All-Out Attack 2: 1d20+11 16 Concealment Miss Chance, Miss on 1: 1d2 1 Alkahest flails around like a idiot. Defence is +5 until its next turn.

Lou Lubrano: Hitter Power Level: 8 [Without Powers] / 10 [With Powers] / 13 (180/217PP) Unspent Power Points: 37 Trade-Offs: +2 Attack / -2 Damage [Without Powers], -2 Defence / +2 Toughness [With Powers] In Brief: Contender, cop, criminal, concrete. Theme: Push + Pull by July Talk Alternate Identity: Lou Lubrano (Secret) Birthplace: Stark Hill, Bedlam City Base of Operations: Converted Warehouse Occupation: Hitter Affiliations: The Fix, BCPD [Formerly], Scarpia Family [Formerly] Family: Nora D'Angelo [Ex-Wife], Max Lubrano [Son] Description: Age: 44 (DoB: 1972) Gender: Male Ethnicity: Italian-American Height: 6'0" Weight: 215 lbs Eyes: Ice Blue Hair: Grey, Black Beard Lou's layers of muscle are built for function rather than aesthetics and mostly hidden under the perpetually rumpled suits he wears. His hair, combed back off of his lined face, has gone uniformly grey but his beard remains jet black and notably better maintained than most of his appearance. He stands with his back straight and shoulders squared but with his unassuming manner he still tends to fade into a crowd. He never drinks while he's working and never smokes when he's not but the lingering scent of both suggest he still does more of both than he ought. History: Lou was never a great boxer. Making up for any lack of finesse with an ability to soak up monumental amounts of punishment, he was good enough to earn a modest scholarship and some respect in the neighbourhood but he never considered himself anything more than a big fish in a small pond. Real respect meant being more than a second rate prizefighter. Real respect in Bedlam meant joining up with a gang and he knew only one gang had a retirement plan: the police. Lou was never a great cop. The city didn't provide that opportunity. They didn't have a fraction of the resources to deal with all of the crime in Bedlam anyway so where was the harm in taking a bribe to let the organized, orderly stuff slide? Picking your battles was just another job skill and Lou wasn't afraid of putting in the work to learn. Nobody could say he didn't do some good and more people went home happy than not. Besides, it wasn't like the basic salary was worth risking his neck over and he had a family to think about. Lou was never a great husband. He met Nora at a college when her date made the poor decision to take a swing at him. He liked that she was pretty and quick witted, she liked that he was ambitious and laughed loudly and often. They got married the same month he graduated from the academy and joined the police force and their son Max was born a few years later. They never got around to taking that trip they talked about but maybe once they had enough set aside for Max's schooling. Lou was never a great partner. It wasn't like Simmons made it easy on him, always pushing his luck, always sticking his nose where it was liable to get cut off. They should have ignored the tip about the drug lab but Simmons wanted the bust and it was only two blocks away from a school. Max had just started Grade 5. They went in without backup. It wasn't a drug lab, at least not the way they were thinking. Somebody shot. Something exploded. Lou woke up in the hospital nearly two week later. Simmons didn't. Lou was never a great liar. He nearly slipped up maybe a dozen times before he finally got caught just shy of two years later; it was tough to miss a bullet bouncing off of a chin suddenly made out of the same steel as his car door. Metahumans couldn't be cops and that left Lou without a career and without friends. He took a few odd jobs but nothing stuck. He started to drink more. He never came home drunk but a lot of nights that meant he just didn't come home. Eventually he came home to an empty house and a note. He sold the house, moved into a closet the landlord had the gall to call a bachelor apartment. He signed the papers Nora mailed to him from her sister's place out of state seven months after that. She put a copy of Max's latest school picture in the envelope; that went up on the nearly empty fridge. He was down to his last excuse over late rent when one of the guys he used to take money from offered to buy him a drink. Turned out there were certain people very interested in someone with Lou's specific combination of experience, skills and abilities. Turned out that what Lou was truly great at was hurting bad people who'd made other bad people angry. Sometimes somebody needed to be found, sometimes something needed to be retrieved, sometimes it was just about sending a message. They gave their hitter a name and the situation got handled. He finally had respect, of a sort. The only trouble was that those names didn't always belong to people who were as bad as Lou might have liked. Sometimes they weren't that much older than his son. Lou started to think that someday he was going to be given a name and there'd turn out to be one more thing he wasn't great at. Personality & Motivation: Lou plays his cards close to his rumpled vest, content to remain anonymous and unassuming while others posture. Focused and goal-oriented he does his best to remain professional in a line of work that's often anything but. If he feels he's not being extended that same courtesy, however, he's quick to demonstrate why respect is a wise policy. That stoicism hides layers of self-reproach. Having seen both sides of the law in full Lou doesn't so much regret his indiscretions as a police office as wish that he'd been a good enough man to accomplish real good with his position. He considers himself to be a failure as a father and demonstrates a sometimes misplaced protective streak as a result. After years of doing whatever it took to get ahead or stay afloat he's begun to let his better principles guide him and found that standing up for those who need it suits him better than he'd expected. Powers & Tactics: The drug lab Lou and his partner raided was experimenting with metahuman treatments, leading to him being doused in unstable chemicals and buried in rubble in the explosion that followed. As a result he can take on the attributes of any inorganic material he touches. Doing so greatly enhances his overall strength and durability, enough to shrug off small arms fire. The specific material he mimics determines the specific benefits or side effects he receives on top of this, such as making him more or less conductive, fire resistant or brittle. As his powers provide a distinct visual Lou prefers to use them only as a last resort, favouring discretion and relative anonymity unless he finds himself otherwise outmatched. Even without them he is a competent hand-to-hand fighter with impressive endurance. When required to buy time he will gladly let an opponent wear themselves out before moving in for a decisive finishing blow but when the person he is protecting comes under immediate threat he switches to a much more aggressive style, foregoing his own safety to end a fight more quickly. Power Descriptions: Lou takes on the appearance of the materials he mimics along with their properties. This extends to copying graffiti sprayed on a brick wall or yellow centre lines painted down a concrete road. Dents and cracks sustained while in a transformed state are translated into bruises and cuts when he reverts to flesh and blood. His powers do not extend to the clothes he wear; Lou goes through a lot of suits. Complications: Blood and Iron: Lou's son and ex-wife no longer live in Bedlam but were they in danger there are very few things that would keep him from immediately going to their aid. Cement Overshoes: Quitting the Scarpia Family family is a poor health decision, leaving in the middle of a job even more so. Taking out Lou would be a good way to build a rep and earn points with the higher ups all at once. Concrete Evidence: Lou goes out of his way to avoid using his powers unless there's no other choice. They draw the wrong kind of attention and getting spotted would effectively ruin any cover story he's using. Feet of Clay: Lou is trying to be a better man but he's not there yet. He's slow to trust and slower to let go of a grudge. Convincing him to take risks for strangers may take some doing and convincing him to ask for help is all but impossible. Glass Half Empty: Although he makes a point not to drink while on the job, Lou definitely drinks more than he should. In an unexpected emergency there's no guarantee of finding him sober or without a hangover. Golden Rule: Respect is met with respect. Disrespect is met with percussive correction. Steely Resolve: Though usually methodical and cautious once Lou has committed himself to a fight he's loathe to walk away. He'll take on impossible odds or weather fantastic amounts of punishment if it means keeping his word. Tin Badge: Many of Lou's former colleagues in the BCPD take issue with his metahuman status while others resent his newer ties with the Scarpia Family. Plenty don't see any reason to choose just one reason to hate him. Abilities: 8 + 6 + 12 + 4 + 8 + 4 = 42PP Strength: 18 / 26 (+4 / +8) Dexterity: 16 (+3) Constitution: 22 / 30 (+6 / +10) Intelligence: 14 (+2) Wisdom: 18 (+4) Charisma: 14 (+2) Combat: 16 + 12 = 28PP Initiative: +7 Attack: +8 Base, +10 Melee Defense: +8 (+6 Base, +2 Dodge Focus), +3 Flat-Footed Grapple: +14 / +18 Knockback: -3 Flat-Footed / -4 without Powers / -8 with Powers Saving Throws: 4 + 6 + 8 = 18PP Toughness: +8 / +12 (+6 Con, +2 Defensive Roll, +4 Enhanced Constitution) [Impervious 4] Fortitude: +10 / +14 (+6 Con, +4 Enhanced Constitution, +4) Reflex: +9 (+3 Dex, +6) Will: +12 (+4 Wis, +8) Skills: 148R = 37PP Bluff 8 (+10) Concentration 6 (+10) Diplomacy 8 (+10) Drive 2 (+5) Gather Information 8 (+10) Intimidate 13 (+15) Investigate 13 (+15) Knowledge [Behavioral Sciences] 3 (+5) Knowledge [Civics] 8 (+10) Knowledge [Streetwise] 13 (+15) Knowledge [Tactics] 8 (+10) Language 2 (English [Native], Italian, Spanish) Medicine 6 (+10) Notice 11 (+15) Perform [Singing] 8 (+10) Search 8 (+10) Sense Motive 11 (+15) Stealth 12 (+15) Feats: 20PP All-Out Attack Attack Focus [Melee] 2 Connected Defensive Roll 1 Dodge Focus 2 Fast Task 2 [Feint, Startle] Improved Critical [Unarmed] 2 Improved Grab Improved Initiative Interpose Luck 2 Power Attack Startle Stunning Attack Uncanny Dodge [Auditory] Powers: 4 + 5 + 19 + 7 = 35PP Damage 2 (Boxing; Feats: Innate, Mighty) [4PP] (training) Device 1 (Earbud; 5PP Container, Flaws: Hard to Lose, Feats: Subtle) [5PP] Super-Senses 4 (Communication Link 4 [Other Earbuds], Feats: Subtle) [5DP] Alternate Form 4 (20PP Container [Active, Sustained], Drawback: Noticeable) [19PP] Enhanced Constitution 8 [8PP] Enhanced Strength 8 [8PP] Impervious 4 [4PP] Object Mimicry 1 (5PP Variable Power, Any Power, Multiple Powers at Once, Touch Range; Extras: Action [Free Action]) [7PP] DC Block ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Unarmed [without Powers] Touch DC 21 Toughness Damage Unarmed [with Powers] Touch DC 25 Toughness Damage Totals: Abilities (42) + Combat (28) + Saving Throws (18) + Skills (37) + Feats (20) + Powers (35) - Drawbacks (0) = 180/217 Power Points

Whatever else could be said about them, the House of Swords members evidently did not startle easily. The redhead recovered first, rushing forward with a flurry of swipes from all six of her weapons, disregarding her own defences in favour of a full-on assault. "We're not going to stop until we prove-- gah!" Tying up Erik's rapier with all three of her left handed butterfly swords she'd thought herself free to attack with those on the right but the more experienced fencer simply allowed the flames of his sword to loose coherence and pass effortlessly through, deflecting the attempt as surely as forged steel. With a clink of metal links the swordsman hanging overhead revealed some sort of mechanism built into his hooked blades, allowing him to kick off of a crumbling pillar and launch himself in a downward swing toward Erik. His other blade lashed out at his target's ankle but missed by a wide margin; by the time he's reached the floor Erik had smoothly placed the redhead between them. Undeterred, he allowed his momentum to carry him back upward, ready to try again. While what looked to be the youngest members of the group focused on the target of their anger the older man with the kopesh seemed to have the foresight to recognize the threat posed by the dryad. He shot forward in bursts of unnatural speed, trailing blue lightning as he ducked passed the melee and swung at Min. His blade surged with similar neon blue energy but though it struck home it was repelled soundly by Willow's wooden armour. Up close she could see that the crackling blue clashed with the pulsating green visibly pumping through his veins. His lips tightened into a thin line behind a coarse beard but he held his tongue and continued his assault. Finally, shrugging off chunks of rock the size of mailboxes from her shoulders, the red-tinged woman lumbered forward, looking almost awkward in her own frame compared to the refined grace of her compatriots. That didn't stop her from levelling a two-handed blow at Jack of all Blades, forcing both he and the six-armed woman to jump backward as the attack left a sizeable crate in the ruined hall's stone floor. The giant roared inarticulately, spitting flying from the corners of her mouth. Erik couldn't help but notice the reek of corruption was strongest coming from this one.

For a moment, in the look Erik sent back toward Min, he looked so very tired. She'd seen that expression only a handful of times, when he had a fight on his hands he legitimately did not want to have but couldn't see any other solution. Then is jaw set and he nodded slightly, exhaling through his nose as he turned back to their attackers. "Yeah. Had to give them a chance, though." Gripping the hilt of his sword with both hands he shifted his weight to his back foot. "You're going to want to back up." Without any further warning he threw himself forward, fiery blade arcing overhead. As it slashed forward it grew, first to the size of a two-handed claymore then larger still to impossible size. Its tip tore through the ruins of the castle ceiling before crashing down upon the grouped swordsman. The six-armed woman and the sparking kopesh wielder dived to the left and right respectively, tumbling awkwardly into falling rubble in an effort to avoid the falling wall of flame. The talkative on with the hook swords swung out of the way with a shout of surprise and the shadowy figure simply winked out of view an instant before being hit but the hulking brute who had knocked down the door simply stood her ground, weathering the unnaturally solid fire with a grunt. The wall behind her did not fare as well, torn into raw chunks of stone that smoke and glowed with heat, piling up and blocking the way out. Faster than any of them could regroup the construct snapped back to rapier length and thinness, held at the ready. Whatever they thought they'd been prepared for this was not a Jack of all Blades interested in toying or testing. "Let's make this quick."

Butterfly Move Action: Feint Jack of all Blades: 1d20+13 28 Standard Action: Charge Jack of all Blades: 1d20+17 26 Jack of all Blades Bluff Check vs DC 28 passed w/ Skill Mastery. Attack 26 misses. Hooks Move Action: Move-By Action, swing down. Standard Action: Trip Jack of all Blades: 1d20+14 20 Move Action: Swing back up onto a pillar. Shadows Move Action: Disappears! Ominous. Kopesh Move Action: Approach Willow. Standard Action: Attack Willow: 1d20+12 31 That's a DC 23 Toughness Save for Min. Katar Move Action: Approach Jack of all Blades Standard Action: Attack Jack of all Blades: 1d20+7 25 28 - Jack of all Blades - Uninjured, 6HP 25 - Butterfly - Bruised x1, Defence -2 19 - Hooks - Uninjured, Flat-Footed vs Willow 19 - Shadows - Uninjured 18 - Kopesh - Bruised x1 18 - Katar - Uninjured > 11 - Willow - Uninjured, 3HP, Pending Toughness Save

Jack and Willow each get 2HP: one for Talya and the twins being put in danger and one for other familial concerns. Jack of all Blades Hero Point: Stunt Damage 13 (Giant Sword; Extras: Area [General, Cylinder]; Feats: Affects Insubstantial 2) [28PP] Standard Action: Giant Sword! Move Action: Feint Hooks, DC 29 w/ Skill Mastery. Free Action: Transfer Benefits of Feint to Willow w/ Set Up. Katar Reflex Save vs DC 23: 1d20+5 12 Toughness Save vs DC 28: 1d20+15 29 Kopesh Reflex Save vs DC 23: 1d20+8 22 Toughness Save vs DC 28: 1d20+8 26 Bruised. Butterfly Reflex Save vs DC 23: 1d20+10 19 Toughness Save vs DC 28: 1d20+6 26 Bruised. Hooks Sense Motive Check vs DC 29: 1d20+10 13 28 - Jack of all Blades - Uninjured, 6HP > 25 - Butterfly - Bruised x1 19 - Hooks - Uninjured, Flat-Footed vs Willow 19 - Shadows - Uninjured 18 - Kopesh - Bruised x1 18 - Katar - Uninjured 11 - Willow - Uninjured, 3HP

Alkahest Sense Motive Check vs DC 25: 1d20+10 19 Flat-Footed, so not benefiting from Defensive Roll. Toughness Save vs DC 25: 1d20+15 23 Bruised.

"That's fine," Kimber agreed in a similarly hushed tone, pressing back against Tarva's torso and folding her arms over the pair encircling her. "That'll make us even when I enjoy you later." She very nearly managed to get through the sentence with a straight face. While she knew there were those present with hearing acute enough to have overheard she trusted they would be polite enough to feign otherwise. She traced affectionate circles on the other woman's wrist with her thumb as Aquaria's question was answered. The shadow witch was no shrinking violet where bodily fluids were concerned but defusing that metaphorical embarrassment mine was appreciated nonetheless; she would die a second time happy if she never had to think about Dimitri's seed again. Noticing Daphne stepping backward the poltergeist interjected, "Not everyone can pull off as much black as you, liquorice whip. And not everyone is lucky enough to be blue!" Kimber's briefly allowed herself to shift into varied shades of beryl and azure before returning to a semblance to flesh and blood. She flashed the alien shapeshifter a broad grin. "Red's good too, though! I know a guy back in Canada who used to live in space too and he definitely makes it work." Meanwhile Eve's efforts were awarded by a flush across Becky's cheeks that even on the small screen on her phone she could see extended down the brunette's neck to her chest. "Oh my god, stop that!" she chided between laughter, not sounding like she meant it at all. "I was hoping you'd like it. Took a day trip over to Montreal for it." Her lips curved upward in an expression that mixed warm adoration with a hint of predatory teeth and she leaned forward toward the camera. "Were you thinking just maple leaves...?"

Jack of all Blades / Jill O'Cure (13) Mystery at Bedside Manor (1) [ToV] Vanity (1) Exes and Ohs (5) U-Haul (1) Interceptors: Terrance and Emily (5) Midnight II (3) That's Rough, Buddy (1) Try Everything (1) Animal Wrongs (1) Wail (1) Rainbow (1) Ghost Girl (13) Old Flames (6) Lost in the Supermarket (2) Down the Unfamiliar Road (5) Reagent / Alkahest (8) [ToV] Being Green (2) Final Exam (6) GM / NPC (2*2 = 4) [ToV] Thicker Than Water (2) Rollover and Ref point can go to Reagent.

Alright, let's get some initiative rolls out of the way to start with. Jack of all Blades - Initiative: 1d20+9 28 Hooks -Initiative: 1d20+7 19 Katar - Initiative: 1d20 18 Kopesh - Initiative: 1d20+5 18 Butterfly - Initiative: 1d20+7 25 Shadows - Initiative: 1d20+5 19

Alkahest Initiative: 1d20+1 18

Having taken a quick few steps out of the way so that Daphne could take the photo of Dmitri and Leilani, Kimber placed her palms together under her nose and emitted a soft but high pitched sound of excitement at the brief kiss. Rather than make a futile attempt to hide her grin she spun about on one heel toward where the food was being prepared. The bonfire was still uncomfortably close but she focused on the lesser heat from the grill, likening it in her head to the oven she'd gradually gotten comfortable with. It didn't hurt to have Indira nearby, either, with her not unpracticed ability to turn into a broad, fireproof shield if necessary. "Eee, I didn't think he was really going to do it!" she whispered energetically, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet. Snapping her fingers she added, "Ooh, and speaking of misleading hard exteriors, before I forget, I made the kiln-cakes with softer metals in the middle so if you put them in the fire for a bit they should get gooey centres like you like."

At first, as the 'emergency response team' arrived, Winifred maintained her focus on the device protruding from Archer's neck, took a deep breath and tried to reason out their next step. This, however, was utterly beyond her expertise. She could recognize that it was some sort of electronics but as to its purpose she had only increasingly horrifying guesses. There was no way to know how deep into the man it went and she wasn't about to go digging into the base of his skull with improvised tools. Her nerves already frayed, looking at the infected flesh around the metal made her stomach churn and the hand putting weight down on her cane shook, the clattering of the hardwood audible against the hardwood floor. She had to turn away which only brought her to another distressing scenario. Smith was right; they were hardly the most popular collection of student on campus but here was a group with specific vendettas against each of them. The altercation between the survivalist and his original roommate was common knowledge and Epiphany had made it abundantly clear that she considered Raina a villain by blood. Raptor was the most civil in public but she never ignored an opportunity to put one over on Robin. Did Prestige hate her, then? Winifred wasn't sure, it was impossible to tell what Celeste was thinking past the layers of false cheer and backhanded comments. She must hate her, though, that was the only way to complete the pattern. Hated her and her friends and they'd never let them explain! "Th-they knew. They must have," she spoke up, voice cracking and cane dropping to the floor. She grimaced and gripped the side of her head, blood pounding in her ears, making it impossible to concentrate. "A set up. They'll lock us a-aw-aah--!" The alchemist fumbled desperately at her collar, gulping for air as her skin took on a distinctly grey pallor and her left leg began to spasm violently.

All of their flesh was riddled marked with varicose veins, pulsing faintly with poison apple green light. It rolled over Erik's metamagi senses like an out of tune chorus, five variations on the same theme. The smell of mildew and rot, the texture of squeezing overripe fruit, the taste of curdled milk. Corruption. He leaned back slightly in revulsion but held his ground. "Dios, what did you do to yourselves...?" he breathed mostly to himself. The wiry man hanging spider-like from the pillar above all of their heads laughed, a harsh bark that seemed to get away from him before he strangled it in his own throat. "We made ourselves more powerful than you can even imagine, Jack!" he called back, flipping through the air before latching onto the top of a mostly ruined tapestry, baring his teeth. "We're the real House of Swords and once we kill you and your xiǎo sān it'll prove--" "You dumb @#$%s," Erik cut in with a low growl, all semblance of pity drained from his face in an instant. "You couldn't take me on your best day and this time I'm not even the one you should be worried about." He didn't recognize any of them from the attack on his family home during Eden's brith but that group hadn't had to contend with Min. With mercy he didn't feel he snarled, "One chance. Run away."

As soon as the stairwell was protectively sealed off Erik dropped into a simple sword-and-shield formation with Min, stepping forward slightly while she placed herself implacably between the wooden barrier and the rest of the ancient hall. There was a long moment of still silence and the fencer narrowed his eyes. "That power," he began without looking behind him, "in the portal--" His thought was interrupted by the sounds of crumbling stone overhead as a lithe silhouette appeared on the lip of the ruining ceiling. Black pants with obvious protective plates built into the knees might have suggested special forces but the ostentacious fuchsia sash at his waist and the pair of preternaturally sharp hook swords he used to swing himself inside and hand from one of the better persevered pillars left little doubt to his actual affiliation. Not a moment later the doors of the hall crashed open, rotted wood splintering out of its frame with a thunderous crack to make way for a mountain of muscle at least eight feet tall and wider than any natural human. The faintly rust hued woman wore ripped gear that similar to her spindly comrade while oversized katar daggers topped her knotted knuckles. Three more figures followed behind her - a weathered man at least twenty years the senior of any of the others wielding an equally worn kopesh while electricity sparked about his eyes, a young woman with a shock of red hair and a crooked nose holding a butterfly sword in each of her six hands, a tall figure wrapped in swirling darkness that obscured everything apart from the occasional glint of steel - and the group quickly fanned out with practiced precision.

Dam had just enough time to register the incoming blast and throw her arms over her face defensively. Reacting to her sudden spike of fear the two closest blood golems lurched between her and the incendiary teenager, crashing like waves more than running or jumping. It proved a futile gesture, however, as the hellfire punched a sizzling hole through the wall of blood and slammed into their mistress. The fire didn't knock Dam back with physical force but those with the mystical inclination necessary to sense such things could see already taxed magics being torn away under the gout of unholy flame. Her form seemed to crack and peel away like moulting skin, cinders flying away behind her. Even her final cry of impotent rage seemed burned from her throat before it could reach the heroes' ears. As the last of the blaze left Ardent's fingers their opponent toppled sideways into the ankle high pool of clear water covering the pier, water joined by the harmless splash of what had moments ago been unstoppable golems, water that was quickly running through wooden boards and over metal rails into the bay now that no force was holding it in place. The softly moaning woman left in Dam's place was the better part of a foot shorter, heavy eyeshadow and mascara running in the water. Her black cowl scarf, jacket and leggings would have been a little impractical for the weather even before they'd gotten soaked. Of the tremendous power and presence she'd wielded moments before there was no trace.

The first one hits! Dam Toughness Save vs DC 30: 1d20+10 16 That would be a second Staggered, meaning Dam is knocked out! The blood golems will promptly turn back into liquid, but get your IC post up first, Nick!

"In the cooler!" Kimber called to Indira with a thumbs up as she jogged by the grill, taking the long way toward Leilani and Dimitri to avoid getting too close to the bonfire. Close enough to hear the Russian ask about photographs she protested with only slightly exaggerated concern, "Oh, but then you won't be in any of the pictures!" She held her hand out with a grin that looked ready to dissolve into laughter at any moment. "Here, let me borrow the camera for a second so I can get one of you two before surf school! I don't think Eve's going anywhere for a bit." The video on Eve's phone bounced around for a moment as the device on the over end was set down into a docking station. "Hey, foxy!" Becky replied as she came into focus, settling down in what her fiancé recognized as one end of the couch in her apartment's main room. If she'd had to guess she'd have said the lamp at the opposite end of the room was turned on at its dimmest setting but more of the light came from scented candles set up around Becky's phone, doing a reasonable job of replicating the light the bonfire was casting on the Frenchwoman. In the same spirit she was wearing a swimsuit not dissimilar to the one Eve had picked out for herself, its blue top piece printed with white fleurs-de-lis over red bottoms largely obscured from the camera's view by long legs folded atop the cushions. Eve happened to know for a fact that the suit Becky wore when she actually went swimming was a morphic molecule one-piece that looked like her True North uniform with the sleeve and pants removed - it was almost as difficult for a superhero to get through a day off uninterrupted in Ottawa as it was in Freedom City - meaning this one was entirely for her benefit, an assumption confirmed by the pleased smile the taller woman wore. "Can you see me alright?"

Still leaning his head appreciatively into Daphne's fingers, Avro made a happy yowl in Jessie's direction and speared the tossed morsel out of the air with the tip of his barbed tail. Its segments extended far enough that he was able to dangle it over head and drop the cheese into his waiting mouth. "Ooh, well, twist my arm!" Kimber laughed before closing her eyes briefly. Drawing on the power of her dormant scythe she came a bit more real to the world herself, toes sinking almost imperceptibly into the sand. "I'll try not to cheat at it! Oh, could you look after the cupcakes, boon?" the poltergeist asked her girlfriend, batting her eyelashes for good measure. The cooler they'd brought with them had floated its way over toward Kimo and the rest of the food before opening its lid to indeed reveal several layers of trays of cupcakes, most of them alternating between dark chocolate and robin egg blue frosting. "The ones for Leilani are on the right and Indira's are on the bottom." The former batch looked to be chocolate cake with strawberry or cherry filling erupting from the top, creating a half-dozen little volcanoes. The latter looked less like baking and more like someone's first experiments with vertical milling, vaguely cupcake shaped chunks of burnished metal garnished with polished shavings. Kimber let the smile she was giving the taller woman turn a little more suggestive as she leaned upward on her tiptoes and pitched her voice lower. "And when I get back, liquorice whip, you can let me know how my suit looks after it gets all wet, eh?" With another laugh she jogged across the beach toward the provided surfboards, albeit keeping a wary eye on the bonfire as she went.

Winifred hissed softly as she stepped off of Raina's broom and got a better look at the device lodged in their instructor. Her first thought some sort of macabre acupuncture but at Merlin's brief observations she stood up straighter. "Ah, I may have something for this!" she spoke up, showing a little more energy even if her complexion was still pallid. From the bottom end of her bandolier she produced a glass vial filled not with a liquid but what looked like a fine, silvery powder. "Everything is always some sort of signal here, wireless radio and such, so I've been experimenting. Magnetic filings, you see. A cloud of it ought to block any outside induction. While, ah, being rather opaque to the naked eye as well. Shall I?"

Closing her umbrella and telekinetically guiding it to lean against a nearby building, the colours of Kimber's body and outfit were immediately washed out into shade of translucent blue while she grumbled, "Honestly, no-one here has any manners. Do they know how hard it is to match up everyone's schedules for day out? Oh no, much too busy digging tunnels, tearing up the road. Rude." Her whole form blurred for a moment like the image through an unfocused camera lens then snapped back into sharp relief. Her breezy outfit was replaced with a flowing ankle-length coat, belted at the waist over a cowl necked top and with an ornate ice crystal pattern over the shoulders. She spun something overhead like a baton, the object growing larger while the whistling sound of metal slicing through air grew louder. When she brought the weapon to bear it had revealed itself as a wicked looking scythe, the gently curving shaft faintly luminous and the the blade simultaneously unthinkably black and impossibly reflective. Floating higher into the air and moving toward the spot Leilani had pointed out she called to the other shoppers, "Hi, everyone! Super sorry about this but could we have everyone flee in an orderly fashion? Death walks among you and so on! Thaaaaanks~!"