KnightDisciple

Gabriel's face twisted not into a scowl, or a frown, but a snarl of raw anger and hatred. "You dare come here, to cause havoc and death? You dare come here, and try to wile your way past us with your lies, attempting to prey upon our fears?" His voice dropped an octave, and gained an odd reverb. "You speak of songs of ending? I have a different song for you! Taste a fraction of the power of the Song That Sung The World Into Being!" With a muted roar, sonic energy tore from Gabriel's hands, lashing against the oily creature of darkness and decay. "Begone from here! You have no place here! You are not welcome! Begone before we strike you down utterly!"

Okay then. Gabriel's gonna shoot it with my Blast. Which I had stored up. So, that'll be a 29 to hit. Pretty sure we're good there. DC 27 Toughness Save.

Gabriel's muscles were groaning in protest as he flew over and grabbed the man dancing on the ledge. Somehow, he kept a tight grasp on him, even as this man was also harmlessly paralyzed. It took him almost a minute to fly down and set the man next to the first person he'd rescued. He then walked over and took a few deep breaths, trying to catch his second wind. It was about that time he noticed the other heroes present, and gave them all a wave and a nod. "Thanks for pitching in, everyone. I, whew, don't know if I could have gotten to all of them myself. Not in time, anyways." A deep frown was upon his face. "So what the heck's doing this?"

Sounds fine to me. Initiative: 8. Guess I can go last. :?

"You've been very helpful sir. Just head right for the front exit, and the authorities will be able to help you from there. We-" Gabriel stopped as Jack suddenly yelled out about poison. When he next spoke, his voice was suddenly hard, like steel. "Get moving. Now." The undertones of authority were subtle but unmistakable. Gabriel eyed the glass leading out of the booth for a moment before shaking his head and making a remark to Nick. "Probably shouldn't bust the glass. Long way for us." With that, he hovered off the ground and flew carefully down the stairs, thought not fast enough to hit anything. Sonic energy hummed around his arms, leashed and ready for the right moment. It wasn't long before he was gliding through the door into the theater, his eyes squinting in the gloom. "Lord preserve us..." he murmured into the shadows.

Gabriel normally tried to stick to "his territory" in Southside, especially when the sun was going down. There was always plenty to do. But today, he'd had a strange combination of whim and gut instinct to widen his routes. So it was that he ended up being nearby when the screaming and honking started. It didn't take him more than a couple of seconds to buzz over to the scene. His eyes narrowed. 'Gut instinct, or divine direction? Guess that's one reason I've got the job...' In a blur, he was flying down to the man dancing in the middle of the street. He wasn't the strongest person in the city, but seeing an innocent in danger gave him a surge of strength. He flew down, grabbed the man in a bear hug, and had them over on the side of the road (and not so coincidentally, near the man climbing the wall) within a few seconds. "Sorry sir, but you'll have to sit tight for a bit until you regain your senses." With that, Gabriel sent a pulse of sonic energy into the man, locking up his whole body as he let him go and strode a few paces away, trying to get a better idea of what all might be going on. That's when he noticed the man dancing on the ledge of another building. Uttering a curse under his breath, he flew towards the man, hoping to bring him to ground level (and perhaps immobilize him as well).

Notice 22.

"Yeah, well, "just a kid" doesn't mean some of us don't take on some nasty characters. And the whole point of being a teenager is starting to take the steps towards independence. Just saying "so and so is awesome and takes care of me" won't work forever. Claremont's nice because it's not quite college or the "real world", but having on-site dorms means you're not just living at home, either. It's good to hear Miss Americana's helping you out, though. And sure we have visitors, though it's not willy-nilly. It's not "locked down" by any means, and it's definitely not military. Except maybe physical education class, and a couple of the sessions on using powers. It's got rules, but really, any place has rules."

Okay, so. Here's what I'd like to do. Let me know how you want to split this up, post-wise. Gabriel's gonna fly down and grab the guy who's in the middle of traffic. His Array will be on Flight, though he'll be moving at only about Flight 3 or so (fast enough to get out of the way, slow enough to not kill the guy). However, his Strength is only 12, and Troll said this guy was about 170. Too heavy for a Heavy Load (which is what I need to move this guy out of danger ASAP). Thus, I will use Extra Effort to give him an effective Strength 17, which definitely lets me carry the guy. I'm guessing I'll need a Touch Attack and then a Grapple Check. So... Touch attack 15. Since this seems to be a PL1 civilian, I'm guessing that's sufficient. Grapple Check 27. Since we're not in rounds, just say I spend the Hero Point to remove the fatigue. That said, I would gently postulate this could invoke my Shepherd of the Flock Complication, since Gabriel's flying down into moving traffic to save this guy. If TT concedes, that basically puts him back at starting Hero Points (which would be 5). Also, if possible, once we're on the sidewalk, this guy's getting Paralyzed. DC 22 Will Save. I can change this around if necessary.

Notice check: 14. Ugh.

*Tags for later*

Bernhard and Magda nod. "We will do these things as soon as we can. We will leave arrangements up to Magnus, so we can get the rest you suggest." Magda, barely fighting back more tears, smiles at them over the video link. "You have given us hope. Thank you. Both of you." Bernhard only nods. Little Eira waves with a big gap-toothed grin. "Bye bye for now Uncle Magnus! Thank you Miss A!" Magnus, having marginally better control over himself, just smiles and waves back. It is only when the video link ends that he closes his eyes and allows the tears of joy to flow. "Thank you for the hope you have given us. I promise you now: Whatever price you ask, I will pay, if it is within my power to do so. Whatever you ask of me, if I am able, I will do."

"Sidekick, huh? Ever thought about asking to get upgraded to "partner", at least? Or maybe strike out on your own for a while? Then again, I don't really know Miss Americana. I know of her; it's hard not to in this town. It's good that she's helping you with your education. As for socializing? It's...hm. It has its good and bad points. You can make friends, hang out with them, do a whole bunch of stuff that ends up more fun with others. But some of your peers end up being...well, there's almost always someone you don't get along with if you've got a big group. Human nature, I suppose. But that's where your friends come into play; they'll back you up, and Claremont's class structure means you're not stuck with your...hm. The people you're less fond of, we'll say. You're not stuck with them 24/7 or anything."

Gabriel heard the cries of terror and was swift on Nick's heels, floating about the stairs and such. He frowned at the poor man's panicked reactions. 'Not just panicked. Terrified.' He closed his eyes for a moment, not relishing what he was about to do...But this man needed to calm down. The hero clad in white let his feet touch the floor, stepping slowly into the room with his hands spread in a gesture of non-aggression. When he spoke, his voice was calm, warm, friendly. The man might not consciously realize it, but in his bones he'd feel waves of soothing calm rolling off the figure in white in front of him. "Hey. Take it easy, friend. We're here to help. All of us. Nick's not going to hurt you. Neither is Jack. We want to get you safely out of here. We believe you. It's okay now." He walked forward a bit and crouched to eye level, just a few few away from the man. "Just take a few deep breaths. Give yourself a moment. That's it. Now, just give us a quick bit on what came out of the film while we take you outside. It's safe out there. There's no need to worry."

Gabriel's gonna move up there and use Emotion Control to instill Calm in the guy. Will Save DC 22.

"My name is Corbin Hughes. I came to this auto shop unaware of its more...exotic...nature. I was driving a blue Mercedes-Benz sedan. I have the man who I assume is the owner of this location with me. There are several presumably criminal men outside. Let me see if he can speak on the phone." With that, Corbin covers the mouthpiece and turns to Push, his expression somewhat desperate. "Uh...Would you mind talking to this guy?"

Cobalt Templar blinked at the sudden attack by the small Model T. He couldn't help but smirk as it smashed against Wander. He outright smiled when the last member of the gang surrendered. "Drop all weapons on your person on the ground, nice and slow. Then move over next to the others, and do the same with any weaponry they have. Then just wait." Once these instructions were followed, CT would manifest a semi-translucent shell over the three members of the Toon Gang, with a few small openings near the top that would serve as air holes. Otherwise, it was a smooth, solid surface that should trap them rather effectively. It shouldn't escape the notice of his companions that he still carries his conjured weapon, ready to strike at any additional threats at a moment's notice. "As for singing, squealing, talking, or anything like that, I think we'll let the police decide if you will or won't."

"Hn. Lucky you, seems like." Corbin was studying the monitors with a frown. "There's a lot of them out there. Let's hope they're all dumb." When his host begins giving instructions, Corbin nods and strides over to the radio. He takes a moment to simply study the interface, before nodding and making the directed adjustments. "Yes, I'd like to speak to Mr. Black, please."

"Hm. Definitely not a friendly welcome. Whatever it is, it wants us off-balance. Reluctant. Scared. Let's not give it what it wants." Gabriel's face was calm, resolute. While certainly odd, the strange voice from the phone wasn't the worst thing he'd seen. He made sure the image of that desecrated church, forever scarred into his mind, didn't have much time at the forefront. "Wander's got the right idea, folks. Now, say it with me. 'We ain't afraid of no ghost'." He gave the group a smirk and a wink, before settling into a calm mood as he followed a bit behind Wander, ready to give her ranged supporting fire, if it came to that.

Little Eira suddenly smiled brightly. She was missing one of her top front teeth, in a cute display of normality for a girl her age. Perhaps one of the few she had left. "Well, if I can eat ice cream and ride ponies at least, that's good. You sound like you know what you're doing, Miss A. I wanna feel better." Bernhard and Magda had clearly warmed to this charming American woman, and couldn't deny the allure of what she was proposing. Magnus was clearly relieved, almost happy, at the prospect of saving his beloved cousin, despite the rather unorthodox method. "What is our next step, Miss Americana? What do you need from us at this time?"

"Event at Claremont, it can be difficult at times. Perhaps even more than at other schools. The teacher there know the extra demands placed on us, but still expect excellent schoolwork. Not that I blame them; a bunch of people with superpowers who happen to be poorly educated sounds like a recipe for disaster." He gives a dramatic shudder. "But yes, there are other heroes at Claremont. Mostly heroes-in-training; that's kind of the purpose of the school. For people like you and me to learn not only history, science, and math, but also how to control our powers, and use them responsibly."

Gabriel chuckled as he, Nick, and Jack engaged in a bit of pre-adventure banter. The chuckle died on his lips when he got a good whiff of the scent in the theater. His smile fell away, replaced by an entirely serious expression. For just a moment, his mind pictured a street in Southside, teeming with chattering undead. Another moment, and he saw the body of a young man, cut down before his time for a dark ritual. Both images were quickly suppressed by his mind, as steely resolve made its way to the forefront. His hands flexed and unflexed, subtle waves of sonic energy flowing across his fingers. "Yet another sign this isn't Casper the friendly ghost. This is pretty potent. I'm not sure I could just talk this ghost down; I suppose we'll have to see when it comes to that."

The little girl sat there for a long time, clearly thinking hard about this. "I think I want you to make me a new body, Miss A. I don't like feeling sick all the time. I don't like seeing Mama and Pappa and Uncle Magnus worried. And your sidekick sounds cool. I think he would be alright to spend time with." She mad this delcaration with the gravitas only a nine-year-old girl could. The other adults couldn't help the smiles on their faces. "I do have a couple questions, though. Could I eat ice cream in this new body? Could I still ride a pony? Could I fly?" All questions seemed equally important to her.

At first, Bernhard, a giant of a man who looks like nothing so much as a Viking stuffed in modern casual wear, seemed defiant, unwilling to accept what was being told to him. But as Miss Americana's gentle tones continued to lay out reality before him, he seemed to deflate, all the energy leaving his presence. Magda, a woman who seemed tiny in comparison, nodded and simply listened. But both Miss A and Magnus could tell she was listening. And thinking. When Miss Americana was done, the two rooms linked by electronic display were silent for a long time. Finally, Magda broke the silence. "We'll do it. God have mercy, but we'll do it." "Magda-" "It's a better chance than anything else we've been shown. Would you rather she wither in some life support chamber, cut off from everything? At least this way she'll feel the sun on her face." "It's just...it's risky." "As opposed to just letting her die? No. We will save our little Eira, and she will live life. Even if her bones become metal." "You...yes. Please, Miss American. Save my little girl." Magnus gently cleared his throat. "It's good to have your consent, but perhaps we should bring Eira into this conversation. At least some measure of this should be her decision." "Yes, hold on." A "screensaver" came on, and it was clear the parents were moving to another room. It wasn't long before the screen winked to life, this time with Magda and Bernhard flanking a hospital bed. A bed that held a little pale girl, her blond hair lying limp upon the pillow, a breathing tube stuck in her nose, multiple wires leading off of her body, and an overall sunken appearance that spoke of months of medical hardship. Despite this, there was a smile on her face. "Uncle Magnus, you found a lady superhero! And she wants to help me?" Magnus barely managed to keep from audibly choking back a sob. As it was he smiled as best he could and nodded at the girl. "Yes, Little One. She wants to help you. To help you feel better. It is...it isn't a minor thing, but she can save your life. Have your parents explained the basics?" "I am not little! I am nine years old now, thank you kindly Uncle Magnus!" When she gave her age, she held up the appropriate number of fingers (and one thumb). "Mama and Papa told me. I think I understand. I'll be in a new body, and it won't ever get sick. Maybe some of the meanie-heads at school will make fun of me, but I'll be able to kick them in the shins!" Bernhard chuckled and ruffled her hair, even as Magda shook her head with a sigh. "That's my little girl!" "Will it hurt, Miss Hero Lady? Will putting me in the new body hurt?"

"It's a decent enough plan. Caradoc seems like a good rearguard, and I do my best work out of arm's reach. And hey, maybe I can talk the free-floating, full-torso, vaporous apparition down from its rampage, so Nick can send it to its rest." Gabriel's sporting a cheeky grin by this point. "But if we're the ones they're gonna call, I suppose I'll be Dan Aykroyd."