KnightDisciple

Spring-boarding from this thread. Gabriel, Arrowhawk, Ironclad, Jack of all Blades, and Jill O'Cure are dragged without warning to Mastermind's world. Here's how we'll play this: Since the Resistance on that world would know the secret identities of our mirror!characters (as they have all been in the Resistance at some point, even if they're dead now), you character might be "tagged" in either civilian or hero "mode". I'll put up the first post with Gabriel, but everyone can make it play out as they wish. The idea is that, to our characters, it's random and unexpected. EDIT: In-Character Thread

Corbin couldn't help but let out a short, bellowing laugh at Kimber's raw enthusiasm. "Well, that's good to hear. It is pretty exciting, yes." He stared thoughtfully out the window. "A bit intimidating, but generally exciting..." Of course, by this point, Kimber had drifted further up the cabin, then been diverted from bothering Koshiro by Sharl's electronic puppy. Corbin just raised an eyebrow at the idea, shrugged, and went back to looking over what few bits of documentation they'd been allowed. He really wished he had more information...

Gabriel: Earth Victoriana: Deliver Us From Evil: 8 IC posts December Viginette Cobalt Templar: Change is Necessary for Growth: 5 IC Posts It's Gonna Be The Future Soon: 1 IC Post Total: 6 IC Posts

Corbin had found this whole affair a bit unsettling. On one hand, there was the fact that he knew exactly who the Headmaster was talking about. And thinking about that man's final hours still brought a grimace to his face. Whatever else the man had done, however "heroic" the death, he had still died. Just as much as that was the affect it had had on Mark. The gregarious youth had hidden it well, but his father's death had affected him. He hadn't taken Corbin up on his offers to help, but they stood still, and probably would until Corbin died of old age. That was just how he was. But he wasn't sure about treading this ground. Secondly, he didn't know about how he felt "messing around" in the Sanctum. While he appreciated the honor, he wasn't sure what qualified him for it. He felt under-equipped. He didn't even have a good idea of what "guarding the Centurion's Sanctum" meant! Then again, the historian in him was itching to see the various historical artifacts. The whole place was history! In short, he felt a bit confused about the whole ordeal. Still, he could tell Sharl was happy. He recalled his teammate's explanation about where he really came from. No wonder the boy was so happy! And of course, one couldn't help but notice Kimber's movement about the cabin. "What's up, Kimber? Something wrong, or are you just showing off?" Corbin's reclined poster and soft grin made sure his spectral teammate was gently teasing her about "showing off".

Musical: Songs and Revelations Freedom City, USA Late December, 2011 Carson and Sonya were on their last date of the year; both had plans to go visit family for Christmas, and probably stay through New Year's. That Carson was going to skip dealing with an airline was a piece of information he didn't feel the need to share; then again, Sonya had "just happened" to find space on a priority UNISON flight back to Russia, so he figured it all equaled out. 'I'm really going to miss her. Wow. Seems like we've barely started seeing each other, but I'm already missing her despite the fact she's right here! I wonder...should I tell her about my heroic self? I think she could handle it, but would she forgive me for deceiving her?' The made small talk as he rolled these thoughts over in his head, before everyone in the cafe they were at felt...something...wash over them. Others in the diner opened their mouths, and for a few brief moments, they sang. Everyone who did blushed and covered their mouths. But when people started getting texts from others in the city, reporting they had the same experience, some panic started to settle in. Carson and Sonya stood at the same time, and while she was obviously pulling out her phone to contact UNISON, he seemed to be fiddling with the watch on his wrist.... Then the dozen burly men in music-note-themed uniforms burst in, guns held steadily in their hands. They cast their gaze around the room, a couple of them consulted tablet PCs as one of them holds up some sort of scanning device. Finally, one of the ones with a tablet walks over to the one with a scanner, points to his device, before looking right at Sonya and pointing. Both nod, and three of the thugs walk forward, clearly intending to take her with them. At first, both Sonya and Carson made moves to resist. But then another thug pointed a shotgun at Carson's head, and Sonya stopped struggling. She gave Carson a tearful shake of her head, and allowed herself to be led away. Trained that she might be by UNISON, and capable of felling any one of the men around here, there were a dozen of them, all of them armed. They clearly wanted her alive for some reason. Better to go along with it now, and hopefully someone could work out a way to extract her. Carson watched (seemingly) helplessly as she was led away, practically dragged as the music-thugs (almost assuredly belonging to the Maestro) bound her hands (they apparently knew what she was capable of). His teeth all but ground together as two thugs watched the crowd (and especially him) for a good two or three minutes before hearing a beep from their radios and summarily running out of the cafe. Carson ran out the door as well, but they were already gone down a sidestreet. He stood for a moment on the street corner, despondent, before he closed his eyes and concentrated. After a moment, his hearing was filled with a rush of confused singing, before he filtered it down to one voice. A voice that was quietly singling to itself, and moving. "I need a hero, I'm holding out for a hero 'Til the end of the night He's gotta be strong And he's gotta be fast And he's gotta be fresh for the fight I need a hero, I'm holding out for a hero 'There's too many for me to fight He's gotta be sure And it's gotta be soon And he's gotta be larger than life Racing on the thunder And rising with the heat It's gonna take a angel To sweep me off my feet.." She lapsed into silence, except for a small exclamation of discomfort as she was (apparently) hefted into the back of a van, which then drove off. Close to the center of the city. Where...something was happening. Carson's eyes opened, and determination shone from them. He started jogging down the sidewalk, ignoring shouts of surprise as he dashed past people. Finally, he came to a sufficiently wide and abandoned alley, and he ducked down it. He hit the midpoint, gave a couple glances around himself...and promptly turned into a blur that landed on a nearby rooftop. He took a moment to touch his watch, and in a flash was once more clad in his heaven-forged armor, clutching a shining spear made to fight the darkest of foes. He took a moment to close his eyes and float into the air, listening once more for that voice he cared for so much. Then, he sang for her ears, and only her ears. "You say that a hero can save you. Im not gonna stand here and wait. I'll hold onto the wings of the angels. Watch as I now fly your way." With that, the air screamed as Gabriel tore through it as fast as he could, circling the central areas of the city as fast as he could. It may well have been a miracle that the sky didn't burn in his wake. Instead, glass merely rattled in windows as he flew by, until finally it went oddly still. Which really unnerved the collection of thugs surrounding the platform the Maestro was found upon. He had strange, crystal-using machines arrayed all around the platform, pointing outwards. He also looked in rather poor health, even for his advanced age. As if afflicted by a disease, or a cancer. Which, apparently, he was. He'd explained it to Sonya (who had just arrived), without singing. Apparently, this one platform was exempt from the strange affect upon the rest of the city. He'd demanded she use her powers to heal him. Despite his status as a villain, the oaths Sonya had taken as a medic overrode her worries. This man was sick and hurting, and she could help. If nothing else, it was the higher road to spare his life. So she allowed them to release her. She walked over, under the watchful eye of Maestro's guards, and laid her hands upon him. A soft glow suffused them, and slowly the musical villain gained a bit more color in his cheeks, a bit more spark in his eye, until it was clear that he was healthy again. He smiled. "Others might ask that you be eliminated for seeing them weakened. I won't. Neither of us has some sort of "secret identity". I do not foresee some huge uproar if you tell anyone what you've done. And you did indeed heal me. Go. We will not-" Suddenly, one of the machines crumpled in a peal of strained metal. It all but just...fell apart. "You can run on for a long time Run on for a long time Run on for a long time Sooner or later God'll cut you down Sooner or later God'll cut you down" Two more machines crumpled. "Go tell that long tongue liar Go and tell that midnight rider Tell the rambler, the gambler, the back biter Tell 'em that God's gonna cut 'em down Tell 'em that God's gonna cut 'em down" One of his three dozen thugs suddenly fell over, clutching his ears and all but immediately falling unconscious. "Well my goodness gracious let me tell you the news My head's been wet with the midnight dew I've been down on bended knee talkin' to the man from Galilee He spoke to me in the voice so sweet" Three thugs were bowled over as if struck by a train. "I thought I heard the shuffle of the angel's feet He called my name and my heart stood still When he said, "Gabriel go do My will!"" Suddenly, the hero Gabriel was just standing there, as if daring Maestro's thugs to attack him. One brave soul raised his rifle and fired at the hero's center mass. The bullets fell crumpled and useless to the ground. Gabriel pointed his free hand, the one not holding that silvery spear, at the offending criminal. Then he moved, right as several more opened fire. That group summarily found itself utterly disoriented, some of them even attacking their fellows with their bare hands. "Go tell that long tongue liar Go and tell that midnight rider Tell the rambler, the gambler, the back biter Tell 'em that God's gonna cut 'em down Tell 'em that God's gonna cut 'em down" Each of the confused men was picked off one by one as Gabriel flitted back and forth across the impromptu battlefield, seemingly an untouchable angel of wrath. Before long, there were only six men left on the street (with the Maestro, Sonya, and four of the villains female guards left on the circle). Gabriel slowly walked toward those men, who were clearly intimidated by this point. "You can run on for a long time Run on for a long time Run on for a long time Sooner or later God'll cut you down Sooner or later God'll cut you down" One of them pulled out a massive handgun and fired, thinking its power could penetrate the armor the hero wore. Not so; even a .50 caliber round merely made him pause for a moment, smiling slightly. "Well you may throw your rock and hide your hand Workin' in the dark against your fellow man But as sure as God made black and white What's done in the dark will be brought to the light" The man with the over-large handgun was rooted in place as Gabriel methodically disabled the rest of the group one by one, moving to one side or another to dodge their fire, pointing a hand as each was tossed away like a rag doll before the implacable force of his sonic powers. Finally, that man was the only one standing. Gabriel looked at him, the judgement of an Archangel in his eyes, and the man simply dropped his gun and ran in abject terror. The hero then turned his attention to the half-wrecked platform with a frown. The four "elite guards" moved onto the street, apparently deciding to rely upon speed and martial arts abilities rather than strength and guns. A wave of the hero's hand sent one of them tumbling, but the other three moved in before he had a chance to knock them out right away. While it was obvious he didn't use fisticuffs as his primary means of dispensing justice, Gabriel gave a good accounting of himself. Most of the blows were dodged, with a couple falling uselessly upon his armor. One of them gave his head a glancing blow, but he just shook it off. He slammed an open palm into the belly of the note-festooned goonette, and she was sent several feet backwards before slumping over. "You can run on for a long time Run on for a long time Run on for a long time Sooner or later God'll cut you down Sooner or later God'll cut you down" Another of the ladies was struck in the shoulder, and suddenly froze in place for a few moments while Gabriel got some distance, before he knocked her over the same way as the others. Then, the final guard pulled out two short swords, and Gabriel concentrated on staying free of any cuts. Just this once, he'd like to avoid injury while rescuing someone. Finally, there was an opening. The spear flashed forward, but rather than the piercing head, it was the blunt end-cap that met the deadly woman's forehead, instantly knocking her for a loop, and neutralizing her as a threat. He then cast his stony gaze upon the Maestro, who by this point seemed all but ready to give up. The villain made to grab at Sonya, likely to use as a hostage, but the Russian medic simply slapped his grasp away with both of her glowing hands, which caused him to double over, fighting clear nausea. Gabriel just stepped forward, his voice rolling out the last of the song like the last peals of thunder after a storm. "Go tell that long tongue liar Go and tell that midnight rider Tell the rambler, the gambler, the back biter Tell 'em that God's gonna cut you down Tell 'em that God's gonna cut you down Tell 'em that God's gonna cut you down" With that, the spear's butt flashed forward again, striking down the "musical" villain, ending the threat. The white clad hero walked forward to the computer console clearly controlling everything, frowning as he tried to determine what did what. With a sigh, he made the spear seemingly disappear before laying both hands against the whole mechanism. "Nothing for it. Sonya, would you mind dragging his sorry self off this contraption? Shouldn't hurt him, but no need to risk it. This should just take a second." With a nod and an odd smile he didn't recognize, the medic did just that. Once they were clear of the platform, Gabriel concentrated. For several seconds, the whole structure gave an odd shudder. Then, with a final pulse of suddenly-audible sonic energy, the whole thing crumpled and fell apart. The chaos in the city slowed as people could finally speak normally again. All told, it had lasted perhaps half an hour. Gabriel floated over to the only other conscious person for several blocks, relief evident on his face. "Perhaps we should retire from here. Is there any place you would like me to take you, Miss Sokolova?" "That rooftop should be good for me to collect my wits..." She pointed at a nearby flat-top apartment building, and suddenly they were on top of it, and she finished her sentence softly. "...Carson. Thank you for the save." "You're welc-Wait. I mean. What are you talking about? I'm Gabriel." "When you wear this face, maybe. But I'd know your signing anywhere. Or rather, the way you sing Johnny Cash. What with your strange love of American Country and Western music." There was a playful grin on his face as he stuttered. "I! But! You! It's a perfectly valid form of musical expression, no better or worse than any others. I don't..." He sighs and looks around. Suddenly, he's clad in the civilian clothes he was wearing a moment ago, and engulfing the woman in a grateful hug. "I'm just glad you're alright. And...I wanted to tell you. It was just...I wasn't sure when I would be ready. When the right time would be." "It seems God's senses of humor and timing made the choice for you." "I guess so." He pulls back, concern on his face. And fear. Not just fear for her, but...fear for himself. But for what reason? "Are you...I'll understand if you don't want to keep seeing me." "Why would I do that? We've been enjoying things so far. I understand the concept of a secret identity, Carson. It doesn't sound like you were going to keep me in the dark forever. You had to be sure I was trustworthy enough to reveal this to. It makes sense. Nothing changes between us. Just now, I know why you've canceled a couple of dates." "Gang turf wars take a while to sort out." "I guess this explains why you can afford to "fly back home" so often on a college theater teacher's salary." "It has its advantages...Do you want me to take you home?" "Right after you take me to the top of that one big hill outside of town. It has a great view, yes?" A goofy grin spread across his face as he took the object of his affections in a careful grip. "Yeah. It does." And together they flew off, with songs of joy singing their way through Carson's heart, as he realized the new year was bright indeed, with no deception between himself and the woman he cared for. A new year, with new opportunities...

Update: I'll probably try to get balls rolling tomorrow. My shift at work changes this week, so while I won't have any real time in the morning, in the evening I should have more time, perhaps be more alert.

Cobalt Templar didn't need to be told twice. He'd had quite enough of this blasphemy against reality. He began to jet forward, the flamethrower in his hands disappearing, the energy that made it up swirling in the air for a few moments. "Time for my George Washington impression!" A savage grin lit his face as the fiery energy manifested as a wicked-looking weapon that trailed flames from the buzzing teeth. When he drew next to the thing which ought not to be here, he drew both arms back for a powerful swing, then brought his weapon forward, the teeth buzzing through the air like a swarm of hornets before it impacted the creature, and the flames flared at the moment of impact. "TIMBER!" boomed the young man's voice as he struck out against the foul creature.

Right, so, going to attack the Dark Young. It must be Purged! To do that... Free Action: Switch Fires of Judgement to Strike. Free Action: All-out Attack for 5: Defense is 1, Attack is 16 Power Attack for 5: Attack is 11, Toughness DC is 31 Move Action:Get next to the Dark Young. Standard Action: Melee attack! That's 26 with his Bonus. So, yeah, that hits. Toughness Save DC 31.

Heh. I might fiddle with both for a bit. I have gotten slammed with requests in Nation States to join this alliance or that.

That was my big complaint back in the day, too. I'm trying it out for a couple of weeks. If it's too balance-y, I'll probably go to the other game.

So, yeah. There's this thing called NationStates. I played it a while back in college. I'm at it again. I'm also considering Cybernations, which looks a touch more serious and involved. I'll see how much I enjoy NationStates. Anyways, let me know if you've got a nation on NS now, or if you make one...

I will be leaving early tomorrow to go to my grandparents' house in Pea Ridge, Arkansas. I'll have my phone, but the likelihood of having any G's, let alone 3 of them, is low. As such, I will be "off the grid" for the purposes of this site. I plan to drive back Monday morning, so I'll be here that afternoon, and things will settle back to normal-ish.

I don't know if I'll try running a series of threads. I don't mind others cribbing the idea, though. Right now, I'm liking the group of Gabriel, Arrowhawk, Ironclad, and either Midnight or Jack+Jill. If that's acceptable to those players, I'll see about getting other balls rolling. Won't mind a touch of help from the others in getting this thing set up, though. As for timing...It'll be after Christmas. I have work part-day tomorrow, and I'll be out of town Saturday through Monday morning/early afternoon, with no real internet access. But I'll have time for some posting after that.

Oh, I like that. It's less cliche than just straight-out superweapons like Death Stars and such, it's not "psychic, but more so!". It's got a weird sci-fi feel that fits that world.

Hm. This definitely has potential. I do like a slightly more organized approach than just "you randomly wake up in Mastermind's world". Then again, the unexpected and sudden nature of things is a plus. More thoughts on this in a moment. Part of me would really like to see Ironclad involved. Maybe it's my weakness for Battlesuits, but I think she's an interesting character to bring into play. While Wail might be fun, my gut's saying either Jack or Midnight. But I'm torn; each seems like they'd have something fun to bring to the table. Honestly, I'm not sure I'll have more than 3 other people involved, at least not in this iteration. That said, maybe this could be a springboard for similar threads? Raveled mentioned wanting to do dimensional adventures; maybe Wisp and Glowstar can rock one out with some of the Irregulars who are still active, perhaps with some other "unattached" Claremont PCs? Either hit a different target on Mastermind's world (I bet there are lots of things to try and hurt there!), or another world (Earth-Robot?)? Nothing against you. Just that I've found smaller, leaner groups flow better. Anyways, looping back to the idea for this thread. I'll list the major bits that pop out in my mind right now. *Will involve Mastermind's Earth. *Will bring together a fairly random mix of PC's, in the sense that none of them are on a team together, and while they may vaguely know each other, they haven't worked together extensively. *They are brought into this by an agent of the Resistance on Mastermind!Earth. *This agent chooses them because their alternates on Mastermind!Earth were some prominent members of the Resistance who are...well, I'm not sure what to do. Part of me wants to say "got killed or crippled", but part of me likes the idea of a rescue mission. Maybe combine the two, and have them thought to be dead, but actually are held captive by the government. The PCs end up freeing them while striking the target they were brought to assault (some sort of new super-weapon?). *The PCs are not given a choice on the matter; the agent grabs them with no warning, which gives the sense of sudden, unwanted transition. It throws some confusion in the mix, and ramps up emotions a bit. Still not sure what the target should be. Also, I might ask if someone can partner with me for running the thread. I don't want to dump it off, but I'm still a bit green at this, and I'm also having trouble cooking up details. I'm getting what seem to be good "seeds", but I wouldn't mind some help watering those seeds, you know? Thoughts?

"I'd rather not be canonized. I fought demons. I didn't do great works in the church. Any changes that happened, happened because the Pope and others wanted them to happen. At best, I simply helped remove an obstacle. And I care about them seeing me without the mask. It's the principle of the thing. Even more so if I'm not born yet; the last thing the me of this world needs is being thought of as a "second coming of a saint" or some such, when he'll probably have plenty to deal with just growing up in...growing up where he most likely will." He gave her a short smile at the paging comment. "That's fair enough, though a bit crude. As for the punishment...that's something, at least." He moved himself to a full sitting position and smiled at the food. "Looks good, all told." 'Not Ma's bangers and mash, but what am I gonna do?' With that amused thought, he dug in heartily to the meal.

Raveled: I had actually thought Ironclad would be a good fit, but I guess she's not quite "up to snuff"? Part of me had hoped for a "gearhead" in the group (or more than one!). Up to you, though. Ecal: Actually, that would be pretty fun for a whole lot of reasons. If nothing else, Gabriel and Arrowhawk could bond over mutual mocking of the English! :D

So, I had tossed this idea out in chat a few days ago. It's based on what scraps of a dream I remembered that morning, and then morphed a bit. Basically, taking the idea of "totalitarian military takeover of the country, but I have the power to fight back" (in the dream I had Blue Beetle's armor, but that's obviously not really an option here), and fitting it into our setting. Step 1: take Mastermind's world. Step 2: Offhand, idea is to send a small, semi-random group of heroes to said world. Method unsure at this time. That seems easier than trying to deal with an attempted takeover into our dimension. Unless maybe Mastermind's world goes to a "third party" world that's go no supers of its own. That has some potential of its own. Not sure yet. Figure I might need some Ref go-ahead here. Step 3: Heroes work to stop incursion (if in a dimension other than Mastermind's world), or spend some time evading the authorities while working to, if not topple the system, at least give a small edge to the Resistance (if in Mastermind's world). Step 4: Profit? As for heroes: I think 3-5 would be good. I'm hoping to use Gabriel (he's in need of some thread love). As a reminder, he's a PL14 (soon to be 15) who's at PL13 combat caps. People who can "bat in the same league" seem like a good choice. Another thing to consider would be that they could, hopefully, do a bit of subtle work. That is, they can move around in civilian identity with little trouble, and perhaps do some fast-talking to keep the authorities off their back. I will be honest: I've got the seed of an idea here, but nothing concrete yet. I know Raveled and Trollthumper expressed some interest, so if they're still up for it I'll try to save them a spot. Beyond that, I do want this to be a grouping that hasn't really happened before, to keep things fresh.

"I've yet to not feel satisified with the caution I display vis-Ã -vis my identity. No mortal offense meant to my hosts, mind. I suppose the time differential will have to suffice. Urgh. This is going to be sore for a while, even if I visit one of my healer friends for a follow-up." He gave Carrie a half-smile. "Thanks for dragging my carcass over here. Glad to hear the Pope is well, and just as glad that most of those captured are well again." His mood grew more somber as he heard the fate of the Inquisition and its members. "I hope the Pope does not make the same mistakes of secrecy and harsh punishments the Inquisition made. Stripping their power and imprisoning most of them seems sufficient to me. I cannot speak to capital punishment, as it is not part of the Church back home. And excommunication is...I suppose it is within the rights of the Pope's powers. Nothing to be done for it." For all his anger at what had been wrought by this world's Inquisition, it was clear Gabriel still had a spot of mercy in his heart for them, and didn't necessarily agree with the excommunication. 'Nothing to be done for it. I think I just want to leave this blasted dimension already. Get back to a world where England is in its proper place, and the Church has a better grasp of what it's supposed to do.'

At some point not long before the serious medical treatment had started, Gabriel's costume had simply vanished, leaving him in plain clothes (which had likely been replaced once or twice by this point). So he probably looked odd, a mask covering his face, wearing whatever had been slapped on him by the British. He stirred, groaning in pain as unconsciousness faded, and his injuries asserted themselves. Slowly, carefully, he leveraged himself into a half-sitting position, propped up on his pillow. His eyes opened almost agonizingly slow as he adjusted to light. He frowned, and slowly felt the crude mask over his face, before sighing. "I guess it was inevitable someone would see, since we couldn't get back to Fleur de Joie very easily. So long as they've sworn not to talk." He looked to Carrie, his face solemn. "What's the state of things here in Rome? The Pope wasn't harmed, was he?"

"Huh. Never seen that before." Cobalt Templar didn't seem overly disturbed by the creature's presence or appearance. Sure it wasn't pleasant to look at, but he'd seen plenty that was worse. Also, it didn't seem to have much intelligence, which could hopefully work in their favor... He nodded with a small smile as the others went to work, blinding and trapping the creature before Sharl gave it a healthy blow. Cobalt Templar himself took a few steps forward, his hands gripping first air, and then a rough, menacing weapon that had a bit of flame licking out of the end. He stopped and took aim, keeping his firing line clear of anyone else. "Hope you can take the heat alongside the cold." For a moment, a line of bright blue fire connected the young hero and the creature, yet the temperature in the room never wavered. The armored hero cut the attack after a couple of seconds, seemingly satisfied with the hit. 'Hopefully we can take care of this thing before the Headmistress gets here.'

Hm. So we've got a flesh-tree from beyond the gates of madness, and the gal running the school is a crazy flesh-warping monstrosity who likely worships the Thing Which Should Not Be. And Young Freedom is caught in the middle. Sounds like a Tuesday to me. Move Action: Move forward a bit so that a.)CT has a clear line of fire, and b.)he may attract the thing's attention without getting teammates in the way. Free Action: Set Fires of Judgement Array to his Blast. Standard Acton: Attack the Dark Young! And...14. Joy. EDIT: Apparently, that hits! DC 26 Toughness Save. For what it's worth, Descriptors in play are Magic, Holy, and Fire.

Gabriel gasped as the swords found their way around his normally agile maneuvers, around his blessed armor, and bit into his flesh. Any one of the wounds would barely have checked him. But he was struck by many, and even a great man is still, in the end, just a man. So it was, that as the demons mocked him, he slumped, barely holding himself up with the spear. Blood ran down his face, its bitter taste biting at his tongue; it rand down his arms, making his hands slippery. The essence of his body's life ran in thin tracks down the silvery sheen of his armor, before finally falling to the rough ground beneath him. The words of the demons bit even deeper than the swords. 'They are right. I have failed. My hubris will cost this world dearly. I can only hope others...rise up to the challenge.' He didn't really notice Carrie's work against the corrupted protectors of the Holy Church. Instead, he murmured to himself. "Lord, into thy hands I commit my spirit. Forgive me my sins, and let me do one last work on this Earth to defend the defenseless..." His eyes widened and his breath caught as the arrows flew forward, striking two of the beasts down. He turned, taking a moment to register the presence of the Bishop of Rome, even if it wasn't "his" Rome. He was here? In such a dangerous, unholy place? He narrowed his eyes as he faced the demons again. The spear disappeared, suddenly a ring on his hand again. For just a moment, he stood tall, and Gabriel took a deep breath, his broken ribs sending agony screaming through his chest. He didn't stop; he used the pain, channeled it into this moment. His cheeks bulged just a bit, his brow furrowed. Then, he SCREAMED. It was a sound like that of an archangel calling for war. It shattered the stone floor in front of him, and slammed into the remaining demons like a veritable line of battle from ancient times, slashing and pounding them all at once. The hero in stained white and silver gave a soft smile...and slowly fell, first to his knees, then face-first onto the floor, blood beginning to pool beneath his body as his breath rattled dangerously in his chest. He'd given that last defiant shout his all, and it showed.

So, yeah, on principle, I'm doing this. First, I'm going to assume the demons are basically in front of Gabriel, rather than all around him. Next, we're going to go with the fact that Gabriel is a staunch Catholic, and apparently the Pope himself is now in this room. Which means these demons need to be gone, and gone yesterday. So on the advice of chat (mainly Shaen), here is the series of things that happens. Free Action: Extraordinary Effort. One part is to Stunt a power (described in a moment), the other is to Surge for an extra action (since Staggered and Disabled would normally curtail what he could do). Now, for that power stunt.... Start with Rank 13 Corrosion for 39PP. Add the Area extra. We'll go with a General Cone. But that bumps us up to 52pp for the stunt, and he has only 26! So first we'll take the Action: Full Round flaw (hence the Surge above) to knock it back down to 39. Then we'll add Tiring, and bring it down to 26pp. Now he can pay for it (oh, how he'll pay). So, in order, that will be: A DC 23 Reflex Save for half effect. A DC 23 Fortitude save against a Rank 13 Drain Toughness A DC 28 Toughness Save. The Cone is aimed at the Demons, and only the demons. ...Oh, and Gabriel will then drop Unconscious and hit Dying, though free Diehard means he stabilizes.

Lots of rolls. First, Toughness. I'm going to do a couple sets of 5 or so, instead of 1 big set, in case I need to start deducting due to injuries. 14 is the first result. So that's a Dazed, and now 2 Injured and 2 Bruised (total). That makes the 2nd save a 25 (minus 1 for the new Injury). All further rolls will each account for his injuries as they stack. Then a 18; that's another Bruise and Injury, for 3 of each. A (now) 13, which is....Dazed and then Injured/Bruised. That's 4 Then 13 again. So, up to 5 Injured/Bruised. Oh, and...re-dazed. Time for 5 more saves. This is no better. 15 gives Dazed and Bruised/Injured. That's up to 5 there. 14 gives the same, up to 6. 10 is a Staggered, Disabled, and Dazed, but hey, no loss to Toughness at least! 27 (even after the misses) makes it. 13 is just high enough he doesn't drop (for the moment, but he refreshes Daze is and is down a total of 7, so he's at +6 out of +13. I'm going to roll the last 3 1 by 1. 21. Which is...not quite enough. So, down to a +5 Toughness on both tracks. 20 is also not enough. Down to +4 9. That's it, Hero Point Reroll. 9 again?. Ugh, well, that's "only" 19, so...another Bruise/Injury. He's taken 10 Bruises/Injuries, leaving him with a +3 Toughness at the moment. He is also Staggered, Disabled, and Dazed. Now for 3 Will Saves. Looks like he'll be at +15 DC 29: 24. DC 33: 33. DC 17: 27. So he failed on the first one. He takes a -2 to all his attacks and checks for a round. I'll try to figure out something for his actual round in a bit.