Ari

Moving very quietly up behind the guard on the left, making sure not to be heard... Okay, punching time: 18. As that seems to hit, DC24 TOU.

Okay, so Glow Arcturus Net Fly Prof. E Heraldo ROUND ONE, begin!

Initiative roll: 20. Stealth roll: 20.

The herald nodded quietly as he listened to the telekinetic's suggested strategy. At first he agreed with Kris, he could see no possible way to get EVERYONE off of the ship..until he remembered the yacht still moored to the thing. In a bare whisper he said "I have a plan: we beat the guards, get those people out of the cage. Then I bust a hole in the wall and drag the yacht over here, and we can get everyone aboard! Then me and Kris can break their lifeboats so they can't escape, call the coast guard on Diamond's phone if he's got one on that yacht(which he probably does) and tell them what's happened and about the ship, and head for land and turn this over to the cops. How about that?" he asked eagerly, shifting his banner into a ready position in case he needed to hit someone with it.

Grans! We need your roll about now! Order: Glow Net Fly Prof. E Heraldo

Subito blinked in amazement "Whoa, really? There are doctors who treat people like you and me on a regular basis?" there was a silence as he processed this entirely new information, during which the emergency vehicles arrived, picking up the agents in the cruisers and vans(the SWAT team that had been assembled thanked their patron of choice that they hadn't had to deal with the robot they had fleetingly glimpsed as it left), while the ambulances treated the burned metas, and ferried the uninjured ones to their homes. Several seconds after they had arrived, he said brightly "You know what? I'd like to meet one of them! I'll stick around Mz. Fulcrum, I bet I'll have to do this a lot in the future anyhow" so saying, he lowered himself to ten inches off the ground and followed the Terminus-empowered titan's lead, politely keeping his peace when the news vans rolled up and disgorged the small torrent of insatiably-curious newshounds, including such worthies as Julie Streeter from the Ledger, who seemed entirely too calm about the kidnapping of a dozen people, all of whom just happened to have powers. After discovering that neither of the two had the faintest idea why the gray-clothed men had stolen them, the topic of interest quickly turned to Subito, and who in the blazes he was. After repeated declarations that no, he wasn't related to her, nor was he her new student or otherwise affiliated, that he had found out what was going on entirely by chance, and that he was very much an American citizen, they at last turned to the mighty heroine. After the usual barrage of questions regarding Viktor Archeville, news in the heroing world, the relationship between Dakana and the U.S., and what she thought of the recent rumors of a highly organized group of Terminus-empowered beings, they gradually dispersed to the captured metas who had agreed to remain and answer questions about their capture and rescue. Once that was done, Subito whistled in amazement, for nearly an hour had passed. "This..might take a while to get into the swing of. Thanks for your help Fulcrum, I really had no idea what it's like to be on the other end of those cameras and mics" he gave a weary sigh before the light suddenly burned back into his eyes "Alright, now that's done, I want to meet one of those doctors you mentioned! I can fix the clothes without too much trouble[, let's go!" he exclaimed eagerly, flitting about in gleeful impatience.

El Heraldo Spending 9PP. :arrow: Buying another rank in Attack Focus(Melee) :arrow: Buying another rank of Easy-to-Lose Device, buying another 3 ranks of Impervious TOU, bringing to +8. Also the Feature[Repair Clothes] and a rank of Protection. :arrow: Added the Noticeable Drawback to the Device, Enhanced STR, CON, and Flight. :arrow: Buying rank 3 Strike with the Mighty Feat. :arrow: Buying a rank of Dodge Focus and Uncanny Dodge(Hearing). :arrow: At Roo's suggestion, adding the Complication "What are you wearing?!" [b]Player Name:[/b] Arichamus [b]Character Name:[/b] El Heraldo ("The Herald") [b]Power Level:[/b] 8 (120/120PP) [b]Trade-Offs:[/b] -3 Attack / +3 Damage, -3 Defense / +3 Toughness [b]Unspent Power Points[/b]: 0 P[b]rogress To Silver Status:[/b] 18/60 (Bronze status earned with King of Suits) [b]In Brief: [/b]Son of recently-immigrated Peurto Ricans granted powers by the burgeoning national spirit of Puerto Rico, who uses his new-found abilities in defence of those most vulnerable to crime. A student at the Claremont Academy. [b]Alternate Identity:[/b] Subito Sondo [b]Identity:[/b] Secret [b]Birthplace[/b]: Puerto Rico, Adjuntas Municipality, Guayo Barrio [b]Occupation:[/b] Student, Clerk (Grocery Store) [b]Affiliations:[/b] Claremont Academy, Labor Union (Grocers) [b]Family:[/b] Pavor Sondo (Father), Broma Sondo (Mother), Galanta Sondo (Sister), Rodrigo Fuego (Cousin) [b]Description:[/b] [b]Age:[/b] 16 (July 5th, 1995) [b]Apparent Age:[/b] 19 [b]Gender:[/b] Male [b]Ethnicity:[/b] Latin American [b]Height:[/b] 5'6" [b]Weight:[/b] 184 lbs. [b]Eyes:[/b] Hazel [b]Hair:[/b] Dark Brown A stocky fellow, Subito nonetheless manages to look taller than he actually is by the practice of good posture and carriage, which he augments with thick-soled boots and a baseball cap. His hair is curly, and cut shortly and as neatly as he can manage it, his eyes are spaced close together and are often shaded out of sight by the cap, and when seen have a narrow, suspicious look. His nose is short and broad, while his mouth is often turned slightly downward to help convey the message given by the eyes. His limbs are short, and he has rather large hands and feet for his age. he frequently wears white t-shirts and blue jeans. In his guise as the gaudy El Heraldo, he wears a brilliantly-colored and heavily-padded jacket. His pants are blue-and-red gold-checkered tights, and his feet are covered with heavy leather boots. A broad cloth bandanna around his head suffices to conceal his identity, with a sky blue feathered hat hat completing the bizarre costume. He carries in this guise a large flagpole, to which is bound the flag of Puerto Rico. [b][u]Power Descriptions:[/u][/b] El Heraldo's powers are signaled by a glow around Subito's body, which takes the rough form of an immense flag made of golden smoke. His powers are an extension of the national spirit he is the host of, which increased his physical power and hearing, as well as the power of flight and a slowly increasing range of powers related to communication. [b][u]History:[/u][/b] [spoiler]Subito Sondo was born in the year 1995 on the island protectorate of Peurto Rico, in the municipality of Adjuntas. His parents, Pavor and Broma, were lower-middle class artisans, specifically metalworkers. His sister was a bold and and terrifying champion of the oppressed for miles around in their town, and the rest of his family were the thunderous, solid people who usually went totally unnoticed in a crowd. Throughout his young life, Subito was surrounded by noise: cars, passing celebrants, loud arguments or even deafening conversations on engrossing topics all combined to make what he can recall of his life in Puerto Rico an endless din. As a result, he grew up expecting noise to be around him at all times, and was rarely dissapointed. Noise became for him a sort of sanctuary, a comforting indicator that all was well. Silence became a warning, a mark that something horrible or disagreeable had happened. His family had a good employ for 8 of Subito's years of life, but a sudden tragedy,the attack of the supervillain Mas Severas against a visit by the Allies of Justice to the municipality, which while it resulted in no loss of life did destroy the family's business. Leaving for Freedom City in 2003, the family got themselves well-ensconced in the Lincoln district, where some relatives helped them find open positions in the Fun-Time Toys factory still active near the docks. Glad for the gainful employment, Pavor and Broma managed to slowly but steadily raise their standard of living over the years, their children proceeding smoothly through school and all things considered life was good. When Subito turned 15 life continued to be good, even after Subito lied about his age to get a job at the same factory his parents worked at (a lie aided by his unusually strong and tall build), and on his first day he tried to catch a wroker who had leaned a bit too hard against an insufficiently-secured handrail, dozens of feet above vats of a solution that worked wonders keeping paint on surfaces, but was deathly hazardous to humans. Subito's footing failed him when he grabbed the other man around the waist, and both tumbled towards a certain death, the workers who could see the scene trying futilely to do something to help. Subito and the other man were abruptly stopped in mid-air, a few yards above the poisonous vat of blue mixture. Surprised, Subito looked up to behold a golden fog about him, and looking after a minute's hesitant experimentization, found he could move himself through the air. Carrying the other man back up to the catwalk, he realized that his strenth had been enhanced (and as he later learned, his endurance), his hearing incredibly sharpened, and that because of the latter he could hear clearly the furious argument being carried out between his parents, the union leaders, and the manager of the factory. Thankfully, the only negative thing that resulted from that episode was that he was merely fired for lying about his age. His family were too surprised, the union too grateful (both for the extra bargaining room and because nobody was hurt in that instance), and the management too furious to discover that one of Toy-Boy's subtler booby-traps had escaped their notice, for any graver punishement to befall him. Also adding to his sense of giddiness as he went to sleep that night was the quiet, insistent voice that grew louder in his sleep, trying to tell him something in Spanish about a meeting. He gave it no thought until later that night, when he was awoken by a gentle tap on his head, jumping out of bed to his feet, he was greeted by a vision of a Hispanic woman wearing blue armor, bearing a vast collection of weapons on her back, and riding a ram sheep, in the vision almost totally transparent. This apparition informed Subito that his family was in possession of an old battle-standard, bearing the coat-of-arms of Puerto Rico (the original flag having been destroyed in 1511), which had been used in nearly every successful battle involved in making Puerto Rico a Spanish holding since it had been made in 1500. As a result, a spirit of victory had attached itself to the banner, lending strength of will and protection from harm to those who held it. The spirt then told Subito that it had slowly grown over the ages, until it had become the national spirit of Puerto Rico, having melded with the ruling entities of the island's Taino tribes after their destruction by the Spanish colonists in the Taino rebellion. The infusion of the memories and power of the tribal spirits was a gigantic step on the Blue Dame's path to sapience. Over the years she (used for ease of reference, 'it' wasn't considered acceptable to her) had grown in knowledge and strength, but the various forces that fought for the island divided and weakened her over and over again. It was only now, when the island nation's sense of self was at another height, that she could empower an individual with her gifts as her herald. She told Subito that she had chosen him over his sister because of his more focused personality. Galanta, to the spirit's mind, while excellent material for a herald of hers was rather too concerned with fighting as an end to itself to give much thought to what the fighting was for. But, she warned the nearly gleeful Subito, she would not stand for any slacking in what she was entrusting to him. As he followed her directions to the hidden chest containing the banner, she told him that he would, to keep his powers, have to keep from acting selfishly or with his sole betterment in mind, and any reneging would be instantly punished. The chest was easy enough to find with the Blue Dame's instruction, and with little trouble he put it back together and took it to a nearby abandoned lot, where the Blue Dame taught him how to use the banner to don the traditional costume of a Herald of Puerto Rico. After a crash course on how to use his powers, the Blue Dame retired into the banner, telling Subito to hurry home, due to the extreme lateness of the hour, and that in the morning he would find the next step on his journey waiting for him. Subito slept soundly, and it took Galanta hauling him out of bed, seating him in a chair, and giving him a light cuff on the shoulder to wake him. He found himself staring into the piercing gaze of a narrow, darkly-clothed man with graying hair at the temples, the rest brown and cut short. The Raven II, Subito learned later, had an informant in the factory the accident had occurred in, and had told Summers about the bizarre incident the same day it had happened. The interview with Duncan Summers was short and painless, except for Broma and Pavor outdoing each other in tearfully telling Subito how he must remember to do what they would wish him to do at the bizarre school Summers was offerring to train him at. Galanta kept her peace, saying as much as their parents with a cold, narrow-eyed stare. After agreeing with Summers that it would be a great idea to learn how to use his powers correctly in a more controlled environment, little was left to do but pack and prepare for the autumn quarter.[/spoiler] [b][u]Personality & Motivation:[/u][/b] As El Heraldo, Subito acts as he thinks he ought to, doing his best to be just, kind, fair and honest as he knows how. He enjoys the anonymity of the mask, as it lets him be what he likes without repercussion on how he is viewed as Subito. Out of costume, he is loud, impetuous and full of gusto for whatever he does, having been brought up to see silence as suited only for holy or sorrowful occaisions. His morals are fairly straightforward, and he gives litle thought or time to the why of his ethics. He equates thinking with doing, incomprehending how somebody could think up things they might do, and never act on any of them, and has a hard time understanding how one philosophy or belief system being true doesn't negate the others' validity. On the other hand, he is loath to bring issues like that up in conversation, seeing them as interesting challenges to be overcome on one's own, and would never dream of trying to make people more like himself. [b][u]Powers & Tactics:[/u][/b] El Heraldo has limited resources and severe limits to his gifts, meaning hie must take great care with whom and how he fights. As a profoundly heated individual, however, he is unlikely to do so, instead dashing into the fray with unmitigated aplomb and vigor, no matter how outmatched he might be, using the power of his standard to evoke hope for victory in any compatriots. [b][u]Complications:[/u][/b] [b]Power Loss:[/b] Subito is granted his powers only so long as he uses them for the benefit of others. If he uses them for the sole purpose of bettering himself, they shall be revoked. [b]Responsibility:[/b] Family. He feels honor-bound to serve his family's needs above his own. [b]Secret: [/b]Identity. While he always has his powers, he knows his family is largely defenseless. [b]Underaged:[/b] Subito isn't a legal adult, with all the restrictions that come with that condition. [b]The Who-What Now?:[/b] Subito has almost no idea who's who or what's what in the complex world of jet-powered apes and time travel he's gotten himself into. Feel free to blindside him. [b]What are you [i]wearing?![/i]:[/b] El Heraldo's garb is..distinctive, to say the least, and it's flashiness is fertile ground for misconceptions, easy recognition by enemies, and being nearly impossible to sneak in. [b]Abilities:[/b] 10 + 4 + 10 + 2 + 0 + 8 = 34PP Strength: 28/20 (+9/+5) Dexterity: 14 (+2) Constitution: 30/20 (+10/+5) Intelligence: 12 (+1) Wisdom: 10 (+0) Charisma: 18 (+4) [b]Combat:[/b] 4 + 2 = 6PP Initiative: +2 Attack: +2 Ranged, +5 Melee Grapple: +13/+9 Defense: +5 (+2 Base, +3 Dodge Focus), +1 Flat-Footed Knockback: -7/-2 [b]Saving Throws:[/b] 0 + 4 + 6 = 10PP Toughness: +11/+6 (+10/+5 Con, +1 Protection(Costume), [Impervious 8/0]) Fortitude: +10/+5 (+10/+5 Con, +0) Reflex: +6 (+2 Dex, +4) Will: +6 (+0 Wis, +6) [b]Skills:[/b] 36R = 10PP Diplomacy 6 (+10) Intimidate 4 (+8) Knowledge (Current Events) 8 (+9) Knowledge (Popular Culture) 4 (+5) Languages 2 (English, Latin, Spanish [Native]) Notice 4 (+4) Sense Motive 8 (+8) [b]Feats:[/b] 19PP Accurate Attack Attack Focus (Melee) 3 Dodge Focus 3 Interpose Inspire 4 Leadership Luck Move-by Action Power Attack Quick Change 1 Uncanny Dodge(Hearing) [b][u]Powers:[/u][/b] 9 + 2 + 9 + 7 + 5 + 4 + 4 + 4 = 44PP [b]Device 3[/b] (Bandera de la Victoria [Banner of Victory]; 10PP Container; [i]Flaws:[/i] Easy-To-Lose; [i]Feats:[/i] Restricted(Magic Users); [i]Drawback:[/i] Noticeable) [9PP] [list][b]Emotion Control 5[/b] (Flaws: Limited [Hope]) [5PP] [b]Feature[/b](Repair Clothes)[1PP] [b]Impervious Toughness 8[/b][10PP] [b]Protection 1[/b][1PP] [i]Costume[/i][/list] [b]Comprehend 1[/b] (Languages [understand all spoken]) [2PP] [b]Enhanced Constitution 10[/b] (to 30/+10)([i]Drawback:[/i] Noticeable(Banner of Light)) [9PP] [b]Enhanced Strength 8[/b] (to 28/+9)([i]Drawback:[/i] Noticeable(Banner of Light)) [7PP] [b]Flight 3[/b] (50mph / 500ft per Move Action)([i]Drawback:[/i] Noticeable(Banner of Light)) [5PP] [b]Immunity 4[/b] (Cold, Drowning, Pressure, Poison) [4PP] [b]Super-Senses 4 [/b](Accurate Extended 2 [1,000ft Notice Increments] Hearing) [4PP] [b]Strike 3[/b]([i]Power Feats:[/i] Mighty)[4PP] [b][u]Drawbacks:[/u][/b] -0PP [b]Vulnerability [/b](Sonic Powers, Frequency: Common, Intensity: Moderate [x1.5]) [-2PP] DC Block: [code]ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Unarmed Touch DC 24/20 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical) Strike Touch DC 27/23 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical) Bandera Perception DC 16 Will Hope Totals: Abilities (34) + Combat (6) + Saving Throws (10) + Skills (9) + Feats (19) + Powers (44) - Drawbacks (2) = 120/120 Power Points

In the din, Subito said loudly enough to be heard bu the other four "So Luke, Chloe, where are you guys from? What were your old school's like?" settling deeper into the fold-out chair he volunteered "I was born in Peurto Rico, on the hillier parts of the island. Don't recall much of it, my family moved to here when I wasn't even ten. I went to a school near Lincoln, Joseph Clark High until last summer. There were" he scowled for a moment before continuing "problems, at that place. Quite a few of the students I met turned out to have at least a slight difficulty understanding that they were there for a reason besides meeting up with friends, and there were always these older guys hanging out near the street corner that some of my schoolmates seemed to know pretty well" his face brightened "But, being at a place suspected of having a super-hero in the student body makes people a little less likely to try and cause serious trouble" shifting a bit in the chair he concluded "Powers flared up, and they aren't exactly subtle, so my parents were offered the chance to have me go to Claremont to train by Mr. Summers" A missed cue caused a pregnant silence between the two actors playing the scientists studying the giant bird's egg by electrocuting it, raising a ripple of stifled laughter around the theater as they looked awkwardly at one another before resuming their incomprehensible dialogue.

Confirmed. Going to(if I may) climb up onto one of the nearby roofs and wait in hiding for the possessed statues, then throw a boomerang at the one with the Spear to get its attention. After which I will swing with the Grapple Gun over to the other side of the street.

Heraldo's Initiative: 5.

GM Wildlife was plentiful in the city, and most of the clusters of birds hadn't time to stir a feather before their demises. The warm Mediterranean sun warmed the stones making up most of the city to a degree that made it almost a pleasure to lap up whatever blood spilled from their corpses. All in all, the meals Jay hunted down proved a good deal more meaty and tasty than what might have been expected for the day and age. That he was so far removed from the now almost ever-present worry of how they were going to get back right provided that pinch of spice that made the whole thing a joy, even if a(relatively) brief one. Upon his return, he found Martin sitting on the bed, fiddling carefully with the Channeler, a look of deep incredulity on his face "I'd never believe this if I-" the breeze from Jay's return alerted him to the fastest cat alive's presence, and he tapped a few buttons to deactivate the transdimensional key before standing. "According to this thing's sensors" the young physicist said by way of explanation "We're somehow moving closer to Earth-Prime naturally. Not," he hastened to add "that we're going to cross back without action on our part, but our position in relation to that universe is changing for some reason" he shrugged "I'll be able to figure out what the matter is when we get back to ASTRO Labs, but for now I've got nothing on that" he smiled at Jay, adding apropos of nothing "Hope you got something to your liking on your hunting trip sir" He soon turned to the topic of the details of what Jay wanted him to do once the act got started so he could avoid any missteps arising from not acting like a showman, which evidently had a hold on his mind in slight excess of its true importance.

His straining ears caught the full force of Glow's whisper, and Subito nearly swallowed his tongue in surprise. Taking a brief second to collect himself, he quietly took a place next to the door. In a low murmur he told the other two what he could hear. "The captain has some kind of hold over Steve Diamond, says he 'made' him, whatever that means. Steve smuggles people to and from this boat it seems, I think he ferries the ship's personnel and dumps the captured Mexicans once they've finished with them. Diego, you mentioned that Diamond goes to a lot of places shrouded in secrecy, were any of them around places that would be spots refugees from that new Mexican drug lord would have landed?" He waited for the answer in silence, stretching his ears and placing the palm of his hand on the metal wall to feel the vibrations, knowing that right at that moment they would need all the warning they could get.

Using the Armored Megalomaniac from the Core Rules, dropping him down to PL14. Removing the Blast, Force-Field and dropping the Enhanced STR to +14. Upgrading the Protection power to rank 12, giving him a TOU score of +14. Granting Nullify Technology 18, and Strike 5 with Mighty. Initiative roll: 6.

GM As Net Fly and Glow returned to the others, the robotic announcer launched into its spiel about this Prof. Expiostinot. "robtoticist, previous enemies based off of captured specimens of his work. wears a powerful suit of mechanical armor with integrated electronic systems several decades ahead of their time. has vastly enhanced sensory-perception, limited increase in strength, and the power to deactivate electrical devices at will. situation is the site of his final defeat at the hands of the Freedom League in the 1970s in his secret laboratory hidden in Minnesota, the students must defeat the prof. in his underground lair and remove him from the complex before it collapses on top of them. you have fifteen minutes" With that, the Doom Room shifted, the lines along the floor warping and twisting as a ruined laboratory filled with computer banks of a surprisingly modern appearance materialized out of solid(more so) light. In moments the four were in the center of a circle of collapsed towers, fitfully jolting electric cables and shattered robots. Before them was a lean man in a suit of bronze-colored armor with a a sleek design. Though the face was much more prominent and human-looking than most battlesuits were. Shrugging off the i-beam that had fallen on his shoulders, the armored man looked at the four, his eyes burning into them with a rage that was felt even past the being's holographic nature and the metal mask. In a heavily Georgian-accented voice he shouted furiously "That was my life's work! I was going to turn the world into a better place by destroying its weak foundation and building it anew! Prepare yourselves, obscurantists!" and with that, he charged at them with a wild yell of fury!

GM As the familiar-to-some black and white countdown screen reached its ornate '1', a flourish of trumpets and a clash of cymbals announced the actually very well-done title painting of the first movie on the 'monster marathon' list: 'The Vast Talon', a movie about the discovery and naturally the violent destruction of an otherwise extinct bird with a wingspan of several hundred feet, related to the rocs of Mesopotamian myth. It was all things considered a very bog-standard 50's monster movie, except for the prop used to portray the beast(often described as 'majestic' by the actors as they looked up at the shadow cast by a bird-shaped kite), which was patently obvious as a paper-mache construction that looked nothing like the paintings made for the movie by the only artist they could find. That it was moved around with a stick nailed to its body in front of a cardboard-cutout miniature city placed in a desert after repeated establishing shots of a lush pastoral environment didn't help. By the first fifteen minutes the theater was filled with hysterics, as the actors on the screen from all those years ago strove to keep straight faces while intoning gravely on random Egyptian religious practices that supposedly involved throwing their dead to the giant birds. The five Claremonters went largely unnoticed in the swell of glee.

Floating into the air Subito silently followed Kristin, bringing up the rear of the party and keeping a sharp ear out for guards. He knew that on the one hand the ship's occupants would realize very quickly that they were under attack, but also that they wouldn't think it was anything that would sneak aboard if it could break off their propeller. He hoped fervently they wouldn't think so, at any rate. They would know about Siren, and the recent attacks by the Deep Ones would probably make something like an entire propeller vanishing that much more suspicious and nerve-rattling, but he bet that they would expect to see Siren(at least once they were immobilized), and the Deep Ones wouldn't wait around to attack if they felt they had the advantage. Their only hope lay in their being able to hide from view long enough to escape with the hostages, if they were caught before then Subito had no doubt the people who ruled this vessel would seek to cut their losses as close as they could. He hoped he could be quiet and secretive enough.

Feel free to scan everything you can think of, bang on walls, use laser-eyes, go to town.

GM "That's a relief" echoed the voice of the captain "We're going to shut down this comm in a few minutes, I wanted to make sure you would get a message over breathable air. Proceed as you wish, and good luck to you all. Supercape, we're ready for any communiques you wish to send, just aim for the bridge with it whenever you want to inform the crew of something. Ironclad, if you wish we can send you real-time updates of whatever our sensors pick up, which currently extends to two corridors from the center, just fire an electric burst at a frequency of 38HZ three times in as many Earth seconds. Discoverer out" and with a sharp *click* the voice ended. The humming continued, marked by Ironclad's sensors as coming from many places at once. All of those points were in constant motion, yet there was a regularity to their movements, which contributed to the illusion of a single voice. Supercape's own enhanced senses quickly revealed an oddity of their surroundings: everything seemed to be slowly changing its weight and mass; not enough to be noticeable to the others, but definitely there, and the change was signalled by an orange glint over the surface of the object. Paragon had a feeling of vague unease wash over him the moment he materialized, though it was difficult to determine what it was that caused it. The hallway went on for more than a mile before they saw anything of note. Turning one of the gentle corners that gave you a view of half the hall before you had gotten halfway around the bend, the suddenly walked into a door. That the door had not been there seconds ago was plain, as was the fact that the door didn't match the architecture of the rest of the facility. It was a cycling door that if opened would dilate. It was dark green in color except for the ring of lights around it that flashed a solemn blue at regular intervals. It was of smooth make, had not bumps or scratches, and the door itself was made of many blades. The humming droned on, a sudden dip in volume announcing a small opening in the wall beside them that extended a white tray intended to hold some small spherical object.

Evidently surprised by this way of thinking, Subito gave no sign that he was deeply puzzled by this reasoning. He assumed that the moral aspect was the most basic part of the equation, and that everything else flowed from whether or not the work paid homage to that underpinning. Serge's worldview evidently had the moral aspect as something secondary to the storytelling. This was something to chew over. He nodded to show he had heard and understood. Putting that aside for the moment, he frowned again at the rips he had gotten. "I know, but I shouldn't be so careless. This coat cost a lot to me, and I don't wanna waste it. I'll sew it up on the walk, I got some great thread for repairing this stuff yesterday" he glanced over at the cave, noting the thin rivulet that trickled into it "You want to check it out? It's pretty close to the path, but it being winter and all, I can see someone hiding something in there"

"We're not supposed to use 'em or talk about 'em if there's a chance of us being overheard" Subito whispered to Luke "Once the movies start and people start screaming, laughing and talking over the movie, then we can talk 'shop' if you want" He grinned at Serge and called over "That we will! They won't have any questions left when we're done with them!" Leaning back against his chair watching the black-and-white countdown projected onto the screen he answered Luke's first question "I've been at Claremont since last September. Flare-up at the place I worked at, my powers make training in secret the best choice. What about you? Random flare-up? Had them from birth?" he looked curiously at Luke,

"I could certainly try" he answered dubiously. In truth he had no idea if he could damage something as vast and weighty(and designed to endure pressure) as a propeller for a ship of that size. But I'll never know if I can if I don't try he reminded himself. With a barely audible "I'll do my best" he sank beneath the waters, gliding along the length of the ship to find its stern, and method of propulsion. It took him more time than he thought he would have to to get to the right spot. Dimly in the moonbeams falling from above, he glimpsed the ponderous bulk of the propeller bolted snugly in place just a few feet from the massive rudder. Streaming bubbles behind himself as he flew through the murky depths, he swam an investigatory circle around the thing. In the gloom, his eyes took a while to find a good spot, until a soft ray of light speared through the deep, and illuminated the connection point between the propeller and the ship itself. Drawing himself a little back from the ship, he tensed himself, and flung a massive punch at the narrow span, crushing it beneath his fist, and breaking the propeller off with a groan of tearing metal. He watched with awe as the thing sank out of sight, where it caused the previously subdued rumbles of ocean life to shift as sea creatures sniffed and batted at it curiously, before a monstrous growl sped them on their business. Subito had no idea what it was that awoke in the sea at night, and he hoped he would never need to. Swimming back up to the yacht, he whispered his success to Kristin and Diego "I don't think they'll be going anywhere fast,"he assured them "and I think we should make our move, they'll probably have heard that" he added nervously

Subito Sondo, the Hispanic teen paragon-in-training, had made his way to the theater with all speed after getting off the bus; leaping crosswalks in two bounds, weaving at great speed through pedestrian crowds, and skidding to a halt before the mighty doors of the place. He wasn't a B-movie enthusiast normally, his tastes running to the more well-made and carefully thought-out sorts of films that gave him endless ponderings about what the filmmakers had meant for him to take away from them, but tonight was different: he had been asked, as a newer student himself, to be one of the welcome party for the newly arrived students, a duty he took with the utmost gravity. Slowing his pace once at the doors, he got his ticket punched by the venerable old lady who had done so for around thirty years, and walked rapidly to the theater where the fun was to begin. Poking his tousled head through the door, he spotted Kristin instantly and jogged up to her and the two newest additions to Claremont's roster. Offering his hand he introduced himself eagerly "Hi! You must be Chloe and Luke. I'm Subito, pleased to meet you guys!" once names were exchanged, he took his seat, eyes alight or the good cheer to come.

Subito shrugged at the question. "No idea, to be honest. My classes don't have much history yet. I think he had a robot suit or something, but that's it" he listened to Marcus's musing on his disuse of strategy, nodding quietly as it concluded He had very little real experience with combat or any kind of strategy, and usually relied on other people telling him what to do in fights to be most effective. He agreed that Arcturus picking things up and throwing them would be very practical, and said so "Yeah,at least you and Kr-Glow can toss him around if it comes to that. Maybe I could keep the guy firing at me, if he has blasters or something like that" he couldn't really think of any way he could be much more useful, his punches in the last fight had barely even dented the holographic robots.

GM Samaritan Theater, January 8th, 7.00 P.M. The New Year's B-Movie Bash at the venerable green and red Samaritan Theater, a once-glittering philanthropic enterprise devoted to conveying news and the crème de la crème of the film industry to those who otherwise would have little recourse to legal entertainment, now a gradually decaying convention center for film buffs of varying stripes. The irony wasn't lost on the venue's caretaker. Its halls were still brightly lit, however, and the marble of its walls hadn't suffered any hurts. This month, a staggering collection of sub-par, poorly-made, ill-planned, or otherwise second-rate movies had been gathered by their enthusiasts for the delight of the crowds that loved to poke fun at them, narrate the mind-boggling events, and generally carry on. This night a small group of Claremont students were among the participants. Several members of the student body had gotten tickets to the event, and had arranged for some of the newer students to attend it as a group, to provide a good socialization and introductory venue removed from the super-school's hallowed halls. The students had just gotten to the first theater on the programme's list of serials, and were about to take their red velvet-upholstered seats in preparation for the first movie of the "monster marathon": The Vast Talon!...

GM As might be imagined, Martin was utterly shocked by Jay's abrupt takeover of the negotiation. He held off on speaking it openly until they were back at the inn, because he didn't want to look like a crazy person who talked to his cat. "Sir, I'm sorry I asked about his compensation rather than just telling him what our act was, but I don't see how interjecting like that would have been better than just nudging me. I would have gotten the message regardless!" sitting down on the bed he watched a cockroach wander out of the straw mattress pensively. "Anyway, seeing as a town functionary doesn't seem to get much support, a couple of performers are unlikely to get much anyway. Digging the ore, making it into wires, weaving the canvas, shelling out the cash. All that's a lot of work to pay a two people to give a show. I assumed we'd want to start with a few wires, maybe enough coin to pay for tonight, and work our way up. That way we wouldn't seem sketchy to people" he stood back up and glanced out the window, over at a trio of children who had climbed onto a roof opposite so they could look in. None of them gave any heed to the bushy-bearded man, instead gazing rapturously at the spotted cat nearby.