KnightDisciple

Doktor'd 10/30/2011 Cobalt Templar 11PP to spend. Step 1: Remove "Attack Specialization (Holy Fire Control)" from Feats (making that only 6PP on feats). Increase his Base Attack to 11 with the now 12 PP available (current base is 5, add 6, which costs 12pp, and we have 11, he's at PL11 caps then). Now, remove Accurate 2 from Holy Fire Control 11. Add 2 more ranks of Alternate Power, making it Alternate Power 3. So the overall points there don't change. First Alternate Power: [b]Growth 4 ([/b]9ft height, 10ft reach, Large size, [i]Flaw[/i]: Dispersal[b])[/b] [4PP] + [b]Linked Power[/b] [b]Density 3 ([/b]+6 Str, Immovable 1, Super-Strength 1, Mass x2, Flaw: No Toughness Increase[b])[/b] [6pp] In that form, he'd have Immovable 1, Large size (9ft height, 10ft reach), Super-Strength 8, and Strength 32 (+11 bonus). That would put him at caps with an Unarmed Attack in that mode. Second Alternate Power will be [b]Damage 11 ([/b][i]Extra[/i]: Area [Targeted], Shapeable (11 5ft cubes)[b])[/b] Right. All PP overall spent, and no unspent points in his Device. Doktor'd 10/30/2011

"Defining person-hood as being a human like us is a bit harsh, don't you think? And technically, they're apes. Kind of like us. But Sharl hit the high points of what sets this world apart." Corbin's serious tone was belied just a touch by his slight grin, though as they moved closer to the settlement, that grin faded. The obviously poor nature of the peasants' lives unsettled him a bit. At the same time, they weren't here to spark a revolution; trying to set one off and then leave would end badly. They had to focus on retrieval. Corbin gave a polite bow as the knight greeted them. "Greetings, Sir Connor. We thank you for your assistance, and apologize for any distress our presence, or that of our comrades, may have caused you and your people. " He lapsed into silence as he followed along, glancing around as they moved on toward the castle.

Doktor'd 10/30/2011 Gabriel Sadly not a lot to spend here (only 5pp), but it's time to go ahead and spend it. First, I want to add 1 feat: Ultimate Diplomacy (That makes 20PP even in Feats) Then, I think I'll go ahead and boost one of his powers. 4PP into Enhanced Charisma, making it Enhanced Charisma 24 That gives us Charisma: 44/20 (+17/+5) And Bluff 10 (+27/+15)Skill Mastery Diplomacy 10 (+27/+15)Skill Mastery Gather Information 10 (+27/+15)Skill Mastery Intimidate 10 (+27/+15)Skill Mastery Perform (Acting) 8 (+24/+13) Perform (Wind Instruments) 8 (+25/+13) All PP spent for Gabriel. Doktor'd 10/30/2011

"The British wouldn't do something that had such a strong possibility of implicating themselves. And the Church...as a single unit, I find it doubtful it would undertake such measures. Some radical splinter group is possible, though an unpleasant thought." His expression went first to surprise, then to actual annoyance as Carrie stated (not asked, stated!) that she was going to break into the Vatican (dimensional differences did not matter). He looked her right in the eyes, and suddenly only Carrie could hear him; her only tip-off that he was using his powers was the fact that his lips didn't seem to move at all. "Carrie, I've been pretty flexible on this "trip" of ours, mostly because I've accepted that this world is not ours, and we may need to step differently. But I don't think we've so thoroughly exhausted our options that we must jump directly to breaking and entering, whatever the means. That you would be doing so in the Vatican itself, a place millions, probably billions, on this world consider a holy place, and that I myself hold in no small amount of reverence, is simply insult on injury. We have been here for perhaps a couple of hours. Yes, it might be easier for you now, because we approach night time. But I refuse to believe it is our only and best option. Could we not wait until the morning, when I could speak to the priests? I am sure I could phrase the questions gently, so that we do not warn these theoretical perpetrators before we gain some clues for our investigation. You might be shocked the doors soft, sincere words might open."

Corbin noticed the line, and barely managed to keep from blanching. The slight frown that tugged at his face was likely visible, though. He whispered in Hebrew under his breath. "~Blake you idiot, I should kick your rear end halfway to California.~" He sighed and ran a hand through his own hair. "No, that's a fair request. I would probably have kept him busy and away anyways, for a little while. How about...how about you communicate to me when you're ready to speak with him. I'm already playing guest and go-between now; a while longer won't hurt me. For what it's worth, I'm sorry if I inadvertently helped him along the path to...ending up where he is now. And I promise you, no matter what, I'll do everything I can to try and help him get back on track with his life. I...I think it's about all I can do for him."

Cobalt Templar stood next to Glowstar, one eyebrow raised as he watched the side-show and kept an eye on their "guests" alongside Glowstar. At the other heroes' question, he laughed. "I dunno. If we leave the criminals to the "responsible adults" and fly really fast, we should only be a little late for lunch. I think I read a review of a place not too far that's on our way, and almost as good as where you were." His stomach chose that moment to growl like an angry polar bear.

Gabriel gave an understanding nod. "Hm. Fits with the tone I've been getting. Seems like most of these disappearances have been happening in Italy, especially near here. Not a total shock, but outside confirmation is good. What is news is that a lot of them don't get reported, or at least not quickly; they're often "undesirable" individuals, whatever that means. Seems like opinion is split on whether it's the Church, or the Brits framing the Church. Either way, everyone's really, really nervous." He glanced around, uncertainty on his face. "Honestly, I can't say for sure which option I find more plausible, but experience tells me it may be whoever's behind curtain number three."

Gabriel knew, going in, that this wouldn't be as easy as casing the streets back home. The people here didn't know him, hadn't seen him work, had no real knowledge of heroes (especially the super sort), and generally seemed afraid of a lot of things. Instead of anger, he mostly just felt sad, seeing so many innocents living in a double layer of fear. They feared the Church's power over them in everyday life, and they feared these disappearances. Still, Gabriel got along fairly well after a few minutes. He found his biggest advantage was the rather blatant symbolism all over his costume, combined with speaking gently to the rather frightened people all around. While most referred to those kidnapped as "others", they worried they might end up as "others". He was also concerned by the idea of "undesirables" being formalized by the Church. Just as worrying, though, was the fact that this whole series of events seemed tailor-made to instigate trouble between Britain and the Vatican. Deciding he needed to convene with his impromptu partner, Gabriel headed back to where they'd started out, resisting the urge to fly about. He did stop once or twice to listen hard, though, to see if he could catch wind of her location.

I'll get something up post haste. EDIT: Some explanation of "undesirables" would be appreciated. EDIT 2: He activates his Extended Hearing twice as he walks back to where they split ways, with the goal being to locate Carrie.

"Practice makes perfect, Koshiro. Headmaster figures it's better we screw up in here, than out in the field." With a shrug and a flash of blue light, he was dressed as Cobalt Templar, not Corbin Hughes. He and the others were quickly in the room and watching as the world resolved around them. He pondered their instructions as he looked around. "Earth-Ape. For rather obvious reasons. Hm. Looks like they utilize a feudalistic system. Probably best not to poke the hornet's nest on that one, tempting as it might be for all of us." His wry grin showed the others he was considering himself in that statement. "Okay. They won't freak out when they see us. First goal is definitely the crew, but the plane is top priority as well. I'm thinking we go in calmly, peaceful-like. Talk to whoever's in charge, find out how we can get out guys back. Sharl, worst case, you might have to see about getting the plane mobile via hacking into its computers or something. I'd rather avoid that, though." He turned to look at the other two with a grin. "Thoughts? Ideas? Suggestions? Snark you ought to get out of your system now?"

The rather rapid change in Bastion, from "eager new hero" to "gigantic horror-inducing building-destroying monster" shocked Cobalt Templar for a few seconds. But as Sharl bellowed for Papercut to focus his attacks, and Sage moved to keep the monster distracted, he snapped into action. His fists still coated in the same burning, crackling energy, he shot through the air and aimed himself for an area that vaguely resembled the head on the beast. Once there, he let forth two mighty punches, one from each hand, giving a wordless cry of challenge before activating his commlink. "Come on, Young Freedom! We can do this!"

So this guy is big, pretty tough...but super-easy to hit. Right then. Move Action: Get up next to Bastion-thulu Free Action: All-Out Attack 5: Defense is 1, Attack is 16 Power Attack 5: Attack is 11, DC is 31 Standard Action: Melee Attack the big guy. I think this is fully twice what I need. DC 31 Toughness Save And since this is OMGCTHULUBASTION, I'll Surge for another Attack. This should hit too. So, DC 31 Toughness Save. That'll be 1 less HP by the next round.

The look the large ring-bearer gave Sharl was mostly puzzlement, with perhaps a touch of annoyance. "Okay, I'll let the "artists and stuff" crack slide, despite being one myself. And there's nothing wrong with books, paper, and pencils. Shockingly enough, millions and millions of highly intelligent people learn just fine with them every day, and have for centuries. While I know they're looking into electronic learning aids, keep in mind we've had household computers for approximately 40 years or so, at least at the price most people can afford. And even then, tablet readers are way too expensive for almost any school to have anyways. And while Claremont has a good budget, it's not infinite. Consider the wear and tear some of us would end up putting on tablets; I bet it's more cost-effective to use normal teaching materials still."

"Good. While it's interesting to see you making me look like a lightweight in a fight, it doesn't help us much for preparing for future fights. Seems like having you and Kimber able to walk through walls in fights has been pretty handy so far; practicing it should make it handier." Corbin somewhat awkwardly slid his hands in his pockets and glanced around, nodding at Sharl's words. "Hm. Probably not too long. The history classes here are pretty easy." Seeing as Corbin knows a couple of ancient languages and has an excellent chance of ending up a world-renowned archaeologist of the Mediterranean section of the world, that sentence might be a touch subjective. "Classes going okay for you?"

Corbin was unsure of what he felt about this upcoming training session. On the one hand, he wanted a chance to do something other than just fight villains. Frankly, a change of pace was welcome. But while he knew this wasn't combat training, Summers hadn't elaborated on all the fine details, and that left him a bit un-nerved. Also, while he tried to get along with everyone in Young Freedom, the two teammates he was assigned to today were probably the two he had the most trouble getting along with outside of a fight. It was his fault as much as anyone's, but that didn't change the discomfort he felt. 'Probably the whole point, as far as the Headmaster is concerned. Wants us to get some "male bonding" done or something.' He walked up to Sharl, still dressed casually for the moment. He glanced at the trophies on the wall, having seen them several times before. They looked nice, but Corbin knew who the best team in Claremont was, no contest. "Hey Sharl. How's it going?"

Skill Mastery gives me an auto-35 on Gather Information.

Cobalt Templar was worried that they had a shooter (quite probably Orion, this group being what it was) on the scene as well. Thankfully, Sharl was quick to jump on that issue, while Koshiro was taking the initiative to clear the roads up. He glanced toward Eve before looking back to Kimber and Indira. "Wraith! Ghost Girl! Let's keep the pressure up on this witch before we mop up Devil Ray, then go help Citizen!" Taking his own advice, Cobalt Templar streaked through the air, pulling back his right fist for a devastating punch that was enhanced by blue fire-lightning swirling around it. The strike roared in directly at Medea's face. "Parents taught me not to hit a lady, but you're not even trailer trash! We'll make sure your ugly self gets locked up for a long time!"

Hm. Let's see. Medea's hurting, but not lacking in defense. Ah, what the heck, why not. Free Action: All-Out Attack 5: Defense is 1, Attack is 16 Power Attack 5: Attack is 11, Save DC is 31 Move Action: Fly right next to Medea Free Action: Change Holy Fire Control to Strike power Standard Action: Melee Attack 21, not quite enough. Hero Point for ReRoll! 29 hits. DC 31 Toughness Save.

At AA's suggestion, I think I'll organize a Young Freedom 2.0 thread where they all go to a concert. Probably purely social, so the kids can all work on getting to know each other outside of a fight. YF crew, you like the idea? If so, any votes on what genre of music they go to a concert for?

"That just gives me all the more reason to be an example to people." He lapsed into silences as they left the building and climbed into the carriage. He let his gaze cast over Rome, that ancient city that he somehow hadn't quite managed to visit yet in his home dimension. It was amazing...but there was something about the city that didn't sit quite well with him. 'This whole planet, proof that the Chruch shouldn't hold such power over nations. Its power should be reserved for spreading the Gospel, nothing like this...' Still, when they climbed out into Saint Peter's Square, there was something about stepping foot here that brought a smile to his face. "Bit of irony, I suppose. I think I'll make a point to visit back home once this is done...Anyways, did we have a particular destination in mind?"

"Free coffee is free, and I'm not the caffeine snob Trevor is." He sipped in silence for a few moments, considering his words as Jessica spoke. "I see. I'll leave the card with the number here. And it's not like adults don't get...ideas...about these sorts of things sometimes. It's probably good you guys aren't rooming together for a bit anyways. I kind of thought it was sudden, myself." He looked at her, his eyes unreadable. "For what it's worth, he only told me earlier in the day. I advised him to tell you ASAP, though I didn't expect a, ah, "midnight revelation". His heart's in the right place. Blake just...I think he gets hyper-focused sometimes. He got caught up in being a super-cool mystic...it felt like he'd practically ditched being a student, or a teen, or even my friend to a degree. Not saying I just want him living in my house, but...Maybe in a week or two, you and he can sit down. Talk about things with cool heads. That'll give you time to re-settle around here, and him time to get his behind situated at school. With Summers watching him like a hawk." There was a ghost of a smile showing as he took another sip. "He's got a thick skull, but it's part of his charm. Not telling you what to do. Just suggesting. I think Quo-Dis was even more up in arms about it than you..." He frowned slightly at the last sentence.

"It sounds like what this world really lacks is heroes. Well, maybe it's time we showed them one. I'm not backing down on this. I won't be ashamed of my outfit. Of being a powered hero. I was given this power by the Archangel Gavriel. I'm the next best thing to an Earth-bound angel, and I say that having spent time with one. This culture, this world, needs a kick in the pants. It needs a light on the hill. If I end up being that light, all the better. Besides, I'd almost stick out more trying to dress "normal", but wearing a scarf and mask. I appreciate that you're helping me blend in, but in this case, I don't think it will matter much. So let's focus on moving forward." 'I wonder if I could slip over to Ireland once we're done, and see what the homeland is like? Maybe they just need a bit of inspiration to get the whole "freedom" thing rolling...'

As he walked in, the large teenager changed back into his civilian outfit, unconcerned with someone seeing. Jessica likely valued her privacy quite a bit. He gave her a slight smile. "Between my size, metabolism, some of the effects of my ring, and the fact I got less sleep than I would have liked, I don't think a cup would hurt. If you don't mind, that is." He grew serious, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'm here to arrange for Blake's things to be moved out of your apartment in an orderly fashion. I have the name and number of a discrete moving firm that will come by and take it out of here, moving some to my parents' home for now, while the rest goes to Claremont, where I'm sure Blake will be living until he's finished school. I've come by to ensure this is an orderly process, and that there are no...misunderstandings about the disposition of these materials." His tone was dispassionate, clinical even. It was telling that he seemed ambiguous on what sort of relationship Blake and Jessica might have in the future. Further, Jessica wouldn't be able to tell his thoughts one way or the other on the whole situation, at least not for the moment.

Corbin smiled and gave Blake one more encouraging pat on the back before he headed out to the lawn in front of the school's office. Then, in a flash of blue fire, he was clad in his Cobalt Templar outfit, and was quickly airborne. "<Wish me luck, love. I'm hoping this goes smoothly.>" ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It was just a couple of minutes later that Corbin was landing on an exterior balcony to Jessica's large penthouse apartment. He calmly walked up to the nearby patio door and knocked on the frame, calling out in a loud and clear voice. "Jessica? It's Corbin. We need to talk. I'm here by myself for the moment."

Notice 16.