KnightDisciple

The streets Haukea ran down (approaching the speed of a motor vehicle!) were in a similar condition as the LZ. Freedom Angel was clearly making sure not to fly too fast, so that she could keep up. Finally, they stopped at one end of a street that was even more torn-up than the rest, with half-destroyed cars and trucks scattered about. Which was sort of secondary to the fact there was a slow-moving lava flow at the far end. The top layer of it was partially-hardened blackened rock, but the hellish red glow was present through cracks in said layer, and the front edge was bright, bubbling, and liquid. Most of the buildings were abandoned, but close to the heroes there looked to be an older diner that had about a dozen civilians. All of whom were hunkered down trying not to attract the attention of the three robotic drones now stalking toward the heroes. Freedom Angel calmly turned to Haukea and spoke. "See to the civilians. Help them get out of here, get them headed away from this fight and the lava. The route we took should suffice; our landing zone was only a block north of one of the major evacuation points. I will see to the drones. Do not engage them unless they specifically come for the civilians. No matter what, you do not fight them unless they come at the civilians. That's an order." Without waiting for a reply, he drew his glowing sword and flew at one of the automatons, a wordless battle cry springing from his lips. One of the drones was damaged but not down, and all 3 instantly focused on Freedom Angle. Which left Haukea with a dozen scared civilians to evacuate.

"You will not hold me still now!" Gabriel's voice held surprising anger, even as he grit his teeth, enduring Rubber-Burner's assault. He relaxed his head just enough that the blows landed on his helmet rather than his flesh directly. When the punches slacked off, he gave a rather vicious smirk. "Normally I'm one for keeping things at the "turning the other cheek" stage, but for punks like you I think I'll make an exception. You can let me go now, Tin Can Man." Suddenly, from both of Gabriel's hands, a barrage of sound sliced through the air and battered the frame of the artificial person. It was enough to loosen the android's grip, which caused Gabriel to stand up once more, casting his gaze at the remaining combatants. "Domo Arigato, Mister Roboto."

Mental Spatial Awareness is exactly what I want. Hm. I guess I need to free up 1 PP somewhere. I think I'll go in in a bit and take out Acrobatic Bluff. But otherwise, yeah, the idea is that his personal control of kinetic energy combined with his mental powers gives him a greater-than-usual sense of his surroundings.

I was going off of the example in this post in this thread. To whit: Though in looking at it, it seems like the cost is a bit different. I feel like I either did the math from looking at stuff, and/or a Chat convo. Well, I did things the way I did because in the course of talking with AA, Gizmo, and a few other Refs last night, they said they preferred that set up due to the Linked Paralyze I have in the upper array (which is there because of how I envision everything fitting together fluff-ish-wise). The cost is the same, and while it's a touch clunkier, it means I have 2 Arrays pointing at a static Power, rather than 1 Array pointing at another Array.

Right, DC 25, 1 Bruise... 16. Uh, no. Hero Point Reroll. 21, but because of the HP that becomes 31. So he at least doesn't take any more damage. Now. Time to break free. Seems like the best way is to just break the robot. Standard Action: Use Blast against Thrasher. 32. DC 27 Toughness, +5 for Crit becomes DC 32, plus however much Autofire comes into play.

Fresh post since it's been a bit and I'm re-jiggering a few things. Player Name: KnightDisciple Character Name: Thoughtspeed Power Level: 10 150/150PP Effective Power Level: 8 (Shifted) Trade-Offs: +3 Attack / -3 Damage, +3 Defense / -3 Toughness Unspent Power Points: 0 Progress To Platinum Status: 0/120 (Gold Status earned with Gabriel) In Brief: Son of a time controller and a psychic, Thoughtspeed uses his strength of will to harness kinetic energy to move faster and fight harder, all for the cause of good (and impressing the ladies)! Alternate Identity: William Cline Identity: Secret Birthplace: Occupation: Claremont Student, Superhero-in-Training Affiliations: Claremont Family: Richard Cline "Fast-Forward" (Father); Paige Cline "Hologram" (Mother); Anne Cline "Clock Queen" (Paternal Grandmother); Holly Cline (Younger Sister) Description: Age: 16 (DoB: October 1997) Gender: Male Ethnicity: Caucasion/Jewish mix Height: 5'10" Weight: 160 lbs Eyes: Dark Brown (Normal), Dark Green (Powers Active) Hair: Black William's built lean; between his super-metabolism and his natural inclinations to work on endurance and flexibility, he doesn't cut a large figure. That said, he's clearly in excellent condition and well-toned, showing a natural, organic athleticism. His dark hair is kept fairly short, but just long enough it can get a bit tousled in the wind when he runs (just as planned!). His skin has a healthy tan, born from a lot of outdoor runs. His eyes often dance with barely restrained mischief, when they aren't glowing green with the use of his powers. William tends to dress fashionably but comfortably, in clothes that one could comfortably run in. Thoughtspeed's outfit is made up of morphic molecules engineered to resist high-speed frictions, though not enough to help in an actual fight. Still, it comes out as a decently thick suit of flexible, breathable material that is nonetheless decently more substantial than, say, spandex. The primary color of the suit is a slightly glossy black. Starting at the shoulders (front and back) and running down the right and left sides of his suit are lines of dark green (about 2 inches wide) that trace their way down his legs (the lines thin to about 1 inch past his waist) all the way to his ankles, where it makes a circle around the ankle, thus joining the front and rear lines. Another set of similar lines go down the middle of the outside arm section, ending in circles at his wrists; his elbows and knees have slightly thicker circles, while a large loop circles his waist like a belt. When he's using his powers more actively (OOC: Faster than Speed 2 or Quickness 1, using any of the Super-Movement powers, or using his Kinetic Blades Array), bleed-off psycho-kinetic energy goes into the costume, causing the lines to glow a somewhat brighter green. His feet are clad in hybrid shoes, with a tread somewhere between "hiking boots" and "track shoes", giving him flexibility, traction, and comfort. Finally, a thin "metallic" helmet unfolds over his head when the costume is active (though he can will it to retract independently); this helmet encapsulates his head, including a one-way visor that obscures his face but lets him see clearly. The helmet has several subtle air vents to allow comfortable breathing and preventing heat buildup, and has thin lines curving around the sides to connect to the lines on his suit's shoulders (the helmet's lines also glow when his powers ramp up). A simple domino mask is underneath the helmet, as a nod to his secret identity without being too complicated. Power Descriptions: While Fast-Forward's powers allow him to harness chronal energy to warp space-time (mainly time), and his mother can project powerful illusions, Thoughtspeed's powers are more internally focused. His body is able to generate and harness notably more kinetic energy than usual, all controlled by his formidable will (or sheer teenage stubbornness, according to his mother). Thus, he can charge his body with kinetic energy to move many times the speed of sound, even across water or up buildings. However, his precision control is much lower, meaning he cannot accomplish fine tasks with the same level of speed (though he can still accomplish things faster than humanly possible). This same usage of kinetic energy means that, within a certain distance, he has an innate spatial sense that allows him to navigate in complete darkness, using his mind to interpret the "bounce-back" his whole body is picking up. That this makes him difficult to catch unawares is an added benefit. Finally, he can mold the kinetic energy he generates into semi-tangible constructs, which he shapes into various hand-held melee weapons. He can alter the properties of the blades somewhat, though he cannot do everything at once with them, forcing him to decide on his mode of attack. William's inheritance from his mother is still developing; while he can set up a team-wide telepathic link, the range is poor enough he runs the risk of casually zipping out of range in the blink of an eye, leaving everyone suddenly isolated again. Thoughtspeed is also able to use his mental and kinetic powers to warp and blur the light around his body, as well as generating some basic, low-level holographs, that he becomes invisible to the naked or assisted eye. Of course, he still needs to rely on his own caution and skill to move undetected to the ear or other, more exotic senses. The same field can be turned outward, generating a massive burst of blinding green light; the downside is that it's an indiscriminate burst (risking blinding fellow heroes if he's not careful), and it takes him several seconds to build up to it. History: William didn't come into the world until his parents had left behind villainy for several years. They were older and at least somewhat wiser. And those early years had been great; just him, Mom, and Dad, nothing but good times. Several early years were spent living in an RV, and how cool is that? Totally cool. He saw a lot of pretty neat in those traveling years. They came back to Freedom City for a bit, he learned he was getting a new baby sister, and his Mom got really weird for a while. She was a LOT snappier than usual with him, and he just couldn't figure out what he'd done wrong. But then Holly was born, and they were moving again! California was kind of nicer than Freedom City. It wasn't really any shinier, but it was warm a lot more, which meant William got to wear shorts a lot! He liked shorts. And things were pretty awesome for years! His mom and dad ended up TV stars, he got to be on television (even if he had to wear a mask, but hey, he got to help build it!), and his Grandma Anne was fun to visit, even if she tended to talk about "back in my day". A lot. Even more than his dad! He started getting superpowers, and that was totally awesome! His dad helped him figure most of it out, with his mom giving him pointers. Eventually he figured out he could make swords. With his mind! That's when Grandma Anne start giving him lessons when he visited! Though she didn't do much to encourage his creativity, always trying to make him stick to one long blade and one short. He only just managed to avoid "having" to make them look like clock hands; that would have been so last century, and thus lame. And then Holly mind-controlled an entire school, and in less than a week California was left behind and Will found himself in Freedom City again. But now he had to go to a fancy-dancy little private school for heroes. It's not that being a hero was bad, but now he felt obligated to end up being one, instead of having the option to, he didn't know, maybe run his own TV show or something! And to make matters worse, he'd left all his friends and lots of cute girls behind in California, and now his sister was getting all of the attention instead of only some of it, and both the women in the house were totally psychic and it sucked! Psychic women were the worst when you were a 16-year-old boy. But hey, the classes were kind of neat, gym was mostly a breeze, and the girls here were kind of pretty. Even if some of them could turn you into a pretzel with one hand. Personality & Motivation: Bill has always been an...energetic...young man. While his mother's worked hard to instill a sense of discipline into him, he's inherited a full dose of the mischief of his parents, albeit in a somewhat more law-abiding way. His parents both made sure he wasn't one for petty crime, not that he felt he needed it. He has an intellectual admiration for some of the more "refined" and "principled" super-villains (mostly of yester-year like his parents), but his real role models (besides his father and mother) are still heroes. Just the ones with senses of humor and/or some sort of super-speed. William is by nature impatient, but while he can sometimes be an excitable handful in class, his mother has instilled enough of a work-ethic in him that he's willing to work on his studies; he just often has trouble sitting through classes, despite being able to somewhat "ramp down" his speed (body and mind) to something closer to normal for humans. While he doesn't automatically distrust and disrespect his teachers (and other authority figures), Bill will sometimes push boundaries as much as he can, though it's more due to being used to his mother's firm rules for what he can and can't get away with. When meeting people (especially peers) for the first time, Bill is friendly and outgoing, enthusiastically so. Despite this, he actually has few close friends, as he finds himself only comfortable with people he trusts; trust is one of those things he gives sparingly. When he does make a friend, he's fiercely loyal and even protective of them. He's been known to (at least try to) play pranks on those who upset or hurt his friends. William is a bit of a flirt, though he's well-mannered enough to not continue if the girl is already taken, or if she just asks him to stop. He generally doesn't "tease" his friends, as he's conscious of how some might not take to it as naturally and humorously as others. He tries to present himself as something of a "rakish ladies man" (a trait he insists he inherited from his father). His family is important to him, but he admits he's often "so frustrated" by them; his father can be too goofy even for Bill's sense of humor, his mother is often "too strict", and his sister is precocious enough to inspire frustration at nearly every turn. Anyone else who is negative about them finds themselves in a heap of trouble, though. Thoughtspeed is always eager to taunt opponents, or at least appear to not take them seriously when at all possible. While to some allies he seems unfocused and undisciplined, he's actually always focused on helping out his team; he simply can't keep his somewhat rambunctious nature from leaking through. Powers & Tactics: If fighting alone, Thoughtspeed will typically keep his visual stealth up as long as feasible while closing in on an enemy, then perform several quick strikes. After that, his preferred method is to use the full measure of his speed to keep out of an enemy's range while running by at high speed and hitting them; few enemies can reliably hit someone who's a mile or more away. However, if he's working in a group, Thoughtspeed's tactics shift rather noticeably. If he's the only telepath around, he will work to stay within about 100ft of everyone in the group, so that no one drops off the link he has with them. This means he has to rely on tactics and a bit of stealth to keep from being shot at in the first place, or just rely on his incredible reflexes to not get hit. He only uses his Visual Overload if he feels there's no other choice, as it risks disabling teammates as well. He usually opens a fight with his Twin Blades, only using the Duelist Blade if he finds a particularly tough opponent. He will sub in forming the Halberd if there's a group, or he's fighting a particularly tough and wily opponent. Complications: Secret Identity: William Cline intends to keep his hero life separate from his "normal" life, outside of the unusual "blending" that happens at Claremont. Thus, a GM may award Thoughtspeed a Hero Point when maintaining his dual identity is put at undue risk by the current situation. Shady Family Background: While his father's mother is (mostly) peacefully retired, and his parents are reformed, William's family background is extremely checkered. Anyone researching his family very much may make unwanted connections, and some parts of his extended family might object to his heroic efforts. A GM may feel free to award him a Hero Point if he faces hardships due to his family connections to villains past and present. Mind Over Matter: Typically Thoughtspeed's powers are a unified whole that gives him internally-focused kinetic energy control. However, a precisely-targeted power nullification that was also powerful enough might cause his psionic powers to shut down, but not his kinetic powers. This would leave him bereft of much of his ability, as well as rendering him a potential danger to others, thanks to out-of-control kinetic energy buildup he'd have to either drain off by large amounts of movement, or see erupt out in random damage. A GM might award a Hero Point if some Nullification were to take out his Psionic descriptors, but leave him enough power beyond his Speed and Quickness to cause some sort of Aura damage, or something similar, to cause risk to civilians and fellow heroes. Big Eater: Thoughtspeed needs a lot of fuel to keep his super-metabolism going, to the point of typically carrying a couple of high-energy bars with him on a patrol or the like, just to keep the edge off of his hunger. A GM might award a Hero Point if, due to limited food supplies, Thoughtspeed's hunger reaches the point where his powers are reduced in effectiveness. Born to Be Wild: William Cline is his father's son. He is also a teenager. This means he's got a pretty solid rebellious streak, and just enough disregard for authority to get him into trouble. A good bit of trouble, even. Big Shadows: Fast-Forward and Hologram were larger-than-life villains and are larger-than-life heroes/television stars. Combined with their somewhat eccentric personalities, this means there's a lot of pressure (more imagined than real) on William to live up to that larger-than-life life. Combined with the rather esoteric upbringing he had, and the rather sudden move to Freedom City, it's left the eldest child of the family feeling more than a bit disaffected and frustrated with his parents, who are simultaneously "pretty cool" and "totally lame", as only a teenager can think of his parents. Little Shadow: Holly is a precocious super-psychic little sister. She totally harshs his vibe sometimes. Or gets in trouble and he has to help bail her out. Abilities: 4 + 10 + 10 + 2 + 4 + 4 = 34PP Strength: 14 (+2) Dexterity: 20 (+5) Constitution: 20 (+5) Intelligence: 12 (+1) Wisdom: 14 (+2) Charisma: 14 (+2) Combat: 8 + 8 = 16PP Initiative: +13 Attack: +11 Kinetic Blades, +7 Melee, +4 Ranged Grapple: +9 Defense: +11 (+4 Base, +7 Dodge Focus), +2 Flat-Footed Knockback: -2 Saving Throws: 6 + 3 + 5 = 14PP Toughness: +5 (+5 Con) Fortitude: +6 (+5 Con, +1) Reflex: +8 (+5 Dex, +3) Will: +7 (+2 Wis, +5) Skills: 68R = 17PP Acrobatics 8 (+13) Disable Device 8 (+9) Escape Artist 8 (+13) Knowledge: Pop Culture 6 (+7) Language 2 (English [Native], German, Hebrew) Notice 8 (+10) Search 6 (+8) Sense Motive 8 (+10) Sleight of Hand 6 (+11) Stealth 8 (+13) Feats: 20PP Accurate Attack All-Out Attack Attack Focus: Melee 3 Attack Specialization: Kinetic Blades 2 Challenge (Fast Task) 1 (Acrobatic Feint) Defensive Attack Dodge Focus 7 Improved Initiative 2 Move-By Action Power Attack Powers: 7(1+6) + 12(3+6+3) + 17(6+2+9) + 13 = 49PP Psycho-Kinetic Awareness 1.4 (7PP Container [Passive, Permanent]) [7pp] (Mutant, Kinetic Energy, Psionic) Enhanced Feat 1(Uncanny Dodge: Mental) [1PP] Super-Senses 6(Accurate, Acute, Radius, Ranged, Mental Sense) [6pp] Kinetic Speed 2.4(12PP Container [Passive, Permanent]) [12PP] (Mutant, Kinetic Energy) Quickness 3 (x10) [3PP] Speed 6(500 MPH/5,000ft per Move Action) [6PP] Super-Movement 3 (Water-Walking, Wall-Crawling 2, Flaw: Only While Moving) [3PP] Mental Powers 3.4(17PP Container, Feats: Alternate Power ) [17PP] (Mutant, Psionic) Communication 2 (Mental, 100 ft, Extras: Area; Power Feats: Selective, Subtle) [6PP] linked Mind Reading 1 (Extras: Action 2 [Free], Effortless, Mental, Flaws: Duration [instant/Lasting], Limited [surface Thoughts]) [2PP] ("Telepathic Linkup") Psionic Light 1.6 (8PP ArrayFeats: Alternate Power 1) [9PP] Base Power: Dazzle 8 (Visual, Extras: Area [General, Burst, 25ft radius], Flaws: Action [Full], Range [Touch]) [8PP] ("Visual Overload") Alternate Power: Concealment 4 (All Visual) [8pp] ("Personal Holographic Shroud") Kinetic Blades 2.2 (11PP Array, Feats: Alternate Power 2) [13PP] (Mutant, Kinetic Energy) Base Power: Strike 3 (Extras: Autofire (Applies to Strength Bonus), Power Feats: Mighty [+2 Damage], Split Attack, Variable Descriptor 1 [slashing, Piercing, or Bludgeoning]) [11PP] ("Twin Blades") Alternate Power: Strike 3 (Extras: Penetrating 5, Power Feats: Improved Critical 2 [18-20], Mighty [+2 Damage]) [11PP] ("Duelist Blade"; Piercing) Alternate Power: Strike 3 (Power Feats: Extended Reach 2 [15ft reach], Mighty [+2 Damage], Variable Descriptor 1 [slashing, Piercing, or Bludgeoning]) [7PP] linked Enhanced Feats 3 (Improved Disarm, Improved Trip, Takedown Attack 1) [3PP] ("Polearm") Drawbacks: (-0) + (-0) = -0PP DC Block ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Unarmed Touch DC17 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical) Strike Touch DC20 Toughness (+ Autofire) (Staged) Damage (Physical) Dazzle Area DC18 Reflex 1/2 Effect DC18 Reflex Blinded DC18 Fortitude RecoverTotals: Abilities (34) + Combat (16) + Saving Throws (14) + Skills (17) + Feats (20) + Powers (49) - Drawbacks (0) = 150/150 Power Points

Gabriel took a half-step straight back, then moved a bit further with a full 360-degree motion, his coat flaring and flapping in the air, one corner whipped up by the passing of Wail's shout. He smirked as the leader dropped and the others were struck. "Indeed. Though sometimes, actions speak louder than words." His hand raised and pointed to one of the sharks devastated by Wail's shout, its head clearly still ringing. A barrage of small, powerful bolts of sonic energy roared from his outstretched fingers, striking the man-beast all over.

Yay teamwork! Let's see... Free Action: Switch Array to Blast Standard Action: Ranged Attack against Shark 1 30. Base Toughness Save DC is 27, with Autofire applying to whatever degree is fitting.

After perhaps 10 seconds, the futuristic metal room resolved itself into the back of a futuristic air transport. It was bumping along in some notable turbulence; Haukea found herself suddenly encased in a hologram that looked like a sturdy but generic "hero suit", with the color mostly a black with a few orange highlights. She felt the odd hum and tension of the simulated power field, and then she heard the person a bit further toward the cockpit speak. It was a literal angel. Freedom Angel, if she knew much of the Freedom League and Freedom City. His face was a bit grim, but his voice was strong and steady as he spoke. "You all are Reserve members of the Freedom League, but that doesn't lessen your heroism or your responsibility. We're flying into a major disaster zone on the island of Hawaiʻi. Several of Talos's agents and minions have been attacking the islands in force, and it's been the hardest hit. Most of them have been driven back, but between the general damage and the artificially induced volcanic activity, much of the island is an official disaster zone. We're going in to help with that. Search and rescue, damage control, clearing roadways, things like that; all of you have powers ideally suited to make this go much faster than ordinary men, women, and their tools possibly could. Lives will be saved. We're landing now. I'll be coordinating, and if necessary helping defend. Be on your guard; some of the drones may still be about." With that, the vehicle landed with a "thump", and Heyzel signaled for everyone to exit. When they did, Haukea entered a scene a step away from a nightmare. Crumpled cars littered the street. Buildings were smashed and crumpled. The roads were torn. A half-mile away, there was the eerie glow of red-hot lava shining up from the ground. There were no civilians immediately visible, but that meant little. Freedom Angel gave a grim nod. "Haukea, you're with me, we're going to see what can be done where the lava is still present." With that, he took to the air, obviously expecting Haukea to keep up on the ground.

CT smiled slightly, but it wasn't exactly the smile of a friend; more that of a teacher about to give a pop quiz on unsuspecting students. "Full briefing, such as it is, will commence once the simulation starts with you in the back of the transport. Now, unless you need a moment, best to head on in." As soon as Haukea went through the main door, CT left the WR tech in the "coat room" and headed up to the control and observation room. Haukea found herself in a not-quite-featureless room with metallic walls, covered in grid lines, ports, what were likely holographic emitters, and other such tools to help create the Wreck Room's nearly-unique virtual environment. High up at the top of one wall, behind a slightly shimmering force-field, she could see a few techs sitting at consoles, as well as Cobalt Templar standing near the window, observing. One of the techs pressed a button, and their voice came on the line. "Just let us know when you're ready."

Cobalt Templar merely raised an eyebrow at her question and remained silent during their elevator ride. When it stopped, he gestured for Haukea to follow him. They walked down the hallway a short distance before turning into an automatic doorway that led into a rather small room. It was sort of like a high-tech coat room. There was a uniformed technician present who handed the young woman a set of wrist and ankle bands, as well as a thick belt. As Haukea was fastening them on and the tech was checking some readings, Cobalt Templar spoke. "During this exercise, you will be acting as a member of the Reserve Freedom League deployed to Hawaii. While you are unpowered, these bands will help the Wreck Room simulate a basic power suite; strength, endurance, resistance to injury, and improved leaps. Nothing more; this isn't about how you use particular powers, but how you react in situations you might encounter. You'll start off as if in the back of one of the Reserve jets that's deploying on-location, and move from there. We won't begin the simulation until you assure us you're ready. There is a restroom right there-" He pointed to a clearly-marked door. "Just in case. Once your'e finished in here, step through the main door. You'll have a few moments to relax and focus, but don't take too long. When you're ready, raise both hands in a thumbs-up gesture. If at any time you experience sudden backlash from the bands, where they stop working or start hurting you, yell out "backlash". We promise there won't be anyone with that codename in the scenario, so we won't mistake your words. If you need to stop because of injury or because you wish to cease, say "Confirm Stop Now", in precisely that word order. If you go unconscious or become too injured, neither of which should happen, we will stop the scenario. If it simply shuts off without any of the above reasons, it's a technical issue and won't be counted against you. The safeties are on, so I don't expect injuries beyond a couple bruises and scrapes, but we tried to cover every situation."

Opposed Grapple Check: 28. EDIT: I totally missed: DC28 Toughness save. 22. So...Dazed, 1 Bruise.

So, seeing as I've kind of read all my owned books 1, 2, 3, or even more times, and I've read just about all the books that were already on my "stack", I was hoping to get some suggestions. Here's stuff I've read and enjoyed, to some degree or another: Basically everything by David Weber, especially Honor Harrington, Safehold, and Bazhell All of Jim Butcher's work Lord of the Rings Many Star Wars and Star Trek books Many Battletech books Some Warhammer 40,000 books, mainly Space Wolves, Salamanders, Ciaphas Cain, and a lot of Dan Abnett's work (I do still need a couple of his books I suppose) Plenty of graphic novels (mostly DC and Marvel, especially Batman stuff) Hunger Games Percy Jackson So, that's a sampling, but not every single book necessarily. Stuff that works out similar to one or more of the above is good. I'm sticking to books because paperbacks aren't too expensive, and that way gift-givers can "mix and match" to a degree.

The conversation with Cobalt Templar was short and to the point; she was given directions to go to Freedom Hall, and her test, or tests, would be administered there. ------------------------------------------- The Next Day Freedom Hall was the same shining beacon of hope it had always been. It was easy enough to get inside, where Cobalt Templar was waiting with one of the staff members of the facility. "Good, punctuality." He nodded at Haukea, and then the staff member, who began to walk. "Walk with us, please." Once they were on the move, he began explaining. "I've arranged for some time in the Wreck Room here. I think it's the best way for us to test the things we need to test while keeping all parties safe and sound. I've laid out how things should go, but trained professionals will be making sure it goes right. Understand, Haukea. You can step back at any time, and I won't hold it against you. I'm not going to stop you, but it's a hard life you're stepping up to and no mistake. You have to be 100% sure."

"Don't talk to me about fair, buddy." Gabriel's voice was chiding, like that of an exasperated teacher. He easily moved around the motorcyclist's attacks, his brow furrowed in thought. "I mean, you lot run what sounds like a tin-shed loan operation, but with extra crime added on. If you want to talk about strict profits, I'd have thought a more legitimate loan company combined with a private security firm would bring in more cash, and avoid fights like this. I mean, why go around killing people who miss a payment? You all must just like violence instead of money. Which is really sad and deplorable. It's a good thing my friend and I are here, we'll set you right. Get you some time alone to think about how you can better your lives, make something of yourselves. Be productive citizens. Also, get help for the long list of injuries we're inflicting. I hear morphine feels good." Another quick barrage of sound struck Blackout, an almost casual attack that didn't seem quite as precise, but still hit its mark.

Move Action: Adjust position, still using his body to shield the civilian. Standard Action: Ranged Attack against Blackout. 24. So....DC 28 Toughness Save with Autofire.

"It was originally just a double date. Sa-Ur showed up a bit later, after we'd had dinner at an Italian place and were headed for coffee and dessert. Seemed like a somewhat typical "check up", albeit..." He paused and glanced at Quo-Dis, shrugging a bit with a smile born from time's distance. "Flashier. It was a...unique evening. But good. I've always figured she was just worried. After all, everyone knows the sort of reputation I've got, right?" Corbin gave an exaggerated roll of the eyes at that statement, sending a quick thought toward Quo-Dis to assure her this was sarcasm (normally she could tell, but since they were talking about her mother and such he wanted to be 110% clear).

A slow nod was Templar's response. "That's fair. Sadly I don't have all 7 in my possession, to offer you a nearly-full selection. Of course..." A humorless smile crossed his face. "I can't just give you one of the seven most powerful ancient artifacts kicking around the globe, can I? No, we need to determine if you've got what it takes." He pulls a business card out of the briefcase, packing the rest of the material away. The card his deposited in front of Haukea. "Call that number first thing in the morning. It will confirm where you need to go. Be ready for anything." With that, Cobalt Templar took up his briefcase and left the room.

Suddenly he's clad not in a fanciful suit but in his armor, ethereal red cape moving slightly in a non-existent breeze. There's no flash of light; one moment he's an oddly-dressed businessman, the next he's a classic image of a superhero. He takes a step back and crosses his arms over his chest, speaking in a low rumble. "Then answer this. Would you be a Builder or a Warrior? Protective or Courageous? Earth or Lightning?"

"Yes, I mean the Terminus. More than once. And plenty more beyond that. Worse than anything your parents could tell you, or at least worse than the details they could possibly provide." Cobalt Templar's tone was firm, but never mocking. It was clear he was trying to impart the serious nature of the conversation to her. "I will ask one final time, so that it is assured you know what is being offered and the stakes involved. Would you take up the burden of a Ring, the burden of never again having your life entirely to yourself, of bearing the duty of protecting others whenever you can? Would you step up to such a challenge?"

Corbin clenched his eyes at the flash of light, for all the good it did...until suddenly it was doing some good! His eyelids were solid, as was his body! A grin split his face as he opened his eyes and looked.... To see his ring falling through the air in front of him. He instinctively reached for it....and missed. "××”, מצב מטריד." With that dry proclamation, he began falling through the air. He tried to spread his arms and legs out to maximize drag, before thinking hard at Sage and, hopefully, the rest of the group. --So, guys, I could use some help. I'm back to normal for me, but the ring's out of reach. So I'm falling from pretty high up. And can't fly. In any capacity.--

Cobalt Templar sat back a bit. He'd apparently misread things a bit. Still, perhaps...He made sure when he spoke, his words carried the proper gravity. "These Seven Rings are items of great power and responsibility, Haukea. A bearer must be completely certain about their possession, for good or for ill. One does not simply casually pick it up." He stood up, suddenly towering over her as he leaned forward over the table. "I have faced death and torment and confusion and fear and despair and the Black Flames of Entropy, in just a bit over two years of time. I ask you, Haukea Kawena: Do you think yourself worthy to bear one of the Seven Rings? Would you take up this burden, this power, if it were offered you?"

"More people genuinely willing to help would be a good thing, yes. Sometimes the trouble is figuring out how genuine some of them are..." The hero in blue lapsed to silence again for long moments. Finally he nodded, as if coming to a decision. "So, am I correct in thinking you've been working your way around to asking me how you can prove yourself worthy of a Ring?"

"The rings aren't people, Haukea. They don't even have simulation of intelligence. The closest they come to "choosing" someone is how they tend to "sync up" with someone who uses them frequently. They're tools that happen to run on mystic energy. Very powerful tools. They don't "deserve" anything." Despite the rather blunt, even harsh reply, something had shifted a bit. It was like Cobalt Templar was almost...evaluating...her. "It's easy for an outsider to say "you should go look for bearers". But the truth is, it's not like this world, this city, is hurting for heroes. Heck, my ring was out of commission for quite a while and the world kept turning merrily. I'd rather take a decade or two and let things settle before picking someone, as opposed to rushing into it perhaps a year, or even a couple months, after acquiring a ring, and then risking another rogue ring user. Putting aside my life and responsibilities outside of hero work, my hero work is quite a lot of responsibility itself. I understand where you're coming from, but I'm not sure I have the time, resources, or inclination to set up a group to search for potential ring users. It seems a bit small of a return on investment, really. I'd be more inclined to consider candidates if they came to me, perhaps, but still."

"Wasted, hm? Yes, I supposed they can be, at times. But seeing as you've never used one, I'd imagine you don't realize quite what it's like." For just a moment, ethereal fire flickered across his whole form, there wasn't a single speck of soot or scorching left when it winked away. His gaze remained level the whole time. "These rings aren't party favors. They tap into vast wells of power and connect their users to fundamental forces and concepts of the world. Any sentient, sapient being would face temptation from that. I certainly agree it's tragic many of the rings have been misused. But it's not a simple task, if someone were the caretaker of an unclaimed ring or rings, to find a proper bearer. I appreciate some of what you're saying, and would encourage you to use your researcher's tenacity in your daily school life, but I'm not sure exactly why you felt we needed to meet in person about this." His tone wasn't harsh or hateful, but it was clear Templar was trying to close down the conversation.