KnightDisciple

Corbin gets 21. [bg=lightcyan]And Corbin gets 27.[/bg] So, Corbin saw a lot, but Corbin saw more.

Corbin frowned. Something still seemed off. When it "clicked" in his mind, he spoke up, suddenly not caring about his status as "the new guy on the team". "What if they're on our side?" At first, Corbin frowned. Then, as the idea sank in, he gave a small smile, and nodded. "Wait, no, I think I see where you're going with this. I mean, this pyramid looks at least somewhat natural here. For...whatever that's worth. And the whole motif it's sporting is "clockwork", right?" Corbin nodded, getting more animated. "Right! Probably some deep metaphor or something, if this place is really all about "manifested dreams" and stuff. But since that pyramid is clockwork, and those robots look like walking clocks..." His counterpart picked the sentence up where he left off. "What if they're the original owners? I mean, they match the decor and all. Clockwork guardians for a clockwork palace." Corbin pointed at the constructs pounding on the doors and walls. "What if something...someone kicked them out? What if they're trying to reclaim their home? Isn't this just the sort of thing-" "That the Tiger...that your Overshadow, would do? Why build his own place when he can take one over! So what if we need to help those things break back in-" "-To help us then beat the bad guys!"

Corbin nodded as the two fellows gave their names. "Morgan, Marcus, good to meet you guys. Sorry I haven't met you before, Marcus. Guess things are just busy enough around here..." He gives a helpless shrug, with his grin saying "what are you gonna do?". "Raiding the lunchroom. I like the sound of that. I'm pretty darn hungry right now. Hope they've got plenty of chow cooked up. I don't know about you guys, but I could pack away a fair bit today." Considering he was the size of some NFL players, that seemed like a perfectly logical idea. He strode towards the door, making sure his hat was secure. "Let's go!"

Truly, Gabriel shall mete out righteous justice to- 7? Son of a-

Just so it's in writing (as it were). Gabriel used his Communication power to talk to everyone. He switched to flight to move to the church. Also, I'm asking if I can invoke Shepherd of the Flock to earn a Hero Point in this situation. Between the general threat to the town, the death of one teen, another teen in danger, and just the general bad deal of a demon in town, I think it's a decent situation. He's about to go in "guns" blazing when he figures out where Marcus and Vigourie are, hence the Complication itself coming in to play. I'll toss Hunted by Infernal Powers out, but it seems less likely. Though feel free to tie it in to the mob-boss Succubus back in FC. :D

Gabriel frowns as she describes the man. Anyone who would give a teenager such unpleasant feelings had to be- His though process ground to a halt for several long moments, horror slowly dawning on his face. His gaze turned to face Siobhan. Gabriel said a word he'd once heard the priest say when the baptismal font caught fire once due to the overzealous pranks of some of his "peers". "Bloody hell, it's Vigourie! We've been had, Siobhan! I've got to warn the others!" He closed his eyes, and when he next spoke, only a select few heard his voice: Siobhan, Eric, Marcus, Stone, and Sheriff Durand. "Everyone, this is Gabriel. I've figured out who our culprit is. It's Vigourie. He's been playing us for fools, and worse, I think he's got some measure of power. I'm heading to the church to meet up with you." With that, he rushed out the door without a further word to either Siobhand or Jolene. His face was a mix of anger and resolve. Once outside, he took a moment to calm himself before kicking up dust as he launched into the air, hitting 300 miles per hour in just a second. He increased to near super-sonic levels in moments, tearing across the sky to the damaged church in moments. He slammed to a near-halt about 80 feet up, nearly dropping the rest of the way. He turned to face the Sheriff and Eric. "Where's Vigourie at now?"

Corbin walked down the stair, zipping up his leather jacket most of the way. He wanted to get outside again, try to get some good angles for a few photos of the snow. His digital camera was safely secured in a pouch by his side. He didn't notice the growing crowd until he pulled his deep navy ushanka onto his head. He stopped, raising an eyebrow at the others. Really, he seemed underdressed even with the hat and jacket. It looked like he was wearing a t-shirt underneath the jacket, and he only wore casual jeans and some heavy sneakers. Then again, this was a school for metahumans, so nothing should be taken for granted. "Hey Erin. Um...hello fellas. I sadly don't recognize either of you." He strode forward, offering his hand to first Morgan, and then Marcus, giving both a warm smile, and not even playing the "who can crush who's hand" game with them. "Name's Corbin. Glad to meet you fellas."

Corbin barely kept from snorting when Blake talked about building muscle. Everything was relative, he supposed. They walked out the door, and police rushed over to take custody of the psycho clown. A few brief words from Cobalt Templar, and they had the information they needed. Then the blue-clad hero turned to his good friend, tapping his chin in deep thought. "Hm. I could go for food. You're lucky I've got cash on me, though. Otherwise, you'd have to cover the tab all by your lonesome. As for the chicks...No touching, and we'll be fine. You know any good places that aren't too far?"

Cobalt Templar let his hammer fade away with a broad grin on his face. He pointed down at the now unconscious clown. "Hope this defeat wasn't too much of a shock for you." He then looked to Warlock, holding his arm up for a Righteous Forearm Bash in celebration. "Kick ass? You bet we do. I'm telling you man, I think you're possibly more awesome now than you were before. Especially with your cool house." He casually grabbed the clown with his TK and lifted him off the ground, walking towards the door to take him to the police. "So, you want to head back? Or bust heads a bit longer?"

Gabriel's attention immediately sharpened. He straightened up from where he'd been leaning against the wall, his arms falling to his side. He then leaned forward a bit, his intense gaze probably a bit unsettling. "What guy? Could you describe him? How did he seem creepy? Give us every detail." There was something in his expression now. Almost a mania, with how intense his focus was. "This is possibly the most important thing you will tell us."

Gabriel was silent for several long moments as Siobhan spoke, still trying to keep himself in check. Thankfully, the full measure of his anger was rapidly fading. "Who else is in this group? What are the names of the other two people? And how involved was William?" After a moment's thought, he added another question. "And do you know of any other...practitioners...in the area that might ascribe to other philosophical frameworks?"

Spent the last PP; I like him having greater than normal range. Also, I gave his Strike the Penetrating extra, enough to cover most of his Str bonus damage, because I figure that claws coated in a high-energy ionized plasma would probably cut through a lot.

Gabriel sat by the other musicians, a large smile on his face. He didn't know Derrick terribly well (though hopefully that could change), but he considered Stesha a good friend. His happiness, nay, his joy, at seeing them take this step was plain for all to see. He managed to keep the tears of joy from running, but only just. Though he didn't dare do anything audible, in fear of harming this moment, he felt more than free to offer up a silent prayer, as well as internally express his hopes for the happy couple. 'May the road rise to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the warm rays of sun fall upon your home, and may the hand of a friend always be near May God be with you and bless you; May you see your children's children. May you be poor in misfortune, Rich in blessings. May you know nothing but happiness, From this day forward.' He meant every word of it.

January 31, 2011 Here I am, one month into a new year, and halfway through my junior year at a new school, and it feels like St. Louis was a lifetime ago. I suppose in some ways, it is. I mean, in St. Louis, I wasn't wielding something that has the potential to be one of the most powerful and dangerous weapons on the planet. Funny how that works. Even weirder is the fact that, even though I should feel totally out of place, I feel more at home here than I ever did in the Midwest. Well, most days, anyways. Anytime I go out to eat for steak, barbecue, or anything like that, I yearn for even the chain restaurants back home. But being an official (junior) superhero is totally worth it! I mean, sure, there's moments of heart-clenching and bowel-spasm-inducing terror, but flip those with all the time I get to spend flying in the air. No wings, no jetpack, no plane, just me and the flame, up in the sky. It's so awesome! And the feeling I get from helping people is even more awesome. Whether it's stopping an ordinary mugger, or a group of bank-robbing robots, or a group of demons attacking some angelic hero or another, it's great! Plus, my costume alongside my natural size makes my age hard to pick out; not a lot of people I help can tell I'm not even old enough to vote yet. Even aside from hero work...Part of me still can't believe I managed to start dating Quo-Dis. I mean, sure, some people might find a girl taller than five feet and a bit of change intimidating, but even if I cared about that sort of thing, I still have almost half a foot on her. I could even understand how cultural differences could put some people off. I still hate how awkward Blake and Jessica get about the subject of another group date; they either refuse outright, or dodge the question. I know it was a rough time, but they're not being fair to Quo-Dis. Just the last month (what time of it I haven't spent on holiday with the family), she seems to have learned quite a bit about our culture. Plus, she seemed to really enjoy that trip to the museum! We still have some things we're trying to work out, but I have a good feeling about this. All in all, 2011 should be a totally awesome year. I can hardly wait!

Corbin's mental "facial expression" softened. 'I shouldn't have snapped at you. Your mother's sudden appearance isn't your fault. It's just been a slightly stressful night. I had no right at all to take it out on you, and for that I apologize. Despite our earlier misunderstanding, I've been enjoying our time itself. Anything else isn't due to your actions. I promise I'll make it up to you...somehow.' He re-focused on the conversation at hand as Blake talked art. Corbin brightened up a bit, hearing a subject that interested him. "There are a lot of great sculptors represented at the local museum. Putting aside the likes of Da Vinci and Michaelangelo, they've got a couple of Berninis, a couple of Sluter replicas, and even a piece by Auguste Rodin! And that's just scratching the surface! It's history and art packaged together; probably one of the most awesome things possible!" Congratulations, Quo-Dis. Your boyfriends a history geek and an art geek.

Cobalt Templar grimaced. This guy was tougher than he first appeared! Time to step up the game. "Let's see if you feel this one!" In a blaze of light, he suddenly rushed the crazy man. His pistol disappeared, only for his own hammer to appear in his hands, already swinging for the crazy clown.

Right then, time to bring the pain. Switching from Blast to Strike. Charging for +2 attack/-2 Defense. Attack +11, Defense +3 All-Out Attack for +2 attack/-2 Defense. Attack +13, Defense +1 Power Attack for +2 DC/-2 Attack. DC +11, Attack +11 So. Attack: 25. So, that's a DC 24 Toughness save from Tricky Mickey.

Having stepped inside, Gabriel glanced around for Jolene's family, keeping his voice low. "Earlier, when you were explaining exactly what William had helped you with, you mentioned "the others". You never did explain what you meant by that. Could you elaborate, please?" He looked at her expectantly, but still not giving a hint at the frustration slowly building up inside. 'Does she know something about the demon? If she does...no. She's young, and possibly just a bit stupid because of that. I shouldn't let my temper get away from me.'

Cobalt Templar just silently watched the exchange between the more senior members of the teams. He was still trying to absorb everything, really. Dimensional travels were actually pretty nifty! When they got to moving, he drifted until he was near the back of the group. He kept glancing at the alternate version of his team, trying to take in as many details as possible... "What's with the cape?" CT turned his attention to the other Corbin, tilting his head in curiosity. "What do you mean, "what's with the cape"?" "It makes you look even more like a cheesy comic book character." "Assuming your powers are similar to mine, I'm going to have to respond with "Duh". I'm a superhero, dude. I fly around and save people. You ought to know the inherent power in heroes taking on totemic or symbolic costumes. Not only are they easier to remember, people often have an easier time rallying to their side. And it makes it easier for comrades to recognize them in the heat of a fight." He smirked. "Plus, I make this cape look good." Corbin frowned lightly. The other him had a bit of a point, except maybe on the cape part. "Fair enough. You're right about the historical weight behind the idea. Still, the cape's a bit odd, don't you think?" "I view it as taking part in a rich history of heroes, stretching back for decades, even centuries." "Wait, you guys have had metahumans for that long?" "Yeah. Haven't you?" "Uh, not by a long shot." By this point, they were perhaps 10 feet behind the others, standing just a few feet apart to better facilitate conversation. Both were clearly delving deeply into their existing knowledge of history to try to figure out what might be different between their worlds. It distracted both of them from the sheer scope of their situation.

Still have 1PP to spend inside the device. Most stuff should be cleaned up now. Will try to tweak this tonight if I have a chance.

Gabriel nodded at Siobhan's words. "Really I just want to finish up our earlier talk. Siobhan's got more experience than I do with certain concerns you may possess. She may be able to clarify any questions you have, as well as helping me get a better picture of things." He gives the girl an easygoing smile. "We just need a few more minutes, okay?"

Might as well toss in my own. Diplomacy: 38

Right, I think I have everything. I'm certainly open to suggestions on fluff and/or crunch. He's going up on the Bank next month, once I go Bronze with Gabriel.

Cobalt Templar's face was grave as he nodded at Midnight. "Duly noted; for what it's worth, I have you guys covered as best I can. I just hope this doesn't get nasty. We've got way more important things to do than having a pissing contest slash brawl with non-evil alternate versions of ourselves." He lapsed into silence as Edge took the lead, and expressed the same confusion as the others at the term "Imageria". Corbin frowned as Midnight called the costumes of the others into question. After all, the cape was the only real difference between himself and his double. "I wouldn't say they look like idiots. It's not that different from some of our costumes." At the question from the other Erin, he stepped forward a bit as his hands gestured widely at their surroundings. His volume now was sufficient to be heard by all. "This right here is the Imageria. A place of dreams, ideas, and concepts. The source of power for all metahumans, or so we believe. If it can empower hundreds, even thousands, of people around the world, how hard would it be to conjure up fanciful versions of ourselves? I channel a tiny part of its power, and I'm able to create all sorts of incredible items." He frowned a bit at the thought, lapsing into silence again.

Cobalt Templar was the last out of the vehicle, though he was likely a more obvious passenger than Midnight. His eyes widened at the sight before him. Almost perfect doubles of themselves! What was going on here? ""More" doubles? So, you guys have done this before?" He managed to keep his voice down so that only his fellow heroes could discern what he was saying. He mostly tried to be ready for anything without being too aggressive. This was just... "Why am I wearing gold instead of red? And where's my cape?" Corbin shook his head. His vision wasn't clouded, and it didn't feel like he was about to explode with power. That was good. "What the hell? I'm...seeing double? Oh, please don't let this be a delusion, or my powers going totally crazy." He seems slightly disturbed at their near-duplicates; bad enough he had crazy powers, but now he was running into a version of himself. "Why am I wearing that lame-ass cape?" Apparently, not all senses of fashion carry over entirely. Still, Corbin held his ground, once more clad in his blue and gold armor, attempting to make no aggressive moves, while still standing at the ready to defend his team.