KnightDisciple

Will tilted his head and raised an eyebrow when Cho tempted fate, but elected not to say anything. Instead he waited until they were done landing to unbuckle, stand up, and go grab his duffel bags for the stay. He gave Headmaster Summers a nod of respect as the older man spoke, though he maybe grimaced a bit at "inspection". He also managed not to stop and stare as they walked down the stairs onto the tarmac after the Headmaster. But still, a giant carved fist? That certainly didn't give hope that this was much of a party place.

And then Thoughtspeed stood beside the others, a pair of swords blazing in his hands, motes of green energy still drifting to the ground in his wake from his sudden movement. "You're not disposing of anyone you outdated tin can. Back down before you cook up an interstellar incident!" He seemed ready to attack the overzealous robot and assist his fellows.

Cobalt Templar was shaking his head, a deep frown on his face. "This doesn't make sense. I mean, I've seen a few alternate dimensions where Hitler wasn't a thing. But...I mean, this just doesn't feel right? It's like someone flipped a magic switch or something, yet it all went horribly, terribly wrong. I mean, we didn't have nuclear weapons until 1945. How did we bomb multiple sites in Europe in 1943? The sheer number of ripple effects this scenario would need is kind of insane. We have to find that guy who ran the weird device from earlier. Find out if this is a time machine aftereffect, or a dimensional shift, or what." He glanced at the other two men, apparently sizing them up. "I could rig up something to keep you guys in while I fly us to this guy's house. I can move pretty quick, and neither of you should be a big problem to carry." That would be more surprising if he hadn't turned into a huge glowing blue robot, but all things considered, him being able to carry Titan wasn't that crazy.

For several moments after Clock Queen said that the Jet Patrol had showed up downtown with an inent to fight, almost all Thoughtspeed could hear was the pounding of his own heart. This was it. The moment of chaos he'd been trying to avoid. The terrible brawl that would claim lives, the one he'd been trying to run away from... And here it was, right in his face. Suddenly, he remembered that the woman in front of him was his beloved grandmother. Eccentric she might be, amoral perhaps at times, but she was family, and for all her flaws, she loved her son and her grandchildren and even her daughter-in-law. At least she'd had the guts to take a fall for her son's sake. And she was about to face off against a group of murdering racist jackbooted thugs who dared call themselves "heroes". Thugs who wouldn't hesitate to kill Anna Cline. He took a single deep breath in. He let that breath out. And in that moment, all his fear disappeared. His body language shifted a bit and before he used his vocal chords, he used his mind to send a message to Elias and Cho. --Looks like there's no running from this fight, guys. Might as well meet it head on.-- "A chance to put those jackbooted facist racist scum-sucking sons of ******* in their place? Yeah, I'm in for that. I won't speak for my friends, but I'm in. Don't take it as me signing up for the League, though. Just this rumble with the Jet Patrol. In short, Clock Queen..." A small flash of light, and he flourished a glowing green rapier before giving Anna something that sort of resembled a formal salute, but mostly resembled something you'd see in a cheesy high-seas action movie. "You have my sword."

So, here's the thing. It looks like my edit requests for 2 characters got deployed at basically the same time as my PP rewards. Because >Cobalt Templar has the same PP count as his #'s on his >Edit Request from some 2 weeks before the June Rewards were deployed. Also the point count on his sheet looks wrong anyways; he should be at 215/216, with 1 unspent PP, and at 109/120 toward Platinum. >Thoughtspeed is in the same boat (here's the >Edit Request). He should be at 160/162, 2 unspent PP, and 12/120 toward Platinum.

Knowledge: History check: 15. ...No. I've got 4 HP, I'm gonna use 1 now for a Reroll. History Reroll: 19, which becomes 29 with the HP Reroll..

Will's face shows his frustration. "I'm not saying we should be punching them all in the face, everyone. I'm just saying that fanciful "star crossed lovers" romance is unlikely to work out as well as it does in movies and television. Like a lot of things." He pauses for a moment, clearly contemplating something before speaking again. "My mom and dad got where they are because they love each other, but also because they're good at getting out of trouble. Even still, it wasn't an easy road, and Dad had a lot of...baggage...that Mom had to help him with. And they were just theme villains who were as likely to steal a bunch of VCRs as they were to pants Mayor Moore." He gave a chuckle at that. He'd seen the pictures. His dad had like an entire album of those. He'd pantsed the guy like six times.He then shook his head. "My point was, we need to be careful down there."

Cobalt Templar just gave a world-weary sigh as a contraption that seemed related to time-travel powered up. "Here we go again." And with that, they were whisked away! Or preserved as everything else was whisked! Either way, whisking seemed involved, and not the kind that made brownies. 'I suddenly crave brownies. And ice cream.' He blinked and looked about the room, its lighting as clear as day to his enhanced vision. And then Titan and Riff started talking out loud. With a guy in the room. In a world that talked about a "Genetic Purity League". Some part of his brain said this was bad juju, but talking had already happened, unfortunately. Still, he held up one blue-clad finger to his lips in a "be quiet" gesture, and motioned for them to move to a room further back into the house, away from both the sleeping man and the parade outside.

Outwardly, Will made no move toward Cho. Inwardly, he spoke to her, mind to mind, on a channel only the two of them could hear. --Then you'd be a cold-blooded murder, worse even than the Psion family. You would murder a young woman not out of self defense, or even in pursuit of some loft, if utterly broken and misguided, "higher cause". No, you would snuff out her life because she had the gall to make you mad. If you raise your hand to her with lethal intent, I will stop you. If you do that to any of the people at this doomed "conference", I will stop you. We're heroes, Cho. Heroes don't murder. Especially not for something so petty as "they make me really, really mad".-- There was an icy but determined tone to his "word" to the young entropy-controller. She could tell he would back them up with action, if it came to that.

Will gives a polite fake cough. "Or maybe we try not to do that? Frankly, this isn't just a bunch of cat burglars, Sam. These folks are...well. I'm not an expert on this place, but it's not nice." Will couldn't shake a finger too heavily at romanticized criminal pasts, but still, Sam was laying it on a bit thick. "If you want to flirt with Haukea yourself, just flirt with her. Either way, I think we're about to land."

As Jade Harper moved about the room, Thoughtspeed made sure his back never faced the woman. Mostly by way of leaning against a wall nearby, but the principle remained. "Sure, three minutes. Give me a couple seconds." Suddenly he was gone from the room, the bathroom door was closed, and water could be heard running from the sink for a couple seconds. Then the door was open again, and Thoughtspeed was back almost exactly in his previous position. "Free for the next person." As his vocal chords moved, so did his mind. --Look I'm sorry I 'yelled' at you Cho, but we literally don't know what trying to fight here would do to the timeline. It's not just me at risk. The ripples are so large we could end up killing thousands by mistake. Besides, she's had this garbage shoved down her throat since she was born. That doesn't excuse it, not entirely, but it's not like she made it up herself. Grandad is...he is a piece of work. Just keep it cool. Plus if we start a fight I don't think we can take on everyone here anyways.--

"We should probably make sure the pilot isn't dead, crippled, or getting pumped full of radiation. Seems like the heroic thing to do. After that, pose for the press!" With a flourish, the twin blades he had been fighting with were gone, replaced with what looked like a rapier of green energy. Two eye-blinks later and he was standing in front of the glass/plastic of the cockpit, raising the sword up. "Don't worry in there! Totally just stabbing the glass, not you! We'll get you out of there so you don't turn extra-crispy or anything!" And with that, he stabbed down into the glass, trusting the focused power of his blade in this form to make it easier to cut an opening and extract the pilot.

Will/Thoughtspeed seems a natural for "kidnapped Errant" since they're totally best friends. I'd be interested in Nevermore getting into the underground fight ring thread.

--Stand down, Cho. Now.-- Will's voice rang in Cho and Errant's minds like a clear bell. The tone was...commanding as he stood a bit straighter and faced his female teammate for a moment. --We are not picking a fight. Not here. Not now. Not with them. Stow it and stand down.-- Taking two steps, he put himself just slightly between Paulette and Jade, his posture the false calmness of someone ready for action. "You can calm yourself. Nothing untoward was happening. My companions were just a bit frazzled by the high-speed travel method from a few minutes ago. We'll be ready when it's time." In other words, she could butt out and leave. "I believe I'm the only one who really needs to freshen up still, and I'll be done before you know it."

The robotic suit made of energy tilted his head as the teleporting ninja-man ran inside. He straightened up a bit from his crouched stance (he'd been trying to just grab the bomber and toss him up in the air before flying after him, but that obviously hadn't happened). Clearly he wasn't worried. "Name's Cobalt Templar. Nice to meet you, Titan. As for the suburbs-" And then suddenly he was back to "normal" size again, clad in the somehow less conspicuous "plate armor" style outfit complete with dramatic cape. He shook the metallic hand of the hero in front of him. "Pretty sure any place can make you crazy. You're right, though. We can't let these wackos get away with...whatever it is. I can take point, Riff can stay in the middle, Titan can play rearguard. We watch each other's backs, nothing's gonna stop us in there, right guys?" His optimistic tone indicated he felt it was a settled matter, backed up by the way he just started walking forward toward the house, calm as can be.

Knowledge: Pop Culture: 14. General Untrained Knowledge Check: 12. Imma just go ahead and roll his init: 19.

Due to some last-minute decisions on travel, I will not be around Saturday or Sunday at all. Friday probably won't be on after I finish work, and Monday is going to be who-knows-what.

So, working on re-vamping this. This is definitely a work in-progress. My plan is to make the final product an actual NPC sheet. Character Name: Ultimate Power Level: 12 Trade-Offs: N/A In Brief: Youngest child of Ultima Thule, Quo-Dis has made it her mission to help better understand the larger world, and to help protect the innocent people of the world as Ultimate! Alternate Identity: Quo-Dis Identity: Secret Birthplace: Ultima Thule Occupation: Member of the Champions superhero team. Affiliations: Champions, Claremont Academy, Ultima Thule Residence: California (primary); Hughes household (secondary) Base of Operations: Champions HQ, XX, California Family: Sa-Ur (Mother); Kal-Zed (Father; Secret); Corbin Alphonse Hughes (Husband); Albert Hughes (Father-In-Law); Sarah Hughes (Mother-In-Law) Description: Age: 131 (DoB: 1883) Apparent Age: Mid-20's Gender: Female Ethnicity: Ultimen/Caucasian Height: 6'4" Weight: 210 lbs. Eyes: Gray Hair: Blonde Description: Quo-Dis is a statuesque individual; her height puts her at least a few inches above the average man in height, and often a head and shoulders above many women. Her build is simultaneously powerful, and undeniably feminine, imbued with intrinsic grace, beauty, and strength. Her golden-blonde hair, which reaches past her shoulder blades, is typically kept in a neat ponytail. Most days not in costume, she wears comfortable casual clothes, preferring pants or mid-length skirts/dresses to shorts or the like. As Ultimate, Quo-Dis cuts a more imposing and professional figure than she once did as Ultiteen. The suit has a base "layer" that is a sleeveless bodysuit that goes from neck to ankle, of dark red. She sports a white belt with a gold buckle, as well as white cuff boots that reach mid-thigh, and short white gloves that reach the wrist. She has a separate mask of the same shade of red that covers all but her eyes, mouth&chin, and a hole in the back for her ponytail. Completely the look is a white half-cape that rests to the left side, often covering her left shoulder, though it tends to end up tossed back during a fight. Power Descriptions: Quo-Dis's very biology carries the same powerful alterations as all Ultimen posses. She is strong and hardy, resistant to many things that might hurt her. And what injuries she does take often heal in minutes, instead of days! Further, her body can withstand environments that would prove extremely hostile to normal humans; both the depths of the ocean and the depths of space can be explored by this (comparatively) young powerhouse! Further, this same vitality vastly extends her lifespan, and makes it where she barely needs sleep or rest. But as with all Ultimen, that is not the full measure of her power. Quo-Dis also commands the powers of the mind and of the fundamental electromagnetic energies of the universe. She can fly, both in the atmosphere and in the dark of space. The energies crackling through her body lend even more power to her muscles, letting her easily lift incredible loads. Less obvious (or at least less flashy) is her ability to speak with anyone and have both parties be understood. For her it's as simple as breathing, but to others it's an incredible gift. The main measure of her surging power can be put to various uses. She can, with the power of her mind and the energies at her command, lift incredible loads and move them without ever touching them. She can serve as a sort of "communications hub" for herself and many teammates, covering many miles with barely any effort. She can reach into the mind of another and take what information she needs, often with them left none the wiser. She can concentrate the same energies that broaden her mind into more direct bolts of searing power, or produce blinding bursts of light directly in an enemy's eyes. Those same mental talents can be turned to producing a variety of artificial emotional states in a target, rendering them full of despair, or enthralled in mindless rage. Finally, she can simply overload the nervous system of a target with a couple of well-placed, well-charged blows. History: Quo-Dis spent her childhood and most of her "adolescence" in Ultima Thule, learning alongside the small group of other young ones there. Her father, Kal-Zed, was a respected figure...until about 70 years ago, when he went to the "outside world" and ended up joining forces with a deranged mortal with twisted ideas of genetics and "master races". While it certainly didn't force Quo-Dis and Sa-Ur into exile or anything of the like, the pall hanging over the family did affect things and strain relationships. So when the chance came several years ago to leave Ultima Thule and join a class at Claremont Academy, Quo-Dis took it. She could learn more about the Outside, while also giving herself some space to make her own reputation. Of course, Claremont brought its own difficulties; between Quo-Dis's unfamiliarity with anything outside Ultima Thule, her generally trusting nature, and the mean-spirited works of the likes of Daisy Gibbons, her first couple of years (which focused on educating her more on the history and culture of the world at large) were rather unpleasant. Then, she met and began a romantic relationship with one Corbin Hughes, aka Cobalt Templar. While rocky at first, their relationship slowly grew deeper and more intimate. By the time they both graduated, there was a thought they may well end up married before too long, though Corbin was a bit young (comparatively). Still, the relationship had passed the muster of Ultima Thule, and so things were good. And then, not too long after Quo-Dis moved to the West Coast to join the lineup of the Champions, her beloved came to her, a different man than he had been just a few weeks prior. She had not heard from him at all for a time, and had become concerned, but was told by his friends and family that he was traveling the world seeking more of the Seven Rings. It turns out his journey had taken him a bit further, in both time and space. Corbin had, in fact, ended up being almost 50 years old, in his semi-subjective experience. Traveling through both time and dimensions will do that to a young man. Still, he was the same person Quo-Dis had fallen in love with, and the added years only brought maturity and perspective. And a sense of purpose, since he proposed marriage to her the same day he met her after his return. They kept the engagement quiet for a time, but eventually word spread among friends and family. It was only a short time ago that the nuptials were sealed in a fairly small, private ceremony with just close friends and family attending. Personality & Motivation: Quo-Dis is a joyful personality who often finds herself being a bit more literal than those around her. The differences in how Ultima Thule and the rest of Earth communicate means that she sometimes comes across as blunt or socially awkward. In truth, it is simply a difference in how she was raised. Quo-Dis strives to be honest and forthright, which is sometimes the source of her "bluntness"; she sees little point in spending several minutes dancing around a topic that should be discussed directly. With that said, she sometimes can be a bit...not impulsive precisely, but she makes decisions with a level of finality more rapidly than many of her peers. The issue might arise if she does so on a matter that others might perceive as being something they should know of; again, much of this stems from the mentality she spent a century growing up with, rather than anything like true malice or thoughtlessness. When faced with a foe, Quo-Dis is fearless in a fight, but does not easily give in to emotional decision-making. She tends to prioritize disabling targets, but certainly will risk herself to keep bystanders safe if the danger is noted. She tends to speak or banter little in the field, other than to coordinate with her team, guide civilians to safety, or give an offer of surrender to villains and criminals. Powers & Tactics: Ultimate fights with "maximum efficiency" in mind; she leverages her great strength and durability to wade directly into a fight and disable opponents as rapidly as possible. Her flight assures that she can be wherever she is needed on the battlefield. Her mental abilities mean that sometimes, she serves as a sort of "communications hub" for the Champions while using her raw strength to batter foes down. If that mental communications net is unneeded in a fight, it's likely that Quo-Dis will focus her cosmic powers on blasting foes with rays of energy to disable them, setting off blinding flashes of light directly in their faces, or giving them blows that deliver enough energy to overload their nervous systems. If not in the middle of a fight, she can use her mental abilities to delve into a criminal's mind for more information, though it is something she does sparingly and only under specific conditions. She does have the ability to induce altered emotional states in people, but it is also something she does only sparingly. Her ability to use her mind and control over energy to move objects is called upon to often move debris away from trapped people or to clear roads and the like, though its power is sufficient to hold up sections of buildings to briefly prevent collapse. Story Hooks: -Secret (Origins): Quo-Dis works to hide the fact she is from Ultima Thule from all but a very small, select group of people. Especially as the secrets of Ultima Thule might prove an enticing prize for the more ruthless people in the world... -Secret (Identity): Quo-Dis works to prevent her hero identity and civilian self from being too closely associated, especially now that she is married into a family that includes non-powered individuals. -Overbearing Father: Quo-Dis is the only child of Kal-Zed, the infamous Superior of the fallen Nazi regime. At his best he is an arrogant, misguided, powerful individual. At his worst, he is a tyrant whose power is equal to the Centurion, willing to use that power to exert his will over the masses. He also may or may not approve of her new husband. Abilities: 10 + 10 + 10 + 6 + 2 + 6 = 44PP Strength: 30/20 (+10/5) Dexterity: 20 (+2) Constitution: 30/20 (+10/5) Intelligence: 16 (+3) Wisdom: 12 (+1) Charisma: 16 (+3) Combat: 24 + 24 = 48PP Initiative: +0 Attack: +12 Melee, +12 Ranged Grapple: +0 Defense: +12 (+12 Base), +6 Flat-Footed Knockback: -0 Saving Throws: 1 + 4 + 11= 16PP Toughness: +12 (+10 Con, +2 [Protection]) Fortitude: +11 (+10 Con, +1) Reflex: +9 (+5 Dex, +4) Will: +12 (+1 Wis, +11) Skills: 36R = 9PP Acrobatics 8 (+10) Concentration 4 (+5) Knowledge (Art) 3 (+6) Knowledge (History) 8 (+11) Knowledge (Physical Sciences) 4 (+7) Languages 1 (English) Notice 8 (+9) Feats: 7PP All-Out Attack Accurate Attack Blind Fight Eidetic Memory Move-By Action Power Attack Quick Change Powers: 45(10+10+10+1+2+12) + 55(6+16+4+31) = 100PP Ultiman Physiology 9 (45PP Container [Passive, Permanent]) [45PP] (Life Energy) [/device]Enhanced Constitution 10 [10PP] Enhanced Strength 10 [10PP] Immunity 9 (Aging, Life Support) [10PP] Immunity 1 (Need for Sleep, Starvation & Thirst; Flaws: Limited [Half Effect]) [1PP] Protection 2 [2PP] Regeneration 10 (Bruised 3 [No Action]; Injured 6 [No Action]; Resurrection 1 [1 week (not when beheaded)]; Power Feats: Persistent, Regrowth) [12PP] Cosmic Energy Infusion 11 (55PP Container [Passive, Permanent]) [55PP] (Electromagnetic Energy) [device]Comprehend 3 (Speak and Understand All Languages At Once) [6PP] Flight 8 (2,500 MPH/25,000 feet per Move Action) [16PP] Super-Strength 2 (Effective Strength 40; Heavy Load 3 tons) [4PP] Cosmic Energy Control 12.5 (25PP Array; Feats: Alternate Power 6) [31PP] Base Power: Mind-Reading 12 (Extras: Action [Move/Standard]; Feats: Subtle [DC 20 Notice Check]) [25PP] (Psionic) Alternate Power: Communication 6 ([Mental], 20 miles; Extras: Area, Affects Others; Feats: Subtle 2) [20PP] (Psionic) Alternate Power: Damage 12 (Extras: Range [Ranged], 10 120 foot increments, 1,200 feet max range) [24PP] Alternate Power: Emotion Control 12 [24PP] (Psionic) Alternate Power: Move Object 12 (Effective Strength 60, Heavy Load 50 tons; 10 120 foot range increments, 1,200 foot max range) [24 PP] Alternate Power: Dazzle 12 (Visual Sense Type; 10 120 foot increments, 1,200 feet max range) [24PP] Alternate Power: Stun 12 [24PP] Drawbacks: (-0) + (-0) = -0PP DC Block ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Unarmed Touch DC25 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical) Damage Ranged DC27 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical) Mind-Reading Perception DC22 Will Mind Reading Emotion Control Perception DC22 Will (Staged) Special Stun Touch DC22 Fortitude (Staged) Dazed/Stunned/Unconscious Dazzle Ranged DC22 Reflex 1/2 Effect DC22 Reflex Blinded DC22 Fortitude Recover Totals: Abilities (44) + Combat (24) + Saving Throws (16) + Skills (9) + Feats (7) + Powers (100) - Drawbacks (0) = 200 Power Points

Happy Birthday, Heritage!

Will grit his teeth behind his helmet, thankful he would have at least a few moments where perhaps his aunt didn't realize he knew she was in his head. Not that it mattered. His mental defenses were nothing to sneer at, but they weren't up to, say, his mother's levels. And so it was that she asked, and he answered. --My name...is...William...Cline.--

The bouncers were big, and the bartender at minimum was armed, but neither of these things was an insurmountable problem. That said, Nevermore wasn't the sort to enjoy being shot at. Luckily, he thought he had a way to circumvent those problems. With careful steps, he exited the small office, his feet ghosting across the floor, his cape only giving a soft swish. Then he ventured out onto the balcony, trying to walk softly and keep to the shadows, until he was directly over the bartender's position. His goal was a snatch-and-grab to get the bartender somewhere isolated where they could "talk".

Stealth Check to move along the balcony unnoticed so as to grab the bartender by surprise: 12. Welp.

Twenty Questions William Cline, dressed in slacks and a slightly ruffled polo, flopped down into a chair opposite the rather more reserved Vice-Principal Martha Dugan. The rather stern looking administrator was as much an institution at Claremont as the founding Headmaster, though most agreed she was almost as stubborn about aging and retirement as the totally-not-a-retired-vigilante Headmaster Summers was. "Thank you for joining me, Mister Cline. Please understand this is an informal interview and evaluation as we begin preparations for the next full school year." "I know the score, Missus Dugan. That's why I'm not freaking out!" She shuffled papers and raised an Eyebrow. In a subtle blur of motion, Will was sitting fully upright. His overall demeanor was still fairly relaxed, though. The vice-principal just smiled slightly. "Indeed. Well then. First off, what do you think of Claremont?" Will grinned. "This place is great! I mean, not only do I not have to worry about hiding my powers, not only are there plenty of awesome crime-fighting-training ladies around, but the school itself is really top-notch! You folks run a good place around here." Glasses adjusted. "Yes, we've heard some comments about how you can be a bit...flirtatious. No complaints, understand. But it does make us curious. Why do you seem to flirt with many of the students?" Will's gaze lost focus a bit as he smiled crookedly. "Some of it's me being a typical teenage boy, sure. But when I came here and saw what you guys are trying to do, and how some of the other students have had some hard times, I thought, hey, why not try to give at least some folks some cheery words? I'm terrible at flirting with guys, no real motivation behind it, see. But unless she's trying to gut me like a fish or burn my brain up, there's always something you can find to compliment a girl on. I'm still working on my methods, see. But I've noticed that a lot of times, it doesn't irritate them too much. Or if it does, it's that sarcastic eye-roll thing where they just shake their head and move on, despite having been in a visible funk earlier." "So it's something of a charity effort?" "Kind of? I dunno. I just like being nice and friendly by default with people. Use what I got, I guess. I mean, you've probably read plenty of those articles that talk about body image or whatever. Well, seems like that can't be less true here. If I make a girl feel like someone thinks she's genuinely good-looking, which so far all the girls here are, isn't that a good thing?" "Perhaps. But are you trying to seriously pin yourself down?" "That feels maybe a bit personal ma'am, but no, not yet. My folks get jittery when the talk of me dating seriously comes up. Which with my dad, is a sight, let me tell you." "Speaking of them. How do you feel about how often your parents are in the public eye?" Will gave one of those non-committal shrugs. "It's...well, it can be tough. They keep weird hours. And now that I'm training to be a hero part of me is nervous about someone putting all the dots together and risking my family's life and mine. But my folks are smart, smart enough to do everything they can to keep this from turning into a cluster-mess." "But?" "But bad things still happen. My mom's dad is still dead thanks to the Atoms. I've still gotten mixed up in weird stuff. They can't do everything. So I gotta make sure to watch myself as best as I can." "You mentioned your grandfather, Professor Psion. It sounds like you blame the Atoms for his death?" "Yeah. I mean, Jack Wolf was the one who brought a freaking gun in that place. Whatever anyone says about Grandad being the one to pull the trigger or not, Jack brought a gun. If he hadn't, maybe someone could have done something different, maybe Grandad wouldn't have been able to pull himself down in a blaze of glory or whatever." "So do you think the Atoms are bad people?" "Bad as in like villains? Bad like "mwahaha we will rule you peons"? No. But they have the same problem the Psions do, at least most of them: They think they're untouchable. They sit in their tower above everyone else and do...I dunno, space stuff or science experiments? About the only time they come out to do "hero work", it seems like it's to fight the Psions. I mean, the Freedom League isn't perfect but they still do stuff, you know?" "Do you think something needs to be done about the Atoms?" "I think some of the League folks need to read them the riot act about going in guns blazing and worrying more about their feud than the hostages trapped in a stadium. I think they need to decide whether they're about science stuff or hero stuff, or even if it's both, try to at least put up a token effort to do the hero stuff more often." "What about the Psions?" "Well. Uh. That's a tougher question. They all pretty much grew up in, what, like a cult basically? Mom doesn't talk about it a bunch but she doesn't lie to me. Grandad kept everyone pretty sheltered. Made himself out to be the one and only authority kind of thing. That's bad enough. But a lot of the stuff they've done in the name of "genetic purity" or whatnot is pretty bad too. At this point I'd like for none of the rest of them to die, and for as many as possible to go into Witness Protection or something and go lead a normal life. Raise kids that are normal. As normal as any of us metahumans are, I guess." "Do you think you are normal?" "Well, I'm not studying psychology or anything, but I think I'm pretty well inside the normal or average behavior range for a male human of my age. I have powers that put me physically outside the norm, but the way I think and act isn't. Besides, "normal" is kind of relative anyways." "So, do you think the sorts of things your grandfather did are okay?" "See, there's a difference between "normal and not normal" and "right and wrong". The first one is mostly just social pressure or whatever. How all of us look around and judge each other. The other one is about whether you're hurting people or not. I mean, a lot of folks use religion as the measuring stick on that. Some don't. But see, there's plenty of heroes who aren't "normal" in a lot of ways, who still do the right thing. That's the big difference, really." "I see. Do you have any plans for after you graduate?" "Maybe? I don't really want to go into television. Much as I like showing off, I don't like cameras following me around. I'll probably go into regular hero work and...honestly, I don't know what sort of civilian job I'd hold down. I don't think it would be fair to go into athletics. Delivery boy could put me through college. We'll see where the road takes me, I guess." "I've noticed you've been taking some summer school classes. Why is that?" "I kind of want to graduate next year. I could stretch it out a year more, but why wait? I mean, I can study way faster than everyone else anyways, but I'm still learning the material. Might as well use that to my advantage, right?" "You mentioned doing hero work after graduation; do you think you'll change your name or costume?" "I might get some duds that keep me from freezing or overheating too much and that give a bit more protection, but I like my look, and I like my name. Don't see a reason to change it. I'm not making a break with my past like my dad did; I'm not anyone's sidekick, after all." "You've mentioned your father a few times. Do you try to measure up to him, measure yourself by his life?" "Well I'm not stoned off my butt on weed and cocaine all the time, so I think I'm already doing better in the life choices department than he is. My dad will be the first to admit he did some stupid, stupid things when he was younger. He and mom never lied to me about that, and made it clear they were trying to help me end up in a better place in my life. So in that regard, no, I don't measure myself against what he was, except as what not to do. I do try not to genuinely disappoint him." "What about in your hero work?" "Well, power-wise, I have tricks he doesn't, but he's still faster. I'm competitive enough to want to end up faster than him, yeah. Hero-work-wise, he does the show as much as anything. I already touched on that, I think. I like being a hero for heroing's sake." The vice-principle smiled slightly at that before asking her next question. "What about your mother?" "Geeze, pop psychology quiz day? Mom's the one who keeps the rest of us in line, no mistake. But...that's good. She's kind of our calm center most of the time. See, I'm a hot-headed hormone-addled teenager right now, but I do know that one day? I want what they've got. Plus, have you seen her "I am so disappointed in you" face? I think it's scarier than the Headmaster's, and that's saying something." "That could be bias talking, though. Still, do you think you're trying to measure up to her on the hero front?" "It's both the same and different as with Dad. I mean, I run fast, Dad runs fast. That's an easy thing to measure. But my mental powers are mostly way, way different from hers. I can talk to people's brains, which is cool, but I can't read them. And most of what I do is...how'd the doc here put it...The manipulation of ambient and generated kinetic energy shaped into a photon-like structure, then further refined into hand-held combat implements. Plus I can either go invisible or make everyone else blind. All cool, but not much like her. Except kind of the invisible part." "I think we're about done here, Mister Cline. I just want to know something. What will you do if you meet a Psion or an Atom in the field, whether as hero or villain?" "Help them save lives if they're a hero, and take them down non-lethally if they're a villain. Whichever family name they claim. That doesn't mean they're getting invited over for punch and cookies, but I'm not going to refuse to work in the field with either if it comes to that. Definitely not going to be actively seeking them for team-ups, though." The administrator gave a nod, tucking away her notes. "You may leave, Mister Cline. Enjoy your afternoon." "Sure thing, Ma'am!" With a rush of air, he was gone.

Thoughtspeed Gather Information DC 10: Thoughtspeed is a younger hero who's been popping up a lot in Freedom City of late DC 15: He seems to be a speedster hero, though he's displayed other powers that have to do with green light. DC 20: His non-speed powers seem to be telekinetic or mental in nature, often manifesting as green weaponry he seems to summon with his mind. Knowledge (Pop Culture) DC 15: I think this Thoughtspeed guy has been on Supercrime!. DC 20: You know, the hosts of that are a married couple. One of them's a speedster and one has wacky mind powers... DC 25: There used to be a little boy who showed up a few times on Supercrime!. He looked an awful lot like the hosts... DC 30: Richard and Paige Cline do indeed have 2 children, one of them a boy with super-speed powers. William Cline Gather Information DC 20: William Cline attends Claremont Academy. DC 25: William Cline is the son of Richard and Paige Cline. DC 35: Paige Cline use to be Paige Psion, and is the "black sheep" of the Psion Family's first generation of children. She is also the only surviving member of said generation. This means that William Cline is, in fact, the grandson of the late Professor Psion. (Requires success at DC 20 History check to recall Paige's villainous past.) Knowledge (History) DC 15: Richard and Paige Cline used to be themed supervillains. DC 20: Richard was Tempus Fugit, while Paige retained the name Hologram. Richard is, of course, a time-warping speedster, while Paige is a psychic of no small amount of power.

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