KnightDisciple

Earth-I-War-4 March 10, 1983 (Local Time) 0y 9d 10h 6m 20s Post-Arrival Cobalt Templar sat in an armored bunker in the heart of London, a fortress-city nestled on a fortress-island-nation. His mind was reeling from the sheer...difference of this place. This Earth. The calendars said it was 1983, but the western 1/3 of France was a rubble-strewn graveyard that was one huge sputtering battlefield. The Axis powers were still in power, but half of the facts didn't even line up with how things had gone in World War 2 back on Prime! 'None of this makes sense! How has...no, I can kind of buy that there's still fighting. The way they talk, this was a "big scrap", but compared to the stuff in the 40s on Prime this is nothing. It's clear the level of conflict was less in the official War, and it's even lower now. I mean, heck, from the way they talk, these...brush fights aren't nearly as bad as Korea or Vietnam. But...they've been going on every few years this entire time, instead of 5-10 years of more concentrated conflict. War is...' He swept a hand over his face. "War is background noise here, and I'm stuck here with no freaking idea of how I got here or how to get home. I guess I'm just lucky they haven't shot me in the face or something. Horus likes me, at any rate." At least he'd managed to recover his bags. Clean clothes did wonders for personal morale, though he'd taken pains to conceal his face. But they didn't really trust him. It had pretty much only been supers who had come to see him. Suddenly, there was a knock on his door. An Allied soldier poked his head in. "Mr. Templar sir, your interviewer is here." CT nodded and stood, pushing his thoughts about the topsy-turvy history here to the back of his mind. There were other matters to attend to. It took him only a couple of minutes to enter the bare room, with only a table, two chairs, and a single overhead light...which was turned off, leaving much of the room in shadow. Not that it mattered to Templar; he could see in the dark without effort. And what he saw made him stop short just as the door closed. His mouth fell open as he stared at his interrogator. "Mister..Raven. Sir. Um. Wow. This is actually an honor." He didn't flinch as the light came on; the light blue glow in his eyes simply faded away in a blink, leaving the costumed hero standing there with a slightly raised eyebrow. He wordlessly gestured for Cobalt Templar to sit down. The young ring-slinger all but audibly gulped as he took a seat. He'd thought the Headmaster was intimidating when he was older and had a bum leg. He'd been only partially right. He was really intimidating in his prime, clothed in his armored bodysuit.

Earth-I-War-4 March 1, 1983 (Local Time) 0y 0d 0h 0m 0s Post-Arrival It should have been a quiet Thursday, or at least relatively so. Certainly on Earth-Prime, it was. This is not Earth-Prime. So when a >rip in space-time manifests a few hundred feet above the ground over a corner of the field here in western France. No one even takes note of the over-sized young man who emerges and is, somehow, flying directly at the ground at barely sub-sonic speeds. He only just stops himself before striking the ground, ending up in a crouch as he looked around, nervously adjusting the backpack and shoulder bag he bore. Looking behind him, he just saw trees. "Man, where did I end up? I'll have to...call...the..." His words trail off as he turns back in front of himself and he takes in the sight before him. A plain stretched out before him for miles. Large hills sat beyond the trees at his back. But while it was nominally beautiful, the unfamiliar vista wasn't what caught his attention. It was the battle. Specifically, the one being waged in the air and on the ground. Tanks rolled across the ground, nearly as advanced as anything one saw in the news of the day. Fire flew from their barrels, and vehicles on both sides erupted in flames. Solders dashed to and fro, firing from cover. None of that compared to the really weird stuff. On one side, clad in black uniforms that amounted to robust skin-suits, men and women suddenly and violently shifted into lupine man-beasts, howling in unison before charging in a line of fur, claws, and fury. Overhead, more remarkable people flew in crisp formation, moving through the air as easily as...as Quo-Dis, he realized. They even had that same faint glow to their bodies. Opposing them was a group a bit less uniform. Several were dressed as superheroes. Some he didn't recognize. The man dressed like an Ancient Egyptian and wielding a glowing hammer was probably Horus the Avenger, though. And boy, did they hold the line! Blasts of energy drew the...well, for lack of a better term, the super-men and -women down to the ground just as the lycanthropes struck the line of heroes. There was just enough confusion to leave them disoriented, which clearly helped the group with Horus. Considering the Iron Crosses on the black or grey vehicles he could see...they were probably Nazis. Which made the others...the Allies, he supposed. It wasn't Erde, but- "Nazis. Why did it have to be Nazis?" He couldn't help but smile at his own private joke for a moment...before the smile faded. Those heroes seemed like they were barely holding on, and any normal Allied soldiers who got too close were...not long for the world. "​I...I have to help. Damn. Not what I planned, but I'm sure if Horus is kicking around, so is Daedalus. I bet I'll be home in a week or less." With that cheery thought, Corbin took his bags, conjured a blue box of energy around them, and buried it next to a tree. Giving one last glance around, he blinked, and was suddenly Cobalt Templar. When asked later what had happened, most Allied soldiers would say they still weren't entirely sure, except that a streak of blue light cut across the air for a moment, and a half-dozen Nazi tanks were missing gun barrels. Meanwhile, the biggest werewolf on the field had knocked Horus back, and was raising both clawed hands in a gesture that would likely leave the deific champion wounded, if not worse. But instead of a flare of pain, the dazed paragon was treated to a flash of blue light and the smell of burned dog hair as the Alpha was sent flying by a burst of the blue flame that was the signature of Cobalt Templar. The young hero stood in the place of the werewolf, facing the rest of the pack as he held a great burning sword of fire in his hands. "Who wants some?"

The Baron smiled and gave a contrite nod. "Just so, Miss Parker. Forgive my...imprecision. And that's an impressive list of features. What depth would you rate them for, physically speaking? And what sort of temperature extremes?" He gave her a conspiratorial wink. "I ask because there are a couple of lakes and bays some Swedish historians would love to explore the bottom of, but don't have the equipment for. After today, I might just have the perfect recommendation for them." He hummed in thought for a moment. "You mention sonar and lidar. How do they handle situations with a lot of silt floating around? As well, do they include any ground-penetrating radar or similar gear to assist in looking for notable objects buried in mud underwater?"

Even with a critical success, the most Gabriel can get on his Grapple is a 35, which will never beat a 39. So he's grappled!

The blond man chuckled with Aita. "Yes, well, one can only hope." He followed them over a bit and stopped to watch the procession. The Baron's eyes roamed over the robot designs, taking in the apparent materials, motive methods, likely mass, and other details that engineers love and everyone else finds somewhat boring. He started moving once they were making their way into the hangar, moving over to keep pace with their leader, the ingenious Miss Parker. "Excellent work, Miss Parker. These drones are quite impressive. Are these the same ones intended to do some of the under-sea recovery operations?"

Fenris >News Posts: 4 IC Posts >Man Who Fell to Earth: 1 IC Post >Shadows of History: 2 IC Posts Total: 7 IC Posts Wiki Page: >Baron Katastroff/Fenris (Point to Fenris) Gabriel >Here There Be Dragons: 2 IC Posts >The Sun Never Sets: 4 IC Posts >Overthrow of the Sea: 1 IC Post Total: 7 IC Posts EDIT: Since Gabriel is maxed, and his posts aren't quite enough to push Fenris to 15, his 7 IC posts can count for Cobalt Templar.

Gabriel's eyes swept over the situation for a brief moment, even as he re-aligned his powers subconsciously. What used to take a deliberate thought was, by this point, essentially a reflex. Even as he picked out his target, he took a few steps to one side to make sure his companions had clear lines of attack. He seemed unconcerned by the danger around him, instead almost leisurely pointing at the man who was vibrating. "You're half right. This is an unfair fight." A bolt of sound energy slammed into the man's left shoulder. "There's not nearly enough of you." Two more slammed the other shoulder and both knees. "Plus, I'm not a two-bit wannabe vibration controller." Three more bolts of sound slammed directly into his face with enough force to knock him out and probably send him careening back.

I'll do my IC once yours goes up, but. Free Action: Switch Array to Sonic Blast. Move Action: Step aside just enough he's not blocking anyone on his side. Standard Action: Blast the guy who told them to stop! 32 is also a Crit. So, let's add +5 damage. That's a DC 32 Toughness base, with up to +5 from Autofire. So probably DC 37.

Gabriel was, for the most part, serving as a rallying point outside the various factories. The crowd was growing rapidly, and as his words of encouragement rolled over them, those who might have been somewhat more enchanted by the workings of the Fae seemed to get into the spirit of the sudden "revolution" a bit more. He'd reached a lull in his efforts while he spread his hearing out a bit, trying to see if they'd missed anyone. That's when he heard the coughing and a single voice that seemed to be crying. Almost immediately he was out of sight, and had blurred past where Cannonade was berating the foreman. He blasted down the door to a cellar that...was actually part of a series of dark, dank tunnels that were all but choking with coal dust. A handful of faeries were standing about in nigh-immaculate outfits tastefully scattered with smudges, full-face masks preserving their breathing. The dozen young men and women, none of them over 25, and a few not even 20 yet, were coated in coal dust, grime, and sweat. They were apparently the ones pushing loads of coal around these tunnels, likely selected because they were smaller (the tunnels weren't overly large). That this meant they had more trouble pushing fully-loaded coal carts didn't seem to matter. That their unmasked faces meant that they'd soon be wracked with coughs didn't matter. That one young woman, perhaps 20 if that, was curled up in a corner from exhaustion and coughing almost constantly didn't matter. All that apparently mattered was moving coal without it dirtying up the streets. Apparently, one of the "supervisors" had seen some play or another where the person in charge of a work gang practiced corporal punishment, because he had what looked like a thick switch in his hand. Gabriel's face was, for one brief moment, an expression of outrage. Then it went entirely calm. Even when the butt of his spear lashed out and neatly broke the arm holding the switch, he was utterly calm. Even as the spear's tip severed the chains holding the men and women down here to their carts were cut, he was calm. As he broke 2 noses and 10 ribs on 3 faeries, he was calm. As he reached down and picked up the half-conscious young woman, already undernourished, coating his gleaming outfit in coal dust, he was calm. He glanced back at the Fae whose arm he broke. "You ever touch another Mortal again, everything breaks." Then he turned and walked back up the stairs, following the other "coal jockeys" to the crowd outside, where he handed off the slowly-waking young woman to someone else, and resumed his duties as rallying point.

Gabriel shook his head at the finger-gun suggestion. "That's risky, too. Probably too risky. I mean, how would we accomplish that without either fully waking it, intelligent or no, or causing it to have..." He seemed to take a moment to put the idea into words. When one was discussing how part of an island was a giant monster, that came with the territory. "Some sort of death spasm? Even a moderate twitch could scrape some of the smaller islands clean. But..." He tapped his chin. "If it's even vaguely creature-like, perhaps we can soothe it even if we can't negotiate with it. Lull it back to sleep? Between Gaian Knight, Fleur de Joie, and myself, maybe we could set up some sort of impromptu "signal" that basically puts it back to sleep. Music soothes the savage beast, right? Well, I can put humans, aliens, fae, animals, and probably even demons to sleep, or nearly so, if I give it a try. How hard could it be to do it for this thing?"

The Baron smiles and shakes the hand of the UNISON agent. "Thank you, Agent. I look forward to working together." He turned to the Major and the doctor, offering them smiles and handshakes in return, though his smile is perhaps slightly more charming for the woman in uniform. "Major, Doctor, also a pleasure. And I remember King's College, professor. I actually took a couple of my history elective courses there a few years ago." He glanced around, trying to get a sense of things. "Should we join Miss Parker, or would it be better to just wait here?"

Gabriel's diplomatic, he's on the League, he's got connections to UNISON, he's technically an international, and he's definitely both in the PL range and capable of "bombast".

Fenris considered the building for a moment, still sticking out like...well, a big metal wolf-man. Finally, he turned to Kyle for a moment. "Both. Perhaps Dragonfly and myself could move around back, while you three take the front. That way there's less chance of someone getting out without us noticing. The two of us should be able to link up with you quickly as needed." He didn't seem overly passionate about the plan, and likely wouldn't scream objections if someone offered an alternative. Instead he was simply trying to make the best possible use of all existing resources.

Private Lab, Basements, Castle Katastrof, Katastrof Valley, Sweden May 12, 2013 The recording is in a completely different room this time. It was smaller, and filled with medical scanners and monitors. The centerpiece was a padded chair with restraints, flanked by more scanners and a couple of IV feeds, with small, almost delicate waldos mounted on the back. The blonde man in the chair is already hooked up to the drips, and is settling in and activating the restraints. "Today marks the next chapter in my continued personal improvement through the power of science and technology. Already my body is more robust thanks to earlier nanite treatments, and I'm even able to communicate with computers. Now, I shall be enhancing the performance of my organic brain by lacing my neural pathways with molecule-wide lines of Computronium. Rather than supplanting natural function, they will be enhancing my existing thought processes and mechanisms, aiding my natural body in performing its functions. At minimum, I predict a notable increase in cognitive ability. Best-case scenario outlines the ability to think at vastly higher-than-normal speeds. I will begin the procedure in 15 seconds, and likely won't be able to coherently respond until it has "settled", which should be only a minute or two after the procedure finishes. All told, I expect this to take 5-10 minutes." Indeed, 15 seconds after he ceased speaking, it seemed that the Baron was partially numbed, though he was still aware and somewhat able to focus. The human brain had no pain receptors, after all. But when the feeds for the temporary nanites and the Computronium started, it was clear it didn't feel nice either. The Baron grit his teeth, clenched his hands, and breathed in a somewhat ragged pattern. Still and all, he seemed to be doing well for a man who was having metal bonded with his brain. After perhaps 4 minutes, the feeds were empty and done with, and the discomfort seemed to ebb a bit. The Baron lay back with his eyes closed, clearly trying to let his body adjust to the rather unusual changes he had wrought. Then his eyes shot open as the restraints loosened and the IV feeds were gently pushed out of his skin. He blinked as he held his hands up in front of his eyes, moving them back and forth for a few moments. He blinked and shook his head, clearly focusing himself to keep calm. "Fascinating. The procedure worked, and I can feel the increased mental capacity and cognitive ability. As well, I appear to be manifesting the ability to think at vastly higher speeds if I so choose, though I seem to be able to turn it on and off if need be. Which is good, as otherwise I might go insane from the perceptive mismatch. Instead, it's a handy way to make the most of boring meetings, I think... Off-track. Vital signs have dropped back to normal after elevating slightly, likely due to the stress and discomfort. Now that the procedure is complete it has faded, but for a time there I felt like everything was a bit crowded in my skull, as well as a sensation of cold metal moving through my veins and arteries. Which...is accurate enough, I suppose. But I am marking this as a total success, pending long-term observation and documentation. I fully anticipate this procedure will become more widely used in the coming years. Especially when we don't have to use recycled Computronium from an external source, but instead can mass-produce our own." With a smile, and an oddly metallic glint in his eyes, the Baron tossed a few things into the biohazard disposal unit and shut down the various medical instruments with a wave of his hand. The, he marched from the room, new purpose in his shoulders and spring in his step. The future was looking bright indeed.

Private Lab, Basements, Castle Katastrof, Katastrof Valley, Sweden April 28, 2013 This time the mouse pen has been moved out, and there is instead a sterile section of the lab set up with a fluid-filled clear box. A box which contains a naked human brain. Baron Magnus was dressed in clean hospital scrubs, a mask over his mouth and goggles over his eyes. "Lacking a method to ethically set up an early human trial, and not wishing to use lower primates due to the...well, not secret, but low-key nature of my work, I have instead procured a brain that was donated for the purposes of science. Subject was deceased approximately 6 months ago, brain has been preserved in a chemical cocktail and kept just above freezing, to prevent damage. Subject had no deformities or disease that would alter brain structure from normal human range, and cause of death was not due to brain injury in any way. In all ways, this brain is intact and as average as possible with homo sapiens. The only cuts were at the brain stem and below, with none of the internal connective tissue being altered in any way. I have spent 3 days having my sensors map the contours and pathways of the brain. These pathways have then been loaded into the memory of the nanite package that I am poised to deliver, to ensure that the neuron coating goes smoothly. I am now initiating the injection." With that, the baron pressed a button, and the IV feed leading into the brain in the tank began. The two connected bags of metallic liquid slowly but surely drained of their contents. At first, the only signs were those on the sensor displays, which had Magnus nodding eagerly. Finally, as the last of the bag was drained, there was a slight glint that washed over the outer edges of the brain, until it was left looking mostly like before, but with very fine traceries of a dark grey metal. It still seemed inert, but the Baron didn't seem to mind. "SUCCESS! I have done it! While the brain is in no way active, the Computronium has fully bonded to the organ, accruing absolutely 0 damage to the structure that was not there previously, while simultaneously lacing itself onto approximately 95% of all neural pathways present in the cerebral cortex. According to projections, this should achieve notable to massive boosts in cognitive function, memory, cognitive speed, and general performance. In layman's terms, it could make a person smarter... But more importantly, it could serve as a foundation for procedures to treat or cure severe epilepsy or other neurological diseases. Once we've perfected Computronium production and the off-world mining of the necessary materials, we might one day be able to use this process on every willing human being on the planet, granting them brains that are both more capable, and more resistant to disease and age based degeneration. It won't make your brain invincible, but it could prove to be an astronomical step forward for humanity. Even better, while it will of course increase performance, I don't see the increase being so much that those who choose not to upgrade, for whatever reasons, are in danger of becoming "sub-human"; these enhancements will simply increase what already exists, instead of granting something that was never there in the first place. But the point is that it worked! Of course, this won't pass the muster for any federal agency. I would need proven safe human trials. But...I am not sure anyone would agree to the procedure, even those who often volunteer for drug trials." He paused, taking a deep breath. "I will have to test the procedure on myself. It's the only ethical thing to do. That it will give me even more mental ability is a plus, but this test will not be for my sake, but the sake of humanity!"

The plane was still powering down as the door on the rear opened and the folded down. Baron Katastroff was likely impatient, ready to get to work on what promised to be an interesting project. He stepped out into the sun, squinting a bit before pulling out some large aviator-style sunglasses and placing them over his eyes. He wore a hat to protect his head, light brown pants that looked to be both comfortable and rugged, and a white long-sleeved shirt to keep his arms from burning in the harsh sun. A brown leather vest likely held his phone and another gadget or two. He checked his watch with a nod as he moved toward the hanger. Finally he was standing in front of Jessica, offering her his hand with a charming smile. "Miss Parker, a pleasure, as always. Did we have more setup to do before we headed out to the site, or is everything ready for our brilliant minds to get to work?"

Gabriel felt satisfied as the last of the Fae Airships fell from the sky. He glanced around for more enemy combatants, and saw only the constables that Cannonade was easily handling. "Looks like you've got this one in the bag, Cannonade. I'm going to go help keep the kidnapped folks from panicking too much. Holler if you feel like tagging out." With that casual statement, Gabriel shrunk his spear back to its ring form and sped through the air, arriving at a spot hovering above the middle of the crowd. He raised his hands in a slightly placating gesture. "Brothers and sisters, please! Calm down! We're here to help! If you don't know me my name is Gabriel. I'm with the Freedom League, and I and some other heroes are here to help bring you home. Please, do not panic, we're just driving off the Fae forces for the time being. If everyone could please stick together, we'll do our best to get you home soon."

Gabriel will switch his array to Flight, stow his weapon, move over to where the panicking Earth civilians are, and Skill Mastery for a 30 Diplomacy to calm folks down and keep them from scattering.

Private Lab, Basements, Castle Katastrof, Katastrof Valley, Sweden April 21, 2013 There was now a large clear container set up as a mouse cage, attached by a tube to a maze that seemed to occasionally shift its layout. The table next to it held what seemed to be a padded operating table sized for a mouse, completely with tiny IV feeds. Though one of them was connected to two containers that seemed to contain swirling metal... "Progress has been made in mapping the viability of lacing a brain with Computronium to increase performance. All computer models show promise, but without live data there's nothing that can be conclusively decided. I've settled on some tests with standard lab mice first. I've already established baseline performances in the maze when it's both static and moving. I'll be keeping 2 as controls, and the other 2 will be given different doses of the lacing. I'll be using the most recent model of my medical nanites to perform the lacing procedure, as they are small enough to do this on a cell-by-cell basis. I will now begin the first lacing, going for a total coverage of 50% of the brain." His latex-gloved hands gently reached in and extracted a single mouse. It was given a brief puff of nitrous oxide to calm it down before being strapped in and hooked up. One IV gave it a sedative to knock it out, another kept a saline solution flowing, and the last provided the nanite flow. Within 5 minutes, the procedure was done, and the mouse was placed back in the cage. It awoke perhaps 15 minutes later, and was released into the maze.... "Note: 50% lacing is an astounding success. Mouse is showing intelligence of the most intelligent rats ever recorded. All remote sensors indicate there are no ill effects to its health. I am now commencing 100% lacing with the next subject. My projections state it should achieve mental ability approximately equal with some of the more intelligent birds discovered in the world. Beginning procedure." Similar steps were taken with the second subject, though it was ultimately unconscious for about 20 minutes. Afterwards, it was unleashed on the maze, which was kept at the same setting as before. Magnus couldn't help his grin at the results. "​Results are better than I expected. Mouse is showing intelligence equivalent to some species of dogs. No ill effects noted yet, but I'm going to keep observing for the next week while I set up some further tests." With that, he scrubbed and stripped, leaving the mice in their comfortable laboratory cage. The recording soon stopped afterwards.

Right. Init: 25.

Private Lab, Basements, Castle Katastrof, Katastrof Valley, Sweden April 7, 2013 The same room as before. This time, there are multiple foot-long strands of what seem like an oddly pliable silvery metal. The Baron is once more in protective gear. "Today I am further analyzing a compound initially gone over by myself, the hero Voltage, and the highly-esteemed Doctor Viktor Archeville. We found the initial samples inside one of the Curator drones on board the AI's ship, and analyzed from there. Since then, a good deal of the metal has been stripped from both the drones and the larger ship, in an effort to get it into more hands for analysis, as well as to break down the ship itself to remove it from the presence of the Sanctum. This substance, which I am now dubbing "Neo-Silver" (a name I will be filing with the appropriate agencies soon enough), is, in essence, the ultimate capacitor-conductor. Neo-Silver is capable of indefinitely holding a charge that seems utterly disproportional to the size of the sample. A single strand of a few centimeters holds as much charge as a AA battery, with none of the chemical risks, and with 100% efficiency, discharging it far more smoothly than one would think possible. In larger amounts, it seems to almost amplify the power it holds, though extensive testing shows it's really a bit of excess energy from the self-perpetuating molecular action within the Neo-Silver. While normally this isotope should break down inside 15 minutes, it has been arranged such that the breakdown forms a cadmium/palladium mix. This isotope mix reacts with the energy running through Neo-Silver, not only sustaining the charge in full, but also reforming the original silver isotope molecules! The most immediate application of this discovery is in power storage for less traditional items, such as artificial limbs or replacement organs. Combined with some breakthroughs we've made in power transmission studying the Curator's tech, one could produce an artificial arm laced with Neo-Silver that could be charged for approximately 30 days by just laying a strap across the arm. The efficiency is great enough it doesn't even require a full access port! But replacement limbs and organs are only the start. In time, I think it could prove useful for space flight applications, and potentially parts of the automotive industry. And more besides. I believe that, in time, when Terrans begin to stride across the stars, our ships will utilize Neo-Silver, or a very similar derivative substance, in the power systems of our ships. Looking in the more immediate future, once Katastrof & Sorenson Technologies has perfected a process for synthesizing Neo-Silver, we will begin producing replacement limbs and organs that utilize the substance for power storage. We will also be looking at ways to utilize it in some of our aerospace designs, especially satellites for both deep-space and terrestrial observance. Personally speaking, I believe I am going to work on taking some of the existing samples and making more potent Particle Projector Cannons for the Fenris Armor. However, fine-tuning the system using this substance will be no easy task, so I expect it to take me a few months yet. All in all, the potential of Neo-Silver is matched only by the potential of Computronium, albeit potentials in a different direction. I firmly believe that the salvaging of the Curator ship, its drones, and most importantly all the materials and technology within are going to give Terra the boost she needs to achieve the galactic stage by the end of the 21st Century." The Baron, who had been poking and prodding at various strings of what he had dubbed Neo-Silver, laid down his tools, taking a moment to observe the ongoing readings from the various electrical currents running back and forth through some other samples. He let out a please sigh before turning off the electrical experiments and collecting the samples to place in a secure container over to one side. After that was done, he went to an industrial sink on the other side of the room and scrubbed off the light residue on his gloves from working with the various samples, before moving to the changing station and removing the protective outer layer he'd had on over...jeans and a t-shirt, it seemed. He spoke aloud, not realizing that the recording was still going on. "Now to go out on that picnic with Eira, Bernard, and Magda." Humming to himself, he walked out of the lab. Perhaps 2 minutes later, the video and audio recorders powered down per programming, detecting no activity in the room.

IRONED OUT BY SUPERCAPE Right then! Time for SCIENCE!!!! This is an edit for Fenris. I've got the full text of the changes in spoiler below, for easy copy-pasta. link to the full sheet, for cross-reference. -Fixed the picture link and position. -Touched up PP #s and such. -Touched up formatting. -Fixed links for Powers and History to point to Temp Wiki thread. Now the meat and potatoes. -1 PP to give him 4 more ranks in Life Sciences. He's been studying up on biology to better understand his existing nanites, as well as to better accomplish the big chunk of his edit... -10PP combined to give him Enhanced Intelligence 8 (total 30) and Mental Quickness 4, explained as him using medical nanites to bond thin strips/layers of Computronium to his entire brain, making it a cybernetic hybrid organ with much greater potential!

Fenris (Baron Magnus Vilhelm Katastroff) In-Character Power Description Fenris Armor Current Suit Mark: 2.1.1 The Fenris combat power armor is Magnus's crowning invention thus far. Incorporating a variety of cutting edge technologies, it transforms him from a slightly above-average human to a person capable of fighting many metahumans on even ground. Power Systems Its power source relies first and foremost on vacuum energy, drawing energy from the space between all matter. Secondary collectors embedded in the suit allow it to absorb various other forms of background radiation to supplement power. All energy that's collected is fed into special capacitors and energy processors, in a special quadruple-helix form, which further feeds into the hyper-efficient batteries. He has yet to encounter a situation that fully depletes his systems. Passive Defensive Systems The suit's basic structure and armor plating are high-end composite alloys that weigh less than military-grade titanium but provide more strength, and well more flexibility. A now-comprehensive life-support system allows Fenris to operate at the bottom of the ocean, next to an active volcano, or in the depths of space with equal ease. The Enhanced Reflexive Motive Systems allow Magnus to move with a greater degree of grace, agility, and reaction speed than when he's out of the armor. The suit utilizes cutting-edge Electroactive Polymer Muscles to enhance his strength, pushing just past the upper end of human strength levels. Hyper-compact computers work with on-board sensors and the ERMS to give Fenris picosecond-speed feedback and data processing for both ranged and CQB targets; it includes both intuitive targeting aids on his HUD, as well as small bits of auto-assist adjustments to movements. Motive System One of the biggest components of the Fenris Suit is Magnus's second-greatest creation, next to the Vacuum Energy System itself: the Vacuum Flux Capacitor. This system allows Fenris to move betweenthe matter of the universe, including dark matter. He has absolutely no resistance to his movement; combine that with the system that creates an attracting charge at a destination point, and Fenris can go from one point to another in an eye-blink, with practically zero effort expended. Even longer-distance running doesn't risk exhausting him. Rather than one long sprinting move, he often makes short "hops", stopping for just a split second to recalculate his next "jump" before moving on. It manifests in a flash of light at the beginning and end points, but those with sharp enough eyes can spot the incredibly blurred figure of Fenris slipping between space itself. Its only limitation at this time is that Fenris needs a fairly unrestricted view of his target area. Beyond that, he can dive through the space between space, and reach his destination in a flash. Deployment System Magnus has refined the VFC to the point where, using a set of personal beacons, he can actually bring the armor to him, no matter where he is, or the armor for that matter. The slightly odd "shoulder holster" he wears for his cell phone and fold-out tablet PC doubles as the beacon system; the two devices mesh with microscopic circuits in the holster rig to provide instantaneous feedback to the orbital relay satellite (whose primary job is high-speed communications relays between Europe and America). When the signal is sent, the armor's storage pod opens up an invisible VFC tunnel to the satellite (using in-built relays in whatever building it's stored in); this tunnel is then redirected to Magnus's location. Two thin armbands worn well above his elbows (and thus concealed from sight even with short sleeves) deploy his own "flavor" of morphic molecules into a skintight "interface suit" that helps make sure things like the life support systems run smoothly. Just as that finishes deploying under his normal clothes, they are whisked away in a secondary VFC tunnel, while the primary tunnel deposits the open and ready to engage armor. Almost as soon as it's moving in time with the rest of the world, the armor wraps around Magnus and seals him in. The whole process takes less than 2 seconds to complete, aided by a set of dedicated not-quite-super-computers in his "armor vault". To return to his street clothes takes a quick command, though due to the lack of circuits and such in clothes, he is forces to change back manually (one reason he has the morphic molecule suit layer). While in his armor, the phone/tablet rig is stored with his regular clothes, and is the one part returned to rest on his body. Offensive Systems His suit's offensive capabilities are set to "toggle" between "Ranged" and "CQB", less due to lack of power, and more due to not wanting to risk overload on some circuits, as well as an acknowledgement of the inherently exclusive natures of the systems. His first option for offense are his Particle Projection Cannons, which use ionized plasma particles to fire bolts similar to lightning out to rather astounding ranges. Alternatively, he can utilize his already-increased strength to complement his primary close-combat weapon: his Electro-Claws (or more accurately, "Claws and Teeth"). These fingertip claws, toe claws (independently deployable and selectable), and teeth channel the same sort of plasma/electricity that his PPCs fire, helping greatly augment their cutting power. However, they keep the charge much closer to the surface. When active, they glow bright blue, with small electrical sparks dancing off of them at times. Finally, he can switch his weapons system output to boost his EPM to what he calls "stage two"; at this level, he gains a notable amount of lifting capacity, but the somewhat more dedicated nature of EPM Stage Two makes it less worthwhile for CQB purposes. Nanite Infusion The final, much less obvious component of Magnus's abilities is his infusion of experimental nanites (performed during a crisis that cropped up in his efforts to save the life of his "niece", Eira). The initial injection was reinforced with a smaller "stabilizer" dose later on, to make sure the nanites didn't all break down and stop working, but instead were consistently incorporating themselves into his body. With the nanites "nesting" in his bones, and thus also reinforcing their structure, as well as his body's overall health, he could rightfully be considered a cyborg, albeit a discrete, low-level one. The medical nanites, the primary focus of his "enhancement package", are currently able to help speed up recovery from low-level injuries; small cuts, bruises, hairline fractures, and other similar wounds can be wiped away in just a couple of minutes. Heavier trauma is beyond their ability to quickly reverse, though his body's overall hardiness means he can generally recoup himself in a somewhat shorter-than-normal timeline. The smaller group of nanites are what he calls his "transmitter" nanites, and him to actually "speak" with most any electronic device within a few feet of his body, giving him almost instinctual control of any unsecured system, and the ability to bypass some security layers to interact with the rest. These nanites give him unparalleled control of his armor, and are a part of why his ERMS works as well as it does. History Birthright Baron Magnus Vilhelm Katastrof was born into a loving, privileged family. Whenever he recounts his early years, he uses those exact words with a wistful smile on his face. Gostav Jarle Katastrof and Sonja Malena Katastrof welcomed their only child into the world with smiles, laughter, and a comparatively modest party for family and close friends. Of course, said party had guests that included the Crown Prince of Sweden, and some of the nobility from other countries, especially England. The party had only the finest, most expensive foods and table settings. Such was the life Magnus was born into. Ambition Of course, his life was defined by more than just his family's wealth and status. Magnus proved himself to be an extraordinary young man, testing as one of the top percentile in intelligence at the earliest age they begin such measurements. He went on to complete high school at the age of 16. He had two bachelor's degrees (Engineering Technology and Theoretical Physics) by age 19; his Ph.D. in Engineering came at age 21. At that point, he returned from his studies abroad (Germany, Switzerland, England, France, Russian, even Norway) to begin working in his family's company. He had a whole host of exciting ideas he wanted to see implemented, both to make a touch of money, and to change the world. Because if you can do one, why not do both? Revelation Unfortunately, Fate is a fickle mistress. For it was perhaps a month after returning that Magnus discovered his father's darkest secret. Gostav was part of a small group of nobles who had been seeking to call upon the powers of the ancient Norse pantheon and its various and sundry attendants. They had managed to bind a couple of willing participants to minor fallen heroes, but the results were fairly standard "flying brick" metahumans. Certainly more powerful than a mere mortal, but nothing that truly shook the world. But it was the result of decades of work and study, referencing texts from all time periods, and even a few scraps of notes from the Second World War. What was even worse than the "simple" use of magic, was their goal. They wished to take over the country, and perhaps all of Scandinavia! They claimed their hope was to quietly take control, working with a plan that spanned decades, and more than one generation. Gostav had hoped to bring Magnus into the fold, putting his brilliant mind to work on the project. After all, the boy's inventions would be just the boost their project needed! Then they could show these upstart proles, with their lazy living off the dole and their drunken rants against their betters! They would know their betters, and be made to work. But oh, the greatness they could achieve! It was for the good of the country, after all. Scandinavia could be so much more; Gostav painted a picture of a paradise on earth, one running on a seamless combination of magic and technology, a shining beacon for the rest of the world. And Scandinavia was as far as they wished to extend control; the whole world would prove too much hassle! Principle The flaw in their plan was Magnus. He was horrified by the very thought, and went first to his mother. She'd known of her husband's plans, but had wanted no part of it, one way or another. She'd immersed herself in the social scene, doing her best to utterly ignore Gostav's doings. Maybe if she ignored it, it would go away? But that wasn't good enough for Magnus; much as a few specific things his father brought up were valid points, this wasn't the way to correct the issue. They were above this! So he went to the authorities, and Gostav and the others were arrested, one by one or in small groups. They were ultimately found guilty of conspiracy to overthrow the government; none of their efforts thus far had been truly illegal. However, things were severe enough that any and all of them involved were immediately stripped of title and holdings; never again could they be considered nobility of Sweden. Even when released from prison in about 10 years, they would be watched closely, to ensure they didn't attempt a more covert repeat. Gostav and Sonja's relationship was strained, but genuine love pulled them through. His view didn't dramatically change once he was imprisoned, but he did at least give up on ever actually achieving his goals. It took 2 years (age 23) before Magnus would talk to his father again. After six months, they had mostly reconciled, with Magnus even telling his father of how the family company was running, whether he was dating a nice girl yet, and so on. Only the presence of bulletproof glass marred these meetings. Determination Of course, Magnus had not been idle for the last two years, even putting aside his work as majority shareholder of Katastrof & Sorenson Technologies and his duties as Baron Katastrof. Having seen the potential results of his father's work, and knowing that some of the information and technology involved had slipped through the cracks, and was even now out in the greater world, poised to cause havoc, he knew something had to be done. Something that required first-hand knowledge of the situation. The news made it seem fairly simple to be a superhero these days; even teenagers were doing it! So he began work on his finest piece of engineering yet. Dedication He made several astounding breakthroughs in those two years. Power systems, alloy mixes, motive systems, and more. All of it focused on the goal of building him an armor devoid of any magical influence. One born of pure science, pure human effort and ingenuity. He succeeded, and the immediate results left him feeling satisfied. The potential for the future left him anticipating more. But what name to call himself? What "theme" to take up. He spent many days trying to think of something, until it came to him. The Norse pantheon, it had caused so much trouble. The Nazies themselves had called upon its power; the mere temptation of that same power is what landed his father in jail! So be it; he would name himself for one of the creatures that would one day tear down those same gods. The Wolf of Ragnarok, Son of Loki: Fenris! Application In the last year, Magnus has moved for a time to Freedom City. He wants to "whet his teeth" on the whole superhero business for a while; Sweden has a few local supers who handle local villain activity with little trouble. He opened a branch of his company here, hoping to work with other local technology firms to better produce some of his more complicated prototype-level devices. After all, some of the breakthroughs that went into his armor could benefit all of mankind one day! Recent Magnus has been working hard, both in and out of armor, to make the world a better place for everyone. His company works day and night to forge the future for everyone. While not enormously active as the armored hero Fenris, he’s been critical in a few endeavors, including stopping a plan of the Foundry to build a “killsat†from stolen tech, and helping the newest Star Knight save the city from harm and track down the mysterious attackers. As well, he has been working hard to decipher the potential uses for technology recovered from the wrecked Curator ship and drones. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Out of Character Inspiration Mainly, Fenris is my particular expression of the Powered Armor concept, a concept I personally love. In particular, he draws a lot of inspiration from Iron Man. He's rich, he makes all his own stuff, he's got a shiny suit that shoots pew-pew "laser" beams, and he's not always the easiest guy to get along with. Originally he just had the armor, but personally the Extremis modifications seemed, to me, both thematic and cool (thus Fenris's Nanite Infusion). That said, I also think distinguishing between Man and Armor is important, so don't expect to see Bleeding Edge Armor happening (besides, Doktor A might have that angle covered anyways).

As yet another ship was left slowly falling from the sky, Gabriel turned his attention to the last one. He seemed to utterly ignore the dangers from the rooftop troopers, clearly trusting Cannonade's very capable skills to take them down. Meanwhile, Gabriel actually walked through the air, giving a jaunty wave to the sole operation ship and its crew. His voice was strangely...chipper...as he spoke. "Hey folks! Just a head's up, this ship's headed for the scrap heap too. You might want to go ahead and start bailing out now. Or not. Your call!" With a dramatic gesture with both arms, his spear twirled around for a moment before another barrage of sonic energy roared from its point, slamming easily into the flank of the ship, likely looking to at least take out the rudder. "I'm actually kind of insulted. You guys can't even put up quality air defenses? It's like you don't consider myself or any other heroes a threat to your little shiny empire!" And then all mirth was gone from his voice, and his face was suddenly in a not-quite-scowl. "Your mistake."

Right then, one more ship to sink! Move Action: Get closer to Ship 2, get a better firing angle on it. Free Action: All-Out Attack 2. Attack Bonus is 14, Defense Bonus is 10. Standard Action: Fire at it! Ranged Attack 24. Base DC 27, its defense is 16, I exceeded by 8, so that's +4 to its Toughness Save, total Toughness Save DC is 31.