GranspearZX

The patrons in line ahead of Supercape actually seemed normal--or at least what passed for normal in a nightclub. There definitely seemed to be a dress code, and for the most part, no one seemed to be in an overly negative or aggressive mood. Part of that was probably the big, suited gorilla standing at the door. He regarded Supercape with a raised eyebrow, and there was a faint recognition of Smokey. He barely seemed to register Trigger at all. In the time between the apartment complex and here, Smokey and Trigger had changed clothes into something considerably more appropriate. Smokey was wildly uncomfortable in his suit and white tie, restricting himself to a single cigar; Trigger had gone for a simple collared shirt and slacks. "...huh." There was a faint, but noticeable glow in the man's eyes. It lasted only for a brief moment, but he reached behind him, pushing the door open. There was a distinct difference in temperature; the air conditioning was going pretty hard inside, sharply contrasting the somewhat humid air of the evening. "Fine. Go on." He gave Supercape a more scrutinizing look before simply turning ahead, closing the door behind them and facing forward to assess the next group of patrons. Once inside, there was simply a long, white hallway, stairs leading down and to the right, then to the left again. Posters lined the walls for various shows, all current, playing in the Theater District. At the bottom of the stairs, the hallway extended another fifty feet or so before ending at two white doors, manned by a single, long-haired man in a fedora. He looked impossibly gaunt at a glance, bearing long, hawkish features. The brim of his hat covered his eyes, and he was quietly shuffling a deck of cards as he stood between both doors.

GM "Shh!" Crusader glared at Mess and his scraggly-looking dog--he wasn't sure if it was a stray or if it was really his, but it seemed to be following Freddy. He couldn't hear much save a handful of voices, and none of them seemed to have heard anything outside. Reaching for the handle, Crusader opened the door slowly, slipping inside and leaving more than enough room for the wide-shouldered Bloody Mess to do the same. Below, at the far end of the warehouse, were several cars in varying states of assembly. Some were stripped down to the frames, others missing engines. Four men were standing around one in particular having a rather loud disagreement, with a fifth, much larger than the rest, crouched in front of a large van, sparks flying from the welding equipment he was using--which seemed to be rather permanently attached to his right arm.

GM With all the fighting going on around him, the STAR agent finally sat up, taking stock of the entire situation. He didn't know who these kids were, but they were saving his life--he was hardly one to complain. He still wasn't sure what to say, being covered by two--one in a particularly colorful costume--while the other three went after the digital demons. As Elias mentally scanned the area, he caught a glimpse of what he'd seen before--several more gargoyles and a much larger red-skinned brute carrying a massive club in one hand and dragging a STAR agent by the ankle in another. They had gotten relatively far, and were a stone's throw away from a massive, looming castle that seemed to be located at the edge of the woods.

For the sake of moving this thread along (which I apologize for! ) we'll just fudge things a bit and say that hits. Another one bites the digital dust!

"Super people problems... hm." Marcus chuckled. He figured it couldn't hurt for Darren to have his number; everyone else who could actually contact him didn't attend Claremont or had some other super powered means to do so. "I guess you might as well give me your number too." "'Confused and angry' could definitely describe a lot of people... myself included. Beast Rune or no Beast Rune. I guess it's okay though. I mean, I have a guess as to WHY, and I'm pretty sure I'm gonna have some answers soon. Need to have a conversation with my dad soon."

OOC thread for thread.

GM The Seventh Chakra was, quite literally, a hole in the wall. It was a surprisingly nice hole in the wall, though. Located on the southern end of Ashton, the club seemed to be underground, its entrance wedged between two larger businesses that were closed by the time it actually opened. As the sun set, a small line could be seen forming on the sidewalk, The violet, glowing logo shining above a single purple door. Standing at the entrance was a particularly large gentleman in a white suit and purple tie, allowing patrons to enter the building in either small groups or one at a time.

"I've got a source," Crusader began, pointing at the building, "that says he's in there. Him and his crew." Now that he'd calmed down so,e, he realized just how bad an idea rushing into a group of car thieves--potentially superpowered car thieves--might have been. Immediately he considered what Marceau would have done, and he looked up at the two-story warehouse, noting several access points that would have been far safer to observe the enemy from. Sure, it wasn't as satisfying as kicking the door in, but if he really wanted justice for his brother's attack, getting himself injured wasn't going to help. Charlotte definitely had a point, even if she didn't know all the details. "Alright. Let's go." And with that, Crusader headed around towards the western end of the building. All the cars and bikes that were parked in view were on the eastern end--three in all, including a very large truck with tires that couldn't have possibly been street legal. From there, he headed up a set of metal stairs to the second floor, pressed against the door at the top, listening for anything that might have been on the other side.

"Starvation drills? ..wow." Marcus stopped and stared at Elias for a moment. His troubles, at least, were largely internal. He couldn't even say he had a bad relationship with his parents; all in all, he was well adjusted apart from the magic-borne voice in his head subtly influencing his actions, and even then he couldn't say how much of it was the Beast Rune. Still, Elias's paranoia and the revelation of his unusual relationship with his mother didn't make him trust Elias any less. "Can't say my mom was anything like that. She just... disappeared. Shortly before my dad was arrested by AEGIS agents." On my birthday, no less. He was still understandably bitter. He wasn't much for authority, but his father wanted him to do the right thing and use the Beast Rune for good things--especially since Marcus could control its urges when Richard had lost that battle with it. With Elias watching their backs, Marcus kept his eyes mostly forward, moving slowly so he wouldn't miss anything or anyone important.

Hunting? It was almost as if the Beast Rune had only just stated paying attention to what was going on around Marcus. The length of the trip really had affected them both. He wasn't even thirsty until Dr. Conte had mentioned it, but even then, he wasn't too worried. He let out a yawn, having enough awareness of himself to cover his mouth. "I can eat just about anything; I'm not real picky." Still, his choice of the barbecue beef and potatoes wasn't really all that surprising. "I'm still trying to figure out what I want to do after I graduate. 3 years ago, I would've been fine hanging out in the Theater District just doing lighting and set design but now..." "Besides," he said with a nonchalant shrug, "I have a feeling it'll be good to see other places. It's a lot better than just seeing them on a map."

Note to self: Give Clark Skill Mastery. 1d20+5=16 Notice, and 1d20+7=24 Sense Motive. Yay!

While he had never actually held a conversation with Mark, Marcus knew enough of him to know that he wasn't a jerk. All things considered, that was good enough for him. Simply getting off the helicopter and out into the open meant that he didn't have to distract himself with studying or sleeping--it was only a matter of time before Tona's and Jubatus's cabin fever started to become contagious. "I slept most of the way here," Marcus admitted with a nonchalant shrug. He extended his hand to shake Edge's. "Got a lot of reading done too..." He glanced among those with whom he'd arrived, rubbing absently at the back of his neck with his free hand. There was more going on than was immediately visible, but Marcus wasn't sure if he should concern himself just yet. New places and people were a lot to process, and he was trying not to look as excited as he really was about doing something different without having to cross dimensional boundaries. He could only hope that this trip would go better than the Pennsylvania trip had gone. But he was older now! Wiser! At least, he liked to think so. "I'm sure there's something we can all contribute," he mused, in response to Blue Jay's comment. "Kinda looking forward to what that is, myself."

Arc would know Myrmidon, mostly as 'hey, that guy goes to Claremont too', if nothing else. Blue Jay, I'm not sure about; there was a thread featuring her and Arcturus, but because it never got finished, I don't know if they ever would have met. He'd know of Jubatus, on the grounds that an animal shifter would almost certainly have heard of a guy who looks like Jubatus full-time.

For someone who had never been out of the country, a trip to Africa seemed incredibly exciting. During a time when he was actively questioning his future, an opportunity to see other parts of the world seemed like an incredible stroke of luck. He had always considered doing more volunteer work, but between the stress of researching and understanding his own magic and trying to get into college, it always seemed like there weren't enough hours in the day. He wasn't sure who else Headmaster Summers had asked. Marcus was frankly surprised that he had been asked. He certainly wasn't going to say no, however; he was, after all, more adept at solving other peoples' problems than his own. He had only been on a plane once before, and the hours-long trip went by pretty quickly. When Marcus wasn't reading, he was sleeping, and the Beast Rune was surprisingly cooperative throughout. He at least had the sense to wear his costume; as odd as that felt, it would have been even weirder if he'd actually been traveling in his bear form. The beast-like mask was more to protect Claremont than his own identity anyway. Marcus packed light, bringing what tools he could. He didn't see a reason to pack anything with active magic--a bag of blank pewter runestones, some ivory ones, carving tools, that sort of thing. He'd even gone as far as bringing a book mapping out ley lines across the region, among others. It was about as prepared as he could make himself without going completely overboard. Or looking like a complete magic nerd. As he stepped out into the sun, he already felt as if he was the only one actually excited to be there.

Amorph Power Level: 10 (150/150PP) Trade-Offs: +2 Toughness / -2 Defense Unspent PP: 0 In-Brief: Experimental life form with the mind of a teenager Alternate Identities: Ralf Steiner Identity: Public Birthplace: Germany Occupation: Student Affiliations: None Family: Andrew Steiner (adopted father) Age: 4 Gender: Male Ethnicity: ??? Height: 5' 8" Weight: 175 lbs Eyes: Green Hair: Black (usually) Description: In his raw, undisguised form, Ralf is a squat, vaguely humanoid blob with large, muscular looking limbs. He tends to look more than a little monstrous when not in disguise, sporting a large maw and large, glowing yellow eyes. His Claremont uniform typically consists of little more than a pair of baggy blue pants and a pair of black bracers that cover half of his forearms. Though he can look any way he pleases for the most part, he tends to walk around on the day to day looking like a teenager, based largely off of a picture of his creator when he was younger. In this particular form, he's a tall, somewhat gangly young man with black hair and green eyes. Power Descriptions: Ralf is a vaguely humanoid amorphous blob, able to stretch his body and pass between a liquid-like and solid state almost at will. Because his entire body is a weapon, he uses it as such in often inventive ways, striking with mallet-sized fists (or actual mallets!) from a significant distance. History: Andrew Steiner was tasked by SHADOW to create a weapon: a life form that could cause untold destruction while being durable enough to withstand anything that any hero could throw at it. After years of development, he created an amorphous blob creature named RALF: Recombinant Artificial Life Form. It had everything that SHADOW asked it for--strength, durability, and the potential to cause significant destruction if mass produced. During the testing and experiments, however, Steiner noticed that his creation had odd quirks. While it didn't require sustenance in the traditional sense, it snatched a candy bar from an unwitting technician and immediately ate it. And it seemed to enjoy it. After six months, it began mimicking the speech of those around it. In time, it learned not only to speak, but to read and write as well. It started asking question, learning at a rapid rate with the curiosity and innocence typical of a child. Steiner realized what he had created, and that handing RALF over and turning him into a weapon would be a terrible mistake. This fact became all the more clear when RALF was put into combat testing and showed a clear reluctance to harm living targets, constantly questioning his handlers. Steiner fled to America, taking RALF with him. Giving him a name and instructing the still evolving life form to disguise himself in a form fitting his intellectual age, Steiner contacted Claremont Academy to put Ralf in their care before he disappeared. Personality & Motivations: Ralf is a playful individual, always quick with a joke or a witty retort. At a glance, he seems to take almost nothing seriously, and his general nature and energy border on the hyperactive. Still, he knows his situation and rails against the idea of someone else using him to harm others. His lessons in morality are, in his mind, a personal connection to the man who created him, and he'll do whatever he has to in order to honor it. Powers & Tactics: RALF tends to use his superior physical strength and durability to his advantage, and is perfectly fine with wading into a fight, fists swinging. His ability to stretch his limbs only lends to his preference for slugging it out with an opponent, and his elusive nature is often used as a distraction to allow heavier hitters to take advantage of the situation. His unusual body structure allows him to use more than just his arms as weapon; able to bounce from place to place, climb and suspend himself from walls, and use his entire body to snare opponents, Ralf can be incredibly unpredictable. Complications: Enemy: SHADOW wants its biological weapon back. Sweet Tooth: Ralph can eat just about anything. Though he has no appetite to speak of, he can't resist sugar. Trophy Hunter: Ralf often feels like everything he does needs commemorating, and often looks to collect souvenirs from encounters. It Ain't Easy...: All of Ralf's humanoid forms have green eyes. Keep It Together: Ralf has a tough time maintaining a disguise in the presence of water. While he can at least keep his basic form intact, anything more doesn't hold up, even rain. Abilities: 0 + 8 + 24 + 2 + 0 + 4 = 38PP Strength: 10/30 (+10) Dexterity: 18 (+4) Constitution: 34 (+12) Intelligence: 12 (+1) Wisdom: 10 (+0) Charisma: 14 (+2) Combat: 16 + 16 = 32PP Initiative: +4 Attack: +8 (+10 melee) Grapple: +28 Defense: +8 (8, +0 Dodge Focus) / +4 flat-footed Knockback: -6 Saving Throws: 0 + 2 + 6 = 8 PP Toughness: +12 Fortitude: +12 (+12 Con, 0) Reflex: +6 (+4 Dex, 2) Will: +6 (+0 Wis, 6) Skills: 32R = 8PP Bluff 10 (+12) Disguise 4 (+6) Escape Artist 0 (+7 Elongation) Intimidate 4 (+6) Knowledge (streetwise) 4 (+5) Notice 4 (+4) Perform (acting) 4 (+5) Stealth 2 (+6) Feats: 5PP Attack Focus (melee) 2 Distract (Bluff) Improved Grab Improved Grapple Powers: 6 + 6 + 5 + 23 + 7 + 6 + 6 = 59PP Elongation 5 (100 ft range, 50 ft increments, +5 Escape and Grapple) [5PP] AP: Leaping 5 (x50; 250/500/1000 high/standing/running jump) [1PP] Immunity 6 (Critical hits, disease, poison, suffocation) [6PP] Insubstantial 1 (fluid) [5PP] Morph 10 (Broad--any humanoid, +50 disguise) [23PP] AP: Bouncing 9 (PFs: Move-by Action, Ricochet) [1PP] AP: Enhanced Strength 20 [1PP] AP: Snare 10 (Flaw: Distracting, Ex: Engulf, Regenerating) [1PP] Regeneration 6 (Injured 6 [1/round]; PF: Regrowth) [7PP] Super Movement 3 (Slithering, Sure-Footed 1, Wall-Crawling) [6PP] Super Strength 3 (+15 STR, heavy load: 6.4 tons) [6PP] Drawbacks: -0PP Abilities (38) + Combat (34) + Saving Throws (8) + Skills (8) + Feats (5) + Powers (59) - Drawbacks (0) = 150/150 Power Points DC Block Attack Range Save Effect ------------------------------------------------------- Unarmed Melee DC25 TOU [Staged] Damage [Physical] Snare Melee DC20 Reflex [Staged] Bound/Entangled

Marcus opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again. For all his quirks and annoying attributes--especially the talking--Darren had a point when it came to what he was actually trying to do. It made sense. He always felt like he had to force it to power through the Beast Rune's interference, but... "Huh." He scratched at his chin. "...didn't consider that. Might have to give that a shot later. Somewhere more appropriate, maybe." The school had nearly burned down once already; there was no sense in risking a preventable accident. "Clutch magical theory... hm. I dunno about all that, but it's alt least useful advice. Guess you're not all random talk after all."

"...thanks." The thanks was more for the protein bar than anything else; Marcus wasn't starving but food had definitely been on his mind. "You sure you're okay?" As they walked, he broke half of the protein bar off to eat it. The description wasn't as helpful as he would've liked, but he was it did give him a general enough image to look out for. A vague location and a vague description... Marcus had done fine with less. "Well, he cant have changed that much in five years..." He wasn't sure how suspicious two teenagers peering around corners looked, but Marcus tried to keep as inconspicuous as possible as he moved, keeping in mind that distance was actually a good thing in this case--he wasn't sure if Elias would be recognized, after all...

Warp's up next. :3

"...is that a serious question?" It really did catch him off guard. In fact, it snapped him out of his mental rampage long enough to actually be confused. Still, after considering the question, he came to a realization--tonight, he really wasn't much of a superhero. There was nothing heroic about the revenge he wanted. Right now, that epiphany didn't make him want to break the Riveter's arms off any less. "Thanks. ...if you're gonna stick around, just try not to get in the way," he said, looking over at the building. There were still lights on inside, and enough machine noise that the bike had gone, thus far, unheard. "...call me Crusader, by the way."

Power Level: 10 (150/150PP) Trade-Offs: None Unspent PP: 0 In-Brief: Master manipulator of shadows Alternate Identities: Teresa Romero Identity: Public Birthplace: Bronx, New York, NY Occupation: Student Affiliations: None Family: Dominic Romero (father), Elena Romero (mother), Derrick "D.J" Romero Jr. (brother), Ryan Romero (brother), Tobias Mitchell (brother) Age: 16 Gender: Female Ethnicity: Height: 5' 6" Weight: 115 lbs Eyes: Violet Hair: Black Description: [WIP] Power Descriptions: Eidolon's power over darkness take on several forms; she can obscure an area in darkness, make people hallucinate, and can even create identical copies of herself from shadows. Perhaps deeper than that, however, his her almost ghost-like mutant ability to use shadows to break an opponent's will, either with a direct assault, draining it, or inducing debilitating fear. History: Teresa Romero grew up in the Bronx. The youngest of five children, Teresa's family, while poor, was still incredibly close--largely because of their small apartment. Despite growing up poor, Teresa displayed a talent for singing and acting at an early age. Her mother, a music teacher, encouraged Tina's gift, and at 11 years old, Tina was enrolled into a well-known New York arts school in Brooklyn. Teresa's gift for performance only blossomed from there. By the time she was 14, she was a fairly well known singer and dancer. One night after a performance, however, her parents were nearly carjacked. When one of the muggers grabbed her, her powers manifested, leaving one man a near catatonic mess on the ground, while the others fled, swinging at things that weren't there. It didn't take long for her parents to figure out what had happened, but neither knew quite how to handle it. For nearly a week, Teresa confined herself to her family's apartment, trying to deal with everything she could suddenly do and see. Eventually, her parents were contacted by Claremont Academy with an offer to help the troubled young woman cope with her newfound skills... Personality & Motivations: Teresa is a very straightforward, often opinionated young woman. Her unique vision has made her significantly less judgmental than she had been previously, and she strives to exhibit patience with others, leading most to characterize her as having a very reserved, almost conservative personality. It's not an entirely inaccurate perception; she is always at least a little self-conscious about how others view her, especially given the "dark" nature of her metahuman abilities. Powers & Tactics: Having never been in a real fight in her entire life, Teresa often tries to avoid confrontation. When that simply isn't an option, she chooses to distract and confuse her opponents instead, buying her time to either escape or allow her allies to take care of the problem. Complications: Abilities: 0 + 0 + 2 + 6 + 6 + 4 = 18PP Strength 10: (+0) Dexterity 10: (+0) Constitution: 12 (+1) Intelligence: 16 (+3) Wisdom: 16 (+3) Charisma: 14 (+2) Combat: 20 + 14 = 34PP Initiative: +4 Attack: +10 Grapple: +10 Defense: +10 (+7, Dodge Focus 3) / +4 flat-footed Knockback: -5 Saving Throws: 3 + 6 + 5 = 20PP Toughness: +10 (+1 Con, +9 Force Field) Fortitude: +4 (+1 Con, 3) Reflex: +6 (+0 Dex, 6) Will: +8 (+3 Wis, 5) Skills: 56R = 14PP Acrobatics 8 (+8) Bluff 6 (+8)SM Concentration 6 (+9) Diplomacy 4 (+6)SM Disguise 2 (+4) Knowledge (streetwise) 4 (+6) Notice 4 (+7)SM Perform (keyboards) 4 (+6) Perform (singing) 6 (+8) Sense Motive 4 (+7)SM Stealth 4 (+4) Feats: 10PP Attractive Dodge Focus 3 Improved Initiative Luck 3 Quick Change 2 Skill Mastery (Bluff, Diplomacy, Notice, Sense Motive) Powers: 39 + 9 + 7 + 2 = 59PP Darkness Control 7 (500 ft. radius; Ex: Selective Attack) + Obscure 7 (Audio, 500 ft. radius; Ex: Selective Attack) [35PP] AP: Blast 10 (PF: Precise; Ex: Alternate Save [Will]) [1PP] AP: Duplication 10 (PFs: Mental Link, Progression [5 duplicates]; Ex: Horde, Heroic; Flaw: Phantasms) [1PP] AP: Emotion Control 10 (Flaw: Limited [Fear], Sense-Dependent [sight]; Ex: Area [Perception]) 1PP AP: Illusion 8 [Visual + Audio; Flaw: Phantasms, Ex: Area [shapeable], Selective Attack) [1PP] Force Field 9 Super Senses 7 (Aura Reading, Darkvision) [7PP] Teleport 4 (400 ft as move action; Flaw: Medium [shadows]) [4PP] Drawbacks: -3PP Weakness (sunlight; common, minor [-1 Attack / 20 minutes]) [-3PP] **So this is another possible concept for my Silver slot. Primarily a darkness controller type, but not a proverbial combat monster--or at least, she isn't intended to be. Her mutant physiology makes her something of a night owl, but having daytime adventures won't cause her any lasting harm. She's no vampire, even with the willpower draining! **The build is up in the air, contingent on a few things: specifically, sunlight's effect on her Attack. The cost could be wrong; in addition, it might be a little bit cheap to list it as a weakness when she can simply throw out her Darkness Control power to shield herself from said sunlight. Other options include the Power Loss drawback... or simply making it a complication instead. (Feedback on this is more than welcome!)

Hero gear, yes.

I'm gonna make the Riveter wish he was never born. Of course, Clark wasn't actually going to say that out loud. Mess's presence certainly had made his intentions seem far less rational, but he would freely admit that there was nothing rational about him hunting his brother's assailant in a cowl and costume. For anyone else, it would have seemed downright weird... which explained the skeptical look on Freddy's face. The second thing that popped into his head wasn't any more reasonable than the first. "Clean up the streets... cute," Crusader quipped, putting his bike helmet on the handlebars and removing his shield from his back. "I'm the guy that's gonna wipe the floor with the Mazziari's. Tonight. Starting with Frank. So you can either get on board or... not."

Four guards. I could take them. But... He certainly wasn't going to be able to just charm and con his way past them. He couldn't even throw his shield at this point--without the proper range and momentum, he couldn't accurately predict how four targets would move and react. Crusader was left with two options: wade in, fists swinging, or attempt to even the odds without fighting. Clark decided to attempt the latter first. Besides, if the King of Suits was taking a more indirect route to the same place, providing a distraction would be the best way to ensure that Marceau arrived and could plant Voltage's device unimpeded and unseen. "Actually," he said, hands up in mock surrender, "I'm supposed to be relieving one of you, that's all. And... uh, yeah, I guess so." Clark frowned a bit, rubbing at his nonexistent belly.

"Y-yes sir!" Clark nodded, saying nothing else; thankfully, she was too busy berating him to have wanted an actual response. Now waist-deep in enemy territory, he inwardly chuckled at the crack about supers and stealth--the irony was incredibly amusing. Still, he hadn't lost sight of the mission. Getting access to the control room was key. He ignored the imposing and scrutinizing glare of the single guard set apart from the others and, after having been yelled at, increased his pace accordingly to move past that room, hopefully without incident or suspicion.

"Giving up on what, exactly? I'm not out to prove anything, so..." Especially to some spoiled rich kid. He had the spell mostly figured out. The real spell he was researching was next to impossible to test outside of an actual combat application--a ray of light that was harmful specifically to the undead. He'd been encountering so many demons and the like that it seemed incredibly appropriate. "Sage advice, huh? I think I'll pass, thanks. You've said plenty." He didn't mean that in an entirely condescending way; he really was considering being a little more 'open' in the way he used his magic.