KnightDisciple

Gabriel closed his eyes in concentration. "I can remember that encounter with almost perfect clarity. It was just three nights after I turned 17. I'd had this desire for a while to change the world, help people, make a difference; at the time, I figured it'd be via teaching, helping kids who needed it. You know, Academy Award winning movie fare type thing. I was on a walk in the nearby park, enjoying the night, you know?. Suddenly, a brilliant light blinded me, made fall back. Just as I was starting to see again, I heard a voice. "Fear not. My visit to you is one of greatest import, for you have a great destiny ahead of you. Your prayers have been heard. Now, they shall be answered, in a way more wonderful than you could have dreamed." When I could see better, I saw there was an angel standing in front of me! Flowing robes, glowing hair and eyes, white wings, and, I promise you, a trumpet. I crossed myself and muttered a short prayer. I asked him why he'd come to me, and exactly which angel he was. Had to be sure, you know? Then I found some courage and asked him how I could be sure he wasn't a demon in disguise. Lucifer has experience looking all nice and shiny, you know? The angel walked toward me, all slow-like, and then crouched down in front of me. Then he reached out to grasp the rosary. It didn't react at first, and it certainly didn't burn him; after a few moments, it took on a deep, unearthly glow. At that point, I knew he was for real. He started talking again. "I applaud your courage. You will need it for the years ahead. I am indeed a true angel. An Archangel, in fact. I am Gavriel, Herald and Messenger of the Most High. I have come because you have been chosen. You have been chosen to be an agent for Good in the world. Your current dreams are worthy, yes. Such is the work of many Saints. But you shall have a task higher still. You will be endowed with a small fraction of my power. You shall craft sound into a weapon against the forces of Evil, large and small. You have great things ahead. Gabriel." And then was just gone. I looked down, and find myself wearing my costume. Well, only the coat's still original; the rest got shredded pretty bad in October. I could feel power welling up in me. I had a grasp on at least the basics of what to do, though I could tell I needed practice. And oddly enough, I suddenly knew how to play the trumpet, as well as a few other similar instruments." He opens his eyes, and shrugs. "From then on, I practiced, went to school, and eventually came to the city here. After adventures...here we are."

Corbin reached over and laid an encouraging hand on Blake's shoulder. "Hey. Stop getting depressed all the sudden." In the blink of an eye, the hand had migrated from "sitting on shoulder" to "slapping the back of Blake's head". Cobalt Templar showed a cheery grin. "Get that damn fool idea of us losing out of your head! Don't even entertain the thought! Why do you doubt?" He stepped back, a sweeping gesture encompassing the three of them present. "He's one dude! I don't care if he's some big bad necromancer. We can totally take him. You know why?" He leaned in a bit. Then pointed at himself, Nick, and Blake in turn as he spoke his next words. "Because I'm too awesome to lose, Nick's too awesome to lose, and gorram it, you are too awesome to lose. So get your head on straight and get back to planning how to beat this guy silly." He straightened up, crossing his arms over his chest with a sage nod.

Gabriel sat up, putting his legs over the side and unconsciously beginning to swing them back and forth just a bit. "You're right, those two are wonderful people. As for Freedom Angel, he's been less active lately; I think he's gotten more duties from Heaven or something. He still helps out around his living place on occasion. He's a good guy. Angel. You know what I mean. And the temperature's fine. Some water might be nice." His eyes defocused a bit as he dove into memory to answer her questions. "My powers? Let's see. At their most basic, I have a lot of control over sound. My control's pretty instinctive, though on occasion I have to concentrate if I'm doing something less routine with them. Or if I'm training myself for a "new trick". More specifically, I'm mostly a walking, talking, less-than-lethal weapon. I can paralyze people with sound, make them sick, or just knock them out, like hitting them upside the head with a fist. I can even make them easier to hurt. Plus, I can fly really fast when I want to, though it takes most of what I have. I can talk to...I haven't really tested the limits, but I can basically throw my voice wherever I want. Maybe even around the world. And it makes me...more likable? Sociable? Somehow, I feel like I'm way better with people skills now with my powers. I mean, I wasn't terrible with them before, but I've definitely noticed a change." He smirked a bit as he got around to her first question. "As for how I got them...the Archangel Gavriel gave them to me. Though I don't think they're magical per se. It was more like...he woke up something buried really deep inside me. That's what it felt like, anyways."

Hm. I'll go with 1 out of 10. I do like some tension, but I like actually stopping bad guys. I'm more open to mid-story frustrations than "murderer escapes, someone is wrongly imprisoned, and people keep dying". Beat up: 5 out of 10. I like a challenge in combat, but not an impossible one. Killed: 0. Hm. Let's split that with percentages: Combat: 15% Socializing: 45% Stealthing: 0% (I am the opposite of stealth with Fenris ) Diplomacy: 30% Other: 10% Hm. Nothing immediately springs to mind, beyond complications that are on my character sheet. While he'd probably be pretty good with navigating aristocratic society, unless we do something to transfer bank accounts, money will be a problem. Unless we're talking alternate-earth-versions of the characters. Otherwise, most of his money is electronic, and his paper money is likely rather different. Then again, if he had some prior warning, I'm sure he could get a hold of gold or the like. Also, if we're going to be in EV Britain, keep in mind he's from Sweden. I'm sure there's at least some inherent tension right there, the English being the English. :P

He glanced down, blushing a bit as he realized how exposed he was, despite the fact he was likely getting fully scanned by all sorts of technical wizardry, or would be soon enough. He laid his head flat again and explained. "The big nasty ones are from what I called a "super-ghoul" back in October of last year. I fought a pack of them, a bunch of skeletons, and a couple necromancers. The last ghoul gave me those, nearly ripped me apart. Freedom Angel apparently found me and dragged me to get fixed up by Fleur de Joie. All I know is one minute I'd just beaten a super-ghoul, and the next, I was waking up in a strange bed a few days later." He shrugged, which looked odd with him laying flat. "Most of the rest are smaller wounds from the last couple of years. A couple are older, reminders of stupid stuff I did when I was a kid. You know, the sort of stuff that starts off with someone yelling "hey guys, watch this", and ends with blood and tears. And a round of "that was awesome" from the other guys."

Corbin's own strength, while fairly high for a human, was currently surpassed by his girlfriend's. Thus, he gave no resistance as she pulled him in. Indeed, he shivered a bit, seeming to enjoy her strength. He kissed back with equal fervor, finally pulling away for a moment. "If you're not sure what it means, let me show you. I know you can at least glimpse my mind. Look at it now, and see what I mean." If she looked in his mind, she'd see/feel/hear/experience a whole torrent of images, emotions, thoughts, decisions, and more. All centered on how much Corbin cared for her. How he loved her, and just what that meant for and from him. "You want to know about humans, hm? My my, that could take a while, my dear. I mean, there's so much to tell! And every year, we make more art, more culture, more history! After all, true education isn't a broad overview of the basics. It's...in-depth study." He gave her a deep kiss. "It could take you years to learn enough to give them a really good picture. No decades...no, centuries! I think you should arrange for small visits to report your progress, while I help you...arrange your studies."

"So, our chief weapon is surprise?" Blake could hear the grin in Corbin's voice. "I'll be there in a few." Indeed, it was perhaps 5 minutes after Corbin hung up the phone that Cobalt Templar was waiting patiently on Blake's front porch, ringing the doorbell in Morse Code for "I am here".

"I-" Gabriel stopped, unsure of what to say. He was clearly saddened by her tale, a frown coming over his face. He opened his mouth once or twice, and each time shook his head. He was clearly thinking carefully of what to say. Finally, he took a step closer, one hand rising as if to settle on her shoulder, before it fell limply back to his side. "I realize these words ring hollow, and hold little meaning in comparison, but...I am sorry to hear of your loss. I cannot imagine what it feels like. Forgive me for reminding you of this painful memory." He paused. "Is there anything you need in the short term? Shelter, food, that sort of thing? If you do, I could make some calls and help arrange for it. If there's any way I can help, I'd like to do so, even if it's a small gesture." He gave her a faint smile. "For what it's worth, if you're walking and talking now, I'd say you survived. Just consider yourself part of a fairly small club. Though I suppose that doesn't count for that much, in the end."

Corbin had been walking to his dorm room when the text came in. He raised an eyebrow, frowning a bit at the message. That necromancer really had been giving Blake and his peers some trouble. Corbin had wished he could help more, but ghostbusting wasn't his forte. "Heh. Ghostbusting." He chuckled at the thought, and quickly dialed his good friend. "Hey Blake, got your text. So. What's the game plan? Hitting hard and fast? Playing it careful? Where should we meet up?"

"Having gone through an auction of ourselves, I think I can get away with "Miss A", then. And thanks for the temperature bump." He hoisted himself up onto the indicated table, arranging his limbs with care. In the course of this, the upper portion of his robe fell open, revealing a rather noticeable set of scars running from the bottom of his pectorals to the bottom of his abdominal area. It looked like a couple sets of huge claws had torn into his skin. Smaller scars dotted him here and there. He settled into position, barely noticing the testing arm, and not even twitching at the finger stick. "Don't get sick often, no. Might get a mild cold now and again. Well, I do have this annoying recurring infection called "battlefield wounds", but those get taken care of pretty quick. I know a good medic or two. Childhood, not really. A few cases of strep throat, couple ear infections, had my tonsils and wisdom teeth out...Nothing major, in other words." He seemed to be relaxing somewhat as the tests continued; clearly the less-invasive nature helped him feel more at ease.

Gabriel stood there for long moments, seemingly caught in indecision. Finally, he took a deep, fortifying breath, and nodded to Miss Americana. "You're right. I do trust you, Miss Americana. That's why I'm here, right? Give me a minute to get changed." With that, he walked into the connected bathroom, closing the door after himself. After less than five minutes, the door opened, and he walked out, robe wrapped around himself, and his sock-clad feet sliding slightly on the floor. His rather good-looking face glanced about with an almost embarrassed expression. Probably due to his state of dress. He gave the star-spangled heroine a lopsided grin. "So, um. Floor's a bit cold. Good thing the AC's not on; I have a feeling it'd be a bit breezy. So, what's our first test, Miss Americana? And can I call you something shorter? "Miss Americana" seems terribly formal for someone who'll be seeing me in my skivvies."

14; not bad, but not incredible. Think I'll have Fenris sit back and observe for now.

Gabriel tilted his head to one side, a quizzical expression on his face. He then shook his head with a cheerful smirk showing through. "I'll have to take your word for it on the level of difficulty. I just shoot a bunch of sound out of my body. I'm guessing you've got a few other animals, ah, stored away? As for the itch, maybe a backscratcher?" When he hears that she was stranded on Earth, he looks concerned. "You're obviously physically fine, but...do you have a home and so forth? If everything alright for you?"

Gabriel took the robe, nodding as she gave instructions and explanation. "No, that's fine. I'd rather you catch something early than focus on the "cool stuff" or whatnot. You're the medical professional." He suddenly looked a bit unsure about something. "You said underwear and socks. Can I leave my mask on, as well?"

Gabriel flew to catch up with her, suspended by a quietly humming jet of concentrated sound. His expression wasn't quite "gobsmacked" anymore, but it was definitely still at "not quite caught up". He took the lead, flying for a bit, not going too fast for Jeni's sake, before finally landing on one of the nicer rooftops around the area. He waited patiently until she had landed, trying to let himself better grasp the situation. "I suppose your non-Earth origins become more evident by the moment. Not totally shocking, I suppose. You new to the planet, or just the city? And, um, interesting trick. With the wings." He was clearly a bit out of his element, but was trying hard to be polite, while also sating his curiosity.

I'm in with Fenris.

Gabriel nodded as he took the badge. He gave the receptionist a polite smile and final thanks before he walked into the elevator. Once inside, he marveled at how smooth the ride was,and then how quick it was. His interest only increased as he walked through the short connecting passageway. All of that was blown away by the lab. His mouth opened a bit in surprise, and he turned a slow circle to take it all in, wonder alight in his eyes. He then focused on Miss Americana, giving her a broad smile. "Real nice setup you have here. Definitely a bit shinier than the Minute Clinic down the street..." He shook his head, trying to clear out the distraction. "Good to see you again as well. I've been doing well. Better, even, the last week or so. I had a talk with a friend, and I've been reshuffling some things ever since. It's helped more than I thought it would. It's even kind of why I'm here; I have the time, and I think it would be helpful to understand my powrs a bit better. So. Where do we start?"

Saturday, March 12, 2011 Gabriel was only mildly nervous as he flew through the skies of Freedom City. He knew Miss Americana was an upstanding member of the hero community. He knew she could be trusted. He knew the Lab was filled with similar individuals. And he knew that doctors weren't that bad. It helped, but he was still a bit restless. He had never loved going to the doctor, and after getting powers, it had become a more delicate situation than ever. Finally, he came in for a gentle landing on the front steps of The Lab, nodding to other who were coming and going. They didn't spare him more than a glance; perhaps around here, superheroes were becoming a normal sight. He walked into the lobby and headed for the reception desk. "Yes, hello. I have an appointment with Miss Americana. My name's Gabriel. Yes, I'll wait, by all means. Just let her know I'm here." He took a polite step back and let the staff get to work.

Just in case we need it; if nothing else, convenient place for technobabble at convenient moments! Edit: IC Thread

Gabriel spent several moments processing this information, silently standing there with his only movement being blinking. "Um. Generally speaking, no, humans don't live to be a hundred and look about twenty. So...you're not from Earth?" Suddenly, sirens can be heard, and his head turns towards the sound. He looks back at Jeni, thoughtful. "I'd like to continue the conversation more, but we should probably move on. Can you fly? That might make our navigation a bit easier." He looked genuinely curious, with no real sense of foul intentions coming from his tone or body language.

The large thug's swing was almost upon the man in white, when he finally side-stepped it. As the thug pass, he casually slapped him on the back; the seemingly innocent action caused the thug to groan, drop his pipe, grab his stomach, and fall to the ground moaning. A sonic bolt put him out of commission entirely. The man in white surveyed the situation in the alley, noted that all the thugs were down, and gave a satisfied nod. "It's what I do. Give me just a moment, I need to contact the police." He made a call that lasted perhaps 60 seconds, before tucking his phone away and giving Jeni his full attention. He offered her a winning smile and his hand to shake. "You can call me Gabriel. Like I said, I keep an eye on this part of town as best as I can. Sorry this happened, but I can't be everywhere at once." Something occurred to him at that moment, and a light frown of confusion crossed his face. "Wait. You're older than 57?"

While the thug who had been holding the knife to Jeni's back writhed in pain on the ground, one of the other thugs (this one with a ratty-looking ponytail) rushed towards Jeni with an aluminum baseball bat poised to strike. Which is right when he was slammed against the wall by a near-invisible bolt of sonic energy. There, he groaned, slumping into total unconsciousness. The two thugs that remained glanced around. If Jeni looked at all, it wouldn't be hard to spot the newcomer to the fight; he was floating about 5 feet in the air, slowly descending, and was clad in all white. "Trying to mug someone? Here? You boys must be new, stupid, or both. Didn't you hear? This part of Southside is under my protection." With that, the other thug (standing well over 6 feet tall, with a huge build) ran towards the man in white, swinging a huge lead pipe at his head. Meanwhile, the Leader turned with a snarl back towards Jeni, taking a swing at her with his knuckleduster.

Carson returned both wave and smile. "Rest well!" When she had gone, a more serious expression crossed his face. He turned, picking up his apartment's land-line phone, quickly dialing a particular number. "Shouldn't take too long...Ah, yes, this is Carson Keefe. Yes, that Carson. Could I speak with James? Excellent, yes, I'll hold." * * * * * * * It was just about 3 hours later when Stesha got the call (or at least the voicemail) that the children's shoes were ready for pickup. Over the next couple of weeks, the trend continued, as more and more of the needed clothing, vitamins, and other supplies flowed in. It seemed Carson knew someone willing to give away just about anything, if you asked correctly. Which he always managed, of course.

Edits done by Geez3r Edit Time again! Gabriel 5 PP to spend. 4 PP go into Charisma. The base stat, not the power. So the stat entry will now look like this: Cha 34/18 (+12/+4) Also: Abilities: 2 + 4 + 6 + 4 + 4 + 8 = 28PP His Charisma-based skills would thus look like: Bluff 10 (+24/+16, +28/+20 Attractive) Diplomacy 10 (+24/+16, +28/+20 Attractive) Gather Information 10 (+24/+16) Intimidate 10 (+24/+16) Perform (Acting) 8 (+20/+12) Perform (Oratory) 6 (+18/+10) Perform (Singing) 6 (+18/+10) Perform (Wind Instruments) 8 (+20/+12) Sill 1PP to spend. Gonna go with: Dodge Focus 1 Which modifies the following: Feats: 16PP And of course bumps this: Defense: +11 (+10 Base, +1 Dodge Focus), +5 Flat-Footed Non unspent points, everything added up. Fenris 2 PP to spend. Putting both into Skills, specifically my Craft skills. Relevant changes below: Points up to date and spent. Finally, Cobalt Templar. 5 PP to spend. First, putting 4 PP into the Ring Device. Changes shown below: Device 15 ('Power Ring', 75dp, Hard to Lose; PFs: Restricted 2 [Only You]; Descriptors: Magic, Holy; Drawbacks: Power Loss [must be recharged every 24 hours, uncommon, 1 point], Power Loss [failing will saves vs. fear, uncommon, 1 point]) [60PP] "Fires of Judgment" (Holy Fire Control 9) (18 point array; Descriptors: Magic, Holy, Fire; PFs: Alternate Power x1) [18+1=19 pp] BP: Blast 9 {18/18} AP: Strike 6 (Extras: Penetrating 5; PF: Mighty) {12/18} Enhanced Attack 6 [12pp] Protection 1, Impervious Toughness 6 [7pp] This also means the following change must take place: Trade-Offs: -4 Defense / +4 Toughness Blast and Strike Save DCs go up to 24. Finally, adding the following power to Corbin himself, for the remaining 1PP: [b]Immunity 1[/b] (Aging) [1pp] All PP spent.

Corbin chuckled at the eye-batting. "It does seem like the little things in life keep us from having more time. It just makes the memories all the sweeter." He squeezed her hand a bit, a gesture of reassurance. "As for our future...I think that if we set our minds to it, we can see each other. I believe we control our own paths in life. That's why I'm going into archeology and superheroing, not business. Because it's my choice." He holds a finger to her lips to keep her from talking for just a moment. "I'm sure you're going to say you have responsibilities to your people. I'm not saying you have to give those up. Or even demanding you stay. I could never do that to you. I..." His hand drops to his side, and he closes his eyes, taking a deep, fortifying breath. When they open, they seem to almost shine with light. "But the truth is...part of me can't bear the thought of not seeing you after we graduate. Part of me rails against it. It's still a year away; there are plenty of things that could happen between then and now. All I know is this. I...I care about you. No, that's not sufficient." He gently holds her face in his hands. "Quo-Dis, I do believe I love you." And then he leans forward to kiss her deeply, passionately, more than he ever had before.